Hours before the 2012 CIS Track and Field National Championships were about to officially kick off, the top athletes competing at the meet were honoured at a gala luncheon held at Marshall McLuan Hall in University Centre.
A total of eight awards were handed out to the best male and female CIS athlete in track and field categories, the top rookies and those students whose service to their communities deserved recognition. Amongst the eight awards being handed out, three were awarded to student-athletes from the Canada West conference. No Bison athletes were nominated for the awards.
The winners of the awards were:
Women
Athlete of the year (Track):
Nicole Sassine, Windsor
Athlete of the year (Field):
Laurence Beaudet, Montreal
Rookie of the year:
Rachel Francois, Victoria
Student athlete community servie award:
Jodi Souter, Saskatchewan
Men
Athlete of the year (Track):
Matt Walters, Windsor
Athlete of the year (Field):
Tim Hendry, Guelph
Rookie of the year:
Alexandre Gagne, Sherbrooke
Student-Athlete community service award:
Evan Kimick, Calgary
Windsor sat first and second in both the men’s and women’s CIS track and field national rankings respectively heading into the championships and swept the awards for top track athletes. Nicole Sassine and Matt Walters spoke about the honour, and how the Windsor program has become a national powerhouse on the track.
“Gotta be the coaching staff,” said Walters, “They’re awesome. They’re always putting us first. They’re great.”
“It’s been a great year,” Sassine added, “I have to thank the coaching staff and the other athletes. Just to be nominated in this is an honour. I know that’s cliché, but it was a nice surprise to win too.”
Windsor’s women’s team would finish first in the final standings, while the men’s team finished in third. The University of Saskatchewan was the top ranking team from the Canada West in both the women and men’s standings, finishing fifth and eighth respectively.
The Bisons finished the championship just outside the top ten in both the men and women’s standings.
