A beloved builder of lacrosse in Coquitlam who passed away in April, 2018, will be honoured by one of the teams he helped construct.
The Coquitlam Jr. Adanacs will raise a banner to honour Les Wingrove before their BC Junior A Lacrosse League game Friday 7:30 p.m., against the Langley Thunder, at the Poirier Sports and Leisure Complex.
Wingrove’s association with the sport began in the late 1960s, when he moved to Coquitlam and became a lacrosse referee and coach. In 1976, he became the president of Coquitlam Minor Lacrosse, and, three years later, he and David Zelmer, established the Jr. Adanacs.
Over the next several years, Wingrove served as the team’s president, general manager and coach. He then moved on to the senior Adanacs as that team’s general manager and coach. In 2001, he helped guide them to their first and only Mann Cup national championship.
Following a tenure with the Langley Thunder, of the Western Lacrosse Association, Wingrove returned to the Jr. Adanacs’ fold as an executive who helped guide them to a Minto Cup championship in 2016 and 2018. And while he was no longer around to celebrate the fruits of his labour with last year’s national champions, the team engraved his first name into their championship rings to recognize his role in bringing them together.
Wingrove’s banner will take its place in the arena’s rafters next to one honouring his late son, Trevor, who passed away in 2011.
The younger Wingrove was a star player for the Jr. and Sr. Adanacs. He was twice the junior team’s most valuable player — in 1987 and ’88 — and when he graduated to the Western Lacrosse Association in 1989, he was the senior team’s rookie of the year.
Wingrove went on to win several individual awards. He also played in two Minto Cups and one Mann Cup.
The Jr. Adanacs retired his #23 jersey in 2013.
• The ceremony for Les Wingrove will be attended by several delegates and players participating in the ninth annual Trevor Wingrove memorial lacrosse tournament that begins Thursday.
The tournament is a showcase for 23 top minor teams in three age categories — PeeWee, Midget and Bantam — from across British Columbia, Alberta and the United States.
Gold medal games in each of the categories will be played on Sunday.
For a full roster of teams and schedule of games, go to www.trevorwingrove.com.
