Kodiaks celebrate 2023 KODI award winners

April 14, 2023 – The Lethbridge College Kodiaks celebrated a successful sporting season with the annual KODI Awards Thursday evening. The event brought together the Kodiaks teams, staff and college officials to celebrate the athletic and academic achievements of Kodiaks student-athletes.

The awards capped another strong season for Kodiaks Athletics, one that saw every Kodiaks team compete for their respective conference championships. Kodiaks Athletics & Recreation Services Director Todd Caughlin says overall the season was a great success.

“To have every team compete for a championship is something that not every college can say happens, and I believe it is a first for the Kodiaks,” says Caughlin. “The dedication, determination and resilience that every coach and student-athlete committed to this first full year back to competition showed, and I could not be prouder."

The three pillars of Kodiaks Athletics – academic accountability, athletic excellence, and the student-athlete experience – steered the voting on all awards. Awards are selected by members of the Kodiaks Athletics administration team and factor in the results of a public vote that had 615 participants, setting a new KODIs record.

The Men’s indoor track team was named the Val and Flora Matteotti Kodiaks Team of the Year, capping a year that saw them break school and ACAC records, collect gold medals and bring home the ACAC championships banner. Gunnarr Gibb and Cooper Williams were named to the All-Conference Team, Simon Schaerz was named the indoor track Coach of the Year, and Williams was named not only the Rookie of the Year for indoor track, but Rookie of the Year but across all sports in the ACAC.

Williams and Jamie Brown were recognized as the Tim Tollestrup Leadership Student-Athletes of the Year. Williams earned the award after an impressive year earning All-Conference Team for both cross-country and indoor track. He was a big factor in his team winning bronze at cross-country championships and gold at indoor track championships and is a CCAA Academic All-Canadian.

Brown earned the women’s honour. She finished his collegiate career strong, being named an All-Conference outside hitter, ACAC Player of the Year, CCAA Academic All-Canadian and CCAA All-Canadian. She also played a big role in her team’s historic run during the ACAC championships.

Ryan Heggie earned the Electrical Solutions Inc. Kodiaks Coach of the Year award. Heggie was received his third consecutive ACAC men’s basketball coach of the year award and was the CCAA coach of the year nominee. He also captured his 150th career win while leading his team to an ACAC bronze medal.

Soccer and futsal’s athletes Samantha Demchuk and Julio Vega were named winners of the Calgary Flames Foundation Leadership Scholarships, recognizing student-athletes who excel in leadership, community involvement and academics – the “unsung heroes” of Kodiaks Athletics.

The full list of KODI award winners is below. Photos from the event can be found on the Kodiaks Flickr account.

KODIs major awards:

• Tim Tollestrup Leadership/Athlete of the Year (Male) – Cooper Williams (men’s   cross-country/indoor track)
• Tim Tollestrup Leadership/Athlete of the Year (Female) – Jamie Brown (women’s volleyball)
• Val and Flora Matteotti Team of the Year – Men’s indoor track
• Electrical Solutions Inc. Kodiaks coach of the year – Ryan Heggie (men’s basketball)
• Calgary Flames Foundation Leadership Scholarship (female) – Samantha Demchuk (women’s soccer/futsal)
• Calgary Flames Foundation Leadership Scholarships (male) – Julio Vega (men’s soccer/futsal)
• Best championships performance – Men’s indoor track winning ACAC championships.
• Best upset – Men’s basketball. Facing a Keyano team that went undefeated in the regular season, the Kodiaks put forth a complete all-around effort and downed the Huskies 80-72 to claim an ACAC bronze medal.
• Best comeback – Women’s volleyball. The team was down 2-0 in the ACAC quarterfinals and came back to defeat the nationally ranked number six team, The Kings University Eagles, in a five-set thriller.

KODIs special awards:

• Alvin Tietz/Knud Petersen Award for soccer – Brian Sure and Olivia DePasquale
• Alvin Tietz/Knud Petersen Award for futsal – Mauricio Rosas and Megan Morrison
• Haylie Shoults Memorial Award – Montanna Rousselle
• Gerry and Brian Stewart Memorial Award for cross-country – Cooper Williams and Maria Boix-Frias
• Simulacrum Interactive Inc. Esports Leadership Award – Nathan Johnson and Bradley Pike
• 1981 Alberta Summer Games Athletic Award for volleyball – Michael Kindley
• Emmalee Cherweniuk Memorial Award for women’s volleyball – Reese Hanusich
• Alvin Tietz/Knud Petersen Award for volleyball – Reia Taylor and Malcolm Fisher
• John Jasiukiewicz Award for men’s basketball – Chris Schlauwitz
• John Jasiukiewicz Award for women’s basketball – Kitawna Sparks

KODIs pillar awards

• Men’s soccer

• Women’s soccer

• Men’s futsal
• • Pillar award: Keegan Bolton
  • Outstanding player: Jaxon Uhl
  • Newcomer: Parys Ona MacArthur

• Women’s futsal
• • Pillar award: Keira Worsey
  • Outstanding player: Malorie Hanson
  • Newcomer: Brooke Krowchuk

• Men’s cross-country 
• • Pillar: Justin Fisher
  • Outstanding runner: Cooper Williams
  • Newcomer: Cooper Williams

• Women’s cross-country 
• • Pillar: Hannah Smith
  • Outstanding runner: Maria Boix-Frias
  • Newcomer: Hannah Smith

• Men’s indoor track 
• • Pillar: Kurt Caballo
  • Outstanding runner: Gunnarr Gibb
  • Newcomer: Orin May

• Women’s indoor track 
• • Pillar: Rosie Bouchard
  • Outstanding runner: Maria Boix-Frias
  • Newcomer: Jenna Klok

• Esports
• • Pillar: Raphael Aubut
  • Outstanding player: Liam Benedict
  • Newcomer: Kyle Ayson

• Men’s volleyball 
• • Pillar: Malcolm Fisher
  • Outstanding player: Nolan Moes
  • Newcomer: Cameron Piers

• Women’s volleyball
• • Pillar: Shane Fowlie
  • Outstanding player: Mack Lewicki
  • Newcomer: Reese Hanusich

• Men’s basketball
• • Pillar: Declan Peterson
  • Outstanding player: Paycen Blackmore
  • Newcomer: Mason Hoffman

• Women’s basketball
• • Pillar: Catriona Smith
  • Outstanding player: Kitawna Sparks
  • Newcomer: Tylee Leavitt