LU names Jago, Llorca top atheletes

Laurentian University rower Emily Jago and hockey player Vincent Llorca were named the female and male Athletes of the Year at the annual awards banquet on Thursday.

The newly created male and female Rookie of the Year went to swimmers Matthew Schouten and Riley Konrad, respectively. Dan Gervais and Gianni Grossi, representing Anmar, Castec and Talos Steel, were presented with the Special Voyageur Award while Drew Bursey and Jillian Mayhew earned the Investors Group Community Service Awards.

Jago, a Sudbury native, was a standout on the water in 2014-15. An OUA All-Star and three-time Perkins Laurentian Athlete of the Week, Jago was an OUA gold medallist and a Canadian University Rowing Championships silver medallist in the women’s heavyweight single event.

Llorca, a native of Le Mont-Dore, France, anchored the Voyageurs’ blue-line this season and helped guide the team to their first playoff appearance in 15 years. An OUA East Second Team All-Star, Llorca finished tied for second among OUA defencemen and tied for fourth among CIS defencemen with eight goals on the season, setting a Laurentian single game record for goals by a defenceman, scoring five in one game against the Laurier Golden Hawks. Llorca’s strong play with the Voyageurs also earned him a two-game stint with the French national team over the Christmas break.

A new addition to the major awards, the Rookie of the Year awards went to a pair of swimmers. Schouten was a driving force in the pool this year, winning two gold and a bronze at the Divisional championships. He was Laurentian’s lone medallist at the OUA Swimming Championships, winning a bronze in the 50-metre freestyle and just missed the finals at the CIS Swimming Championships, finishing 18th in the same event.

Konrad was integral in the Voyageurs’ women’s swim team, earning their first ever divisional title, winning three gold medals at the meet. At the OUA Swimming Championships, Konrad had four top-15 finishes and was the top scorer on the team. She followed that up with four top-30 finishes at the CIS Swimming Championships.

Representing Anmar, Castec and Talos Steel, Gervais and Grossi were honoured by receiving the Special Voyageur Award. This prestigious award is presented to someone outside of the immediate Voyageurs’ family who has made an outstanding contribution to Laurentian Voyageur Athletics. Gervais and the Grossi family have been great supporters of the Voyageurs and have made a long-term commitment to support Laurentian Voyageur Athletics, and more specifically the men’s hockey program, in their pursuit of excellence.

The Investors Group Community Service Award recognizes those Voyageurs who wear the Blue and Gold with pride throughout the Greater Sudbury community and beyond. Receiving this year’s awards were Drew Bursey and Jillian Mayhew.

Bursey became a guide for a local, blind, high school skier, talking the student through a course during training and competitions. He committed much of his free time to training the student and travelling across Canada for competitions, training upwards of four times a week with the student on top of training with the Voyageurs and keeping up with his school work. Under Bursey’s guidance, the student made Team Ontario and competed at the Canada Winter Games in February in the Para-Nordic Ski competition.

Mayhew is a coach of the Jackrabbit youth ski program, teaching young children how to ski and developing their skills. She also volunteers with Laurentian’s Ski School program, which brings in schools from around Greater Sudbury to Laurentian and teaches the students how to ski. Through the program, Jillian is helping to promote physical activity and well-being, encouraging kids to stay active year round, especially throughout the winter.

Team awards were also handed out on Thursday night in Alumni Hall. Here are the recipients from the various teams.

Men’s Golf
MVP – Chase Woitowich
Pride & Tradition Award – Kraymr Grenk

Men’s Wrestling
MVP – Ryan Karn
Pride & Tradition – Dylan Galloway

Women’s Wrestling
MVP – Regina Martinez
Pride & Tradition – Sam Demers

Men’s Nordic Skiing
MVP – Ewan Craig
Pride & Tradition – Ted Nigh

Women’s Nordic Skiing
MVP – Laura Williams
Pride & Tradition – Jillian Mayhew

Women’s Cross Country Running
MVP – Michelle Kennedy

Women’s Indoor Track
MVP – Katie Wismer
Pride & Tradition – Jenna Thornber

Women’s Soccer
MVP – Madison Beaudry
Pride & Tradition – Megan Ferguson

Men’s Soccer
MVP – Cameron Brooks
Pride & Tradition – Cameron Brooks

Lacrosse
MVP – Ian Walters
Pride & Tradition – Brad Gerrow

Men’s Swimming
MVP – Matthew Schouten
Pride & Tradition – David Ahong

Women’s Swimming
MVP – Julie Langlois
Pride & Tradition - Lea Paulus

Men’s Basketball
MVP – Tychon Carter-Newman
Pride & Tradition – Sam Hirst

Women’s Basketball
MVP – Danielle Harris
Pride & Tradition – Mary Scott

Women’s Rowing
MVP – Emily Jago
Pride & Tradition – Megan Lampkin

Men’s Rowing
MVP – Curtis Halladay
Pride & Tradition – Dennis Orr

Women’s Curling
MVP – Paige Droog
Pride & Tradition – Laura Masters

Men’s Curling
MVP – Billy Mekers
Pride & Tradition – Thomas Vander Wielen

Men’s Hockey
MVP – Alain Valiquette
Ma Culley Award – Vincent Llorca

Women’s Hockey
MVP – Julie Hebert
Pride & Tradition – Maggie Brennan

With the awards banquet in the books, the 2014-15 Laurentian varsity season officially comes to a close. Stay tuned to www.luvoyageurs.com for complete off season news and updates.