With conference award winning seasons in University of Saskatchewan uniforms, Annie Monteith and Mark Ingram have been named Huskie Athletics’ female and male athletes of the year.
Ingram becomes the 24th football player to win the E. Kent Phillips Trophy for Male Athlete of the Year since 1966, while Monteith is just the third wrestler to win the Mary Ethel Cartwright Trophy for Female Athlete of the Year.
Canada West Most Outstanding Wrestler for the second year in a row, Monteith struck gold at the Canada West Championship and silver at the CIS Championship. At the Canada West Championship, the Arts & Science student from Regina won without having a point scored against her and at the CIS Championship didn’t have a point scored against her until the final match.
She finished no lower than fourth at competitions throughout the season and was also named a Canada West First Team All-Star, CIS Second Team All-Canadian and the Canada West Student-Athlete Community Award winner.
Safety Ingram turned heads in his second and final season with the Huskie football team being named the Canada West Defensive Player of the Year and a CIS All-Canadian.
Helping the Huskies to a 6-2 record and a home playoff date for the first time in four seasons, the Agriculture and Bioresources student finished 2014 with 48.5 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, four breakups and six interceptions. The Imperial, Saskatchewan native’s totals put him in third in the conference in tackles and first in interceptions in both the conference and CIS. He was 15th in tackles in the nation.
Huskie Athletics handed out five other major awards at the annual Huskie Salute Friday night at TCU Place. The event also featured the achievements of the athletes of the University of Saskatchewan’s 15 CIS teams. Canada West and CIS All-Stars/All-Canadians and award winners, along with fifth-year athletes were also honoured at the celebration.
Wrestlers swept the rookie of the year awards.
Josh Bodnarchuk was awarded the Howard Nixon Trophy for Male Rookie of the Year after striking Canada West and CIS gold in the 54-kilogram weight class. The Arts & Science student from Saskatoon finished no lower than second in eight wrestling events this season. He was named a Canada West First Team All-Star, CIS First Team All-Canadian, as well as Canada West and CIS Rookie of the Year.
Megan Nelthorpe captured a bronze medal in her rookie season at the Canada West level, as well as finished fourth at the CIS Championship. Throughout the season, she finished no lower than fifth.
Basketball point guard Kabree Howard was the winner of the Valerie Girsberger Trophy handed to an upper year Female All-Round Athlete. The men’s version of the trophy – the Rusty MacDonald Cup – was given to volleyball captain Matthew Busse.
A two-time Canada West Champion and a CIS silver medalist, Howard has ben an important piece to the women’s basketball program and Huskie Athletics. Playing the most minutes of any Huskie women’s basketball player since 2006 and helping the team to four CIS Championship appearances, the Regina native is a steady role model for the team on and off the court. An All-Academic in all years of her career, Howard has coached a Junior Huskie team since 2011 and also coaches at St. Joseph High School. She has been actively involved in the Saskatoon community volunteering for events such as clothing drives, fireworks festivals, Kidsport, Cystic Fiborisis, KinSpin and cancers research events.
Busse started his career being named a CIS All-Rookie and capped it off at the 2015 CIS Men’s Volleyball Championship as a Tournament All-Star. Huskie Athletics Rookie of the Year in 2008-09, the Kinesiology student from Outlook has been a starter with the team for five seasons and captain for the last two. An All-Academic in all seasons with the Huskies, the quiet 6-9 right side has also been a leader off the court. Matthew has volunteered with his team for various events such as Tim Horton’s Camp Day, the Christmas Hamper project, and the University Cup. He also enjoys spending time talking with elementary students on the benefits of sport.
The Colb McEwon Trophy for Coach of the Year was handed to men’s soccer coach Bryce Chapman.
In his 11th-year at the helm of the Huskies, Bryce Chapman led the team to a historic season. The Huskies set program benchmarks with a 9-1-2 record, finished first for the first time, finished in a hosting spot for the conference postseason for the first time and won the Canada West Championship for the first time. He guided the program to a Canada West Championship medal in four of the last five seasons – including one gold, two silver and a bronze.
Huskie Athletics also handed out the Dr. Walter Hader Student Trainer of the Year Award. The trophy given annually to a student trainer who displays dedicated volunteer service to Huskie Athletics and shows promise in the pursuit of a career in sports medicine was won by men’s hockey’s Garrett Saxton.
More than 300 athletes, fans, sponsors, alumni and supporters gathered at TCU Place to celebrate the special event.
A list of previous Huskie Athletics Major Seven Award winners can be found at: http://huskies.usask.ca/award_recipients.php
Major Seven Award Winners:
Patricia Lawson Trophy Female Rookie of the Year – Megan Nelthorpe, wrestling
Howard Nixon Trophy Male Rookie of the Year – Josh Bodnarchuk, wrestling
E. Kent Phillips Trophy Male Athlete of the Year – Mark Ingram, football
Mary Ethel Cartwright Trophy Female Athlete of the Year – Annie Monteith, wrestling
Rusty McDonald Cup All-Round Male – Matthew Busse, volleyball
Valerie Girsberger All-Round Female – Kabree Howard, basketball
Colb McEwon Trophy Coach of the Year – Bryce Chapman, men’s soccer
Trainer of the Year – Garrett Saxton