Landry and Bevan named UOIT Athletes of the Year

OSHAWA, Ont. – On Thursday night the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) athletic department celebrated one of the most outstanding years so far in program history at the 9^th annual athletic banquet.

Ending the night of celebration at the Regent Theatre in downtown Oshawa, Taylor Landry (Whitby, Ont.) and Ben Bevan (Whitby, Ont.) were named the 2014-15 athletes of the year.
 
A communications major, Landry was a major part of the women's lacrosse team making the OUA final four for the first time in program history, officially the second team to do it at UOIT. The Whitby native scored three goals in the OUA bronze medal game, which they lost to the Toronto Varsity Blues, but more importantly had five goals in the Ridgebacks 11-9 win over the Laurier Golden Hawks to book UOIT's ticket to the final four.
 
For her performance at the championship and throughout the season she was named an OUA First Team All-Star and the tournament's Offensive MVP.
 
Female team MVP winners included rower Shelby Cohen (Oshawa, Ont.), curler Riley Weagant (St. Thomas, Ont.), women's hockey player Melissa Berney (Bowmanville, Ont.), tennis player Marta Kocemba (Oshawa, Ont.), field lacrosse player Jennifer Daly (Ajax, Ont.), women's soccer player Melissa Linton (Cobourg, Ont.) and dancer Erin O'Brien (Bolton, Ont.).
 
A graduating senior, Bevan got the men's curling team further than ever before in program history. Skipping a team of four first-year players, he led the team to a 5-1 round-robin record at the OUA championship before the team eventually lost the quarter-final. The commerce major also helped the Ridgebacks win the UOIT Invitational and have top three finishes on the road throughout the rest of the season.
 
Other males winning individual team MVP awards included rower Brett Bullock (Newmarket, Ont.), men's hockey player Kevin George (Uxbridge, Ont.), tennis player Tushar Gaur (Mississauga, Ont.), golfer James Krantz (Oshawa, Ont.) and men's soccer player Joseph Vaz (Whitby, Ont.).
 
Men's hockey player Mike Robinson (Stouffville, Ont.) and women's soccer player Katherine Koehler-Grassau (Greely, Ont.) were named the freshmen athletes of the year just prior to the final awards of the night.
 
Other major award winners included Travis Martin (Whitby, Ont. – Men's Soccer) and Shelby Cohen (Oshawa, Ont. – Women's Rowing) winning the Dr. Gary Polonsky Leadership Awards.
 
Mike Juzkow (Cannington, Ont.) was named as the recipient of the Rob Millikin Award, which is presented to the varsity athlete who best exemplifies and displays the following criteria: academic success, passion and heart.
 
Stephanie Spencer (Bowmanville, Ont.) and Matt Pasztor (Langton, Ont.) were the recipients of the James-Baun Cup, which is presented to a student on the men's and women's hockey teams who shows commitment, dedication, perseverance, academic responsibility, leadership and is a great teammate in the pursuit of excellence. The Cup is named after Bobby Baun and his long-time friend Don James.
 
The UOIT women's soccer team won the team of the year award for the third straight season after their historic season. They became the first team in program history to qualify for the OUA final four, first team to win an OUA bronze medal and first team to compete at a CIS national championship.
 
Also recognized for her work throughout the season, Emma DePasquale was named the athletic therapy student trainer of the year.
 
 
9^th Annual UOIT Athletic Banquet
 
MAJOR AWARDS
 
Male Athlete of the Year
Ben Bevan (Whitby, Ont. - Commerce) – Men's Curling
 
Female Athlete of the Year
Taylor Landry (Whitby, Ont. – Health Science) – Women's Field Lacrosse
 
Male Freshman Athlete of the Year
Mike Robinson (Stouffville, Ont. – Communications) – Men's Hockey
 
Female Freshman Athlete of the Year
Katherine Koehler-Grassau (Greely, Ont. – Applied and Industrial Mathematics)
 – Women's Soccer
 
Dr. Gary Polonsky Leadership Awards
Travis Martin (Whitby, Ont. – Communications) – Men's Soccer
Shelby Cohen (Oshawa, Ont. – Life Science) – Women's Rowing
 
James-Baun Cup
Matt Pasztor (Langton, Ont. – Business) – Men's Hockey
Stephanie Spencer (Bownmanville, Ont. - Biology) – Women's Hockey
 
Rob Millikin Award
Mike Juzkow (Cannington, Ont. - Commerce) – Men's Rowing
 
Team of the Year
Women's Soccer
 
 
TEAM AWARDS
 
Women's Rowing
Novice Oarswoman of the Year: Megan Connolly (Whitby, Ont. – Forensic Psychology)
Oarswoman of the Year: Shelby Cohen (Oshawa, Ont. – Life Science)
Coxswain: Katherine Seto (Oshawa, Ont. – Comprehensive Health Science)
 
Women's Curling
MVP: Riley Weagant (St. Thomas, Ont. – Software Engineering)
Leadership: Katie McLaughlin (Lindsay, Ont. – Commerce)
Rookie of the Year: Leslyee Igbinosun (Scarborough, Ont. – Commerce)
 
Women's Hockey
MVP: Melissa Berney (Bowmanville, Ont. – Criminology and Justice Studies)
Leadership: Mikaeli Cavell (Edmonton, Alta. – Kinesiology)
Rookie of the Year: Mariah Wilson (Cobourg, Ont. – Commerce)
Offensive Player of the Year: Chelsea Ball (Maple, Ont. – Forensic Science)
Defensive Player of the Year: Melissa Berney (Bowmanville, Ont. – Criminology and Justice Studies)
 
Women's Tennis
MVP: Marta Kocemba (Oshawa, Ont. – Health Physics and Radiation Science)
Leadership: Rachel Mackey (Oshawa, Ont. – Education-I/S)
Rookie of the Year: Aylix McCann (Port Perry, Ont. – Accounting)
 
Women's Field Lacrosse
MVP: Jennifer Daly (Ajax, Ont. – Criminology and Justice Studies)
Leadership: Jill Carroll (Whitby, Ont. – Health Science)
Rookie of the Year: Taylor Landry (Whitby, Ont. – Health Science)
 
Women's Soccer
MVP: Melissa Linton (Cobourg, Ont. – Forensic Psychology)
Leadership: Kayla De Souza (Scarborough, Ont. – Education)
Rookie of the Year: Katherine Koehler-Grassau (Greely, Ont. – Applied and Industrial Mathematics)
Offensive Player of the Year: Cassandra Sribny (Pickering, Ont. – Business Commerce)
Defensive Player of the Year: Kylie Bordeleau (Cambridge, Ont. – Health Science)
 
Dance
MVP: Erin O'Brien (Bolton, Ont. – Communications)
Leadership: Cassandra Donaldson (Brampton, Ont. – Commerce)
Rookie of the Year: Kelsey Laton (Bolton, Ont. – Communications)
 
Men's Rowing
Novice Oarsman of the Year: Nicholas Downey (Woodville, Ont. – Kinesiology)
Oarsman of the Year: Brett Bullock (Newmarket, Ont. – Mechanical Engineering)
 
Men's Curling
MVP: Ben Bevan (Whitby, Ont. - Commerce)
Leadership: Greg Park (Courtice, Ont. – Legal Studies)
Rookie of the Year: Michael Foster (Midland, Ont. – Automotive Engineering)
 
Men's Hockey
MVP: Kevin George (Uxbridge, Ont. – Communications)
Leadership: Kevin George (Uxbridge, Ont. – Communications)
Rookie of the Year: Mike Robinson (Stouffville, Ont. – Communications)
Offensive Player of the Year: Jesse Stoughton (Bobcaygeon, Ont. – Criminology and Justice Studies) and Cameron Yuill (Wellington, Ont. – Communications)
Defensive Player of the Year: Jeff Braithwaite (Ennismore, Ont. - Criminology and Justice Studies)
 
Men's Tennis
MVP: Tushar Gaur (Mississauga, Ont. – Mechanical Engineering)
Leadership: Riley Therrien (Lindsay, Ont. – Criminology and Justice Studies)
Rookie of the Year: Jackson McGregor (Lindsay, Ont. – Kinesiology)
 
Men's Golf
MVP: James Krantz (Oshawa, Ont. – Mechanical Engineering)
Leadership: James Krantz (Oshawa, Ont. – Mechanical Engineering)
Rookie of the Year: Mackenzie Dasti (Oshawa, Ont. – Commerce)
 
Men's Soccer
MVP: Joseph Vaz (Whitby, Ont. – Business Commerce)
Leadership: Alexander Cuccovillo (Ajax, Ont. – Criminology and Justice Studies)
Rookie of the Year: Andrea Cicciarella (Pickering, Ont. – Criminology and Justice Studies)
Offensive Player of the Year: Erik Petrovic (Sombor, Serbia – Business Commerce)
Defensive Player of the Year: Travis Martin (Whitby, Ont. – Communications)
 
Athletic Therapy
Student Trainer of the Year: Emma DePasquale