COTTEN AND SYLVESTER HONOURED BY WESTERN

LONDON, Ont. - Jen Cotten and Cam Sylvester were honoured as the top female and male athlete at the 2008-09 Western Mustangs Athletic Banquet on April 7 at the London Convention Centre.

Cotten, the 53rd Winner of the F.W.P. Jones Trophy, is the two-time defending CIS pentathlon champion and had another exceptional season with the Mustangs track & field team.

Guiding the Western women's team to a national and provincial bronze medal, she will continue to represent Canada at the international level in the off-season.

This year, Cotten returned to Western to captain the Western women's track & field team, winning the pentathlon, long jump and joining her teammates to win a relay gold at the national championships held in Windsor, Ont.

From Barrie, Ont., the multi-event star was named CIS outstanding female athlete of the meet at the national championships.

She's studying sciences at Western.

Sylvester, the 66th Winner of the Dr. Claude Brown Memorial Trophy, returned from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Summer Games with a wealth of international experience.

After the men's rowing team fell short of its goal to repeat as provincial champions, Sylvester and the Mustangs won three gold medals en route to the national title at the Canadian University Rowing Championships in B.C. in November.

With three years on the national team, he advanced to the Olympic semifinals in his doubles event and represented Canada well at the Games.

A native of Caledon, Ont., he's improved throughout his career at Western, leaving his mark provincially, nationally and internationally.

Along with Olympic teammate Douglas Vandor, Sylvester advanced to the Olympic semifinals in the men's lightweight doubles.

Cotten and Sylvester also won purple blankets at the Awards Banquet.

Other purple blanket winners included:

PURPLE BLANKETS
Andrea Ruste, Women's Volleyball
Sal Peralta, Men's Hockey
Michael Faulds, Men's Football
Eric Simon, Men's Volleyball
Kelly Russell, Women's Rugby
Matt Curtis, Men's Basketball
Stephanie Edmison, Women's Squash
Andrew Jago, Men's Rowing
Michelle Weber, Women's Field Hockey
Matt Carapella, Men's Football
Bess Lennox, Women's Basketball

WESTERN MUSTANGS
Key Stats:
101 OUA All-Stars
22 CIS All-Canadians
13 Major Award Recipients
6 Rookies of the Year

7 Coaching Honours:
OUA Coaches of the Year
Brad Campbell, Men's Basketball
Rory Munro, Men's and Women's Curling
Dave Hastings, Women's Lacrosse
Paul Midgley, Women's Swimming
Jim Sage, Men's Volleyball
Charlie Smith, Men's Water Polo

Canadian University Rowing Coaches of the Year
Chris McCully and Dan Bechard,

Jack Fairs Coaching Award of Merit: Volker Nolte

2008-09 Season Summary

CURC CHAMPIONS
Men's Rowing
Women's Rowing

CIS FINISHES (Top 15):
Men's Basketball – 3rd*
Women's Cross-Country – 5th
Men's Cross-Country – 6th
Men's Curling – 5th
Women's Curling - 5th
Men's Hockey – 2nd
Women's Rugby – 5th
Men's Football – 2nd
Men's Swimming – 12th
Women's Swimming – 5th
Men's Track & Field –5th
Women's Track & Field – 3rd
Women's Wrestling – 8th

OUA CHAMPIONS (9):
Badminton
Men's Curling
Women's Curling
Men's Hockey
Women's Swimming
Football
Women's Golf
Men's Squash
Women's Squash

OUA SILVER MEDALS (6):
Men's Basketball
Men's Rowing
Women's Rowing
Women's Rugby
Men's Swimming
Women's Wrestling

OUA BRONZE MEDALS (10):
Men's Baseball*
Women's Basketball*
Men's Cross-Country
Women's Fencing*
Figure Skating
Field Hockey
Men's Rugby
Women's Tennis
Women's Track & Field
Women's Volleyball
*No bronze game played

OUA TEAM RESULTS:
Women's Cross-Country – 4th
Men's Fencing – 4th
Men's Golf – 10th
Women's Hockey – 9th (In Division)
Women's Lacrosse – 4th
Men's Soccer – 3rd (In Division)
Women's Soccer – 5th (In Division)
Men's Tennis – 5th (In Division)
Men's Track & Field – 4th
Men's Volleyball – 3rd (In Division)
Men's Water Polo – 5th (In Division)
Men's Wrestling - 5th

BRONZE Ws
BADMINTON
Scott Bennington

BASEBALL
Conrad Bach

BASKETBALL
Brett Lawrence, Jordan Smith, Andrew Wedemire

CROSS-COUNTRY/TRACK & FIELD
Ryan Armstrong, Kyle O'Neill, Johanna Shenstone, Rob Watson

FENCING
Andrea Csiba, Andrew Wang

FIELD HOCKEY
Naomi Chapman, Sarah Cobourn, Lakae Dill, Petra Kovacs, Louise Radford

FIGURE SKATING
Brittany Bartlett, Emanuela Marinova

FOOTBALL
Jesse Bellamy, Greg Best, Josh Buttrill, Sean Hegarty, Andrew Hrytzak, Adam Hrytzak, Adrian Kaiser, Kelvin Mwangi, Lucas Powers, Cory Watson

FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL
Jeremy Mitchell

FOOTBALL/TRACK & FIELD
Christopher Greaves

GOLF
Cheryl Beech, Charles Fitzsimmons, Stephanie Grenier

HOCKEY
Sean Courtney, Jeffery Martens, Patrick Ouellet

LACROSSE
Stephanie Dorman

ROWING
Kristin Jeffery, Alyson Kerr, Lindsay Sferrazza

RUGBY
David Jacks, Zack Myers

RUGBY/WRESTLING
Jessica Belchos

SOCCER
Glenn Chambers, Lauren Duff, Eamonn Hardy, Evan Kadet, Catherine Lott, Marc Pocrnic, Kosta Viglatzis

SQUASH
Rachael Forgeron, Strachan Jarvis

SWIMMING
Chris Bento, Rachel Gow, Graeme Plant, Andrew Woegerer

TENNIS
Riley Horne

TRACK & FIELD
Laura Barclay, Nicholas D'Aloisio, Lisa Grieve, Jason Kerr, Jennifer Perrault, Sherelle Solomon, Lacey Van Der Marel

VOLLEYBALL
Reid Halpenny, Nicole Smyrnios, Jenna Thomson

WATER POLO
Jade Chislett, Garratt Wootton

WRESTLING
Lesley McCallum, Kirby Steinhoff

TEAM MVPs

Men's Badminton MVP
The Dutch Decker Trophy
Ross Golding
• Represented the Mustangs in the No. 1 position in every event
• Was a key piece in securing another OUA title for Western
• OUA All-star being one of the most premier rookies this season
• Won all 4 matches in OUA semi- final and final match in convincing fashion

Women's Badminton MVP
The Dutch Decker Trophy
Jennifer Lam
• Won all her matches in the semi-final and finals at OUA championship in dominating fashion
• Not only a excellent player, also played a key role in coaching and player development
• OUA All-star selection
• 4 time MVP winner

Baseball MVP
Andrew Salmon
• First Team OUA All-star
• .300 batting avg
• 18 hits
• 6 RBI
• 2 SB

Men's Basketball MVP
The John P. Metras Trophy
Keenan Jeppesen
• First Team OUA All-star
• Tournament All Star at McGill Redbird Tournament
• 2nd in team Scoring 16.1 ppg
• 1st in team rebounding 9.1 rpg

Men's Basketball Other Awards
Bob Gage Award
Matthew Curtis

Craig Boydell Award
Alex Brozozowicz

Women's Basketball co-MVP
Elizabeth Lennox
• First Mustang named CIS- First team All-star Since 95-96
• Nominated for National Player of the year
• Named OUA Player of the Year
• Had a streak of 12 consecutive double-doubles

Women's Basketball co-MVP
Amanda Anderson
• Led the team in points, free throw percentage and points/game
• 5th in the OUA in points
• OUA 1st Team All-star
• Two-time team MVP

Men's Cross-Country MVP
Kyle O'Neill
• 2nd team All Canadian
• 3rd 10k at Western Invitational
• 4th 8k Chicago Invitational
• 3rd OUA Championships
• 10th CIS Championships

Women's Cross-Country MVP
Lorelle Convery
• 28th Western Invitational
• 9th Chicago Invitational
• 11th OUA Championships
• 19th CIS Championships

Cross-Country Other Awards
Rocket Rise Award
Lorelle Convery

Rocket Rise Award
Ryan Armstrong

Men's Curling MVP
Scott McDonald
• Former Ontario Bantam boys and junior mixed champion
• First Team OUA All-star
• Led Western to their first championship title in over 20 years
• Led by example by employing his aggressive approach to strategy and his exemplary shot making capabilities

Women's Curling MVP
Erin Morrissey
• Former Ontario junior champion
• Led Western to their first OUA title since 2002/2003
• Made the move from vice to skip and relished the opportunity and pressure in throwing the last rock

Men's Fencing MVP
The King's Cup
Mark Jones
• OUA Gold Individual
• Robert Desjarlais Trophy winner
• OUA Silver Men's Team
• Gold - - Canadian Memorial Hero's Tournament
• Silver – Queens University Tournament

Women's Fencing MVP
The Foxcroft-Nichol Award
Andrea Csiba
• Gold medal at Septemberfest
• Gold Medal at Brock OCC
• Silver - Canadian Memorial Hero's Tournament
• OUA Bronze individual and Team

Fencing Other Awards
Tanya Tygeson Award
Celina Lin

Dave Stenning Award
Colin Lee

Field Hockey MVP
Lakae Dill
• Helped Western to a Bronze Medal at OUA Championships
• 1st team OUA All- Star
• 1st team All Canadian
• One of the most feared defenders in the OUA

Figure Skating MVP
Sarah Burke
• 2nd year skater
• Gold medalist in the Fall Invitational
• Double gold medalist in the Winter Invitational
• Competed in 4 events at the OUA Championships

Football MVP
George McCullagh Award
Michael Faulds
• 4 Year starter
• CIS and OUA Passing leader
• 176 completions in 277 Attempts (5th highest in OUA History)
• Yates cup MVP 2007-2008 and 2008-09
• 7778 Passing yrs all time 2nd Western, 4th OUA, 10th CIS

Football Other Awards
Dr. Vincent Callaghan Lineman MVP Award
Vaughan Martin
Richard Zulys

Keg 'N Cleaver Most Improved Award
Adrian Kaiser

Darwin Semotiuk Award: Athletics/Scholarship
Corey McNair

Most Valuable Defensive Player
Matt Carapella

Rookie of the Year
Michael Van Praet

Men's Golf MVP
Charles Fitzsimmons
• 1st team OUA All-star
• Led the team to a 1st or 2nd place finish in every tournament entered this year finished 6th overall in Canada at the Canadian University Championships in 08
• Only player to shoot in the 60's twice out of the four rounds of play
• Competed for Canada on the Canadian University team that played in South Africa in September 08

Women's Golf MVP
Lisa Boyko
• 1st team OUA All-star
• Helped lead Western to their 4th consecutive OUA Championship
• 3rd at Western Invitational
• Tied 1st at Waterloo Invitational
• 2nd at Wilfrid Laurier Invitational
• Team Captain

Men's Hockey MVP
The Circle "K" Trophy
Brad Topping
• Led the team in their playoff run
• Top goalie in OUA playoffs in minutes (494), shots (262), save percentage (.939) and wins (7)
• Queen's Cup MVP

Men's Hockey Other Awards
Robert McChesney Memorial Trophy
Luc Martin

Lorne Thomson Memorial Award
Jason Ertl

Women's Hockey Co-MVP
Ellie Seedhouse
• Assistant captain
• Led the Team in scoring
• 19th in OUA for scoring with 11G 6A with 5G on the PP

Women's Hockey Co-MVP
Veronica Johnston
• Team's go to person on defence
• Played on all special teams
• Finished off with 2G 4A with the two goals coming on the PP

Women's Lacrosse MVP
Nicole Pullen
• Assistant captain
• A threat on both the offensive and defensive end
• Led team in scoring for 2nd year in a row with 25 Goals 8 assists
• 13th in OUA scoring

Men's Lightweight Rowing MVP
Cam Sylvester
• 2008 Olympian
• 3 Year National Team member
• 3 CURC team gold medals
• CURC 2008 - 3 time gold medalist

Men's Heavyweight Rowing MVP
Andrew Jago
• National team camp
• 3 CURC team gold medals
• CURC 2008 - gold in 8 and bronze in pair
• Rowing Executive member

Women's Lightweight Rowing MVP
Kristin Jeffery
• Winner of the Merit Based Scholarship for highest marks in Law
• 6th in Canadian National Open Championships
• OUA Championships 2nd in Single, 3rd in 8 team row
• CIS Championships 1st single, 2nd coxed 4, 3rd in double member of 1st place team

Women's Heavyweight Rowing MVP
Lindsay Sferrazza
• OUA Championships - 2nd in team trophy , 1st in coxed 4 & 8
• CURC Results - 1st in team trophy , 1st in 8, 4th in pairs
• Recipient of Ontario Carding (Quest for Gold) and Gordon Risk Estate award

Rowing Other Awards
Duncan McLaren Award
Charlotte Anderson
Connor Teskey

9th Seat Award
Marino Felice
Alyson Kerr
Stephanie Lamothe

Men's Rugby MVP
The Wilson-Bignell Trophy
Dave Jacks
• A tenacious defender and an offensive threat
• Awarded the OUA West Division Trillium Award 2nd year in a row
• OUA All-star Team 3rd year in a row
• Team captain

Women's Rugby MVP
Nicole Bailey
• Backrow & Lock
• OUA 1st Team All-Star
• Known for her consistent performances
• Dominates in the line out both on the offensive and defensive side

Women's Rugby Other Awards
Most Valuable Back
Jasmine Isaac

Most Valuable Forward
Laura Russell

Most Improved Back
Jennifer Tran

Most Improved Forward
Sarah Verreault

Rookie of the Year Back
Rebecca Lefevre

Rookie of the Year Forward
Yvonne Kwan

Men's Soccer MVP
The Duncan A. McLarty Trophy
Paul Seymour
• 1st team OUA All-star
• Member of 2 OUA championships
• Been to 3 CIS National championships winning two bronze medals
• As a defender also helped out offensively by scoring 2 goals
• Syl Basacco UWO men's soccer Achievement Award

Men's Soccer Other Awards
Rookie of the Year
Pat Mroczek

Best Fit Award
Matt Delich

Golden Boot Award
Pat Mroczek

Award of Excellence
Paul Seymour

Women's Soccer MVP
The Mary Riezebos Award
Natalie Bramwell
• In her first year earned a starting spot on the team
• Was a model of consistency
• Helped lead Western to a winning record
• Was a feared defender on the field

Men's Squash MVP
Chris Hanebury
• Named 1st Team OUA All-star
• Led Team to 25th Straight OUA Crown
• Won Every OUA event and the Hoehn Cup in NCAA Squash
• Two-time team MVP

Women's Squash MVP
The Fiona Goodchild Award
Stephanie Edmison
• Undefeated this season
• Led the team in winning OUA gold with a match record of 19-5
• 1st Team OUA All-star
• OUA Player of the Year for the second year in a row

Men's Swimming MVP
The Peter Fowler Trophy
Bryn Jones
• Total of 5 OUA Medals
• 2 OUA Gold Medals
• 5th 200M Breaststroke at CIS
• 6th in both 50m and 100m Breaststroke at CIS

Women's Swimming MVP
The Patricia Kitchen
Hayley Nell
• 6 OUA Gold Medals
• 3 OUA Records
• CIS Bronze 100M freestyle
• CIS Silver 800M freestyle relay
• CIS Silver 4x100M freestyle relay
• OUA Swimmer of the Meet for 2nd year in a row

Swimming Other Awards
The Walter Thompson Trophy
Jake Armstrong

The Joanne Kennedy Trophy
Heather Martin

Most Improved Male Swimmer
Matt Bento

Most Improved Female Swimmer
Alyssa Molenaar

Men's Tennis MVP
Alex Riedl
• OUA 1st Team All-star
• Played No. 2 singles – 4-1 record
• Played No. 1 doubles – 2-3 record
• 2 time team MVP

Women's Tennis MVP
Alex Georgakopoulos
• Team leader and motivator
• Played No. 3 singles with a record of 8-1
• Played No. 3 doubles

Men's Track & Field MVP
The F. Murray McNie Trophy
Tumelo Moleko
• OUA Results: 4th in 60mH in 8.40, 4th in TJ in a personal best 14.52m
• CIS Results: 5th in 60mH 8.44, 3rd in TJ in a personal best 14.65m
• Ranked No. 6 in 60mH (8.35) on UWO's All-time top ten list
• Ranked No. 8 in TJ (14.65)on UWO's All-time top ten list

Women's Track & Field MVP
The Labatt Trophy
Jen Cotten
• Team captain
• 2008 1st Team OUA All-Star and All Canadian
• OUA Championships - 2 gold and 1 bronze
• CIS Championships – 3 gold
• 2008 National Team member
• CIS Female Athlete of the Meet

Track & Field Other Awards
Don Wright Trophy
Jen Cotten
Jason Kerr

Women's Field Events MVP
Alicia Smith

Men's Track Events MVP
Alex Witmer

Women's Rookie of the Year
Mila Simulik

Men's Rookie of the Year
Scott Leitch

Men's Volleyball Co-MVP
Eric Simon
• 9th in the OUA for Pts/Game
• 3rd in the OUA and 9th in the CIS for kills
• 1st Team OUA All-star
• 2nd Team All Canadian

Men's Volleyball Co-MVP
Kyle Bryce
• 7th in the OUA for Pts/G
• No. 3 on the team in kills
• 2nd Team OUA All-star

Women's Volleyball MVP
Andrea Ruste
• Named 1st Team OUA All star
• OUA and CIS Libero of the Year
• Led OUA in Digs with 349 Digs – 51 away from closest competitor
• Led OUA and CIS with 5.54 Digs/Game

Water polo MVP
The Dr. Tom Van Alphen Award
Greg Hoegy
• Quiet leader who chooses to lead by example
• In a 8-10 loss scored 4 of Westerns 8 goals
• Vs Queens Western was down 11-6 entering 4th quarter, This player sniped 5 goals in the final quarter to lead the team to a stunning 15-12 win!
• Led the Team in Scoring

Men's Wrestling MVP
George Oliphant Trophy
Brett Ferguson
• Team Captain
• Demonstrated strong leadership
• Led by example with his excellent work ethic and commitment to the program
4th at OUA Championships just missing out to qualify for CIS Championships

Women's Wrestling: Co-MVP
Lesley McCallum
• Captain of the team
• Placed 1st at Concordia invitational
• 3rd at Queens open Tournament
• OUA gold medalist
• 4th at CIS Championships

Women's Wrestling: Co-MVP
Sam Stewart
• OUA Rookie of the Year
• Won Bronze at CIS championships
• Winner of the Ontario Junior Open Title
• OUA gold medalist

Wrestling Other Awards
Dr. Glynn Leyshon Trophy
Andrew Ross

Source: Western Mustangs

Photo Credit: Craig Glover