Land and Connell named Guelph Athletes of the Year

GUELPH, ON - With over 800 individuals in attendance at the new Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre, the University of Guelph's Department of Athletics officially handed out the hardware on Thursday night (March 30) at the 2016-17 Gryphons Athletic Banquet. The annual awards show, which for years took place in the now-60-year-old W.F. Mitchell building, was held for the first time in the new $45 million Athletics Centre, with video highlights and live streaming of the event broadcast on the four-sided video board.

Headlining the evening's major award winners were Male and Female Athletes of the Year, Tommy Land and Ashley Connell, both of whom compete with the Gryphons Track & Field teams.

Land, a fourth year Mechanical Engineering student, was instrumental in helping the Gryphons Men's Track & Field team capture the team titles at both the conference and national levels. The Turkey Point native was named U SPORTS Performer of the Meet after winning gold in the men's 600m. Land's impressive time of 1:17.93 not only earned him the gold, it also broke the Gryphons previous school record which was held by Olympian Anthony Romaniw. Land was also part of a Men's 4x400m relay team that set a new Canadian University record with a time of 3.10.83 at the Spire Invitational meet in Geneva, Ohio.

Connell, a fourth year Brockville native, was the best athlete in the country in women's shot put and weight throw. The Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics major produced a sensational double-gold performance at nationals, finishing atop the podium in both events while helping lead the Gryphons to a 2nd place finish in the overall team standings.

The 2016-17 "Gryphie Moment of the Year" trophy was awarded to Mark Perrin of the Men's Rugby team following their dramatic OUA Championship victory over Queen's.

The Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards, given annually to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding talent and ability in their sport, combined with exceptional leadership, were given to Justin Springer (Men's Soccer) and Cierra Carere (Women's Wrestling). Justin Springer put together a decorated soccer career at U of G. He finishes his varsity career as a five-time OUA All-Star and in 2016-17 was named a U SPORTS All-Canadian. He anchored a Gryphon defence this year that ranked among the best in the conference, allowing just 12 goals against in 16 games leading the team to an OUA title and U SPORTS bronze. Aside from helping the Gryphons win their first OUA title in 26 years, he has also garnered attention internationally representing Canada at the FISU games and playing three times for his native country of St. Kitts and Nevis in international friendlies. A leader on and off the field, Justin has been a team captain for three years and is part of the Gryphon Council, meeting regularly with Gryphon athletic managers to speak on behalf of student-athletes.

Cierra Carere is a four-time OUA medalist and this year capped off an incredible career with a U SPORTS silver medal, earning her the title of a Second Team All-Canadian.
Described by her coach as a team leader both on and off the mat, she has been a positive role model for the up and coming women on the varsity wrestling team. Cierra spends a significant amount of time giving back to the sport of wrestling volunteering at local high schools, while also helping to run Gryphon wrestling events, including the annual "Canada Cup" - an international wrestling event hosted annually by the University of Guelph. 

The President's Trophies, given to the top male and female student-athletes who combine athletic excellence with academic excellence, were awarded to Devon Stober (Women's Rugby) and Ethan Danielli (Men's Soccer). Stober, a fifth year All-Star on the Women's Rugby team, boasts a cumulative average of 91.4% while studying Animal Biology. The Mississauga native's incredible performance in the classroom was coupled with some outstanding performances on the field as well, as she led her team to an OUA title while garnering U SPORTS All-Canadian honours.

The Male President's Trophy went to Ethan Danielli of the Men's Soccer team. Danielli, a fifth year midfielder and Guelph native, excelled academically and boasts a cumulative average of 86.8% in his Human Kinetics studies. Danielli also was named a Second Team All-Star in the OUA West and played an integral role in helping the Gryphons men's soccer team secure their first OUA title in 26 years.

The Rookie of the Year awards were taken home by a pair of Track & Field athletes, with sprinter Shyvonne Roxborough and long jump and sprint specialist Keysean Powell each taking home the honours. Roxborough, a first year phenom from Ottawa, took home the Dr. Mary Beverley-Burton Award as Rookie of the Year after a sensational rookie season at U of G in which she established herself as one of the top sprinters in the country. At the OUA Championships, Shyvonne helped the Gryphons women's team capture a team title with her gold medal in the 60m where she ran a blazing fast time of 7.44 seconds. At the nationals, Shyvonne would continue to impress with a silver medal performance in the 60m.

Keysean Powell takes home the Scott Yanchus Award as U of G's Male Rookie of the Year after a spectacular season with the Track & Field team. Powell, who also plays on the Gryphon football team, burst onto the Track & Field scene by winning silver in the men's 60m at the OUA Championships. At nationals, Powell also showcased his ability to compete with some of the top jumpers in the country, winning silver in the men's long jump en route to being named U SPORTS Rookie of the Year in Men's Track & Field.

Overall, the Gryphons had a total of 23 athletes named U SPORTS All-Canadians and 83 OUA All-Stars during was a phenomenal 2016-17 season.

A complete list of award winners from the night listed below.

Major Award Winners

Male Athlete of the Year
Tommy Land - Track & Field
 
Female Athlete of the Year
Ashley Connell - Track & Field

"Gryphie" Moment of the Year
"Perrin Caps Perfection" - Mark Perrin, Men's Rugby

W.F. Mitchell Sportsman of the Year
Justin Springer - Men's Soccer
 
W.F. Mitchell Sportswoman of the Year
Cierra Carere - Women's Wrestling

Male Rookie of the Year (Scott Yanchus Award)
Keysean Powell - Track & Field / Football
 
Female Rookie of the Year (Dr. Mary Beverley-Burton Award)
Shyvonne Roxborough

The Fred Ramprashad Scholarship
Devon Stober - Women's Rugby
 
President's Trophy – Male
Ethan Danielli - Men's Soccer
 
President's Trophy – Female
Devon Stober - Women's Rugby
 
Don Cameron Award (3-year M.I.P.)
Kendrick Kerr - Men's Volleyball
 
Shirley Peterson Award (3-year M.I.P.)
Olivia Lane - Field Hockey
 
Student Trainer of the Year (Gunner Obrascovs Award)
Jessica Johnston - Men's Soccer
 
Student Manager of the Year (Cathy Rowe Award)
Brittany Thalen - Women's Basketball

Team Award Winners
 
Baseball:  M.V.P. – Nick Interisano
Basketball (M):  Jack Tanner M.I.P. – Tommy Yanchus
Basketball (M):  Bill Dimson Memorial M.V.P. – Ahmed Haroon
Basketball (W):  M.I.P. – Haley Belyk
Basketball (W):  M.V.P. – Sarah Holmes
Cross Country (M):  Rookie of the Year (Al Claremont Freshman Harrier Trophy) – Mitchell Ubene
Cross Country (M):  M.V.P. (Art Hackett Trophy) – Brayden Seneca
Cross Country (W):  Rookie of the Year – Hannah Woodhouse
Cross Country (W):  M.V.P. (Vic Matthews Award) – Katelyn Ayers
Field Hockey:  M.I.P. - Katherine MacMillan
Field Hockey:  Laura Sharp M.V.P. - Olivia Lane
Figure Skating:  M.V.P. - Leeann Duncan
Football:  Rookie of the Year - Kian Schaffer-Baker
Football:  M.V.P. (President Forster Award) – Luke Korol
Football:  Ted Wildman Trophy – Rob Carnegie
Golf (M):  David Fell M.V.P. - Marc-Anthony Manion
Golf (W):  Grace Glofcheskie M.V.P. - Maddie Decorso
Hockey (M):  Rookie of the Year (Walter Rickard Memorial Award) – Marc Stevens
Hockey (M):  M.V.P. (Jack Pos Trophy) – Rob Lepine
Hockey (W):  Rookie of the Year – Sydney Davison
Hockey (W):  M.V.P. – Katherine Bailey
Lacrosse (M):  M.V.P. – Brett Ulbikas
Lacrosse (W):  M.V.P. – Taylor Kidd
Nordic Skiing (M):  M.V.P. – David Laurie
Nordic Skiing (W):  M.V.P. – Laryssa Kemp
Rowing (M):  M.V.P. – Mykael Hughes-Mussio
Rowing (W):  M.V.P. – Carly Zanatta
Rugby (M):  Rookie of the Year (Robin Best Award) – Maclain Wakefield
Rugby (M):  M.V.P. (Ieuan Evans Rugger Award) – Eric Charest-Pekeski
Rugby (W):  Rookie of the Year – Amara Hill
Rugby (W):  M.V.P. – Alex King
Soccer (M):  M.I.P. – Mitchell Lefebvre
Soccer (M):  M.V.P. (Bill McAnuff Memorial) – Tomasz Skublak
Soccer (W):  M.I.P. – Alyssa Hodgson
Soccer (W):  M.V.P. – Allison Clouse
Swimming (M):  M.I.P. – Rodrigo Rozo
Swimming (M):  M.V.P. (C.M. Kinnear Memorial) – Evan Van Moerkerke
Swimming (W):  M.I.P. – Katherine Scheurmann
Swimming (W):  M.V.P. – Emily Anzai
Track & Field (M):  Rookie Award – Keysean Powell
Track & Field (M):  M.V.P. (Hamilton Olympic Club Award) – Tommy Land
Track & Field (W):  Rookie Award – Shyvonne Roxborough
Track & Field (W):  M.V.P. – Ashley Connell
Volleyball (M):  M.I.P. – Matt Baxter
Volleyball (M):  M.V.P. – Kendrick Kerr
Volleyball (W):  M.I.P. (Makala King Memorial) – Kayla McMullen
Volleyball (W):  M.V.P. – Maddie Dedecker
Wrestling (M):  M.I.P. – Kyle Robinson
Wrestling (M):  M.V.P. – Elvir Uzunovic
Wrestling (W):  M.I.P. – Chelsey Sicard
Wrestling (W):  M.V.P. – Gracelynn Doogan