April 8, 2014
Brouse, Styles take home President's Award at Laurier Athletics awards
WATERLOO, Ont. (April 7, 2014) - Men's baseball player Jonathan Brouse of Port Perry, Ont., and women's hockey player Candice Styles of Orangeville, Ont., were named the recipients of the 2013-14 President's Award as the Wilfrid Laurier Department of Athletics and Recreation hosted their annual athletic banquet on Monday evening at the Wilfrid Laurier Athletic Complex.
The President's Award, which was one of 11 major awards handed out at the banquet, is awarded annually to the most outstanding athletic performance from a male and female athlete over the past year.
Brouse, a third year outfielder, was instrumental in leading the men's baseball team to their first-ever OUA Championship this past season. The kinesiology and physical education major earned his second career OUA All-Star nod after finishing the year second in the conference in batting average at .434 thanks to collecting 23 hits in 53 at-bats. He also added 13 RBI's and 12 stolen bases while committing no errors in 16 games in centre field. The award gives men's baseball their first-ever President's Award winner in the program's 13-year history.
As for Styles, a fifth year defenceman, she was named a CIS First Team All-Canadian this past season after helping lead the women's hockey team to their 11th OUA Championship. A converted forward who made the switch to the blue line in her third season, the arts major finished the season as the OUA's leading scorer amongst defencemen notching seven goals and 14 assists. Those numbers left her second in the country in defencemen scoring and also earned her OUA First Team All-Star honours for the first time in her career.
The Rich Newbrough Rookie of the Year Award, handed out annually for the most outstanding athletic performance from a male and female rookie, was awarded to dual sport athlete Jacky Normandeau of Uxbridge, Ont., and men's football's Kwaku Boateng of Milton, Ont.
Normandeau, a defender for both the women's soccer and hockey teams this past season, became the first Laurier athlete to win two OUA Championships in one season. She played 16 games for women's soccer, finishing the year with one goal, before making the switch to hockey where she suited up for 15 games, recording zero minutes in penalties as a stay-at-home defenceman on the number one pair. Boateng, meanwhile, was a staple of the football team's defence as a true freshman, starting all eight games at defensive end. He finished the season with 20 total tackles, four sacks and one fumble recovery en route to being named an OUA All-Rookie.
The Luke Fusco Academic Athletic Achievement Award, which honours the male and female athlete who best combines academic and athletic achievement, was awarded to James Fracas of Waterloo, Ont., from men's football and Bree Chaput of Guelph, Ont., from women's basketball.
Fracas, a third year business major, has a cumulative GPA of 9.83 after posting a 10.5 back in the fall. A quarterback for the Golden Hawks, he took over the starting job midway through the 2013 season, leading Laurier to their lone win of the season over Watelroo. He finished the year with 1,312 passing yards and six touchdowns while adding 113 rushing yards and two touchdowns. As for Chaput, a fourth year kinesiology major, she finished her degree at Laurier with an outstanding 11.25 GPA after posting a 10.58 in the fall. On the basketball court, she played in all 22 games for the purple and gold, averaging 6.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game to help her team win the OUA Bronze Medal. She was also a Ryerson-Hill Scholarship recipient this year and last month was named the Outstanding Woman of Laurier.
The Fred Nichols Community Service Leadership Award, recognizing the male and female student-athlete or student-leader who gives back to the community through volunteer commitments and/or fundraising efforts, was handed out to women's basketball's Doreen Bonsu of Oakville, Ont., and men's hockey's Brent Vandenberg of Burlington, Ont.
Bonsu, a fourth year history major, has been an excellent representative of Laurier within the community during her time with the Golden Hawks. She is involved in coaching at the Titans Basketball Camp operated by her former high school, and at the Golden Hawk Basketball camps for girls in Waterloo. She is also a volunteer for Laurier's Succeed Clean program which educates youth about the dangers of performance enhancing drugs. Outside of sport, she is a member of the club Laurier Students for Learning, which focuses on promoting children's literacy throughout Kitchener-Waterloo. Mea nwhile, Vandenberg, a fifth year business major, has taken the Laurier Lettermen club to a different level this year with his leadership efforts. He has organized monthly hospital visits to Grand River Hospital where Laurier student-athletes have volunteered their time with children. As well, the group has visited local public schools to assist with reading to young children. Around campus, Vandenberg once again helped organize a very successful Movember campaign and oversaw the growth of Powderpuff football that saw the Lettermen club donate $10,000 to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation last month.
The Glenn Carroll Team of the Year Award was presented to women's hockey after an outstanding season that saw them win their 11th OUA Championship banner before placing fourth at the CIS Championship. Boasting a roster that featured eight rookies, the Hawks finished second in the OUA regular season standings with an 18-3-3 record. In the playoffs, the purple and gold knocked off two Top 10 teams in Canada to win reclaim the OUA banner, including defeating the Queen's Gaels 2-1 in their best-of-three championship series. The team would go on to finish fourth at nationals after a 1-1 record in the round robin.
Laurier Athletics and Recreation also recognized six individuals for their contributions to the department and varsity teams over the past year.
The Marty Wamsley Student Trainer of the Year Award was awarded to co-winners Kelsie Wagner and Lindsey Parent, the trainers for the women's and men's basketball teams respectively, after their outstanding work over the course of the 2013-14 season.
The Earl C. Shelley Unsung Hero Award was handed out to Kerry Martin, a Laurier employee with the Bookstore who lends his time to the football team as their video coordinator. In his role, he has organized game film to ensure th e coaching staff and players have the tools they need to improve the team on the field.
The Tuffy Knight Award, which recognizes a person not affiliated with the university, for their untiring efforts over an extended period of time, was given to Chris Povey. A familiar voice at Laurier's football and men's hockey games, he has supported the Golden Hawks for more than 20 years as an in-game announcer.
The Chuck Classen Award of Excellence for Team Managers was awarded to women's hockey's Stephanie Klein. A critical member of the team's staff, her duties this season included managing equipment and repair, pre- and post-game food orders, video upload, game day set up and assisting on-ice during practices.
The Dean E. Brandon Award, awarded to the female contributing most to Athletics, went to Megan Jacklin. A familiar face around the Athletic Complex, she has served as a fitne ss centre coordinator and summer facility coordinator. She has also worked with a number of teams improving their fitness levels through cyclefit.
The Bill Haggstrom Trophy, awarded to the male contributing most to Athletics, was given to Sebastian Clarke. Serving as the basketball coordinator for the past two years, he has worked hard to improve the quality of Laurier's home games and was instrumental in organizing the first Hawk Madness event in the fall.
Also honoured on Monday night were the 22 team Most Valuable Players and Rookie's of the Year.
Rookie's of the Year
Baseball - Callum Murphy
Men's Basketball - Jack Simmons
Women's Basketball - Alexandra Spadaro
Cheerleading - Kyla Ford
Women's Cross Country - Serena Gill
Men's Curling - Jordan Visser
Women's Curling - Che lsea Brandwood
Football - Kwaku Boateng
Men's Golf - Austin Ryan
Women's Golf - Alexandra Medeiros
Men's Hockey - Vinny Merante
Women's Hockey - Amanda Smith
Women's Lacrosse - Torie Beemer
Men's Middle Distance - Andrew Frampton
Men's Rugby - Kyle Spicer
Women's Rugby - Danielle Mitchell
Men's Soccer - Niklas Bauer
Women's Soccer - Jacky Normandeau
Men's Swimming - Dean Bennett
Women's Swimming - Kaitlin Vanderbeek
Most Valuable Players
Baseball - Jonathan Brouse
Men's Basketball - Max Allin
Women's Basketball - Laura Doyle
Cheerleading - Melanie Sousa
Men's Cross Country - Adam Cornwall
Women's Cross Country - Sarah Cranmer-Byng
Men's Curling - Fraser Reid
Women 's Curling - Kerilynn Mathers
Football - Dillon Campbell
Men's Golf - Jacob Bishop
Women's Golf - Skylar Turkiewicz
Men's Hockey - Derek Schoenmakers
Women's Hockey - Candice Styles
Women's Lacrosse - Maddie Curtis
Men's Middle Distance - Elliot De Lange
Women's Middle Distance - Chloe Conlon
Men's Rugby - Brenden Gilbert
Women's Rugby - Kelly Martin
Men's Soccer - Donald Chmura
Women's Soccer - Amanda Mithrush
Men's Swimming - Christopher Courtis
Women's Swimming - Kaitlin Vanderbeek
The President's Award, which was one of 11 major awards handed out at the banquet, is awarded annually to the most outstanding athletic performance from a male and female athlete over the past year.
Brouse, a third year outfielder, was instrumental in leading the men's baseball team to their first-ever OUA Championship this past season. The kinesiology and physical education major earned his second career OUA All-Star nod after finishing the year second in the conference in batting average at .434 thanks to collecting 23 hits in 53 at-bats. He also added 13 RBI's and 12 stolen bases while committing no errors in 16 games in centre field. The award gives men's baseball their first-ever President's Award winner in the program's 13-year history.
As for Styles, a fifth year defenceman, she was named a CIS First Team All-Canadian this past season after helping lead the women's hockey team to their 11th OUA Championship. A converted forward who made the switch to the blue line in her third season, the arts major finished the season as the OUA's leading scorer amongst defencemen notching seven goals and 14 assists. Those numbers left her second in the country in defencemen scoring and also earned her OUA First Team All-Star honours for the first time in her career.
The Rich Newbrough Rookie of the Year Award, handed out annually for the most outstanding athletic performance from a male and female rookie, was awarded to dual sport athlete Jacky Normandeau of Uxbridge, Ont., and men's football's Kwaku Boateng of Milton, Ont.
Normandeau, a defender for both the women's soccer and hockey teams this past season, became the first Laurier athlete to win two OUA Championships in one season. She played 16 games for women's soccer, finishing the year with one goal, before making the switch to hockey where she suited up for 15 games, recording zero minutes in penalties as a stay-at-home defenceman on the number one pair. Boateng, meanwhile, was a staple of the football team's defence as a true freshman, starting all eight games at defensive end. He finished the season with 20 total tackles, four sacks and one fumble recovery en route to being named an OUA All-Rookie.
The Luke Fusco Academic Athletic Achievement Award, which honours the male and female athlete who best combines academic and athletic achievement, was awarded to James Fracas of Waterloo, Ont., from men's football and Bree Chaput of Guelph, Ont., from women's basketball.
Fracas, a third year business major, has a cumulative GPA of 9.83 after posting a 10.5 back in the fall. A quarterback for the Golden Hawks, he took over the starting job midway through the 2013 season, leading Laurier to their lone win of the season over Watelroo. He finished the year with 1,312 passing yards and six touchdowns while adding 113 rushing yards and two touchdowns. As for Chaput, a fourth year kinesiology major, she finished her degree at Laurier with an outstanding 11.25 GPA after posting a 10.58 in the fall. On the basketball court, she played in all 22 games for the purple and gold, averaging 6.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game to help her team win the OUA Bronze Medal. She was also a Ryerson-Hill Scholarship recipient this year and last month was named the Outstanding Woman of Laurier.
The Fred Nichols Community Service Leadership Award, recognizing the male and female student-athlete or student-leader who gives back to the community through volunteer commitments and/or fundraising efforts, was handed out to women's basketball's Doreen Bonsu of Oakville, Ont., and men's hockey's Brent Vandenberg of Burlington, Ont.
Bonsu, a fourth year history major, has been an excellent representative of Laurier within the community during her time with the Golden Hawks. She is involved in coaching at the Titans Basketball Camp operated by her former high school, and at the Golden Hawk Basketball camps for girls in Waterloo. She is also a volunteer for Laurier's Succeed Clean program which educates youth about the dangers of performance enhancing drugs. Outside of sport, she is a member of the club Laurier Students for Learning, which focuses on promoting children's literacy throughout Kitchener-Waterloo. Mea nwhile, Vandenberg, a fifth year business major, has taken the Laurier Lettermen club to a different level this year with his leadership efforts. He has organized monthly hospital visits to Grand River Hospital where Laurier student-athletes have volunteered their time with children. As well, the group has visited local public schools to assist with reading to young children. Around campus, Vandenberg once again helped organize a very successful Movember campaign and oversaw the growth of Powderpuff football that saw the Lettermen club donate $10,000 to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation last month.
The Glenn Carroll Team of the Year Award was presented to women's hockey after an outstanding season that saw them win their 11th OUA Championship banner before placing fourth at the CIS Championship. Boasting a roster that featured eight rookies, the Hawks finished second in the OUA regular season standings with an 18-3-3 record. In the playoffs, the purple and gold knocked off two Top 10 teams in Canada to win reclaim the OUA banner, including defeating the Queen's Gaels 2-1 in their best-of-three championship series. The team would go on to finish fourth at nationals after a 1-1 record in the round robin.
Laurier Athletics and Recreation also recognized six individuals for their contributions to the department and varsity teams over the past year.
The Marty Wamsley Student Trainer of the Year Award was awarded to co-winners Kelsie Wagner and Lindsey Parent, the trainers for the women's and men's basketball teams respectively, after their outstanding work over the course of the 2013-14 season.
The Earl C. Shelley Unsung Hero Award was handed out to Kerry Martin, a Laurier employee with the Bookstore who lends his time to the football team as their video coordinator. In his role, he has organized game film to ensure th e coaching staff and players have the tools they need to improve the team on the field.
The Tuffy Knight Award, which recognizes a person not affiliated with the university, for their untiring efforts over an extended period of time, was given to Chris Povey. A familiar voice at Laurier's football and men's hockey games, he has supported the Golden Hawks for more than 20 years as an in-game announcer.
The Chuck Classen Award of Excellence for Team Managers was awarded to women's hockey's Stephanie Klein. A critical member of the team's staff, her duties this season included managing equipment and repair, pre- and post-game food orders, video upload, game day set up and assisting on-ice during practices.
The Dean E. Brandon Award, awarded to the female contributing most to Athletics, went to Megan Jacklin. A familiar face around the Athletic Complex, she has served as a fitne ss centre coordinator and summer facility coordinator. She has also worked with a number of teams improving their fitness levels through cyclefit.
The Bill Haggstrom Trophy, awarded to the male contributing most to Athletics, was given to Sebastian Clarke. Serving as the basketball coordinator for the past two years, he has worked hard to improve the quality of Laurier's home games and was instrumental in organizing the first Hawk Madness event in the fall.
Also honoured on Monday night were the 22 team Most Valuable Players and Rookie's of the Year.
Rookie's of the Year
Baseball - Callum Murphy
Men's Basketball - Jack Simmons
Women's Basketball - Alexandra Spadaro
Cheerleading - Kyla Ford
Women's Cross Country - Serena Gill
Men's Curling - Jordan Visser
Women's Curling - Che lsea Brandwood
Football - Kwaku Boateng
Men's Golf - Austin Ryan
Women's Golf - Alexandra Medeiros
Men's Hockey - Vinny Merante
Women's Hockey - Amanda Smith
Women's Lacrosse - Torie Beemer
Men's Middle Distance - Andrew Frampton
Men's Rugby - Kyle Spicer
Women's Rugby - Danielle Mitchell
Men's Soccer - Niklas Bauer
Women's Soccer - Jacky Normandeau
Men's Swimming - Dean Bennett
Women's Swimming - Kaitlin Vanderbeek
Most Valuable Players
Baseball - Jonathan Brouse
Men's Basketball - Max Allin
Women's Basketball - Laura Doyle
Cheerleading - Melanie Sousa
Men's Cross Country - Adam Cornwall
Women's Cross Country - Sarah Cranmer-Byng
Men's Curling - Fraser Reid
Women 's Curling - Kerilynn Mathers
Football - Dillon Campbell
Men's Golf - Jacob Bishop
Women's Golf - Skylar Turkiewicz
Men's Hockey - Derek Schoenmakers
Women's Hockey - Candice Styles
Women's Lacrosse - Maddie Curtis
Men's Middle Distance - Elliot De Lange
Women's Middle Distance - Chloe Conlon
Men's Rugby - Brenden Gilbert
Women's Rugby - Kelly Martin
Men's Soccer - Donald Chmura
Women's Soccer - Amanda Mithrush
Men's Swimming - Christopher Courtis
Women's Swimming - Kaitlin Vanderbeek
