Brock honours athletes
Senior wrestlers Emily Schaefer and Jevon Balfour were named the Brock University 2018-19 Athletes of the Year during the school’s annual athletic banquet on March 30. Photo: Courtesy Brock University
Brock University named a pair of senior wrestlers its athletes of the year at the school’s annual athletic banquet on Saturday.
Female wrestler Emily Schaefer and men’s wrestler Jevon Balfour were named the 2018-19 top athletes in front of more than 800 athletes, staff and supporters at the Ian D. Beddis Gymnasium.
Schaefer, a concurrent education student from Sarnia, finished as the top-ranked wrestler in U SPORTS for her division and won a gold medal at the national university wrestling championships in Calgary.
Competing in her fifth season, Schaefer won her fourth consecutive national gold medal. Leading up to nationals, Emily also won her fifth consecutive Ontario University Athletics gold medal.
Balfour, a social science student from Brampton, is the top-ranked wrestler in the country for his weight class.
He won gold to secure his fifth consecutive individual national title at the U SPORTS Championships, and help Brock win its sixth consecutive championship.
Balfour also won his fifth gold medal at the OUA Championships.
Women’s rugby head coach Stefanie Pavlovich earned the coach of the year Award.
Pavlovich led her team to an undefeated regular season for a second consecutive year, designed an offence that lit up the scoreboard to outscore their opponents 276-39 this season and went deep into the playoffs
The female team of the year went to the women’s wrestling team.
With an influx of new faces, this team added to their storied history by securing its fifth straight OUA championship title and was routinely ranked the No. 1 team in the country. With teams ready to knock them off the top at the national championships in Calgary, these women overcame the University of Saskatchewan to win its eighth consecutive national championship.
The men’s wrestling team won the male team of the year. A dominant force all season long, the team won its fourth straight banner and eight gold medals at the provincial championships. It maintained its No. 1 ranking in the country en route to winning a bevy of national medals and its sixth consecutive team title.
Andrea Jansen of the women’s rowing team earned the David S. Howes Spirit of Brock Award, which is named after Howes for his commitment to Brock University and Niagara. These awards are presented annually to a student who best embodies the spirit of Sir Isaac Brock: leadership, courage, innovation, inspiration and community service.
Women’s curler Terri Weeks and men’s rowing coxswain Raymond Wong secured the Surgite Awards. These are awarded each year to a current male and female student-athlete who excel both academically and athletically.
Weeks also brought home the Dallas Beaton Award alongside Malcolm Cavanagh of the men’s cross country team.
Jennifer O’Neil and Kayla Teeter were given the Joseph P. Kenny Student Therapist Award of Excellence.
The Brock Sports Performance Awards went to Brant Creelman (BSP Student Intern of the Year) and Gillian DiMaria (BSP Impact Award).
The Marilou Iusi Memorial Service Award went to Jacob Smith. This award recognizes an individual for their tireless dedication to Brock athletics.
A total of 52 Brock Badger student/athletes received Academic All-Canadian awards for achieving an academic standing of 80 per cent of better while playing a U SPORTS sanctioned sport.
Major Award Winners
Female athlete of the year: Emily Schaefer (Women’s wrestling)
Male athlete of the year: Jevon Balfour (Men’s wrestling)
Coach of the year: Stefanie Pavlovich (Women’s rugby)
David S. Howes Spirit of Brock Award: Andrea Jansen (Women’s Rowing)
Surgite Awards: Terri Weeks (Women’s Curling), Raymond Wong (Men’s Rowing)
Dallas Beaton Award: Malcolm Cavanagh (Men’s cross country)
Joseph P. Kenny Student Therapist Award: Jennifer O’Neil and Kayla Teeter
Brock Sports Performance Awards: Brant Creelman (BSP Student Intern of the Year), Gillian DiMaria (BSP Impact Award)
Marilou Iusi Memorial Service Award: Jacob Smith
Academic All-Canadians
Noah Lapierre, men’s basketball.
Umberto Lopardo and Brett Parent, men’s cross country.
Dylan Sipura, men’s curling.
Alexander Brooks-Potts, men’s hockey.
Andrew Baldin, men’s soccer.
Julian Filice, men’s swimming.
Marcelo Muniz Correa, James Parkinson, Felipe Souza da Costa and Mitchell Taylor, men’s volleyball.
Ana Caldeira Rua, Baelie Campbell, Allison Columbus, Jessica Morris, and Shannon Northey, women’s basketball.
Cassandra Hinz, Erin Laughlin and Paulina Sergnese, women’s cross country
Terri Weeks, women’s curling.
Annie Berg, Kaitlyn Colonna, Marissa Graham, Brenna Murphy, Jensen Murphy, Julia Pettella and Maggie Spratt-Mallick, women’s hockey.
Amarije Barnes, Hope Blackmore, Aleah Boersma, Torrence Bostock, Katelyn Heyens and Holly Murphy, women’s rugby.
Cassidy Collicutt and Kinley Wilson, women’s soccer.
Amileigh Du Toit, Celine Funk, Amanda Hendrik, Megan Piche and Maggie Smith, women’s swimming.
Monica Binotto, Alyssa Point, Michaela Point and McKenzie Streefkerk, women’s track and field.
Victoria Carroll, Hannah Davenhill, Grace Pyatt and Darby Taylor, women’s volleyball.
Lily (Nicole) French, Skylar Grote, Samantha Romano and Emily Schaefer, women’s wrestling,
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