Two basketball stars were slam dunk choices as the Lethbridge College Kodiaks presented their annual athletic awards in a high-energy ceremony on Monday night in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium.
Sunder West from the women’s basketball team and Chris Maughan from the men’s basketball team were named the winners of the Tim Tollestrup Leadership/Athlete of the Year awards. Named after long-time Lethbridge College athletic director Tim Tollestrup, the awards honour the student-athletes who best combined the three pillars of Kodiaks athletics: academic accountability, athletic excellence and the student-athlete experience.
West (third year, Raymond, Alta.), had a tremendous regular season for the conference-champion Kodiaks, earning an ACAC south division first team all-conference selection and finishing fourth in ACAC scoring, averaging 17.5 points per game. But she really elevated her play in the playoffs, winning MVP honours in both the ACAC and CCAA championship tournaments as the Kodiaks went undefeated and won the fourth national championship in the college’s history. A General Studies student and CCAA Academic All-Canadian, West is also actively involved in a large number of Kodiaks community events.
Maughan (fourth year, Mesa, Ariz.), returned to the Kodiaks this season, following one year at the University of Lethbridge. He had a tremendous season in his return to the college, leading the Kodiaks in scoring (15.4 points per game), shooting percentage (55 per cent), rebounding (7.9 rebounds per game) and blocks (29). He was an ACAC south division first team all-conference selection and an ACAC championship all-tournament team selection. A student in Business Administration – Management, Maughan was a CCAA academic all-Canadian and was an active member of the Kodiaks community, including taking a lead role in the Warm Paws campaign.
The KODI awards celebrated all aspects of another very successful Kodiaks season, which saw the program earn more than 45 conference or national athletic and academic honours.
“It was another successful season for the Kodiaks as every sport was in a position to step onto the pitch, track or court and compete to win,” says Todd Caughlin, manager of Kodiaks Athletics. “The culture of Kodiaks Athletics being competitive with every program is beginning to show and it is exciting to see what next year holds after the strides our programs took this year.”
Other notable KODI award winners were top coach Brad Karren of the women’s basketball team, who was named ACAC and CCAA coach of the year, and the women’s basketball team as top team, after winning the CCAA championship, having the highest combined team GPA and becoming actively involved in the Kodiaks community.
The Kodiaks also introduced a new student award, named after Emmalee Cherweniuk. Named newcomer of the year by the women’s volleyball team, the 18-year-old Cherweniuk was killed in a car crash in March. The $500 award, sponsored by the Kodiak Athletics Association, will be named after Emmalee and will be awarded to a Kodiaks women’s volleyball player in her honour for at least the next three years.
KODI award winners are listed below:
KODIs major awards
- Tim Tollestrup Leadership/Athlete of the Year (Male) – Chris Maughan (men’s basketball)
- Tim Tollestrup Leadership/Athlete of the Year (Female) – Sunder West (women’s basketball)
- Outstanding team - Women’s basketball
- Kodiaks coach of the year – Brad Karren (women’s basketball)
- Best championships performance – Women’s basketball at CCAA championships
- Best upset - Men’s basketball in the ACAC semifinal vs. Medicine Hat at Medicine Hat
- Best comeback – Women’s volleyball earning the program’s first-ever win over Red Deer
KODIs special awards
- Alvin Tietz/Knud Petersen Award for women’s soccer – Brittany Klein and Kaylin Snodgrass
- Alvin Tietz/Knud Petersen Award for men’s soccer – Andrew Southern and Keaton Craig
- Gerry and Brian Stewart Memorial Award for cross-country – Emily Spencer and Boaz Korir
- Fire Safety Award for cross-country and indoor track – Kayla Enders and Dayton Jans
- Alvin Tietz/Knud Petersen Award for volleyball – Laura Serafini and Dax Whitehead
- John Jasiukiewicz Award for men’s basketball – Grady Taylor
- John Jasiukiewicz Award for women’s basketball – Sunder West
KODIs pillar awards
Men’s soccer
- Pillar award: Logan Tataryn
- Outstanding player: Andrew Southern
- Newcomer: Kohl Wandyka
Women’s soccer
- Pillar award: Kaylin Snodgrass
- Outstanding player: Lyndee Saler
- Newcomer: Madison Folk
Men"s futsal
- Pillar award: Andrew Southern
- Outstanding player: Keaton Craig
- Newcomer: Camilo Cubides
Women's futsal
- Pillar award: Lyndee Saler
- Outstanding player: Kaylin Snodgrass
- Newcomer: Brooklin Bellavance
Cross Country
- Pillar: Rachel McKenzie
- Outstanding player: Boaz Korir
- Newcomer: Emily Spencer
Indoor track
- Pillar: Dayton Jans
- Outstanding player: Kayla Enders
- Newcomer: John Krause
Men's volleyball
- Pillar: Matt Primrose
- Outstanding player: Dax Whitehead
- Newcomer: Tony Albizotti
Women's volleyball
- Pillar: Kristine Ward
- Outstanding player: Laura Serafini
- Newcomer: Emmalee Cherweniuk
Men's basketball
- Pillar: Grady Taylor
- Outstanding player: Cory Richardson
- Newcomer: Robert Myles III
Women's basketball
- Pillar: Emma Lowry
- Outstanding player: Logan Moncks
- Newcomer: Shayna Mathison