黑料老司机 Athletics Honours Top Tommies at Awards Ceremony
![Four students holding awards](/media/stu/site-assets/images/features/Athletic-Banquet-News-Item.jpg)
The St. Thomas University Athletics Department celebrated successful seasons on the turf, ice, court, and track at their awards ceremony Tuesday, March 29.
The 2021-2022 season saw the Tommies compete in five Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association title games, with the men鈥檚 soccer and men鈥檚 volleyball teams bringing home the conference championship.
Vanessa Soffee and Brett Springer Named top Tommies for 2021-2022
Vanessa Soffee, a veteran guard for the women鈥檚 basketball team, and Brett Springer, a seasoned striker for the men鈥檚 soccer team, were named the Athletes of the Year for 2021-2022.
Soffee was her team鈥檚 Top Defensive Player and MVP, while also being named a first team ACAA all-conference player and Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association All-Canadian.
鈥淭his is her second season as an All-Canadian in three years,鈥 Tommies Head Coach Fred Connors said. 鈥淪he controls the game in many ways and shows up when we need her the most.鈥
Springer was the men鈥檚 soccer MVP on top of being named an ACAA first team all-conference player, ACAA Player of the Year, and a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association All-Canadian. At the CCAA Men鈥檚 Soccer National Championships, Springer was named a tournament all-star.
鈥淏rett is very deserving of this prestigious honour,鈥 said Tommies Head Coach John-Ryan Morrison. 鈥淗is success is not an accident. It鈥檚 a product of his hard work in the off-season and every day in training.鈥
Madison Owens and Christian Christie Honoured for Representing the Athletic Ideal
Senior Tommies Madison Owens, women鈥檚 basketball, and Christian Christie, men鈥檚 volleyball, were recognized for their commitment to athletics, academics, and the community.
Owens, a five-time CCAA National Scholar, was the recipient of the Cathy Wadden Commitment Award. On top of her academic achievement, she was an ACAA all-conference player and was awarded the Rod Shoveller Memorial Award, which is given annually to an ACAA basketball player who has contributed to sport and society through excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, and sportsmanship.
鈥淢addy has been a leader for the Tommies since she came here,鈥 Connors said. 鈥淪he has worked hard to keep the team gelled and always played a very unselfish brand of basketball.鈥
Christie, a two-time CCAA National scholar, was named the John Frederick Walls Memorial Award winner. He is a two-time 黑料老司机 Male Athlete of the Year and a former ACAA Men鈥檚 Volleyball Player of the Year who spends his free time giving back to the community through coaching and refereeing.
鈥淐hristian is the type of person you look for when recruiting a student athlete,鈥 Head Coach Henri Mallet said. 鈥淗e has been making our program and university proud since he joined the Green and Gold.鈥