Varsity Athletes Recognized At 46th Annual Athletic Awards Banquet

Belleville, Ontario, March 20, 2014 – Recipients of the Loyalist College 46^th Annual Athletic Awards were announced at the College’s March 19^th Athletic Banquet, a celebration of the Loyalist Lancers’ achievements this year.

Loyalist President Maureen Piercy congratulated all athletes, coaches and staff for a great season. “You are wonderful ambassadors for Loyalist College – on the sports field, on the courts and in the classroom – congratulations on all of your achievements,” she said. “We’re proud as well of the high number of provincial OCAA Academic Award recipients this year with 48 student athletes recognized by the OCAA for academic achievement, and one individual named as a CCAA Academic All Canadian. For those of you who are graduating, I know you will continue to represent the College, taking with you that Lancer “heart and hustle,” as well as “spirit and skill.”

Mikayla Brennan, a first-year Child and Youth Worker student, was named Female Athlete of the Year. “I could never have received this award without the support of my teammates and coaches. Some of my teammates were also classmates and we encouraged each other on the court and with our assignments. I believe that actions speak louder than words and I always strive to remember that I represent the College and myself. I am very proud – this is the perfect ending to a very good year.”

“When a Loyalist student makes a varsity team, they are committing to much more than a sport,” said Jim Buck, Manager of Athletics and Campus Recreation. “They are signing on to support their teammates, respect their coaches, maintain good grades and act as Loyalist ambassadors within our community and beyond. It’s their ability to maintain this balance that makes us so proud of our athletes. This year, 48 Lancers were named Ontario Athletic Association Academic Award recipients and Kam Fung Tai was an Academic All Canadian winner. It is no small feat to juggle game and practice schedules and to find time to participate in community outreach events, while ensuring that program requirements are met. At the Athletic Awards, we celebrate these leaders.”

For the second consecutive year, Patrick Kalala, Community and Justice Services student, was awarded Male Athlete of the Year. “When I started playing with the team, they were a sea of faces. Now, they’re family. The skills I learned on the court will go with me when I graduate. I know the value of teamwork and have learned to respect and appreciate how different personalities and strengths pull together and work toward a common goal. I understand the importance of being coached and of surrounding myself with good people. I’ve grown to be a leader. When people believe in you, people like your coaches and Athletics Manager Jim Buck, it pushes you to be your best and you learn to believe in yourself. Coming to Loyalist was the best decision.”

Loyalist College Athletic Award winners include:

The Bob McKendrick Award was presented to Holly Buls, as the individual who contributed the most to campus recreation and outdoor education.

The Bob Young Award for academic and athletic excellence was presented to Justin deHaan and Stephanie Semark.

The Arthur McFarlane Award for graduating students, who have made an outstanding contribution to Loyalist Athletics, was presented to Zach Smith.

The Larry Cook Award was presented to J.D. Tremblay as the student athlete who best exemplifies the values of fair play, integrity and commitment.

The Dave Butler Award was presented to Amy Parker and Haley Voskamp, as the student athletes who, through their enthusiasm and love of the game, attract others to participate.

The Greg Gavin Award was presented to Justin Greaves as a student athlete who has demonstrated outstanding commitment and dedication to varsity athletics.

The Female Athlete of the Year was presented to Mikayla Brennan, as a respectful student athlete who best exemplifies athletic excellence at Loyalist. Mikayla ranked 10th in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and sixth in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) for points per game with an average of 17.2.  In addition, she averaged 10 rebounds per game, was an East Division second team All-Star, East Division Rookie of the Year and a member of the East Division All-Rookie Team.

The Male Athlete of the Year was presented to Patrick Kalala, as a respectful student athlete who best exemplifies athletic excellence at Loyalist College. This is the second consecutive year that Patrick has received this honour. He ranked 14th in the CCAA and seventh in the OCAA for points per game with an average of 20.8. Patrick was an East Division first team All-Star.

Both Mikayla and Patrick will represent Loyalist College at the OCAA Annual All-Star Game at Durham College the weekend of March 22^nd.

An additional 48 student athletes were recognized as OCAA Academic Award recipients, with one of the winners, Kam Fung Tai, also named as a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Academic All Canadian winner. Twelve Lancers were named OCAA All-Stars.

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Contact: Kerry Lorimer, Director, Marketing and Communications, Loyalist College, klorimer@loyalistc.on.ca, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2536