Daley Oddy, Daniel Hayfield & Angus Rawling named StFX student-athletes of the year

ANTIGONISH, NS - The StFX Athletic Department honored the athletic accomplishments of their varsity athletes Wednesday evening at their annual awards gala at the Charles V. Keating Centre. X-Women hockey forward Daley Oddy was named the StFX Female Student-Athlete of the Year, while X-Men soccer striker Daniel Hayfield and X-Men cross country/track & field distance runner Angus Rawling were co-awarded StFX Male Student-Athlete of the Year honors. The StFX Female Community X-Cellence award was presented to Beth Lawrence from the X-Women track & field team, while Liam Elbourne from X-Men soccer was the winner of the StFX Male Community X-Cellence award.

Daley Oddy is a fifth year Human Kinetics student from Cranbrook, B.C. who received the prestigious Brodrick Trophy as the U SPORTS women's hockey player of the year. The captain of the X-Women, Oddy led the nation in both points (31) and goals scored this season (16). An AUS all-star in all five seasons she has played at StFX, the versatile forward helped guide the X-Women to a first-place finish in the regular season, with a 20-2-2 record, and the team did not miss a week being ranked in the U SPORTS Top 10.

Oddy's plus-minus rating of plus-24 was also the highest in the country, while her six game-winning goals and six power play markers were tops in all of U SPORTS. She becomes the fifth X-Women hockey athlete to be named the StFX Female Student-Athlete of the Year. Previous hockey winners include Sarah Bujold (2017), Alexa Normore (2014), Suzanne Fenerty (2011) and Brayden Ferguson (2008).  

Daniel Hayfield is a third year Arts student from Exeter, England who became the first ever X-Men soccer player to win the Joe Johnson Memorial Trophy as the U SPORTS player of the year in men's soccer. A skilled striker, Hayfield finished fourth in the country in scoring with 13 goals and in doing so broke the StFX school record for goals scored in a single season. He also led the AUS conference in game-winning goals with six.

Hayfield led the X-Men to a 9-1-2 record this season and a second-place finish in the regular season standings. In addition to being named league MVP, Hayfield was also named a U SPORTS All-Canadian for the first time and an AUS first team all-star for the second consecutive season. He becomes the fifth X-Men soccer athlete (dating back to 1974) to be named StFX Male Student-Athlete of the Year. Past winners include Michael Marousek (2012, 2011), Trevor Reddick (1994), Glen MacDougall (1989) and Sean Riley (1974).

Angus Rawling is a third year business student from Calgary, Alta., running with both the X-Men cross country and track & field teams. His highly successful season featured U SPORTS All-Canadian status in both sports, including an individual gold medal in the 3000m event at the U SPORTS track & field championship as he made history becoming the first ever StFX track & field athlete to win a national gold medal. Rawling was also named the AUS male track athlete in the year, following up on the same honor received in AUS cross country in the fall. The AUS individual cross country champion, he helped lead the X-Men to a second place conference finish, then ran to a 10^th place individual showing at the U SPORTS cross country championship.

Rawling becomes the fourth X-Men cross country/track & field athlete to receive StFX Male Student-Athlete of the Year honours. Past recipients include Scott Donald (2015), Connor McGuire (2013), David Gerych (2008) and Eric Gillis (2004, 2002). 

Beth Lawrence is a fourth year sprinter and BSc Human Kinetics student from Ardoise, N.S. The U SPORTS and AUS Community Service award winner, Lawrence was the co-founder/coordinator of the newly established SAMHI (Student Athlete Mental Health Initiative) Campus Team at StFX. She volunteered with the university's MAX program, an inclusive recreation program, and through various service learning programs she designed and lead physical activity sessions for elementary special education students. Lawrence provided inclusive physical activity opportunities for members of the local CACL community, focused on sessions with AHDA children and adults with special needs pertaining to mental health and obesity, and lent her time to the Fit 4 Tots and Fit for Life programs.

A Leader of Distinction with the StFX Leadership Academy, Lawrence has volunteered at a local nursing home alongside an occupational therapist in the rehabilitation facility, with the Antigonish Multisport Program, and with the Halloween Safe Crossing program. Trained through the safeTALK program for suicide awareness, and the Bringing in the Bystander program for the prevention of violence against women, Lawrence also volunteered her time with Bell Let's Talk Day and the StFX Student-Athletes for Charity multisport event. Rounding out her time she also volunteered at a physiotherapy clinic and helped coach high school track and field in her hometown in the off-season.

Liam Elbourne is a fourth year business student from Halifax, N.S. who played midfield with the X-Men soccer team. A captain with the squad, Elbourne volunteered his time with the Antigonish Women's Resource Center this past year as a panel discussion member on the 'Contextualizing #MeToo' movement. He also co-facilitated consent workshops in StFX residences aimed at educating and discussing issues of consent and the prevention of sexualized violence. Elbourne helped facilitate a youth leadership camp 'Spark the Change' last summer; he was the StFX German Society president, and was honoured as a Leader of Distinction in the StFX Leadership Academy. He has been a volunteer soccer coach at varying community, regional, and provincial levels for the past six years.

Angie Kolen was honored as the recipient of the StFX Athletics 'X-Ceptional Award' which recognizes individuals who go above and beyond to contribute in a positive manner to StFX Athletics. A professor in the StFX Human Kinetics department, Kolen has lent her time to numerous StFX Athletics initiatives, committees and events throughout her time at the university. She has been a co-facilitator/instructor with the StFX Athletics Leadership Academy for the past six years, and has been a key member of the Father Kehoe Golf Classic organizing committee. Angie volunteers her time as the master of ceremonies at the annual StFX Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and is always more than willing to lend a helping voice or hand at any Athletics event. The academic advisor for the X-Women basketball team, Kolen is a key supporter of all X-Men and X-Women teams, showing her strong support in the stands at numerous games throughout the seasons. 

Brad Peddle was the winner of the 2017-18 StFX Coach of the Year award. In his 13th season behind the helm of the X-Men hockey team, Coach Peddle led the X-Men to their best ever regular season record of 22-4-4 and a berth in the AUS finals for the third consecutive season. The 2018 AUS men's hockey coach of the year, his X-Men were ranked every week in the U SPORTS top ten rankings throughout the season, and they narrowly missed out on winning the U SPORTS gold medal, taking home the silver in a close game against Alberta.

Veteran cross country and track & field head coach Bernie Chisholm was honoured for his contributions to StFX Athletics, having served 32 seasons as head coach. The recently retired coach was presented with a plaque of appreciation and a pair of lifetime passes to StFX varsity events. During his time at StFX, Coach Chisholm's cross country teams won 17 AUS banners including eight titles for the women and nine for the men. Eleven individual runners won 14 AUS titles, including 2003 CIS individual champion Eric Gillis, his coaching successor. Chisholm helped elevate the X-Women and X-Men track & field programs into AUS contenders, as evidenced by the first X-Men's AUS championship banner in 2014. Since 2004, StFX track athletes accumulated over 70 AUS gold medals, along with numerous silver and bronze medals and seven national individual medals. A member of the Nova Scotia and StFX Sport Hall of Fame, Chisholm was recognized as the AUS cross country coach of the year on 18 occasions and AUS track and field coach of the year three times. The AUS men's cross country coach of the year award was recently named the 'Bernie Chisholm Coach of the Year' award in his honour.

At Wednesday night's awards gala, one StFX team - X-Women rugby - along with three individual athletes received their traditional varsity 'X's in honor of their AUS championships from this past season. X-Women rugby claimed their 19th conference title in team history, while individual AUS champions honoured were track and field athletes Allie Flower (300m) and Hayley Wilson (triple jump), along with X-Men cross country runner Angus Rawling. Rawling was also singled out for his U SPORTS gold medal in track & field as the champion of the 3000m event.

X-Men and X-Women student-athletes who received AUS and U SPORTS accolades were recognized for their achievements as StFX Athletics produced 44 AUS all-stars, five AUS all-rookies, 14 AUS major awards winners, ten U SPORTS all-Canadians, two U SPORTS all-rookies, five U SPORTS tournament all-stars and four U SPORTS major award winners this past varsity season. All student-athletes who consumed their first year of eligibility received their traditional StFX varsity pins from their respective head coaches. 

Student therapists, strength & conditioning interns, and student managers from all StFX varsity teams were presented with plaques of appreciation for their contributions to the 2017-18 varsity season, with X-Women hockey manager Erin Krill and X-Men basketball manager Brent Ashfield receiving the male and female student-manager of the year awards.

Individual awards for each varsity team were handed out by StFX coaches to the athletes in the categories as listed below.

2018 StFX Athletic Awards Gala – Individual Award Winners

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL                                                  
Rookie of the Year – Kim Kingsbury (Nepean, ON)  
Defensive Player of the Year – Sammie Amoh (Scarborough, ON)
Most Valuable Player – Caroline Hrabinski (Toronto, ON)      

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY                                           
Rookie of the Year – Jane Hergett (Port Williams, NS)                                               
Coach's Award – Zoe Johnston (Pembroke, ON)                                           
Runner of the Year – Liz MacDonald (Bedford, NS)              

WOMEN'S HOCKEY                                                                      
Rookie of the Year – Emerson Elliott (Aurora, ON)   
Coach's Award – Nicole Corcoran (Bloomfield, PE)              
Most Valuable Player – Lindsey Donovan (Mirimichi, NB) & Daley Oddy (Cranbrook, BC)

WOMEN'S RUGBY                                                              
Rachel Duffley Memorial Rookie of the Year – Hannah Ellis (Halifax, NS) & Danielle Franada (Grand Prairie, AB)
Michelle Birks Memorial Coaches Award – Alison Blanchard (Herring Cove, NS)
Most Valuable Player – Joanna Alphonso (Ajax, ON)                                                                        

WOMEN'S SOCCER                                                            
Rookie of the Year – Emma Kuzmyk (Cookstown, ON)                                            
Coaches Award – Olivia Czipf (Thunder Bay, ON)    
Most Valuable Player – Larissa White (Westphal, NS)

WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD                                             
Rookie of the Year – Samantha Taylor (Canterbury, NB)                                          
Coach's Award – Allie Flower (Lunenberg, NS)                                 
Track Athlete of the Year – Hayley Wilson (Skye Glen, NS)

MEN'S BASKETBALL
Rookie of the Year – Jaydan Smith (Halifax, NS)
Most Improved Player – Azaro Roker (Nassau, Bahamas)
Most Valuable Player – Davonte Provo (East Preston, NS)

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Rookie of the Year – Jonah Shankel (Coldbrook, NS)
Coach's Award – Alex Neuffer (Stratford, PE)
Runner of the Year – Angus Rawling (Calgary, AB)

MEN'S FOOTBALL
Joe Stewart Memorial Rookie of the Year – Jalen Burley (Winnipeg, MB)
Offensive Player of the Year –Jordan Socholotiuk (Fort McMurray, AB)
Defensive Player of the Year – Tyler Cordeiro (Oakville, ON) & Nathaniel Fermin (Pickering, ON)
Special Teams Player of the Year – Gordon Whyte (Toronto, ON)
Lineman of the Year – Jacob Czaja (Sudbury, ON)
Most Valuable Player – Kaion Julien-Grant (Toronto, ON) 

MEN'S HOCKEY
Rookie of the Year – Santino Centorame (Mississauga, ON)
Melanson Top Scorer Award – Holden Cook (Oshawa, ON)
Wayne Mattie Memorial Unsung Hero Award – Mark Tremaine (Dartmouth, NS)
Most Valuable Player – Chase Marchand (Halifax, NS) 

MEN'S SOCCER
Rookie of the Year – Blake Fenton (Halifax, NS)
Coaches Award – Thomas Pieroway (Conception Bay, NF)
Most Valuable Player – Daniel Hayfield (Exeter, England) 

MEN'S TRACK & FIELD
Rookie of the Year – Quinn Alexander (Truro, NS)
Coach's Award – Tim Brennan (Beechville, NB)
Track Athlete of the Year – Angus Rawling (Calgary, AB) 

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