Dan Stark was just five years old when the UNBC Timberwolves played their inaugural season in the B.C, Colleges Athletic Association.
Born and bred in Prince George, he's grown up knowing that's the team he always wanted to play for and he got his wish.
For four years after he left high school at Kelly Road he followed in the footsteps of his two-years-older brother Dennis, who also played at UNBC (they were T-wolves teammates for two years). After three seasons away from the game, Dan came out of retirement to cap off his five-season university basketball career, knowing his influence might help the T-wolves get back in the Canada West playoffs for the second time in team history.
That plan appears to be working.
In his final regular-season game Saturday at the Northern Sport Centre, Stark delivered 12 points, five assists and two rebounds in a 101-91 win over Fraser Valley. That left the UNBC men (10-10) ninth in a league in which the top-12 teams make the playoffs, with the league schedule wrapping up this weekend.
Stark was among four seniors honoured in a ceremony between the women's and men's games Saturday. T-wolves guard Marcus MacKay and two women's team members - forward Emily Aase and guard Kylie Pozniak - also played the last home games of their five-year university careers.
The 26-year-old Stark, by far the oldest player on the men's basketball team, credits the on-site training staff from Engage Sport North and Accelerated Physiotherapy next to the gym for helping him work off the effects of his three-year layoff. He shed 20 pounds off his six-foot-five frame getting back into game shape.
"I've been spoiled to get to play here," said Stark. "I watched this team when I was in elementary school, I watched Todd (T-wolves head coach Jordan) play and watched all the guys play after him and this is the school I wanted to play for and it means a lot to play for this crowd. They've been supportive of me the whole way through.
"It feels good to play as an old, out-of-shape guy and still have them rooting for me. It means a lot."
MacKay put up nine points and had three assists - a modest output for a guy from Terrace blessed with long-range accuracy, who had many games in his career when he shot the lights out.
"It's been an absolute blessing, I came here and expected to red-shirt my first season, I was just happy to be on the team," said the 22-year-old MacKay.
"I kind of built goals every year on where I wanted to be next year and I can safely say I've achieved all those goals that I've worked through my five years for and that feels really special."
The product of teacher parents, MacKay graduates this spring with designs on an elementary school career.
UNBC women's team head coach Sergey Shchepotkin in his address to the crowd Saturday spoke of Aase's contributions as an energy player whose positive attitude wore off on her teammates and he highlighted Pozniak's leadership qualities as an everyday starter, which made her a natural choice as a team captain the past three seasons.
Aase, 22, was recruited out of Prince George secondary school and was thankful for the chance to play her entire Canada West career representing her hometown. PGSS coach Soili Smith, a high-scoring Timberwolf from 2004-10 when UNBC played in the B.C. college league, inspired Aase to stick with basketball.
"In Grade 10 (Smith) came in to coach and she got me fired up and she really motivated me to want to play further after high school," said Aase. "Playing here in Prince George, just having my community and my family here to support me has been great, I couldn't imagine playing anywhere else."
Aase is graduating with a social work degree this spring and is considering applying to become an RCMP officer.
Pozniak, an accounting/finance major, had family members from Okotoks, Alta., and Prince George in the crowd holding up signs and a larger-than-life photo cutout of her face while they watched from the stands at the NSC.
In 2013-14, Pozniak's first season, the T-wolves won just six of 22 games. The following season they went 2-18 and it didn't get much better in a 3-17 season in 2015-16. Heading into the final week of this season, UNBC is in position for its second-straight playoff berth. The T-wolves rank 10th with a 9-11 record.
"It's been cool to be part of this growth, from maybe getting two wins in a season to making playoffs two years in a row, and I'm honoured I've been part of that process," said the 22-year-old Pozniak, the oldest player on her team.
"Being the first female team in UNBC history to make it to (CIS/U Sports) playoffs was something I will forever remember."
