RUSSELL, BUI HIGHLIGHT OUA WOMEN'S RUGBY AWARD WINNERS
The Marauders walk away with the most award winners and all-stars in the Russell Division, taking all three major awards and five spots on the all-star team.
McMaster's Nina Bui (North York, Ont.) is named Gilbert Canada Russell Division most valuable player. The fourth-year centre played a huge role in the Marauders first place finish, tallying six tries in five games for a total of 30 points on the regular season.
Bui's teammate Maggie Cogger-Orr (Thornhill, Ont.) made quite an impression on the league and receives the Gilbert Canada Russell Division rookie of the year honour. In her first year as a hooker for the Marauders, Cogger-Orr scored one try for five points in regular season play.
Five Marauders are named to the Russell all-star list, including Bui, Cogger-Orr, fly-half Kirsten Shedden (Barrie, Ont.), prop Sarah Van Hoof (Lindsay, Ont.), and 8-man Natasha Turner (Palo Alto, Calif.).
McMaster head coach Sandro Fiorino is the Gilbert Canada Russell Division coach of the year. Fiorino led the team to their 4-1-0 record, landing them in the top spot in their division.
The Queen's Gaels claim four spots on the all-star list, including top scorer in the Russell Division, Andrea Wadsworth (Toronto). The second-year fullback led the division in scoring with 10 tries for 50 points during the season. Also on the list are flanker Jocelyn Poirer (Ottawa), centre Karlye Wong (Ottawa), and scrum-half Susan Heald (Burlington, Ont.).
Three Trent Excalibur players are named all-stars, including prop Lauren Wizowski (Lindsay, Ont.), flanker Lianne Schumacher (Lakefield, Ont.) and scrum-half Ashley Burton (Peterborough, Ont.).
The Toronto Varsity Blues have two fourth-year players receiving all-star nods; centre Jenny So (Toronto) and fly-half Hannah Ehrehardt (Toronto), who completed the season with 25 points.
York rounds out the Russell list with fifth-year prop Ashley Holligan-Mytil (Toronto).
In the Shiels Division, Laura Russell (Bolton, Ont.) of the Western Mustangs claims the Gilbert Canada most valuable player award, with teammate Laurie Biewald (Ottawa) earning the Gilbert Canada rookie of the year award. Russell and Biewald helped the Mustangs to a 3-2-0 record for second place in the division, one spot back of the Guelph Gryphons.
Guelph dominates the all-star list for the Shiels Division, with five members claiming spots. OUA's top scorer, Brittney Benn (Napanee, Ont.), a second-year centre, led the league in scoring with 13 tries and 12 converts for 89 points during the regular season. Teammate Jacey Murphy (Alliston, Ont.) also landed a spot on the list; the third-year 8-man was fifth in OUA in points with 40 in five games.
Other Gryphons named to the team are flanker Michelle Joslin (Waterloo, Ont.), prop Catherine Wilson (Metcalfe, Ont.) and lock Caitlin Beaton (Hepworth, Ont.).
The Waterloo Warriors claims four spots on the list, including flanker/scrum Shannon Holder (Kitchener, Ont.), hooker/flanker Kaley Maksymk (Cambridge, Ont.), fly/centre Julie Prout (Exeter, Ont.) and lock/prop Melissa McGuire (Croton, Ont.).
Russell and Biewald not only won two major awards, but they were also all-stars, as well as prop Karen Harwood (London, Ont.). The fifth-year Mustang was fourth in scoring in OUA with 40 points (eight tries).
A pair of Brock Badgers are named all-stars, including scrum half Jocelyn Fenwick (Napanee, Ont.) and fly half Holly Monkman (Caledon, Ont.).
The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks receive two nods in the voting, with head coach Jennifer Armatage receiving the Gilbert Canada Shiels Division coach of the year award and lock Tamara Simmons (Tiverton, Ont.) being named Laurier's only all-star player.
2009 WOMEN'S RUGBY MAJOR AWARD WINNERS & ALL-STARS
SHIELS DIVISION
Most Valuable Player – Laura Russell (Western)
Rookie of the Year – Laurie Biewald (Western)
Coach of the Year – Jennifer Armatage (Laurier)
RUSSELL DIVISION
Most Valuable Player – Nina Bui (McMaster)
Rookie of the Year – Maggie Cogger-Orr (McMaster)
Coach of the Year – Sandro Fiorino (McMaster)
OUA WOMEN'S RUGBY ALL-STARS
SHIELS DIVISION
Caitlin Beaton - Lock (Hepworth, Ont.) - Guelph
Brittany Benn - Centre (Napanee, Ont.) - Guelph
Laurie Biewald - Fly Half/Centre (Ottawa) - Western
Jocelyn Fenwick - Scrum Half (Napanee, Ont.) - Brock
Karen Harwood - Prop (London, Ont.) - Western
Shannon Holder - Flanker/Scrum (Kitchener, Ont.) - Waterloo
Michelle Joslin - Flanker (Waterloo, Ont.) - Guelph
Kaley Maksymk - Hook/Flanker (Cambridge, Ont.) - Waterloo
Melissa McGuire - Lock/Prop (Croton, Ont.) - Waterloo
Holly Monkman - Fly Half (Caledon, Ont.) - Brock
Jacey Murphy - 8-man (Alliston, Ont.) - Guelph
Julie Prout - Fly/Centre (Exeter, Ont.) - Waterloo
Laura Russell - 8-man/Prop (Bolton, Ont.) - Western
Tamara Simmons - Lock (Tiverton, Ont.) - Laurier
Catherine Wilson - Prop (Metcalfe, Ont.) - Guelph
RUSSELL DIVISION
Nina Bui - Centre (North York, Ont.) - McMaster
Ashley Burton - Scrum Half (Peterborough, Ont.) - Trent
Maggie Cogger-Orr - Hooker (Thornhill, Ont.) - McMaster
Hannah Ehrehardt - Fly Half (Toronto) - Toronto
Susan Heald - Scrum Half (Burlington, Ont.) - Queen's
Ashley Holligan-Mytil - Prop (Toronto) - York
Jocelyn Poirier - Flanker (Ottawa) - Queen's
Lianne Schumacher - Flanker (Lakefield, Ont.) - Trent
Kirsten Shedden - Fly Half (Barrie, Ont.) - McMaster
Jenny So - Centre (Toronto) - Toronto
Natasha Turner - 8-man (Palo Alto, Calif.) - McMaster
Sarah Van Hoof - Prop (Lindsay, Ont.) - McMaster
Andrea Wadsworth - Fullback (Toronto) - Queen's
Lauren Wizowski - Prop (Lindsay, Ont.) - Trent
Karlye Wong - Centre (Ottawa) - Queen's
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