Cougars’ Madeleine Tell has dealt with trying years during U Sports career

It has been a tough few years for Madeleine Tell — not only having to overcome injuries but the loss of one of her biggest fans as well.

Tell’s dad, Kevin, died in January 2022 after battling cancer.

“That was definitely the most horrible experience that I’ve had so far,” Tell, a guard with the University of Regina Cougars women’s basketball team, said Wednesday. “I don’t know if I would have been able to make it through all of that if it wasn’t for my team and having basketball and my family. It was just very hard and it continues to be hard and I’m sure it will be for a while longer, but it was a very difficult time.

“Our first games back were about five or six days after he passed away. That first game was really, really hard on me. My dad was my biggest fan, other than my mom.

“He just was always so supportive of me and always pushed me to be my best and he never missed any games. Him and my mom would travel to all our away games and I was just so used to seeing his face in the stands.”

With all she has gone through, the Regina product was named the Canada West recipient of the Courage Overcoming Adversity award for the 2022-23 season.

“I think it was very special for them to recognize me,” Tell said. “It means a lot to me just to show other people that it is doable to make it through adversity and I think it’s a testament to my support system and how great they were.

“Bring around this group of girls is special and we all care about each other so much that they have just carried me along in ways they don’t even know.”

Tell was the Canada West nominee for the U Sports Tracy MacLeod Award, which rewards determination, perseverance and unwavering spirit. The national award was won Wednesday by Bridget Mulholland of the Queen’s Gaels.

While Tell emotionally had to deal with the loss of her father, she also has had to overcome physical hurdles as well.

Tell tore an ACL in the summer of 2020 and then in May 2021, she tore her labrum.

“That recovery was actually pretty fast. I was back playing in January,” Tell said.

Tell played a big role for the Cougars in the final part of the 2022-21 season, and emerged as a starter this season.

But the injury bug struck once again, with her again tearing the ACL in December and then dislocating her shoulder and tearing her labrum in January, putting an end to her season.

“It’s very hard (being injured) and watching them play. Watching them play and not playing is actually worse than dealing with the injury itself,” Tell said. “You’re focused on the recovery and just getting back out there and it’s hard to watch the team play without you. You just try your best to be the best support and best fan you can be.”

She thought her basketball career would be over after this season, which led to the team honouring her during its seniors night in February.

“I was very touched. I’ve never really seen anything that I’ve been going through and how I’ve dealt with it as something that even needs to be talked about; it was just something I had to do,” Tell said. “To hear (those words) from (head coach Dave Taylor) and just that my team has been there for me and seen what I’ve been going through, I think that’s tied in to how they have been supporting me.”

But after putting some more thought into it, she has decided to return for her fifth year of university eligibility.

“When I tore my ACL in December, I was way more upset than I was the first time because it was a realization of, ‘I’m done and this is it,’ ” Tell said. “That really hurt me.

“I was kind of like, ‘Oh my gosh, maybe I do have to come back.’ I was so fortunate that my knee held up and I don’t have to get surgery on it.

“The second time I dislocated (my shoulder) in practice, it’s a weird way of putting it, but it was almost like a blessing. I think it made me realize how much I loved basketball and how much I wanted to continue play.

“I think I had a lot of feelings after my dad passed away that life is short and I have so many things I want to do and I have to do it next year. It made me realize I can slow down and continue to play the sport I love.”

There’s also some unfinished for the Cougars heading into next season. Regina was ranked first in the country for much of the season, but ultimately fell to the Calgary Dinos in a Canada West semifinal.

“I want to go back next year and make it to nationals. We are so capable of doing that,” Tell said. “This year didn’t go how we wanted to go but there’s definitely some unfinished business.”

And her dad continues to provide inpiration for her.

“I just needed to keep remembering I want to play for him and play basketball for him,” Tell said. “I made it through (the first game after his death) and every game after that, I’ve just been playing for him.”

Taylor wins coach of the year

After posting a 17-3 Canada West record and a 27-5 record overall, Taylor was named the top coach in the country during Wednesday’s U Sports awards ceremony.

University of Regina Cougars head coach Dave Taylor. (Shaira Castillo/University of Regina Athletics)

Taylor coached the Cougars to the second seed in Canada West in his 17th season as Regina’s bench boss.

It’s the second time he has been named the coach of the year; he won it in 2012 after compiling a 20-0 record. He is the winningest coach in U of R history.

Saskatchewan Huskies guard Carly Ahlstrom was nominated for the Nan Copp Trophy for outstanding player of the year, but the award was given to the McMaster Marauders’ Sarah Bishop.

Ahlstrom was named a first-team All-Canadian.

Saskatchewan’s Logan Reider was nominated for the U Sports rookie-of-the-year award, but that went to Jacqueline Urban from the Carleton Ravens. Reider was named to the all-rookie team.

Cougars star Jade Belmore was named a second-team All-Canadian.