The Regina Sports Hall of Fame has named five athletes and one team that will be inducted as the class of 2025.
This Year's inductees are Janine Polischuk (Athlete; Athletics), Rob Bresciani (Athlete; Football), Dale Derkatch (Athlete; Hockey), Mervin Tran (Athlete; Figure Skating), Steve Mazurak (Athlete; Football), and the 2013 Regina Thunder Football Team.
Bresciani excelled in various community and high school sports before playing football for the Regina Rams, University of Saskatchewan Huskies, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Calgary Stampeders and Ottawa Rough Riders.
Bresciani was a member of Saskatchewan’s Grey Cup-winning team in 1989 — a season in which he had a six-catch, 194-yard game.
Bresciani was named the CFL Alumni’s man of the year in 2023 to honour his contributions to the Alumni and the community.
He has played a key role in developing and promoting team handball and flag football. He has also coached football and basketball and was proud to share the news with his family.
"The mentorship that I got from my teachers, my coaches and my teammates made me who I am and successful today, and I wanted to pass that on to the youth and give them an opportunity for that and lead them on the right path. It was probably more enjoyable to me."
Derkatch was named the Regina Pats’ General Manager in June and is the leading scorer in franchise history, having amassed 491 points from 1981 to 1985.
The Western Hockey League team has retired his number (16) as a tribute to his junior career, which included 222 goals in 204 games.
Derkatch was named the WHL’s rookie of the year after registering 142 points, including 62 goals, in 1981-82. He followed up with an 84-goal, 179-point season in 1982-83 before producing 159 points (including 72 goals) in 1983-84.
Mazurak’s remarkable career in sports includes a string of memorable accomplishments with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Over eight seasons as a CFL player, he caught 237 passes for 3,714 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also caught a TD pass in the 1976 Grey Cup Game.
Mazurak, the CFL Players’ Association’s first full-time executive director, served in that role from 1980 to 1985 after being hired by CFLPA president George Reed.
The Roughriders’ former No. 70 entered the SaskTel Plaza of Honour in 2004.
The following year, he was hired by the Roughriders as a vice president. In that capacity, he led the sales, sponsorship, and marketing teams during a prosperous era that included Grey Cup championships in 2007 and 2013.
Mazurak was humbled by the honour.
"It's pretty darn special especially when you see some of the folks that have been inducted into the hall. Parts of you think that this will never happen and then your called and you see some of the people around you. It's pretty special."
Janine Pottage, whose surname was Polischuk, starred in track and field at the high school, university, national and international levels during her accomplished career in athletics.
Competing for Sheldon-Williams Collegiate, she set eight Regina High Schools Athletic Association records in three age categories.
Polischuk excelled collegiately at San Diego State University (2004-05) and the University of Regina (2007-09), earning numerous medals on both sides of the border.
Polischuk won medals in the heptathlon at the 2001 Canadian junior championships (gold) and 2003 Pan American Junior Games (bronze).
Tran reached an important milestone in 2007, competing at the Canadian championships as a singles skater, before focusing on pairs and compiling impressive results nationally and internationally.
Alongside Japanese skater Narumi Takahashi, Tran became a fixture on the international circuit, regularly placing on the podium.
Most notably, Tran and Takahashi won the bronze medal at the 2012 world championships. They were third in the short and long programs at the latter event. Two years earlier, they were silver medalists at the world junior level.
Tran and Natasha Purich placed fourth at the 2014 Canadian championships.
More success followed in tandem with American skaters Marissa Castelli and Olivia Serafini.
Tran has also given back to the sport as a certified Skate Canada coach. He has also volunteered his time working with Special Olympics athletes and serving on committees that are part of national and international events.
The Regina Thunder celebrated several firsts in 2013, capturing the Prairie Football Conference title and winning the Canadian championship.
Regina won the PFC title by defeating the host Saskatoon Hilltops 21-16. The Hilltops were the three-time defending national champions.
Before a home crowd at historic Mosaic Stadium, the Thunder — under first-year head coach Scott MacAulay — defeated the Vancouver Island Raiders 55-26 in the 2013 Canadian Bowl.
Asher Hastings was named the national final’s offensive MVP after throwing five touchdown passes, two of which were caught by Mitch Thompson as part of his nine-catch, 189-yard performance.
Linebacker Brett Selinger was named the defensive MVP after recording nine tackles.
The Thunder’s Nick Brown rushed 20 times for 203 yards, 48 of which came on a TD run.
The RSHOF began inducting athletes, builders, teams and patrons annually in 2003, honouring them for their contributions to sport within Regina. With the addition of this year's class, there will be 132 members of the Hall (55 builders, 55 athletes, 15 teams and seven patrons) plus 150 honourary members who the Sask Sport Hall of Fame had earlier recognized. Past inductees and nomination forms are available at www.reginasportshalloffame.com.
The 22nd induction ceremony will be held on Thursday, October 9th. The reception will start at 7:30 p.m., and the program will start at 8:15 p.m. at the Conexus Arts Centre.
