Waterloo's Behenna, McMaster's Nelles named Outstanding Student-Athlete Award winners

BURLINGTON, Ont. – Ontario University Athletics (OUA) is pleased to announce that Waterloo Warriors forward Colin Behenna (Waterloo, Ont.) and McMaster Marauders No. 8 Cindy Nelles (Belleville, Ont.) have been named Outstanding Student-Athlete Award winners following tremendous 2015-16 seasons.

Along with these awards, Behenna and Nelles will represent the conference as CIS Top Eight Academic All-Canadians, as announced by CIS Wednesday afternoon.  The pair, along with one female and one male student-athlete from each of the other three CIS regional associations, will be honoured in Ottawa on November 8, when His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, presents the fourth annual Governor General’s Academic All-Canadian Commendation.

Colin Behenna (Waterloo, Ont.) – Waterloo Warriors – Hockey

Last year, Behenna finished third in the conference scoring 44 points in 27 games on his way to being named OUA West Division MVP, an OUA West Division first-team all-star and a CIS second-team all-Canadian. 

Playing for his hometown Warriors, the 5’8” 170 lbs forward led the division in several other categories, including: goals (21), power play goals (11), short-handed goals (2), and game-winning goals (3).  Over the course of his four seasons with team, Behenna tallied 150 points in just 109 games and finishes his career third-all time in Warriors scoring.

“Colin had a tremendous impact on the Warrior Hockey Program,” said Waterloo head coach Brian Bourque.  “From the first day he stepped on campus he led by example by being a great student, a motivated athlete, an excellent leader, and a great teammate.”

Following the season, the Waterloo, Ont. native was honoured by the Warriors with the Totzke Trophy  as Waterloo's Male Athlete of the Year. 

In the classroom, the math and business major maintained an 84% average in his graduating year and was selected to the President's Academic Honour Roll.

Cindy Nelles (Belleville, Ont.) – McMaster Marauders – Rugby

In her fourth and final season with the Marauders, Nelles captained McMaster to their second consecutive OUA championship and the first Monilex Trophy as CIS champions in program history.

The Belleville, Ont. native finished tied finished tied for the team lead seven regular season tries on her way to being named Russell Division MVP and an OUA all-star.  She also added five more tries in three playoff games as McMaster repeated as OUA champions.  Nelles was also honoured at the national level as not only was she selected as CIS Player of the Year but also championship MVP after scoring two tries in the gold-medal final.  Nelles was also recognized for her accomplishments with the Thérèse Quigley Award as McMaster’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2015-16.

“Cindy's commitment to her academic success, her on-field achievement, and her community leadership in the Hamilton area have ensured that Cindy's legacy at McMaster will go far beyond her career as a Marauder,” said McMaster head coach Shaun Allen.

When she wasn’t wearing Marauders maroon, Nelles proudly wore red and white as she represented Canada at the senior level in three of the super series fixtures last season, including two starts against the USA and England.  Nelles was also the captain of the national development team on an England tour last November.

Last spring, Nelles graduated from McMaster University with a civil engineering degree, with honours.  Over the course of her four seasons at McMaster, Nelles was a three-time CIS Academic All-Canadian and Marauder Scholar Award winner.  In 2016, Nelles was honoured with the Ronald V. Joyce Award for combining outstanding athletic and academic performance.

Not only is Nelles a leader on the pitch and in the classroom but in the community she was an active member in the McMaster Athletes Care program, volunteering with other student-athletes at local community centres within Hamilton, and working with at-risk youth in the community.  Nelles also regularly gave of her time as the head coach of the Westdale High School senior girl’s rugby team.

ALL-TIME CIS TOP EIGHT ACADEMIC ALL-CANADIAN RECIPIENTS

2015-2016 OUA: Cindy Nelles, McMaster (rugby) / Colin Behenna, Waterloo (hockey)

2014-2015 OUA: Sasha Gollish, Toronto (track & field) / Austin Kennedy, Windsor (football)

2013-2014 OUA: Caroline Ehrhardt, Western (track & field) / Tyson Hinz, Carleton (basketball)

2012-2013 OUA: Alicia Brown, Toronto (track & field) / Steven Takahashi, Western (wrestling)

2011-2012 OUA: Nicole Sassine, Windsor (track & field) / Darragh McGee, Toronto (soccer)

2010-2011 OUA: Erika Reiser, Windsor (track & field) / Shujon Mazumber, Toronto (wrestling)

2009-2010 OUA: Megan Brown, Toronto (cross country - T&F) / Dillon Heap, Wilfrid Laurier (football)

2008-2009 OUA: Noelle Montcalm, Windsor (track & field) / Keith Beavers, Waterloo (swimming)

2007-2008 OUA: Brae Anne McArthur, Guelph (track & field) / Brad Rootes, Brock (basketball)

2006-2007 OUA: Jackie Malette, Windsor (cross country - T&F) / Justin Hall, Queen’s (cross country - T&F)

2005-2006 OUA: Jackie Malette, Windsor (cross country - T&F) / Joel Scherban, Lakehead (hockey)

2004-2005 OUA: Allison Oosterhuis, Western Ontario (soccer) / Ian MacLeod, Toronto (swimming)

2003-2004 OUA: Lulu Bursztyn, McMaster (wrestling) / Sagar Desai, Western Ontario (basketball)       

2002-2003 OUA: Alison Mills, McMaster (volleyball) / Robert Smart, Carleton (basketball)

2001-2002 OUA: Lauren Fratesi, Ottawa (swimming) / Alexandre Hayes, Ottawa (swimming)

2000-2001 OUA: Karina Verdon, Ottawa (hockey) / Andrew Kwiatkowski, Western Ontario (basketball)

1999-2000 OUA: Kristine Spekkens, Queen’s (volleyball) / Alex Hayes, Ottawa (swimming)

1998-1999 OUA: Nathalie Côté, Ottawa (cross country - T&F) / Bob McGill, Queen’s (cross country - T&F)

1997-1998 OUA: Rebecca Chambers, Toronto (track & field) / Tim Cowan, McMaster (swimming)

1996-1997 OWIAA / OUAA: Laurie Halfpenny, Guelph (soccer) / Russell Jones, Toronto (swimming)

1995-1996 OWIAA / OUAA: Vicki White, Ottawa (soccer) / David Kantor, Queen's (volleyball)

1994-1995 OWIAA / OUAA: Karen Jackson, York (basketball) / David Kantor, Queen's (volleyball)

1993-1994 OWIAA / OUAA: Karen Jackson, York (basketball) / Craig Donaldson, Western Ontario (hockey)