StFX varsity teams announce award winners

Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Josh Crouse receives the 2021 StFX Athletics X-Ceptional Award.
Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Josh Crouse receives the 2021 StFX Athletics X-Ceptional Award.

ANTIGONISH, NS - The StFX Athletic Department honored the athletic accomplishments of their varsity athletes this week via a live webcast celebration of excellence.

Due to the ongoing pandemic and no varsity games or events throughout the 2020-21 season, the annual award categories varied from previous traditional annual awards, and no major awards were handed out, aside from the StFX Athletics X-Ceptional award.

The StFX Athletics X-Ceptional Award - which recognizes individuals who go above and beyond to contribute in a positive manner to StFX Athletics - was awarded to StFX head strength & conditioning coach Josh Crouse. Josh worked tirelessly to provide training and programming for all our varsity athletes and this year in particular he rose to the occasion to adapt his training methods. He had to make physical accommodations in our varsity weight room and with our equipment and he was very creative with scheduling.

Student-athletes from each varsity teams received the following individual awards:  Iron X Award, Coach's Award and Most Valuable Teammate. The inaugural winners of the Iron X Awards were honoured for work ethic in the area of strength & conditioning. Coach's Award winners were selected by each head coach for dedication to their team, and Most Valuable Teammate (MVT) recipients were voted upon by their fellow peers. The MVT's are those student-athletes who have demonstrated leadership and commitment to their team and teammates in the midst of this unique 2020-21 varsity season. Candidates were adaptable, encouraging and provided guidance and positivity to their peers consistently in practices and training sessions throughout the pandemic.

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2021 StFX Athletics Celebration of Excellence – Individual Award Winners

X-WOMEN BASKETBALL  
Iron X Award:  Grace Rheault (Ottawa, ON)
Coach's Award:  Aliyah Fraser (New Glasgow, NS) 
Most Valuable Teammate:  Kimberly Kingsbury (Nepean, ON)

X-WOMEN CROSS COUNTRY TRACK     
Iron X Award:  Mira Alexander (Truro, NS)
Coach's Award:  Paige Chisholm (Port Williams, NS)
Most Valuable Teammate:  Kali Beaton (Mabou, NS) 

X-WOMEN HOCKEY           
Iron X Award:  Lauren Dabrowski (Tiny, ON)
Coach's Award:  Emerson Elliott (Aurora, ON)
Most Valuable Teammate:  Patti-Anne Tracey (Antigonish, NS)

X-WOMEN RUGBY  
Iron X Award:  Madison Ross (Coldbrook, NS)
Coach's Award:  Madison Suart (Calgary, AB)
Most Valuable Teammate (forwards):  Maddie Harroun (Halifax, NS)
Most Valuable Teammate (backs):  Sarah Hoerig (Whitby, ON) 

X-WOMEN SOCCER            
Iron X Award:  Natasha Chojnacki (Victoria, BC)
Coaches Award:  Amanda Smith (Ottawa, ON)
Most Valuable Teammate:  Megan Frost (Ottawa, ON) 

X-MEN BASKETBALL         
Iron X Award:  Handy Disanka (Broussard, QC)
Coach's Award:  Jamie White (Saint John, NB)
Most Valuable Teammate:  Avan Nava (Mississauga, ON) 

X-MEN CROSS COUNTRY TRACK
Iron X Award:  Jacob Benoit (Windsor, NS)
Coach's Award:  Eric Sutton (Peterborough, ON)
Most Valuable Teammate:  Graydon Staples (Shanty Bay, ON) 

X-MEN FOOTBALL – OFFENCE
Iron X Award:  Chris Verheyen (Frankford, ON)
Coach's Award:  Bailey Wasdal (Calgary, AB)
Most Valuable Teammate:  Zakariya Karim (Ottawa, ON)
X-MEN FOOTBALL – DEFENCE
Iron X Award:  Cole Virtanen (Nanaimo, BC)
Coach's Award:  Jay Turnsek (North Bay, ON)
Most Valuable Teammate:  Ben Von Muehldorfer (Calgary, AB) 

X-MEN HOCKEY     
Iron X Award:  Roddie Sandilands (Williamstown, ON)
Coach's Award:  Bailey Webster (Kensington, PE)
Most Valuable Teammate:  Matthew Graham (Bedford, NS) 

X-MEN SOCCER      
Iron X Award:  Oliver Storseth (Antigonish, NS)
Coach's Award:  Seamus MacDonald (Antigonish, NS)
Most Valuable Teammate:  Josh Read (Bath, England)