The 19th Annual BLG Awards - CIS athlete of the year nominees announced
OTTAWA (CIS) – Canadian Interuniversity Sport and national law firm Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) announced Tuesday the eight finalists for the 19th Annual BLG Awards.
Official website: www.blg.com/blgawards
The BLG Awards were established in 1993 to recognize the top female and male athletes from universities affiliated with CIS.
On Monday, May 16, the eight national nominees will be honoured, with one female and one male winner receiving a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship in front of more than 1,000 guests at The Centre in Vancouver For Performing Arts in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The awards show will premiere on TSN on Saturday, June 4, at noon Eastern.
“Continuing with the premise of national exposure for these outstanding athletes, we are delighted to be hosting the 19th annual BLG Awards in Vancouver this year,” said Doug Mitchell, National Co-Chair of BLG, which sponsors the Awards. “BLG Vancouver is looking forward to welcoming these exceptional athletes, their university representatives, families, clients and guests as we spotlight the importance of athletics in our Canadian universities.”
“The BLG Awards are a wonderful occasion to celebrate exceptional CIS student-athletes who are unrelenting in their pursuit of excellence,” said Marg McGregor, chief executive officer of CIS. “The BLG Awards are always a highlight of the university sport calendar year.”
The 2011 nominees for the Jim Thompson Trophy presented to the female BLG Award recipient are Université de Moncton hockey player Mariève Provost of Laval, Que., University of Montreal soccer player Véronique Laverdière of Montreal, University of Windsor basketball player Jessica Clemençon of Saint-Rambert, France, as well as University of British Columbia volleyball player Shanice Marcelle of Victoria.
The finalists for the Doug Mitchell Trophy presented to the CIS male athlete of the year are St. Francis Xavier University soccer player Michael Marousek of Prague, Czech Republic, McGill University hockey player Alexandre Picard-Hooper of Boucherville, Que., Carleton University basketball player Tyson Hinz of Ottawa, and University of Calgary volleyball player Graham Vigrass of Calgary.
The BLG Awards are based on athletic accomplishments, outstanding sportsmanship and leadership. Each of the 51 CIS schools selects one female and one male athlete of the year. From these nominees, one female and one male athlete are chosen within each of the four regional associations: Atlantic University Sport (AUS), Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA). To be eligible, a student-athlete must have competed in a CIS sport for a minimum of two years and cannot be a previous recipient of a BLG Award.
All nominees receive a commemorative gold ring and winners are presented with a trophy and a $10,000 scholarship to attend a Canadian university graduate school. Winners are selected by the Canadian Athletic Foundation, a not-for-profit board established for the purpose of administering the BLG Awards and protecting the integrity of the selection process. The CAF Board of Trustees consists of 22 members from five Canadian cities representing major corporations from across the country who are committed to ensuring that Canadian university athletes receive the recognition they deserve.
Past BLG Award Winners:
2009-10: Liz Cordonier (UBC – volleyball) / Erik Glavic (Calgary – football)
2008-09: Annamay Pierse (UBC - swimming) / Joel Schmuland (Alberta - volleyball)
2007-08: Laetitia Tchoualack (Montreal - volleyball) / Rob Hennigar (UNB - hockey)
2006-07: Jessica Zelinka (Calgary - track & field) / Josh Howatson (Trinity Western - volleyball)
2005-06: Marylène Laplante (Laval - volleyball) / Osvaldo Jeanty (Carleton - basketball)
2004-05: Adrienne Power (Dalhousie - track & field) / Jesse Lumsden (McMaster - football)
2003-04: Joanna Niemczewska (Calgary - volleyball) / Adam Ens (Saskatchewan - volleyball)
2002-03: Kim St-Pierre (McGill - hockey) / Ryan McKenzie (Windsor - cross country & track)
2001-02: Elizabeth Warden (Toronto - swimming) / Brian Johns (UBC - swimming)
2000-01: Leighann Doan (Calgary - basketball) / Kojo Aidoo (McMaster - football)
1999-00: Jenny Cartmell (Alberta - volleyball) / Michael Potts (Western Ontario - soccer)
1998-99: Corinne Swirsky (Concordia - hockey) / Alexandre Marchand (Sherbrooke - track)
1997-98: Foy Williams (Toronto - track & field) / Titus Channer (McMaster - basketball)
1996-97: Terri-Lee Johannesson (Manitoba - basketball) / Curtis Myden (Calgary - swimming)
1995-96: Justine Ellison (Toronto - basketball) / Don Blair (Calgary - football)
1994-95: Linda Thyer (McGill - track & field) / Bill Kubas (Wilfrid Laurier - football)
1993-94: Sandra Carroll (Winnipeg - basketball) / Tim Tindale (Western Ontario - football)
1992-93: Diane Scott (Winnipeg - volleyball) / Andy Cameron (Calgary - volleyball)
2010-2011 FEMALE BLG AWARD NOMINEES (Jim Thompson Trophy)
Atlantic University Sport (AUS)
Mariève Provost
University of Moncton
Sport: Hockey
Year of eligibility in 2010-2011: 5
Academic program: Kinesiology
Hometown: Laval, Que.
Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ)
Véronique Laverdière
University of Montreal
Sport: Soccer
Year of eligibility in 2010-2011: 5
Academic program: Physical Education & Health
Hometown: Montreal, Que.
Ontario University Athletics (OUA)
Jessica Clemençon
University of Windsor
Sport: Basketball
Year of eligibility in 2010-2011: 2
Academic program: Arts & English
Hometown: Saint-Rambert, France
To say that France native Jessica Clemençon has adapted well to life in Canada and to North American basketball would be a huge understatement. After being named CIS rookie of the year in her Lancers’ debut in 2009-10, she captured the Nan Copp Award as the most outstanding player in CIS basketball this season, becoming the first player in history to win those two awards in back-to-back campaigns.
The 6-foot-3 post will be the first to admit she knew little about the OUA or CIS before she arrived in Windsor.
“I checked some websites for stats and watched a few videos,” says Clemençon, who opted for Windsor and French-speaking head coach Chantal Vallée after looking at a number of Canadian universities. “You go across the ocean not knowing what’s going to happen. I remember being nervous and probably crying on the plane. But I felt comfortable right away as soon as I got to Windsor.”
Clemençon kicked off the 2010-11 campaign by leading the Lancers to three straight pre-season tournament titles – earning all-tourney status on each occasion – and never looked back. After finishing the regular season among national leaders in almost every statistical category - including an OUA-leading 19.0 points per game - she scored a game-high 17 points in the Ontario final as Windsor claimed its third consecutive OUA banner.
The Lancers then had a chance to make history at the CIS championship by becoming the first team to hoist the coveted Bronze Baby Trophy on home court. They once again turned to Clemençon, their gentle giant, who once again delivered. The 21-year-old topped all players in both the CIS semifinal and gold medal contests with back-to-back 18-point performances to help Windsor capture its first national title. It marked the first time since 1991 that the banner was claimed by a school from outside Canada West.
A former junior national team member in France, the arts & English sophomore dreams of playing professional basketball in Europe and representing her country at the senior level.
“Jessica really took her game to a new level this season. She was consistently our best player in our biggest games. She always seemed to come up with the big play when we needed it,” says Vallée. “I challenged her to be a better all-around athlete this year and she took the challenge seriously. I feel fortunate and blessed to have her on my team.”
Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA)
Shanice Marcelle
University of British Columbia
Sport: Volleyball
Year of eligibility in 2010-2011: 3
Academic program: Human Kinetics
Hometown: Victoria, B.C.
2010-2011 MALE BLG AWARD NOMINEES (Doug Mitchell Trophy)
Atlantic University Sport (AUS)
Michael Marousek
St. Francis Xavier University
Sport: Soccer
Year of eligibility in 2010-2011: 4
Academic program: Human Kinetics
Hometown: Prague, Czech Republic
Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ)
Alexandre Picard-Hooper
McGill University
Sport: Hockey
Year of eligibility in 2010-2011: 3
Academic program: Finance
Hometown: Boucherville, Que.
Ontario University Athletics (OUA)
Tyson Hinz
Carleton University
Sport: Basketball
Year of eligibility in 2010-2011: 2
Academic program: Commerce
Hometown: Ottawa, Ont.
There was no sophomore jinx in 2010-11 for Carleton basketball phenom Tyson Hinz.
Following a solid freshman campaign that saw him land a spot on the OUA East all-rookie team, the 6-foot-6 forward was given more responsibilities in his second season with the Ravens following the graduation of all-Canadian and leading scorer Kevin McCleery. He delivered in a big way.
Hinz was the Ravens’ top scorer (17.0 ppg) and rebounder (6.0 rpg) in the regular season – thanks in part to his OUA-leading 57.2 field-goal percentage – as Carleton was the only undefeated team in the nation at the end of conference play (22-0). On the eve of the national championship tournament, he was named CIS player of the year, becoming one of the youngest Mike Moser Memorial Trophy recipients in history at only 19 years of age. It was only the start of a weekend he’ll never forget.
The commerce sophomore was chosen Game MVP following each of Carleton’s first two victories at the CIS Final Eight, including a 32-point outburst in a semifinal win over defending national champion Saskatchewan. Twenty-four hours later, he received the Jack Donohue Trophy as tournament MVP after the Ravens beat Trinity Western to claim their seventh CIS banner in nine years.
There is no doubt hard work and dedication played a huge role in Hinz’s success so far in his young career. But you could argue good genes are a factor as well. Both his parents played varsity basketball at McGill and his father, Will, is the second-leading scorer in school history. His grandfather is also in the Newfoundland Basketball Hall of Fame.
“Sports have always been central in my life,” says Hinz, who was born in Sherbrooke, Que., and moved to Ottawa at a very young age. “I’ve devoted a lot of time to athletics and as a result they’ve helped me to shape who I am. I’ve learned the importance of commitment, perseverance and working hard towards a goal that is important to me.”
“Tyson has made huge strides this year,” says Carleton head coach Dave Smart. “He has put our team in a position to win on countless occasions. He has done everything we could have asked of him and more. Without Tyson, we would have had a difficult time scoring. He makes everyone on the floor better.”
Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA)
Graham Vigrass
University of Calgary
Sport: Volleyball
Year of eligibility in 2010-2011: 4
Academic program: Science
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.
