TORONTO (U SPORTS) – Alex Kiss-Rusk from the McGill Martlets and Danny Demyanenko from the McMaster Marauders are the ArcelorMittal Dofasco U SPORTS female and male athletes of the week for the period ending March 12, 2017.
Kiss-Rusk, a fourth year psychology student from Beaconsfield, Que., put up 51 points and averaged 37.7 minutes over three games at the Arcelormittal Dofasco U SPORTS Women's Final 8, en route to the first national women’s basketball title in McGill history. The Martlets veteran scored back-to-back game-highs with 24 points in a 66-60 semifinal win over Carleton, followed by another 15 in the 66-55 title win over Laval. Kiss-Rusk also led in assists twice, with six in the team’s 72-62 quarterfinal win over Regina, and five in the championship match. Aside from her offensive prowess, in every game of the tournament she also held the game-high in rebounds and blocks, pulling down 44 boards and registering six rejections. Her dominance on the court and on the scoresheet lead to her being named tournament MVP.
Saint Mary’s Huskies hockey player Nicole Blanche, along with track and field athletes Lucia Stafford of the Toronto Varsity Blues and Niki Oudenaarden of the Calgary Dinos were also nominated for the women’s award.
Demyanenko, a fifth year justice, political philosophy, and major law student from Toronto, racked up a total of 17 kills with a hitting percentage average of .762 in two shutout victories over the Ryerson Rams and Waterloo Warriors, as McMaster won its fifth consecutive OUA title. Aside from his offensive achievements, the OUA West Player of the Year also recorded one dig and six blocks in the pair of contests, with 4.5 blocks in the final match alone. His strong play all around saw him named player of the match.
StFX X-Men hockey player Chase Marchand, along with track and field athletes Antoine Thibeault of the Laval Rouge et Or, and Peter Millman of the Lethbridge Pronghorns were the other male nominees.
Female nominees:
AUS: Nicole Blanche, hockey, Saint Mary’s
RSEQ: Alex Kiss-Rusk, basketball, McGill (recipient)
OUA: Lucia Stafford, track and field, Toronto
CWUAA: Niki Oudenaarden, track and field, Calgary
Male nominees:
AUS: Chase Marchand, hockey StFX
RSEQ: Antoine Thibeault, track and field, Laval
OUA: Danny Demyanenko, volleyball, McMaster (recipient)
CWUAA: Peter Millman, track and field, Lethbridge