UVic has just announced its finalists for Athletes of the Year. For the Female Athlete of the Year, the finalists for 2017-18 are rower Caileigh Filmer, swimmer Danielle Hanus and soccer goalie Puck Louwes.
Female Athlete of the Year finalists
Caileigh Filmer, from Victoria, B.C., is a Science major and a member of the Vikes women’s rowing team. The 2016 Rio Olympian earned three golds at the Western Canadian University Rowing Championships, leading the Vikes to the conference championship title. Filmer went on to win two gold medals at the Canadian University Rowing Championships, helping the Vikes take a second place finish in the nation. She proved she’s a force both solo and as a team player, scoring golds in the Vikes eight (rowing stroke seat) and in the single. At the Elk Lake Spring Regatta Filmer stroked the Vikes eight to victory by over 11 seconds, a time that was the fastest any women’s eight has ever raced on Elk Lake. Filmer and teammate Avalon Wasteneys then went on to outrace the top Canadian National Team pair to take gold. Internationally, Filmer was named World Rowing Rising Star for the month of December, stroked the Canadian eight to a gold medal and a world record at the U23 World Championships, and won gold in the U23 single and silver in the open single at the National Rowing Championships.
Danielle Hanus, from Newmarket, Ont., is a Humanities major and is in her second year with the Vikes swimming team. Hanus brought four national medals home from the U SPORTS Swimming National Championships, one for every race she entered. She won gold in the 200-metre butterfly and silver medals in the 50 and 100-metre backstroke and the 100-metre butterfly. All three of the silver medals saw her finish behind Olympic medallist, world-record holder and champion Kylie Masse of Toronto. At Canada West championships, Hanus won five medals and set two Canada West records. The 2017 FISU Games Team Canada member won gold in both the 100 and 100-metre butterfly events, setting new conference records in the process. Hanus also picked up silver medals in the 50- and 100-metre backstroke. In total, Hanus set seven new Vikes records throughout the season.
Puck Louwes, from Utrecht, Netherlands, is a Humanities major in her first year as the starting goalie for the Vikes women’s soccer team. Louwes put in one of the best seasons in conference history. She allowed just six goals through 14 regular season games, while also tying the Canada West record for ten shutouts in a single season. Louwes allowed just one goal in 1080 minutes of action, between a regular season game on Sept. 16 through the Canada West Semifinal on Nov. 3. The highlight of her season came in the U SPORTS Consolation semifinal when facing the defending U SPORTS National Champion Laval Rouge et Or with the Vikes season on the line, Louwes made two saves in the penalty shootout to send the Vikes on to the consolation finals and a fifth-place finish in the nation. At the conclusion of the season, Louwes was named a U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian. Voted on by coaches across the nation, the honour singled Louwes out as the top goalie in Canadian University soccer in the 2017 season.
All award winners will be announced on Apr. 4.
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