Varsity Blues' Stafford named ArcelorMittal Dofasco CIS female athlete of the week

OTTAWA (CIS) – Gabriela Stafford, a track and field star from the University of Toronto, and Tommy Nixon, a basketball player from the University of British Columbia, are the ArcelorMittal Dofasco CIS female and male athletes of the week for the period ending Jan. 11, 2015.

Varsity Blues' Stafford named ArcelorMittal Dofasco CIS female athlete of the week
January 14, 2015

OTTAWA (CIS) – Gabriela Stafford, a track and field star from the University of Toronto, and Tommy Nixon, a basketball player from the University of British Columbia, are the ArcelorMittal Dofasco CIS female and male athletes of the week for the period ending Jan. 11, 2015.

Stafford, a second-year physical science major from Toronto claimed two gold medals and a silver at the 34th annual Can-Am Classic in Windsor, including a record performance in the 1500-metre race. The talented sophomore shattered a 29-year-old meet mark in the 1500 thanks to a time of 4:22.36, the fastest in CIS this season and over seven seconds better than the CIS championship standard. She also set a CIS season-best on her way to victory in the 600m (1:33.38) and contributed to the Varsity Blues' second-place finish in the 4x800m relay.

Moncton hockey player Katryne Villeneuve, Sherbrooke track and field standout Laurence Beaudet and Fraser Valley basketball player Sarah Wierks were also nominated for the women's award.

Nixon, a fifth-year kinesiology student from Vancouver, averaged 28.5 points and 10 rebounds as the Thunderbirds (5-5) extended their winning streak to four games thanks to 92-77 and 91-69 victories at Lethbridge. The 6-foot-6 guard recorded a career-high 36 points along with 11 rebounds and five assists in Friday's series opener, before adding a team-high 21 points and nine boards in Saturday's rematch. Nixon, who ranks fifth in Canada West scoring this season with 19 points per contest, was good on 16 of 19 field goal attempts over the weekend (84.2%).

Basketball players Tyler Scott of UPEI, Alexandre Leclerc of Laval and Johnny Berhanemeskel of Ottawa were the other male nominees.

Female nominees:

AUS: Katryne Villeneuve, hockey, Moncton

RSEQ: Laurence Beaudet, track & field, Sherbrooke

OUA: Gabriela Stafford, track & field, Toronto (recipient)

CWUAA: Sarah Wierks, basketball, Fraser Valley

Male nominees:

AUS: Tyler Scott, basketball, UPEI

RSEQ: Alexandre Leclerc, basketball, Laval

OUA: Johnny Berhanemeskel, basketball, Ottawa

CWUAA: Tommy Nixon, basketball, UBC (recipient)

Source: CIS