HAMILTON, Ont. – McMaster celebrated the 87th Annual Athletic Awards Ceremony at the Burridge Gymnasium on April 4. For the second consecutive year the Thérèse A. Quigley Award for Female Athlete of the Year was presented to cross-country athlete Jessica Pearo (Richmond Hill, Ont.). The Ivor Wynne Male Athlete of the Year trophy was presented to men’s volleyball standout Tyler Santoni (Kingston, Ont.).
Pearo ran her way to a perfect season, winning both the OUA and CIS Championships, defeating her field by at least 10 seconds in both events. In addition to winning the major competitions, Pearo also took the number one spot at the Western International, the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational in Chicago and the University of Rochester Invitational. For all of her achievements, Pearo was named a CIS All Canadian, the OUA Women’s Cross Country MVP, OUA First Team All-Star, a two-time OUA Athlete of the week, and a four-time McMaster Athlete of the Week.
Victoria Coates (cross country/track), Larissa Puhach (volleyball), Sarah Taylor (swimming) and Natasha Turner (rugby) were honoured as finalists for the Thérèse A. Quigley award.
Santoni, a two-time captain of the Marauder volleyball squad powered McMaster to its third OUA championship in the past five years. In addition to being named a first-team OUA all-star for the second-time, Santoni was named the Player of the Match in the OUA Championship final, and was named the MVP of the OUA Championship tournament. The fifth year commerce major completed the 2010/11 season on top of the CIS in both kill-percentage and total blocks.
Cameron Bailey (swimming), Ryan Blake (wrestling) and Kyle Quinlan (football) were recognized as finalists for the Ivor Wynne Award.
The Dr. Ray Johnson Award, presented to the graduating male student-athlete that exemplifies the ‘Spirit of McMaster’ while showing noteworthy athletic ability, was presented to swimmer Nathan Cox (Blenheim, Ont.).
Cox finishes his career as a Marauder as swim team captain and an outstanding leader. An OUA medallist as part of the freestyle relay, the fifth year electrical engineering student also qualified for the CIS championships. Also an outstanding student he was recognized for having the highest grades of any McMaster student-athlete. Along with team outreach programs, Cox has volunteered for such events as the Relay for Life, the Good Sheppard clothing drive, the Kidney Run, and the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up.
Steve Cecchini (football) and Mike Irvine (fencing) were recognized as nominees for the Dr. Ray Johnson Award.
The Dr. Edna Guest Award, presented to the graduating female student-athlete that exemplifies the ‘Spirit of McMaster’ while showing noteworthy athletic ability, was presented to volleyball player Larissa Puhach (Burlington, Ont.) and ice hockey player Kaley Veerman (Charlton, Ont.).
Puhach has been a crucial member of the McMaster women’s volleyball team and was part of McMaster’s first OUA championship team in 2008. A two-time OUA all-star, she has been a leader and an example of determination and drive for her teammates. She has always carried herself with dignity, in both victory and defeat. The fifth year kinesiology student embodies the ideals of a McMaster student-athlete.
Kaley Veerman has been a driving force within the women’s ice hockey program. Veerman has served as team captain and club president for the past three years, and team MVP for the last two seasons. In addition to her on-ice contributions, Veerman has been the primary organizer of the program, handling all administrative tasks with boundless energy and enthusiasm. The fourth year medical sciences student has been responsible for the majority of team fundraising and alumni outreach events. The McMaster women’s ice hockey program wouldn’t be what it is today without her efforts.
Jessica Pearo (cross country) was also honoured as a nominee for the Dr. Edna Guest Award.
The Mel & Marilyn Hawkrigg Outstanding Rookie Awards, presented to the male and female student-athletes in their first year of post-secondary eligibility that demonstrate outstanding athletic performance as a varsity team member, were presented to swimmer Erin MacFadyen (Orillia, Ont.) and rugby player Andrew Ferguson (Mississauga, Ont.).
MacFadyen had a record-breaking debut season for the Marauder swim team. She captured the gold medal in the 200-metre breaststroke at the OUA championship, improving on her personal best by 13 seconds and setting a new team record in the event. She also won OUA bronze in the 100-metre breaststroke, breaking another team record. For her efforts the first year life sciences major was named an OUA first-team all-star.
Ferguson stepped directly into the Maroon line-up and helped McMaster win the 2010 OUA championship. Ferguson, a first year social science major, was named to the OUA all-star team and was recognized as the 2010 OUA Rookie of the Year. He was the top points scorer among OUA rookies with 64.
Alyshia Anderson (wrestling), Claire Lockhart (rugby), and Jocelyn Wilkins (soccer) were recognized as female finalists for the Mel & Marilyn Hawkrigg Outstanding Rookie Award while Taylor Black (basketball), Jori Mantha (volleyball) and Ben Stubbs (swimming) were recognized as male finalists.
The Les Prince Award, presented to the student-athlete that best combines leadership with community service through participation in an outreach program was presented to wrestler Kevin MacLellan (Hamilton, Ont.) and basketball player Hailey Milligan (Brantford, Ont.).
MacLellan won OUA gold and CIS silver medals in the 82-kilo weight class. Selected as team captain by his teammates, he spent two days a week as a volunteer wrestling and judo instructor for inner city youth as part of a program run by the Hamilton Separate School Board. The program allows MacLellan to mentor up to 60 kids and he serves as a role model of how sport and education can be a vehicle for self-improvement.
Hailey Milligan, suffered a season-ending injury midway through the basketball season, but continued to work at promoting the sport and university through community outreach. Her efforts included forging a relationship with the Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton that brought Marauder players together with local children to serve as mentors. The third year English major also organized a visit to a varsity game to expose McMaster and promote self-development through sport.
Rich Andrews (Rugby) and Sara Thompson (swimming) were also recognized as nominees for the Les Prince Award.
The Bruce Cochrane Award, presented to the student who best demonstrates unwavering dedication and service to their team, club, or group, was presented to co-recipients Ryan Loveday (Kitchener, Ont.) and Laura Reitmuller.
After suffering a serious shoulder injury that ended his playing career, Loveday seized the opportunity to stay involved with Marauder football as the team’s film and scout team coordinator. He spent countless hours breaking down game and practice film, Loveday’s work was a vital part of the football team’s preparation and weekly game planning. In addition to these duties, he increased his workload and became more active as a coach on the field, working with Marauder quarterbacks and helping with the offensive schemes while maintaining his studies in engineering and management.
Laura Reitmuller served as an athletic therapist for both football and wrestling. She demonstrated dedication beyond the regular call of duty to ensure that all the needs of team members were taken care of. Reitmuller sacrificed a great deal of her personal time, and her personal touch has made an impact on those she has attended to.
Jeff Cernelle (swimming), Osama Naqvi (rugby) and Dan Russell (volleyball/swimming) were also honoured as finalists for the Bruce Cochrane Award.
The Joyce Wignall Award, presented to the McMaster team that best demonstrates teamwork, friendship, loyalty and community involvement, was presented to the McMaster fencing team.
In 2010-11, the McMaster fencing team mobilized its members in support of the Terry Fox Run, helping to raise almost $2,000. McMaster fencing then fundraised another $2,000 for the Ride for Refuge, a charity that supports refugee assistance programs all over the world. In April 2011, the fencing team hosted a Fence-A-Thon to raise money in support of McMaster Children’s Hospital.
McMaster 2010/11 Team MVP’s
Men’s Badminton
Scott Hopkin
Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Life Sciences
Women’s Badminton
Allison Bennett
Oakville, ON
3rd year Civil Engineering – Structural & Geotechnical
Team Captain
Baseball
Sean Lemon
Mississauga, ON
Arts & Sciences, Economics
Men’s Basketball
Cam Michaud
Grimsby, ON
Geography
OUA West Second-Team All-Star
Women’s Basketball
Taylor Chiarot
Hamilton, ON
Sociology
OUA Second-Team All-Star
Cheerleading
Alisha Looper
Men’s Cross Country
Andrew Yorke
Caledon East, ON
History
OUA Second-Team All-Star
Women’s Cross Country
Jessica Pearo
Richmond Hill, ON
Kinesiology
CIS Individual National Champion, CIS All-Canadian, OUA Individual Champion, OUA Women’s MVP, OUA First-Team All-Star, OUA Athlete of the Week (2)
Fastpitch
Brittany Hicks
Dundas, ON
Kinesiology
Men’s Fencing
Michael Irvine
Georgetown, ON
Masters in Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Senior Team Captain
Women’s Fencing
Kelly Campbell
Peterborough, ON
Arts & Sciences, Biology
Field Hockey
Natasha Larocque
Hamilton, ON
Health Sciences
Figure Skating
Diane D’Alessandro
Newmarket, ON
Medical Radiation Sciences
Football – Offence
Kyle Quinlan
South Woodslee, ON
Economics
OUA Second-Team All-Star, OUA Athlete of the Week
Football – Defence
Ryan Chmielewski St. Catharines, ON
Communications & Sociology
OUA First-Team All-Star
&
Byron Metcalfe
Pickering, ON
Kinesiology
Men’s Golf
Brian Decker
Oakville, ON
Communications & Multimedia Studies
Women’s Golf
Candi Campbell
Corunna, ON
Life Sciences
Gymnastics
Haley Ferguson
Medical Radiation Sciences
Men’s Hockey
Jake Burn & Colin Dunne
Women’s Hockey
Kaley Veerman
Charlton, ON
Masters in Medical Sciences (Blood & Vasculature)
&
Jennifer Gearing
Fenwick, ON
1st year Medical Radiation Sciences
Men’s Lacrosse
Joe Tallis
Nepean, ON
Chemical Engineering
CUFLA National Championship tournament MVP
Women’s Lacrosse
Jackie Heaton
Peterborough, ON
Medical Radiation Sciences
Men’s Rowing
Peter Langer
Guelph, ON
Commerce
Women’s Rowing
Kate Elbourne
Halifax, NS
Nursing
Men’s Rugby
Tyler Ardron
Lakefield, ON
Economics
OUA All-Star
Women’s Rugby
Natasha Turner
Rockcliffe, ON
Arts & Sciences
CIS All-Canadian, OUA Russell Division MVP, OUA All-Star
Men’s Soccer
Kyle Grootenboer
Brantford, ON
Life Sciences
OUA West Second-Team All-Star
Women’s Soccer
Tara Dawdy
Burlington, ON
Life Sciences
OUA West First-Team All-Star
Men’s Squash
Colin Chisholm
Ancaster, ON
Commerce
OUA Second-Team All-Star
Women’s Squash
Kristina Taylor
Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC
Masters in Radiation Sciences (Medical Physics)
OUA All-Star
Men’s Swimming
Cameron Bailey
Hamilton, ON
Humanities
OUA Dr. Jeno Tihanyi Award for Individual Medley Excellence recipient, OUA All-Star, OUA Gold 200m Free, OUA Gold 400m Free Relay, OUA Gold 200m IM, OUA Silver 200m Free Relay, OUA Silver 50m free, OUA Bronze 800m Free Relay
Women’s Swimming
Sarah Taylor
Stittsville, ON
Psychology & Sociology
OUA All-Star, OUA Gold 200m Free Relay, OUA Silver 200m Medley Relay, OUA Silver 50m Free, OUA Bronze 50m Fly
Synchronized Swimming
Justine Bentley
London, ON
Humanities
Men’s Tennis
Keenan O’Young
Toronto, ON
Kinesiology
Women’s Tennis
Shivanie Skandarajah
Scarborough, ON
Life Sciences
Men’s Track & Field
Scott Hutchinson
Drumbo, ON
Commerce
OUA Bronze 4x200m Relay, OUA Bronze 4x400 Relay
&
Jimmy Tat
Oakville, ON
Kinesiology
OUA Bronze 4x200m Relay, OUA Bronze 4x400m Relay
Women’s Track & Field
Sara Giovannetti
Mississauga, ON
OUA Silver 3000m, OUA All-Star
&
Victoria Coates
Newmarket, ON
Geography & Political Science
CIS Silver 3000m, CIS All-Canadian
Men’s Volleyball
Tyler Santoni
Kingston, ON
Commerce
OUA First-Team All-Star
Women’s Volleyball
Sarah Kiernan
Hamilton, ON
Kinesiology
OUA West First-Team All-Star
Larissa Puhach
Burlington, ON
Kinesiology
OUA West First-Team All-Star
Men’s Water Polo
Ian Dransutavicius
Dundas, ON
Geography/Environmental Sciences
Women’s Water Polo
Nadine Asmis
Etobicoke, ON
Biology & Environmental Sciences
OUA All-Star
Men’s Wrestling
Sean House
Hagersville, ON
Geography & Environmental Sciences
OUA Silver 90 kg, OUA All-Star
Women’s Wrestling
Nicole Mazaro
Haliburton, ON
Kinesiology
&
Christianna Walker
Minden, ON
Kinesiology
