National field hockey player Anna Mollenhauer was recognized as UVic Vikes women’s athlete of the year on Monday as the winners of the annual awards were released.
The coronavirus canceled the annual University of Victoria Vikes Celebration of Champions banquet and the winning athletes will be presented with their trophies when it is safe to do so.
Third-year athlete Mollenhauer, 20, was named tournament MVP when the Vikes won their second-straight national championship in November. She is the 2019 U Sports field hockey player of the year.
Mollenhauer shares the award in a tie with swimmer Danielle Hanus.
âš¡ï¸It’s time to meet the 2019-20 a Celebration of Champions Award winners! Congrats to our winners, nominees and all our Vikes on a fantastic season!! #GoVikesGo âš¡ï¸ðŸ†âš¡ï¸ðŸ†âš¡ï¸ðŸ† âš¡ï¸https://t.co/s4AB7dgJUM
— UVic Vikes (@uvicvikes) April 6, 2020
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Soccer player Issac Koch, this year’s Canada West Player of the Year, was named the Vikes men’s athlete of the year.
Two more awards were also split as ties. Rugby player James O’Neill and rower McKenna Simpson split the votes for the Chancellor’s Award, presented to a student-athlete who is an outstanding contributor to his or her team, both in and out of the competition venue. Hannah Walline of women’s basketball and Natalie Cavallin of women’s soccer each won the Provost Award for Excellence, presented to a returning student-athlete with the highest academic average in the previous year.
Swimmer Eric Hedlin ended his Vikes career by winning the President’s Cup, awarded annually to the outstanding student-athlete in their fourth or fifth year who best combines scholastic achievement and athletic ability.
Oak Bay’s Diego Maffia won the men’s Rookie of the Year Award for his season on the basketball court and up-and-coming rower Aida Lissel-DeCorby won the women’s Rookie of the Year Award. Maffia was second on the team with a 12.5 points-per-game average and shot 35.2 per cent from three-point range. Those stats earned him the recognition of being named to the Canada West All-Rookie Team. Lissel-DeCorby won silver in the lightweight coxed quad and lightweight single at the Canadian University Rowing Championships.
Golfer Christina Proteau (Spence) and track-and-field athlete Trish Wellmann-Fougner were named to the UVic Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2020.
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The UVic Vikes also recognize unsung heroes from each athletic program, peer-selected for leadership, dedication, community involvement and positive attitude. The 2020 winners are: basketball players Marissa Dheensaw and Scott Kellum, cross country and track athletes Andie Wood and Brandon Vail, field hockey player Judy Cristante, golfer Sukriti Harjai, rowers Piper Battersby, McKenna Simpson and Travis Gronsdahl, rugby players Zoe Goodwin-Sutton and Logan Martin-Feek, soccer players Puck Louwes, Avneet Rai and Evan Libke, and swimmers Kara Wilson and Ethan Phillips.
