Harrison headlines Niagara College award winners
Niagara College held its athletic banquet Tuesday. Pictured left to right are female athlete of the year Janee Harrison, male rookie athlete of the year Matthew Takacs, college president Sean Kennedy, female rookie athlete of the year Sam Cormier and male athlete of the year Carter Thurman.
St. Catharines native Janee Harrison was named Niagara College’s female athlete of the year at the school’s awards banquet Tuesday night.
The six-foot guard/forward led the Knights to a bronze medal at the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association championships, in the process earning a player of the game award in the semifinals and a spot on the tournament all-star team. She led Niagara in scoring at the OCAA championships contributing 13 points and nine rebounds in the semifinal and 14 points and 20 rebounds in the bronze medal game against St. Clair. Harrison was a Second Team OCAA All-Star after averaging 12.1 points and six rebounds per game. The policing foundations major also excelled in the classroom, earning an OCAA All-Academic Award and being named a CCAA Academic All-Canadian.
“We are extremely proud of Janee. She put the work in over the summer and throughout the year to have a bounceback season,” Niagara head coach Chris Rao said. “These awards are often tied to team success. We had a very good year as a team and it’s great to see that recognized by this award. Janee battled so much this year personally and injury-wise and maintained a high level through it all.”
Other major award winners were: male athlete of the year Carter Thurman; female rookie athlete of the year Sam Cormier; male rookie athlete of the year Matthew Takacs; Jamira Rousseau, female top leadership award; Reggie Williams, male top leadership award; Tori Hultink, female top scholastic award; Ethan Alino-Dela Cruz, male top scholastic award; male tournament sport player of the year Aidan Mcvey; Rao, Ralph Nero Memorial Award for coaching excellence and outstanding contributions to student recruitment and retention; and, Danny Cvetanovic, Niagara’s student administrative council operations manager, winner of the Luciano Berardocco Memorial Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to intercollegiate athletics.
Thurman, from Balgonie, Sask., is described as the glue that held everyone together and a player who provided a calmness for the rest of his teammates. He was top five in the OCAA in digs per set (2.33), finished in the top 10 in digs (126) and recorded 30-plus digs in a third of his matches. He was key in orchestrating the offence and finished with 378 assists, including his career 1,000th.
“Men like Carter Thurman are hard to find and when you have them as a coach, it breaks your heart when their careers come to an end. He has been a cornerstone for program for three years with great passion, work ethic, skill, and competitiveness,” Niagara head coach Steve Stone said. “He is the leader you want on your team, making improvements every year and never being satisfied. I’m so happy that Carter was able to be recognized as the college’s male athlete of the year. It has been a privilege to coach Carter. I’ve become a better coach because of him and I’m excited to see what’s next for him.”
Cormier, a St. Catharines native, finished second in the OCAA in blocks per set (0.79) and scored in double digits in almost half of her games. She scored 13 points and had two service aces in her first playoff game against the Centennial Colts before contributing another 13 points and six blocks in the quarter-final game against the Loyalist Lancers. The Sir Winston Churchill graduate was named to the OCAA West Division All-Rookie Team.
“Sam Cormier is a phenomenal athlete but an even better person. She is a consistent, positive presence in our gym, always picking teammates up and cheering them on. She also is a ferocious competitor, wanting to be the best she can for herself and the team,” Stone said. “She’s so coachable and so understanding. She is a coach’s dream. Sam was dominant in Year 1, fourth in the OCAA in total blocks, second in the OCAA for blocks/set and is already showing signs of taking a big leap in Year 2. I couldn’t be more proud to coach Sam.”
Takacs, a Woodstock native, earned a role in the starting lineup as the season wore on and finished the season with a 0.235 hitting percentage. His attacking and serving were dominant and he regularly made great plays. In his first playoff game against the Algonquin Wolves, he posted 19 points, 15 kills, four digs, three blocks and a service ace. He was named to the OCAA West Division All-Rookie Team.
“Matthew Takacs is such a good kid and was a great rookie for us all year. He worked hard, did the right things and was patient waiting for his opportunity. When he got it, he never looked back,” Stone said. “He competed at a high level every practice and every game, putting pressure on with his attack and his serve. He has a bright future in the league and I’m very glad we found him during recruitment.”
Rousseau, a Welland native, is described as a prime example of what every coach looks for in a player and her leadership skills were second to none. She lead the Knights on and off the court by being both understanding and demanding, not only of herself but of the entire team. Rousseau maintained high standards for everyone. She played a pivotal role in keeping the team focused during the OCAA championships.
Williams, a Toronto native, is described as “a quiet leader that has a big voice wherever he goes. An individual that shows exemplary leadership skills, both on and off the court, consistently leads by example whether it be his work ethic, his positive attitude or his tremendous contribution to the team and Niagara College as a whole. Reggie plays a crucial role as he leads his team into each game and sets the standard for everyone following him. Willing to do whatever it takes to help the team succeed, he constantly pushes his teammates to get better and holds everyone accountable for their actions.”
Hultink, a Pelham native and midfielder on the soccer team, finished with a 96 per cent GPA.
Basketball player Alino-Dela Cruz, a Mississauga native, finished with a 91 per cent GPA.
Mcvey, a Hamilton native, is expected to be a centerpiece of the golf team in the years ahead.
Below is a list of the other award winners:
CCAA Academic All-Canadians: Harrison and Taryn Mitchell, women’s basketball.
OCAA All-Academic Awards: men’s basketball players Alino-Dela Cruz, Riley Bleich, Nikola Hrnjez, Khayden Moore and Williams; women’s basketball players Lex Bell, Emma Fraser, Parneet Gill, Harrison, Griffin Lack-Shane, Mitchell, Ella Peters and Katelyn Roth; male golfers Tristano Mancuso and Mcvey; men’s soccer players Christian Buccella, Sean Darracott, Michael DiMaurizio, Kyle Hannon, Victor Kariuki, Ferdinand Lokole, Nathaniel Smyth and Noah Vogel; female soccer players Olivia Collevecchio, Mia Dipasquale, Aneisha Gobbels, Hultink, Taylor Hynes, Hannah Kelly, Juliana Mack-Greco, Ashley Phillips, Jayda Rodrigue, Natalie Sistero and Hannah Vander Meulen; men’s volleyball players Tyler Carmichael, Micah Nieuwets, Jordan Schroeder, Takacs, Wyatt Thompson, Andrew Vandenburg, Tristan Vermolen and Britton Burrows; and women’s volleyball players Jadyn Bertrand, Kyrah Cameron, Emmah Gmoser, Abbey Gooder and Montanna Taylor.
Fourth-year awards: Williams, men’s basketball; Rousseau and Molly Taylor, women’s basketball; Thurman and Vandenburg, men’s volleyball; Montana Taylor, women’s volleyball; Joel Marinas, men’s soccer.
Ray Sarkis Award (given to individuals who exude passion, commitment and are community minded): Ali Weir, Nimisha Sumathi, Marilia Welter, Shazia Khan and Sarah Singleton, all members of the student engagement team.
TEAM AWARDS
Men’s basketball: Williams, leadership; Alino-Dela-Cruz, scholastic; Bleich, top rookie; Khayden Stewart, MVP.
Women’s basketball: Rousseau, leadership; Harrison, scholastic; Destiny Osadebamwen, top rookie; Harrison, MVP.
Men’s golf: Mancuso, leadership; Mcvey, scholastic; Ethan Siebert, top rookie; Mcvey, MVP.
Men’s soccer: Altin Ibrahimi, leadership; Smyth, scholastic; Hannon, top rookie; Kariuki, MVP.
Women’s soccer: Sistero, leadership; Hultink, scholastic; Phillips, top rookie; Dipasquale, MVP.
Men’s volleyball: Mitch Churipuy, leadership; Thompson and Burrows, scholastic; Takacs, top rookie; Thurman, MVP.
Women’s volleyball: Gmoser, leadership; Cameron and Gmoser, scholastic; Cormier, top rookie; Montana Taylor, MVP.
