Two-time Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association National Champion Vicky Tessier was inducted into the CCAA Hall of Fame in the Athlete Category.
Tessier led the Indiennes d’Ahuntsic to back-to-back CCAA titles in Women’s Basketball in 1991 and 1992. She was named tournament most valuable player at the 1992 CCAA Basketball National Championships, hosted by Seneca College in Toronto, ON.
“Vicky was a star athlete on every team she played,” said Christian Moisan, Assistant Director at Collège Ahuntsic. “She was a key element of our women’s basketball supremacy in the late 80’s and early 90’s before leaving her mark with the McGill Martlets.”
Tessier’s first experience with the Association came at the 1990 CCAA Basketball National Championships, hosted by John Abbott College in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue QC. Ahuntsic advanced to the CCAA final, where it was defeated 52-48 by the Lethbridge Kodiaks.
“We played a really good game and I had the difficult task of guarding Lethbridge’s 6-foot-7 Laurie Ann Hockridge on defence,” said Tessier, who was named a first team tournament All-Star. “It was my first exposure to the elite national level.”
While the Indiennes were forced to settle for a silver medal after the heartbreaking defeat, the experience would prove to be invaluable the following spring.
Tessier’s fondest CCAA memory would come that next season, when Ahunstic was victorious at the 1991 CCAA Basketball National Championships, hosted by Cariboo College in Kamloops, BC.
“First, I had never even travelled to Western Canada,” said Tessier. “Then we went and accomplished a team goal that we had since coming so close the year before vs. Lethbridge – not only did we achieve our goal, but it was a first experience of this magnitude for Ahuntsic.”
Tessier believes the experiences she had with the Indiennes in the CCAA gave her the tools she needed to perform in her first year at the university level.
“It was my experience with the CCAA that gave me the foundation to become an elite basketball athlete and have the university career that I did,” said Tessier.
“Because I was exposed at the collegiate level to a high level of competition like the CCAA National Championships, I was ready for the university level and I didn’t need a few years to develop.”
At McGill University, Tessier was named an All-Canadian an incredible five times and received CIS (now U SPORTS) Player of the Year honours in 1997. She was inducted into the McGill Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
“My development and perfectionism were developed at the CCAA level,” said Tessier, who after beginning a career in the pharmaceutical industry, returned to her first love by getting involved once again in collegiate sport – she is now the Student Life Advisor at Cégep de l’Outaouais.
Tessier is still involved with the CCAA as the RSEQ’s Women’s Volleyball Convenor.
