March 10, 2015

OUA Announces 2015 Track and Field Major Awards

Ontario University Athletics (OUA) is pleased to announce the major award winners for the 2014-15 track and field season.

The winner of the Hec Phillips Trophy as Overall Most Valuable Performer in men's track and field is Corey Bellemore (Windsor, Ont.) from the Windsor Lancers. This season, Bellemore broke a 30-year-old record (1:18.47) in the 600m, and also set a new OUA record in the 800m, winning two OUA gold medals in the process. He was also a member of the Lancers silver-medal winning 4x400m relay team and captured a bronze medal in the 1000m at the OUA championships.

Toronto Varsity Blues track student-athlete Sasha Gollish (Toronto, Ont.) is this year's recipient of the Dr. Wendy Jerome Trophy as Overall Most Valuable Performer in women's track and field. Gollish was a member of Toronto's OUA gold medal-winning 4x800m relay team, setting a new Canadian record (8:37.13) in the event. Individually, Gollish set an OUA record (1:30.41) in the 600m, and also won gold in the 1500m (4:22.15) and 3000m (9.21:58) at the OUA championships.

As the winners of the Dr. Wendy Jerome and Hec Phillips trophies, both Gollish and Bellemore receive the OUA nomination for the CIS track and field athlete of the year awards.

In the field events, the York Lions swept the MVP awards with Eric Brathwaite (Brampton, Ont.) and Brittany Crew (East York, Ont.) each receiving the honour in their respective divisions.

It is the second consecutive season that Brathwaite has been named the men's field MVP after taking home gold in both the shot put and weight throw at the 2015 OUA Track and Field championships. His distance of 17.56m in the shot put was almost two full metres ahead of the second-place finisher.

Crew, the No. 1 ranked female athlete in both shot put and weight throw, set new OUA records and won gold in both events at the conference championships, clearing the previous weight throw record by 62cm.

Also from the York Lions, Khamica Bingham (Brampton, Ont.) has been named track MVP for the second year in a row. Bingham tied her previous OUA record (7.23) in the 60m and won gold in the event at the OUA championship. She also played a huge role in York's 4x200m relay team winning gold, putting up the fastest split time at 23.3 seconds. She heads into the CIS national championships this weekend ranked No. 1 in the 60m.

Ross Proudfoot (Sudbury, Ont.) of the Guelph Gryphons is this year's winner of the men's track MVP award. Proudfoot won individual gold at the OUA championships in the 1500m (3:45.84) and 3000m (8:19.03), and is ranked No. 1 heading into the CIS championship in the 3000m. He also anchored the Gryphons 4x800m relay team that won an OUA silver medal and is ranked No. 2 in CIS.

For the second consecutive season Rachel Jewett (Toronto, Ont.) of the Toronto Varsity Blues is the winner of the Student-Athlete Community Service Award. The fourth-year track athlete and kinesiology major was named U of T's CIS top female scholar in 2014, recognized as the school's top academic and athletic athlete.

Along with being one of the top student-athletes, Jewett remains extensively involved in her community. She volunteers weekly at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health leading physical activity sessions at the in-patient women's unit, organizes the Varsity Blues track and field team's annual holiday baked good drive, and has volunteered with Toronto Cat Rescue and the Toronto Humane Society.

Fourth-year track athlete Cam Giles (St. Catharines, Ont.) of the Brock Badgers is the male Student-Athlete Community Service Award winner. The medical school applicant has held an average of 95 percent or higher in each of his three previous academic years at Brock, and is a three-time Academic All-Canadian.

In the community, Giles volunteers as a cardiac rehabilitation student-trainer at the Brock-Niagara Centre for Health & Well Being, is a meal deliverer for Meals on Wheels, and has previously donated time as a program mentor for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Club.

This year's Male and Female Rookie of the Year awards go to Angelo Bortolin (Windsor, Ont.) of the Windsor Lancers, and Maja Naruszewicz (Mississauga, Ont.) of the Guelph Gryphons.

Bortolin won a bronze medal in triple jump (14.4 metres) at the OUA championships and heads into national finals ranked No. 3 in the country. He is also placed seventh in the long jump at the championships and is ranked 11th overall nationally in the event.

In just her first OUA season, Naruscewisz won a gold medal at the conference championship in high jump (1.73 metres), and is ranked fourth heading into the CIS championships.

York Lions men's head coach Colin Inglis takes home the Bob Vigars Coach of the Year Award after leading the Lions to a second-place finish at the OUA championships and has them tied for second spot in the CIS Top 10 rankings. This is Inglis' third time winning the Coach of the Year award (2007 and 2009).

Varsity Blues women's head coach Carl Georgeveski is the winner of the Sue Wise Coach of the Year Award. Under his guidance, the Blues won an overall team gold medal at the OUA championships and are currently ranked No. 1 in the CIS Top 10 heading into the national finals.

Track and Field Award Winners

OUA Men's Major Award Winners

Hec Phillips Trophy – Overall Most Valuable Performer
Corey Bellemore – Windsor Lancers

Most Valuable Performer – Field
Eric Brathwaite – York Lions

Most Valuable Performer – Track
Ross Proudfoot – Guelph Gryphons

Student-Athlete Community Service Award
Cam Giles – Brock Badgers

Rookie of the Year
Angelo Bortolin – Windsor Lancers

Bob Vigars Coach of the Year
Colin Inglis – York Lions

OUA Women's Major Award Winners

Dr. Wendy Jerome Trophy – Overall Most Valuable Performer
Sasha Gollish – Toronto Varsity Blues

Most Valuable Performer – Field
Brittany Crew – York Lions

Most Valuable Performer – Track
Khamica Bingham – York Lions

Student-Athlete Community Service Award
Rachel Jewett – Toronto Varsity Blues