McPhee wins Male Field Athlete of the Meet
EDMONTON –Canada West Athletics is proud to announce major award winners from the 2012 conference Track and Field Championships held February 24-25 in Saskatoon.
The Victoria Vikes took home four awards with Adam Gaudes winning two for his middle distance performances. After winning gold in the 600m and the 4x400m relay, Gaudes was handed the Outstanding Male Performance of the Meet and the Male Track Athlete of the Year.
Victoria also won the Women’s Performance of the Meet with a gold in the 4x800m relay. Together Grace Annear, Shauna McInnis, Kenda Pomfret and Rachel Francois won the gold in a time of 8:55.43. It was 15 seconds faster than the second place finish. Francois was handed Female Rookie of the Year winning gold in the 600-metres, the 4x800, as well as a silver medal in the 4x400.
Saskatchewan Huskie Sharai Siemens won Female Track Athlete of the Year. Siemens, a fourth-year sprinter, won three gold medals in the 300m, the 4X200m and 4x400m relays. She also won a silver in the 600m.
Rachel McIntosh was named Female Field Athlete of the Year after scoring 3923 points to win gold in the pentathlon. Sophomore Stephen McPhee, from the University of Alberta, won Male Field Athlete of Year. He won a gold medal in long jump leaping 7.26m. McPhee was the Canada West and CIS Male rookie of the year last season after winning the long jump at Canada West, and the men's pentathlon at the CIS championship.
Male Rookie of the Year honours went to Ahmed Alkabary from the University Regina. Ahmed won a silver medal with a leap of 7.15m in the long jump.
The Women’s Student Athlete Community Award was given to Saskatchewan’s Jodi Souter. Souter, an Academic All-Canadian, received the prestigious, national Alexander Graham Bell Graduate Scholarship (NSERC CGS) in 2011 and received the University of Saskatchewan Knoles’ Master’s Scholarship. Souter, also a captain for the Huskie women’s cross country team, has given back to the community volunteering for the Canadian Cancer Society. She has trained undergraduate students and new master’s students in molecular biology tools. She was a representative on the Huskie Athletic Council (HAC). In this position she coordinated volunteer opportunities and social events for athletes. She is a motivational speaker in the Go Girl program, which is a program to inspire teen girls to reach their potential. This weekend, Souter finished with a silver medal in the 1,500m and a gold medal in the 3,000m.
Evan Kimmick from the University of Calgary took home the Men’s Student Athlete Community Award. Kimmick, a chemical engineering student with a minor in petroleum engineering, stepped up as a leader both on and off the track. The captain of the Dinos has volunteered with LinkAges (Formerly Friends of Seniors) for the last six years. He was the president of the Student Social Network Committee at Conoco Phillips Canada, which provided over 40 students and interns the opportunity to network with the Senior Leadership Team. Kimmick won bronze with 4x400m relay team this weekend, as well as a silver in the 4x800m relay.
Coach of the Year honours went to Joanne McTaggart, who led the Huskies to their third women’s championship in four years. Doug Lamont won the award on the men’s side for leading the Calgary Dinos to their first title since 1999.
Finally, the Saskatchewan Huskies were presented with the 2011-12 Canada West championship banner and the Eleanor Haslam Trophy as the women’s team champions. The men’s R.E. DuWors Trophy went to the Calgary Dinos.
Individual champions are First Team Canada West All-Stars, while runners-up form the Second Team.
The Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championships takes place March 8-10 at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.
Following are 2012 Canada West track & field award winners:
Female Team (Eleanor Haslam Trophy): University of Saskatchewan
Male Team (R.E. DuWors Trophy): University of Calgary
Female Outstanding Track Performer: Sharai Siemens, Saskatchewan
Male Outstanding Track Performer: Adam Gaudes, Victoria
Female Outstanding Field Performer: Rachael McIntosh, Calgary
Male Outstanding Field Performer: Stephen McPhee, Alberta
Outstanding Female Performance of the Meet: 4x800-m Relay Team, Victoria
Outstanding Male Performance of the Meet: Adam Gaudes, Victoria
Female Student-Athlete and Community Award: Jodi Souter, Saskatchewan
Male Student-Athlete and Community Award: Evan Kimmick, Calgary
Female Rookie: Rachel Francois, Victoria
Male Rookie: Ahmed Alkabary, Regina
Women's Team Coach of the Year: Joanne McTaggart, Saskatchewan
Men's Team Coach of the Year: Doug Lamont, Calgary
All qualifiers now advance to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) track & field championships, March 8-10 at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.