OTTAWA (CIS) – Canadian Interuniversity Sport and national law firm Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) announced Tuesday the eight finalists for the 19th Annual BLG Awards.
Official website: www.blg.com/blgawards
The BLG Awards were established in 1993 to recognize the top female and male athletes from universities affiliated with CIS.
On Monday, May 16, the eight national nominees will be honoured, with one female and one male winner receiving a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship in front of more than 1,000 guests at The Centre in Vancouver For Performing Arts in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The awards show will premiere on TSN on Saturday, June 4, at noon Eastern.
"Continuing with the premise of national exposure for these outstanding athletes, we are delighted to be hosting the 19th annual BLG Awards in Vancouver this year," said Doug Mitchell, National Co-Chair of BLG, which sponsors the Awards. "BLG Vancouver is looking forward to welcoming these exceptional athletes, their university representatives, families, clients and guests as we spotlight the importance of athletics in our Canadian universities."
"The BLG Awards are a wonderful occasion to celebrate exceptional CIS student-athletes who are unrelenting in their pursuit of excellence," said Marg McGregor, chief executive officer of CIS. "The BLG Awards are always a highlight of the university sport calendar year."
The 2011 nominees for the Jim Thompson Trophy presented to the female BLG Award recipient are Université de Moncton hockey player Mariève Provost of Laval, Que., University of Montreal soccer player Véronique Laverdière of Montreal, University of Windsor basketball player Jessica Clemençon of Saint-Rambert, France, as well as University of British Columbia volleyball player Shanice Marcelle of Victoria.
The finalists for the Doug Mitchell Trophy presented to the CIS male athlete of the year are St. Francis Xavier University soccer player Michael Marousek of Prague, Czech Republic, McGill University hockey player Alexandre Picard-Hooper of Boucherville, Que., Carleton University basketball player Tyson Hinz of Ottawa, and University of Calgary volleyball player Graham Vigrass of Calgary.
The BLG Awards are based on athletic accomplishments, outstanding sportsmanship and leadership. Each of the 51 CIS schools selects one female and one male athlete of the year. From these nominees, one female and one male athlete are chosen within each of the four regional associations: Atlantic University Sport (AUS), Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA). To be eligible, a student-athlete must have competed in a CIS sport for a minimum of two years and cannot be a previous recipient of a BLG Award.
All nominees receive a commemorative gold ring and winners are presented with a trophy and a $10,000 scholarship to attend a Canadian university graduate school. Winners are selected by the Canadian Athletic Foundation, a not-for-profit board established for the purpose of administering the BLG Awards and protecting the integrity of the selection process. The CAF Board of Trustees consists of 22 members from five Canadian cities representing major corporations from across the country who are committed to ensuring that Canadian university athletes receive the recognition they deserve.
Past BLG Award Winners:
2009-10: Liz Cordonier (UBC – volleyball) / Erik Glavic (Calgary – football)
2008-09: Annamay Pierse (UBC - swimming) / Joel Schmuland (Alberta - volleyball)
2007-08: Laetitia Tchoualack (Montreal - volleyball) / Rob Hennigar (UNB - hockey)
2006-07: Jessica Zelinka (Calgary - track & field) / Josh Howatson (Trinity Western - volleyball)
2005-06: Marylène Laplante (Laval - volleyball) / Osvaldo Jeanty (Carleton - basketball)
2004-05: Adrienne Power (Dalhousie - track & field) / Jesse Lumsden (McMaster - football)
2003-04: Joanna Niemczewska (Calgary - volleyball) / Adam Ens (Saskatchewan - volleyball)
2002-03: Kim St-Pierre (McGill - hockey) / Ryan McKenzie (Windsor - cross country & track)
2001-02: Elizabeth Warden (Toronto - swimming) / Brian Johns (UBC - swimming)
2000-01: Leighann Doan (Calgary - basketball) / Kojo Aidoo (McMaster - football)
1999-00: Jenny Cartmell (Alberta - volleyball) / Michael Potts (Western Ontario - soccer)
1998-99: Corinne Swirsky (Concordia - hockey) / Alexandre Marchand (Sherbrooke - track)
1997-98: Foy Williams (Toronto - track & field) / Titus Channer (McMaster - basketball)
1996-97: Terri-Lee Johannesson (Manitoba - basketball) / Curtis Myden (Calgary - swimming)
1995-96: Justine Ellison (Toronto - basketball) / Don Blair (Calgary - football)
1994-95: Linda Thyer (McGill - track & field) / Bill Kubas (Wilfrid Laurier - football)
1993-94: Sandra Carroll (Winnipeg - basketball) / Tim Tindale (Western Ontario - football)
1992-93: Diane Scott (Winnipeg - volleyball) / Andy Cameron (Calgary - volleyball)
2010-2011 FEMALE BLG AWARD NOMINEES (Jim Thompson Trophy)
Atlantic University Sport (AUS)
Mariève Provost
Université de Moncton
Sport: Hockey
Year of eligibility in 2010-2011: 5
Academic program: Kinesiology
Hometown: Laval, Que.
Some call Mariève Provost the best forward in CIS women's hockey history. Statistically speaking, it's hard to argue.
In five prolific campaigns at the Université de Moncton, Provost set CIS records for most career goals and points in conference play, while finishing third in assists. She capped off a remarkable varsity career this season with her second straight CIS scoring title thanks to 19 goals and 45points in only 21 games, upping her five-year totals to 110-110-220 in 105 contests for an impressive average of 2.1 points per game.
Her stellar play earned the native of Laval, Que., first-team all-Canadian honours for the fourth time and a third nod as most outstanding player of the Atlantic conference. In February, she also had the privilege to represent Canada at the Winter Universiade for the second time. Just as they did at the 2009 FISU Games in China, the Canadian girls returned home from Turkey with a gold medal around their necks.
Despite all the accolades, the kinesiology senior wasn't named CIS player of the year in 2010-11. That honour went to Canadian icon Hayley Wickenheiser, the three-time Olympic gold medalist and arguably the best female hockey player in history, who enrolled at the University of Calgary last fall after a 10-year absence from school. Don't expect Provost to cry "foul", however.
"I've always admired Hayley. She'll always be my childhood hero. Since I was a kid, I've dreamed of representing Canada at the Olympics," says Provost, who also captured gold with the Canadian under-22 squad at the 2004 Air Canada Cup in Germany. "This year, we were playing in the same league and when I saw my name beside hers in the stats column, I was pretty proud of myself."
Provost and Wickenheiser have at least one more thing in common. While Wickenheiser became the first woman to score a goal in a men's professional league a few years back in Finland, Provost played with boys until the age of 15 because of the lack of a girls' league.
"Mariève is a born leader and is totally dedicated to her sport," says Aigles Bleues head coach Denis Ross. "She is a model student-athlete and has become an icon at the Université de Moncton as well as in AUS and CIS."
Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ)
Véronique Laverdière
University of Montreal
Sport: Soccer
Year of eligibility in 2010-2011: 5
Academic program: Physical Education & Health
Hometown: Montreal, Que.
Every student-athlete wants to leave it all on the field in their final CIS season and University of Montreal soccer standout Véronique Laverdière can say 'mission accomplished'.
A 24-year-old native of Montreal, she was named a Quebec conference all-star for the fourth consecutive campaign and became the first member of the Carabins to capture the Chantal Navert Memorial Award as CIS player of the year. Laverdière, the team captain, finished fourth in conference scoring with 13 points, including a league-leading seven assists, as the Carabins finished atop the Quebec standings with a stellar 10-1-3 mark. In her 12 contests, she was named player of the game eight times.
Remarkably, Laverdière managed to turn it up a notch in post-season play. First, the physical and health education senior was named Game MVP of the Quebec final after she helped the Carabins claim their third straight conference banner. Although the team didn't fare as well at the CIS championship, settling for fourth place after reaching the national podium the previous two years, the veteran striker once again proved her worth, netting all four of her team's goals – including the overtime winner in the quarter-final round - to finish as the tourney's top scorer.
Laverdière, who represented Canada at the 2009 FISU Universiade in Serbia, may very well wear red and white colours again this summer when the world university games are staged in Shenzhen, China. A superb all-around athlete, she also excels in broomball and once competed at a national championship in that sport.
"This is a great way for Véronique to wrap up her university career," says Montreal head coach Kevin McConnell, who for the second straight year, has had one of his athletes nominated for the BLG Award. Midfielder Véronique Maranda was a 2010 candidate. "We lost a number of star players following our run to the CIS final in 2009 and Véronique really stepped up to the plate. She has been the key to our success this year.
"I remember her first game. She was a starter but we removed her from the field after 15 minutes because it wasn't going well at all. She came back after halftime and made the difference. She plays with so much will, determination and intensity that her teammates have no choice but to follow her. I'm not sure if she realizes how important she was for this team."
Ontario University Athletics (OUA)
Jessica Clemençon
University of Windsor
Sport: Basketball
Year of eligibility in 2010-2011: 2
Academic program: Arts & English
Hometown: Saint-Rambert, France
To say that France native Jessica Clemençon has adapted well to life in Canada and to North American basketball would be a huge understatement. After being named CIS rookie of the year in her Lancers' debut in 2009-10, she captured the Nan Copp Award as the most outstanding player in CIS basketball this season, becoming the first player in history to win those two awards in back-to-back campaigns.
The 6-foot-3 post will be the first to admit she knew little about the OUA or CIS before she arrived in Windsor.
"I checked some websites for stats and watched a few videos," says Clemençon, who opted for Windsor and French-speaking head coach Chantal Vallée after looking at a number of Canadian universities. "You go across the ocean not knowing what's going to happen. I remember being nervous and probably crying on the plane. But I felt comfortable right away as soon as I got to Windsor."
Clemençon kicked off the 2010-11 campaign by leading the Lancers to three straight pre-season tournament titles – earning all-tourney status on each occasion – and never looked back. After finishing the regular season among national leaders in almost every statistical category - including an OUA-leading 19.0 points per game - she scored a game-high 17 points in the Ontario final as Windsor claimed its third consecutive OUA banner.
The Lancers then had a chance to make history at the CIS championship by becoming the first team to hoist the coveted Bronze Baby Trophy on home court. They once again turned to Clemençon, their gentle giant, who once again delivered. The 21-year-old topped all players in both the CIS semifinal and gold medal contests with back-to-back 18-point performances to help Windsor capture its first national title. It marked the first time since 1991 that the banner was claimed by a school from outside Canada West.
A former junior national team member in France, the arts & English sophomore dreams of playing professional basketball in Europe and representing her country at the senior level.
"Jessica really took her game to a new level this season. She was consistently our best player in our biggest games. She always seemed to come up with the big play when we needed it," says Vallée. "I challenged her to be a better all-around athlete this year and she took the challenge seriously. I feel fortunate and blessed to have her on my team."
Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA)
Shanice Marcelle
University of British Columbia
Sport: Volleyball
Year of eligibility in 2010-2011: 3
Academic program: Human Kinetics
Hometown: Victoria, B.C.
It has been quite the ride for Shanice Marcelle since she joined the University of British Columbia's women's volleyball program in the fall of 2008.
The 20-year-old human kinetics major, who was born in Toronto but grew up in Victoria, has helped the Thunderbirds capture the CIS banner each of her three seasons. She has been selected as a championship tournament all-star following each of the T-Birds' triumphs, including a tourney MVP nod this winter, and was named Game MVP of the 2010 gold medal final.
Marcelle became UBC's primary attacking threat this year after the graduation of standout Liz Cordonier – the 2009-10 CIS player of the year and BLG Award winner – and due to the absence of national team members Kyla Richey and Jen Hinze for the first half of the campaign. The six-foot outside hitter quickly showed she was comfortable in her new role as the team's "go-to" player. She finished second among Canada West leaders in both kills (3.51) and points (4.30) per set and was also stellar on defence with a team-leading 2.74 digs per set en route to succeeding Cordonier as most outstanding player in CIS.
"Shanice is a gifted athlete and perhaps the most skilled player to wear a Thunderbird uniform during my 15 years at UBC," says head coach Doug Reimer. "She is a quiet leader, works hard and brings intensity but her easy going, non-demanding approach to sport and life make her a pleasure to work with. She has the ability to raise her game at key times while playing very well in the overall team concept."
Marcelle's successes started well before her arrival on the Point Grey campus and are not limited to the indoor game. A former member of the Canadian youth indoor team, she has represented Canada at the under-19 and under-21 world beach championships and has been invited to this summer's senior national indoor team tryouts.
She cites strong family support as one of the main reasons for her success.
"My older sister is the reason that I first was identified when we won a bronze medal at the U-18 beach national championships in 2006," says Marcelle. "My inspiration has been my mother, she's always been my biggest fan. I have a tattoo on the back of my neck in Arabic that says 'My strength comes from the ones I love'."
2010-2011 MALE BLG AWARD NOMINEES (Doug Mitchell Trophy)
Atlantic University Sport (AUS)
Michael Marousek
St. Francis Xavier University
Sport: Soccer
Year of eligibility in 2010-2011: 4
Academic program: Human Kinetics
Hometown: Prague, Czech Republic
Michael Marousek grew up in the small town of Jihlava (pop. 50,000), in the Czech Republic, the lone child of a top junior hockey player and a high school track and field star. Having participated in soccer, basketball, volleyball, beach volleyball and track and field as a youngster, Marousek decided to focus on soccer following high school. The St. Francis Xavier University X-Men aren't complaining.
Since he arrived in Antigonish, N.S., in 2007, the 23-year-old midfielder has been named an AUS all-star each of his four seasons with the team and claimed league MVP honours last fall after he finished third in the conference with eight goals in 13 contests, including an AUS-leading five game-winners. His performances merited first-team all-Canadian honours.
The 2010 campaign was not only Marousek's best from an individual perspective. The X-Men were the only team in the country to go undefeated in the regular season, finishing atop the AUS standings with an 11-0-2 record and attaining No. 1 status in the national rankings for the first time in school history.
The human kinetics senior, who served as a co-captain at StFX this year and graduates as the X-Men's all-time leading scorer with 31 regular season goals, now aspires to play professionally in Major League Soccer.
"Being involved in athletics has taught me that if one wants to accomplish something they have to work hard to achieve it,' says Marousek, who kept up his offensive contribution in 2010 despite moving from striker to central midfield. "Championships are not handed to you on a silver platter, you have to fight to win them. Sport has helped me realize who I am, better my leadership abilities and improve my attitude and character."
X-Men head coach Graham Kennedy says that Marousek is the finest soccer player to ever wear the StFX jersey.
"It almost frightens me to think about our team without him. His athleticism and technical competence are at the professional level and yet he chose to pursue a post-secondary education as his first priority. He has become an all-around leader with great integrity and humility."
Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ)
Alexandre Picard-Hooper
McGill University
Sport: Hockey
Year of eligibility in 2010-2011: 3
Academic program: Finance
Hometown: Boucherville, Que.
Alexandre Picard-Hooper and Redmen linemate Francis Verreault-Paul have developed amazing chemistry on the ice over the past three years and now they have one more thing in common: a BLG Award nomination.
One year after his teammate was the Quebec finalist for the prestigious award, Picard-Hooper will represent the conference this year hoping to cap off an already extraordinary season with one more accolade. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound all-Canadian centre became the first player in McGill history to capture the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy as CIS player of the year in men's hockey. He led the country in both assists (47) and points (58) in 28 regular games to become the first member of the Redmen to win the CIS scoring race since 1999-00 when current Montreal Canadiens forward Mathieu Darche – himself a BLG Award nominee in 2000 – accomplished the feat. Picard-Hooper's totals were even more impressive considering the fact Verreault-Paul, the top sniper in the nation with 28 goals in only 19 contests, was sidelined for nine games due to an injury.
Picard-Hooper played a large role in helping McGill – the oldest organized hockey club in the world which debuted in 1877 – to its best-ever CIS season. The Redmen led the country in scoring for the second straight year with 5.04 goals per game, topped the CIS in victories in conference play with a school-record 24-2-2 mark, claimed their second straight Queen's Cup as OUA champions and reached the national gold-medal final for the first time in program history at the University Cup in Fredericton.
A native of Boucherville, Que., he enrolled at McGill following a successful major junior career that saw him rack up 323 points in 265 QMJHL contests with Baie-Comeau and Saint John and win the league's Guy Lafleur Award as the player who best combines academic success with hockey excellence. The 23-year-old finance junior has never missed a regular season game since he joined the Redmen and has an impressive 32-111-143 record in 84 career outings for an average of 1.70 points per contest.
"Alex is a skilled, crafty centreman who is very smart and good at both ends of the ice," says McGill head coach Kelly Nobes. "He has eyes in the back of his head and makes guys around him better. He has a knack for delivering saucer-like passes right on target."
Ontario University Athletics (OUA)
Tyson Hinz
Carleton University
Sport: Basketball
Year of eligibility in 2010-2011: 2
Academic program: Commerce
Hometown: Ottawa, Ont.
There was no sophomore jinx in 2010-11 for Carleton basketball phenom Tyson Hinz.
Following a solid freshman campaign that saw him land a spot on the OUA East all-rookie team, the 6-foot-6 forward was given more responsibilities in his second season with the Ravens following the graduation of all-Canadian and leading scorer Kevin McCleery. He delivered in a big way.
Hinz was the Ravens' top scorer (17.0 ppg) and rebounder (6.0 rpg) in the regular season – thanks in part to his OUA-leading 57.2 field-goal percentage – as Carleton was the only undefeated team in the nation at the end of conference play (22-0). On the eve of the national championship tournament, he was named CIS player of the year, becoming one of the youngest Mike Moser Memorial Trophy recipients in history at only 19 years of age. It was only the start of a weekend he'll never forget.
The commerce sophomore was chosen Game MVP following each of Carleton's first two victories at the CIS Final Eight, including a 32-point outburst in a semifinal win over defending national champion Saskatchewan. Twenty-four hours later, he received the Jack Donohue Trophy as tournament MVP after the Ravens beat Trinity Western to claim their seventh CIS banner in nine years.
There is no doubt hard work and dedication played a huge role in Hinz's success so far in his young career. But you could argue good genes are a factor as well. Both his parents played varsity basketball at McGill and his father, Will, is the second-leading scorer in school history. His grandfather is also in the Newfoundland Basketball Hall of Fame.
"Sports have always been central in my life," says Hinz, who was born in Sherbrooke, Que., and moved to Ottawa at a very young age. "I've devoted a lot of time to athletics and as a result they've helped me to shape who I am. I've learned the importance of commitment, perseverance and working hard towards a goal that is important to me."
"Tyson has made huge strides this year," says Carleton head coach Dave Smart. "He has put our team in a position to win on countless occasions. He has done everything we could have asked of him and more. Without Tyson, we would have had a difficult time scoring. He makes everyone on the floor better."
Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA)
Graham Vigrass
University of Calgary
Sport: Volleyball
Year of eligibility in 2010-2011: 4
Academic program: Science
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.
The Calgary Dinos had fallen off the CIS men's volleyball map for the better part of a decade when Graham Vigrass decided to take charge just over a year ago.
After missing 10 weeks during the 2009-10 campaign with mononucleosis, the 6-foot-8 giant returned to the lineup for the stretch drive and proceeded to guide the Dinos to their first national title in 17 years, claiming CIS tournament MVP honours in the process.
The Calgary native resumed his domination this season. He returned to his usual middle blocker position and finished second in the country in hitting percentage at .397 while also posting 3.94 kills per set – third best in the Canada West. After leading the Dinos to their first conference banner since 1994, the 21-year-old science senior became the first U of C student since 2002 to be named CIS player of the year.
At the CIS championship in Langley, B.C., Calgary fell just short of a repeat performance, dropping a heart-breaking five-set affair to eventual national champion Trinity Western in the semifinal round before rebounding to claim a bronze medal. Despite the setback, Vigrass was one of the stars of the competition. The science senior was named U of C's player of the game following each of his team's three matchups and was selected to the all-tourney team.
"Through sports I've experienced many life lessons that have contributed to my personal growth," says Vigrass. "Being involved in sports and a team atmosphere has helped me understand that positive results will only happen when you're solely focused on the process, no matter the result, in sports and in life."
Vigrass, who represented Canada at the 2009 world junior championship in India and helped Team Canada win silver at the 2007 NORCECA junior championship in El Salvador, hopes to make the senior national team one day. Should that happen, he would follow in the footsteps of four family members, including an uncle who wore the Maple Leaf at the 1984 Olympics.
"As an athlete, Graham's strength is his physical talent. However, what is more impressive is his work ethic and mental focus," says Calgary head coach Rod Durrant. "He approaches practice like a game and values every rep he gets in practice. Along with this, he is also very competitive and the combination of the two is a formula for success."
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