November 4, 2022
Gryphons, Marauders round out championship awards with coach, community service honours
Burlington, Ont. - Following their successful outings at the 2022 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Cross Country Championships on October 29th, the Guelph Gryphons and McMaster Marauders have rounded out their previous runner and rookie of the year accolades with coach of the year and community service award recipients at the conference level.
Thanks to their respective first-place finishes at the OUA Championships, Guelph's Sadie-Jane Hickson, one of the reigning OUA athletes of the year, and McMaster's Max Turek each took home runner of the year honours.
Headlining an impressive list of Gryphon performances at the 2022 OUA Cross Country Championships, Hickson, a native of Oakwood, Ont., finished first in the field of 92 runners overall. With six of her teammates also finishing among the top 14 racers on the day, the Oakwood, Ont. native topped the talent-laden field with her time of 29:26. Her first-place finish anchored a sensational team score of 21, which was 48 points clear of their next closest competitors.
Among those additional Gryphons finishing toward the front of the pack was Michelle Gray, who as the first rookie to cross the finish line on the banner season stage, secures the 2022 OUA women's rookie of the year award. The Mississauga, Ont. product finished in eighth place overall with a time of 30:07.
Fellow Gryphon, Gaetano Pocchi, was also the OUA's rookie of the year, following his 21st-place finish overall on the men's side. His time of 26:01 had the Scarborough, Ont. runner pace the pack of first-year performers, and he capped off his OUA debut as the rookie to beat.
While Pocchi crossed just outside the top-20, a number of McMaster Marauders racers - five to be specific - checked in amongst the top-10 finishers, including a clean sweep of the podium positions. Turek, a fifth-year Marauder from Whitby, Ont., continued his fine form this season to cross the finish line first among his fellow Marauders and the entirety of the OUA field, earning individual gold for the third time this season. His time of 24:36 on the eight-kilometre course was a mere six seconds off the course record and helped earn McMaster its second straight OUA gold medal at the event.
In leading their teams to such dominant performances on the course, Guelph's Terry Radchenko and McMaster's Paula Schnurr were named 2022 OUA coaches of the year, on the women's and men's side, respectively.
It wasn't just on the course that the Gryphons shone; however, as they also saw a pair of their cross country competitors make their mark beyond their athletic endeavors.
An exemplary student-athlete in terms of what can be accomplished when motivated and dedicated to truly make a difference, Hannah Woodhouse has earned the 2022 OUA women's community service award.
Woodhouse's combination of leadership, athletic performance, academic excellence, and volunteer work is a remarkable testament to the Gryphon student-athlete's efforts in each. The Clarksburg, Ont. native has served on multiple university executive committees to contribute to the student body and community. After being elected as a member of the University Senate, Woodhouse currently serves on the Board of Graduate Studies Committee, wherein she attends monthly meetings, reviews agenda items weekly, and provides input to pass motions that are in the best interest of the graduating student body.
Woodhouse, a senior student-athlete who has been awarded multiple academic scholarships, is also a volunteer executive member of the MealCare program at the university, which is an organization focused on reducing community food waste and food insecurity. She attends bi-weekly meetings, picks up restaurant food donations, and volunteers in the university kitchens to package unused food sent to the Mission.
Her additional community involvements include lifeguarding five hours a week, volunteering with local 4-H agricultural clubs and local agricultural societies, and serving as an undergraduate and graduate epidemiology teaching assistant.
An outstanding individual in his own right thanks to his ability to balance high performance athletics and volunteer work, while maintaining a high academic average, Nicholas Bannon has been recognized as the 2022 OUA men's community service award recipient.
Bannon has been an active member of the University Guelph's Student-Athlete Mental Health Initiative since his first year of undergraduate studies. The Shelbourne, Ont. local is now in his second year as treasurer, where he is responsible for managing the organization's finances. In addition, he helps the group plan activities that help to raise awareness surrounding mental health and the various mental health supports for athletes on campus.
Bannon has also been a President's Scholar mentor to a total of four incoming University of Guelph students who received the President's Scholarship. In this role, the senior met regularly and shared resources with these students in order to help ease their transition into their post-secondary journeys.
Additionally, Bannon is actively involved within the Department of Food, Agriculture, and Resource Economics, and volunteered as the undergraduate representative at the most recent open house event where he shared his experiences and answered questions to prospective high school students considering the department for their studies. Within the program, Bannon has also received the C.W. Riley Prize awarded to a graduating student with the highest average, in addition to the Class of '51 OAC Leadership Prize, the Arrell Graduate Scholarship, and the W.C. Winegard Medal, which is the institution's top convocation award to an undergraduate student.
The complete list of 2022 OUA cross country award winners and all-stars is as follows:
Women's Cross Country
Awards
Runner of the Year - Sadie-Jane Hickson, Guelph
Rookie of the Year - Michelle Gray, Guelph
Community Service Award - Hannah Woodhouse, Guelph
Coach of the Year - Terry Radchenko, Guelph
First Team All-Stars
Sadie-Jane Hickson, Guelph
Nina Whitford, Guelph
Rosalyn Barrett, McMaster
Annika Ariano, Guelph
Sophie Coutts, Western
Olivia Roussel, Guelph
Erika Jordan, Western
Second Team All-Stars
Hannah Woodhouse, Guelph
Claudia Heeney, Waterloo
Sarah Nolan, McMaster
Hannah Goodjohn, McMaster
Michelle Gray, Guelph
Sandra Guga, Guelph
Noemie Beauregard, Ottawa
Men's Cross Country
Awards
Runner of the Year - Max Turek, McMaster
Rookie of the Year - Gaetano Pocchi, Guelph
Community Service Award - Nicholas Bannon, Guelph
Coach of the Year - Paula Schnurr, McMaster
First Team All-Stars
Max Turek, McMaster
Andrew Davies, McMaster
Alex Drover, McMaster
Mitchell Kirby, Queen's
Roman Mironov, Queen's
Dylan Alick, McMaster
Jude Wheeler-Dee, Queen's
Second Team All-Stars
Sam Nusselder, McMaster
Christian Rachner, Guelph
Miles Brackenbury, Queen's
Alec Purnell, Guelph
Jonathan Rioux, Windsor
Cameron Cira, Windsor
Nicholas Bannon, Guelph
Thanks to their respective first-place finishes at the OUA Championships, Guelph's Sadie-Jane Hickson, one of the reigning OUA athletes of the year, and McMaster's Max Turek each took home runner of the year honours.
Headlining an impressive list of Gryphon performances at the 2022 OUA Cross Country Championships, Hickson, a native of Oakwood, Ont., finished first in the field of 92 runners overall. With six of her teammates also finishing among the top 14 racers on the day, the Oakwood, Ont. native topped the talent-laden field with her time of 29:26. Her first-place finish anchored a sensational team score of 21, which was 48 points clear of their next closest competitors.
Among those additional Gryphons finishing toward the front of the pack was Michelle Gray, who as the first rookie to cross the finish line on the banner season stage, secures the 2022 OUA women's rookie of the year award. The Mississauga, Ont. product finished in eighth place overall with a time of 30:07.
Fellow Gryphon, Gaetano Pocchi, was also the OUA's rookie of the year, following his 21st-place finish overall on the men's side. His time of 26:01 had the Scarborough, Ont. runner pace the pack of first-year performers, and he capped off his OUA debut as the rookie to beat.
While Pocchi crossed just outside the top-20, a number of McMaster Marauders racers - five to be specific - checked in amongst the top-10 finishers, including a clean sweep of the podium positions. Turek, a fifth-year Marauder from Whitby, Ont., continued his fine form this season to cross the finish line first among his fellow Marauders and the entirety of the OUA field, earning individual gold for the third time this season. His time of 24:36 on the eight-kilometre course was a mere six seconds off the course record and helped earn McMaster its second straight OUA gold medal at the event.
In leading their teams to such dominant performances on the course, Guelph's Terry Radchenko and McMaster's Paula Schnurr were named 2022 OUA coaches of the year, on the women's and men's side, respectively.
It wasn't just on the course that the Gryphons shone; however, as they also saw a pair of their cross country competitors make their mark beyond their athletic endeavors.
An exemplary student-athlete in terms of what can be accomplished when motivated and dedicated to truly make a difference, Hannah Woodhouse has earned the 2022 OUA women's community service award.
Woodhouse's combination of leadership, athletic performance, academic excellence, and volunteer work is a remarkable testament to the Gryphon student-athlete's efforts in each. The Clarksburg, Ont. native has served on multiple university executive committees to contribute to the student body and community. After being elected as a member of the University Senate, Woodhouse currently serves on the Board of Graduate Studies Committee, wherein she attends monthly meetings, reviews agenda items weekly, and provides input to pass motions that are in the best interest of the graduating student body.
Woodhouse, a senior student-athlete who has been awarded multiple academic scholarships, is also a volunteer executive member of the MealCare program at the university, which is an organization focused on reducing community food waste and food insecurity. She attends bi-weekly meetings, picks up restaurant food donations, and volunteers in the university kitchens to package unused food sent to the Mission.
Her additional community involvements include lifeguarding five hours a week, volunteering with local 4-H agricultural clubs and local agricultural societies, and serving as an undergraduate and graduate epidemiology teaching assistant.
An outstanding individual in his own right thanks to his ability to balance high performance athletics and volunteer work, while maintaining a high academic average, Nicholas Bannon has been recognized as the 2022 OUA men's community service award recipient.
Bannon has been an active member of the University Guelph's Student-Athlete Mental Health Initiative since his first year of undergraduate studies. The Shelbourne, Ont. local is now in his second year as treasurer, where he is responsible for managing the organization's finances. In addition, he helps the group plan activities that help to raise awareness surrounding mental health and the various mental health supports for athletes on campus.
Bannon has also been a President's Scholar mentor to a total of four incoming University of Guelph students who received the President's Scholarship. In this role, the senior met regularly and shared resources with these students in order to help ease their transition into their post-secondary journeys.
Additionally, Bannon is actively involved within the Department of Food, Agriculture, and Resource Economics, and volunteered as the undergraduate representative at the most recent open house event where he shared his experiences and answered questions to prospective high school students considering the department for their studies. Within the program, Bannon has also received the C.W. Riley Prize awarded to a graduating student with the highest average, in addition to the Class of '51 OAC Leadership Prize, the Arrell Graduate Scholarship, and the W.C. Winegard Medal, which is the institution's top convocation award to an undergraduate student.
The complete list of 2022 OUA cross country award winners and all-stars is as follows:
Women's Cross Country
Awards
Runner of the Year - Sadie-Jane Hickson, Guelph
Rookie of the Year - Michelle Gray, Guelph
Community Service Award - Hannah Woodhouse, Guelph
Coach of the Year - Terry Radchenko, Guelph
First Team All-Stars
Sadie-Jane Hickson, Guelph
Nina Whitford, Guelph
Rosalyn Barrett, McMaster
Annika Ariano, Guelph
Sophie Coutts, Western
Olivia Roussel, Guelph
Erika Jordan, Western
Second Team All-Stars
Hannah Woodhouse, Guelph
Claudia Heeney, Waterloo
Sarah Nolan, McMaster
Hannah Goodjohn, McMaster
Michelle Gray, Guelph
Sandra Guga, Guelph
Noemie Beauregard, Ottawa
Men's Cross Country
Awards
Runner of the Year - Max Turek, McMaster
Rookie of the Year - Gaetano Pocchi, Guelph
Community Service Award - Nicholas Bannon, Guelph
Coach of the Year - Paula Schnurr, McMaster
First Team All-Stars
Max Turek, McMaster
Andrew Davies, McMaster
Alex Drover, McMaster
Mitchell Kirby, Queen's
Roman Mironov, Queen's
Dylan Alick, McMaster
Jude Wheeler-Dee, Queen's
Second Team All-Stars
Sam Nusselder, McMaster
Christian Rachner, Guelph
Miles Brackenbury, Queen's
Alec Purnell, Guelph
Jonathan Rioux, Windsor
Cameron Cira, Windsor
Nicholas Bannon, Guelph
