2024-25 Niagara College athletic award winners
A pair of St. Catharines athletes were named co-winners of Niagara College’s female athlete of the year award at the school’s recent awards banquet.
Sharing the honour were hoopster Janee Harrison and volleyball player Montanna Taylor.
Harrison, a Sir Winston Churchill product, won the award for the second straight year. The fourth-year forward started every game during the season, averaged almost 30 minutes per game and finished seventh in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association in points per game. She was named a Canadian Colleges Athletic Association All-Canadian, a CCAA Academic All-Canadian award, an OCAA All-Academic and an OCAA West Division First Team All-Star.
Taylor, an Eden product, led Niagara to a third-place finish in the OCAA West Division and a bronze medal at the OCAA championship. The fifth-year setter was third in the OCAA in blocks and seventh in assists to finish as the men’s and women’s career leader in assists with more than 1,500. She was named a CCAA Academic All-Canadian, an OCAA All-Academic, an OCAA West Division Second Team All-Star award, an OCAA semi-finals player of the game and an OCAA Championship All-Star. Taylor was also presented with a Fifth Year Recognition Award for five years of dedication to her sport.
Ajax native Kayden Stewart was named Niagara’s male athlete of the year. The fourth-year guard on the basketball team was an OCAA Second Team All-Star after finishing second in the OCAA in assists per game and sixth in steals per game. He was named an OCAA All-Academic and a CCAA Academic All-Canadian.
Honoured as Niagara’s female and male rookies of the year were soccer player Cienna Toromoreno and volleyball player Rowan Redekop.
Toromoreno, a Vaughan resident, scored three goals and added two assists for the Knights during the season. She was named a OCAA West Division Second Team All-Star award, an OCAA West Division All-Rookie Team member and the OCAA rookie of the year.
Redekop, a Surrey, B.C. native, was the OCAA leader in stuff blocks with 53 and recorded 142 points, 78 kills and 11 service aces during the season. He had a .262 hitting percentage and averaged 1.32 kills per set.
Selected as Niagara’s male and female tournament sports players of the year were Noah LeBrun and Julia Markle.
LeBrun, a Simcoe resident, helped the mixed doubles curling team win an OCAA bronze medal in his rookie season thanks to his athleticism and shot-making abilities.
Markle, a St. George native, teamed with LeBrun to win an OCAA bronze medal in her rookie season. She was a leader on and off the ice, made the toughest shots in the right moments and showed consistency and poise throughout the entire season.
Recognized with female and male leadership awards across all sports were basketball player Jamira Rousseau and volleyball player Mitch Churipuy.
Rousseau, a Welland Notre Dame product, demonstrated tremendous leadership and commitment.
“Rousseau’s leadership skills are second to none and is a prime example of what every coach looks for in a player. Adopting a new head coach into the team just before the start of the season, the women’s basketball team had a steep hill to climb to be ready for their home opener. Rousseau spent countless hours helping to make that a seamless transition for the team and was continually found reviewing game footage and planning for opponents with her coach. A large part of the team’s success this season, Rousseau is the epitome of being a strong leader,” a Niagara College press release stated.
Churipuy a Peterborough resident, has a selfless attitude and a team-first mentality.
“Leading by example, both on and off the playing surface, his desire for team success and helping to coach his teammates is apparent in making everyone feel supported as a Knight. Not only is Mitch’s positive attitude contagious as he always greets individuals with a smile, but his work ethic is unparalleled as he pushes himself and his teammates to get better – holding everyone accountable for their actions,” a college press release stated.
Named Niagara’s top male and female scholastic award recipients were soccer player Gerrit Oldejans and basketball player Griffin Lack-Shane. Dundas resident Oldejans had a 94 per cent average and Waterloo native Lack-Shane recorded a 96 per cent average.
Other major award winners included: men’s and women’s volleyball coach Steve Stone, who won the Ralph Nero Memorial Award for coaching excellence and outstanding contributions to student recruitment and retention; Tyler Lamb, a game day crew member, who was the recipient of the Luciano Berardocco Memorial Award for outstanding contribution to intercollegiate athletics; and, Peter (Dutch) VandenBerg, broadcasting, radio, television and film program coordinator, who won the Ray Sarkis Award for having passion, commitment and community-mindedness.
Honoured with Fourth Year Recognition Award for athletes who gave four years of dedication to their respective sport were: Mark Taylor, men’s basketball; Harrison and Taryn Mitchell, women’s basketball; Ashton Nieuwets and Micah Nieuwets, men’s volleyball; and, Abbey Gooder, women’s volleyball.
Below are the winners of awards for each team:
Men’s basketball: Mark Taylor, leadership and academic; Isiah Panom, top rookie; Khayden Stewart, MVP.
Women’s basketball: Jamira Rousseau, leadership; Griffin Lack-Shane, academic; Alyah Pereira, top rookie; Janee Harrison, MVP.
Men’s golf: Matthew Palumbi, leadership; Ethan Siebert, academic; Avery Cheeseman, top rookie; Ethan Siebert, MVP.
Men’s soccer: Juan Plata, leadership; Gerrit Oldejans, academic; Nolan Freel, top rookie; Gerrit Oldejans, MVP.
Women’s soccer: Sara Vogel, leadership; Josee Severin, academic; Cienna Toromoreno, top rookie; Mia DiPasquale, MVP.
Men’s volleyball: Mitch Churipuy, leadership; Noah Trembly, academic; Rowan Redekop, top rookie; Micah Nieuwets, MVP.
Women’s volleyball: Natalie Little, leadership; Jenna Main, academic; Emilie Dlouhy, top rookie; Montanna Taylor, MVP.
Curling: Julia Reichelt, leadership; Paige Taylor, academic; William Mitchell, top rookie.
