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CIS Athlete of the Year nominees announced
Huck and Weiler of Dalhousie to represent Atlantic
University Sport
 April 10, 2007 (CALGARY, AB) - Doug
Mitchell, National Co-Chairman of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) in Calgary, proudly
announced on Tuesday the nominees for the 15th Annual BLG Awards, honouring the top
Canadian Interuniversity Sport male and female athletes for the 2006-07 season.
The BLG Award winners will be announced at a ceremony on Monday, April
30th, 2007, at 7:30 p.m. (Mountain Standard Time) at the Jack Singer Concert Hall in
Calgary, and will be broadcast on TSN on May 20, at 11 a.m. (Eastern Time). Each of the
two Award winners will receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship.
"Borden Ladner Gervais has a long standing tradition of service to
the community. We pride ourselves on our ability to recognize needs in the community and
do our part to contribute," said Mitchell. "We understand the financial
constraints on athletic programs at Canadian universities so in partnership with the CIS
and the Canadian Athletic Foundation (CAF) we established the BLG Awards to profile the
exemplary talents of university athletes."
The female nominees for the 2007 BLG Award (Jim Thompson Trophy) and CIS
athlete-of-the-year honours are University of Calgary track and field athlete Jessica
Zelinka of London, Ont., University of Montreal swimmer Audrey Lacroix of Pont-Rouge,
Que., Queen's University soccer player Eilish McConville of Ottawa, and Dalhousie
University soccer player and track sprinter Leanne Huck of Hatchet Lake, N.S.
The male finalists are Trinity Western University volleyball player Josh
Howatson of Victoria, University of Windsor football player Daryl Stephenson of London,
Ont., Concordia University football player Patrick Donovan of Laconia, N.H., and Dalhousie
University volleyball player Jeff Weiler of Scarborough, Ont.
"Canadian Interuniversity Sport is grateful to the support and
efforts of Borden Ladner Gervais in recognizing the best in Canadian university
athletics," commented CIS President, Dick White. "This event will be a highlight
in the exceptional careers of these eight outstanding student athletes. On behalf of the
CIS I'd like to congratulate each of them on an extraordinary season."
Former BLG Award winners include two-time Olympic gold medalist Kim
St-Pierre (McGill, hockey), three-time Olympic bronze medalist Curtis Myden (Calgary,
swimming), Olympians Brian Johns (UBC, swimming), Elizabeth Warden (Toronto, swimming) and
Foy Williams (Toronto, track & field), former CFL star Don Blair (Calgary, football),
Hamilton Tiger-Cat running back Jesse Lumsden (McMaster, football) and five-time CIS men's
basketball champion Osvaldo Jeanty (Carleton).
2006-07 BLG AWARD NOMINEES:
Atlantic University Sport
 Leanne Huck,
Dalhousie University
Sports: Soccer / Track and field
A two-sport star, Huck earned her third consecutive nod as a CIS women's
soccer first-team All-Canadian and was a four-time gold medalist at the AUS track and
field championship in her fourth year of eligibility...She was also named Atlantic
conference MVP in soccer after leading the league in goals and led the Tiger women to the
AUS title in track and field...An 11-time medalist in four appearances at the AUS track
and field meet, she was previously a first-team All-Canadian in track and field in 2004-05
and a member of the second CIS team in 2003-04...
 Jeff Weiler,
Dalhousie University
Sport: Volleyball
In his fifth and final year of eligibility, Weiler was named CIS men's
volleyball libero of the year for the fourth consecutive season and AUS player of the year
for the second time in his career, and earned first-team All-Canadian status following
three straight selections on the second CIS all-star team...He led the nation in digs per
set in 2006-07 (3.47)...The recipient of the 2005-06 Dale Iwanozcko Award recognizing
excellence in men's volleyball, academics and community involvement, he represented Canada
at the 2005 Summer Universiade and was a member of the junior national team in 2002 and
2003...
Canada West Universities Athletic Association
Jessica Zelinka, University of Calgary
Sport: Track and field
Zelinka came back to CIS competition for a fifth and final season in
2006-07 following a year off during which she concentrated on international events...
After being named CIS track and field female athlete of the year in field events, she was
chosen female MVP at the CIS championship after setting a record with six medals,
including five gold, and helping the Dino women claim the CIS banner for the first time
since 1991...Previous CIS recognitions include track and field female athlete and rookie
of the year in 2000-01, female athlete of the year in track events in 2003-04, CIS
championship female MVP in 2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04...Ranked seventh in the world in both
indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon...
Josh Howatson, Trinity Western University
Sport: Volleyball
In his fifth and final year of CIS eligibility, Howatson was named CIS
men's volleyball player of the year and received the Dale Iwanozcko Award recognizing
excellence in men's volleyball, athletics and community involvement... Named to the CIS
championship all-star team after leading the Spartans to the bronze medal...A member of
the senior national team and the 2005 Universiade team, he was also a first-team
All-Canadian in 2005-06...The setter led the Spartans to their first-ever CIS title in
2005-06, silver in 2004-05 and bronze in 2003-04...
Ontario University Athletics
Eilish McConville, Queen's University
Sport: Soccer
McConville set an OUA record and led the nation with 22 regular season
goals in her fourth year of CIS eligibility on her way to CIS women's soccer
player-of-the-year honours...She was named a CIS championship all-star after leading the
Golden Gaels to the silver medal...She earned her fourth All-Canadian nod in as many
years, including three on the first team...The 2003 CIS women's soccer rookie of the year
has 55 goals in 46 career conference games...
Daryl Stephenson, University of Windsor
Sport: Football
Stephenson was chosen CIS football player of the year and was named to the
first All-Canadian team for the second straight season in his third year of CIS
eligibility... The six-foot-two, 232-pound running back led the nation in rushing for the
second straight campaign with 1,140 yards and became the first player in CIS history to
rush for over 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons... He set a CIS rookie record with
1,192 rushing yards in 2004 and has scored 30 touchdowns in 24 career regular season
games...
Quebec Student Sports Federation
Audrey Lacroix, University of Montreal
Sport: Swimming
Lacroix captured four gold medals at both the QSSF and CIS swimming
championships in her third year of CIS eligibility...She set a meet record in the
200-metre butterfly at the CIS championship, her fourth record in two years at the
Nationals...A first-team All-Canadian in each of her three seasons with the Carabins, she
has 14 medals, including nine gold, in three CIS championship appearances...The senior
national team member finished fifth in the 200m fly at the 2007 FINA world championship in
Australia on March 29...
Patrick Donovan, Concordia University
Sport: Football
Donovan became only the second player in history to claim back-to-back CIS
football defensive-player-of-the-year awards in his fifth and final year of
eligibility...The six-foot, 230-pound linebacker was named to the first All-Canadian team
for a second consecutive season after leading the Quebec conference with six tackles per
game...When Donovan was in the lineup - he missed two games due to injuries - the Stingers
were number one in the nation in points and rushing yards allowed...
The BLG Awards
The BLG Awards were established in 1993 to recognize the top male and
female athletes from universities affiliated with Canadian Interuniversity Sport.
The BLG Awards are based on athletic accomplishments, outstanding
sportsmanship and leadership. Each of 51 CIS schools selects one male and one female
athlete of the year. From these nominees, one male and one female athlete are chosen
within each of the four regional associations: Atlantic, Canada West, Ontario, and Quebec.
To be eligible, a student athlete must have competed in a CIS sport for two years, and
cannot be a previous recipient of a BLG Award.
Nominees receive a commemorative gold ring, and winners are presented with
a trophy and a $10,000 scholarship to attend a Canadian University graduate school.
Winners are selected by the Canadian Athletic Foundation, a not-for-profit Board
established for the purpose of administering the BLG Awards and protecting the integrity
of the selection process. The CAF Board of Trustees consists of 24 members from seven
Canadian cities representing 19 major corporations from across the country who are
committed to ensuring that Canadian University athletes receive the recognition they
deserve.
The BLG Awards are thrilled to welcome country music star George Canyon as
this year's entertainer. Canyon recently won his second Juno Award for Country Recording
of the Year and his second major label album, Somebody Wrote Love, continues to
re-establish his hold on country fans. The debut single of the same name flew up the
Canadian country charts, moving from #102 to #25 in just its second week of release. For
more information, visit www.georgecanyon.com.
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