{In the photo: Top row left to right: Dan McCarthy, Ben Vangalan, Robbie Murphy, Jacey Murphy, Zach Androschuk, Caitlin Beaton, Julia Wallace - Bottow Row left to right: Rachel Grafe, Aaron Hendrikx, Madison Parks and Andrew Nixon}

Women's rugby player, Jacey Murphy of Alliston, Ont. and men's soccer player Robbie Murphy of Ottawa, Ont. have been selected as the University of Guelph's Athletes of the Year for the 2011-2012 season. Gryphon student-athletes were honoured tonight (Mar. 29) for their outstanding accomplishments for this season at the Guelph Gryphons Annual Intercollegiate Awards Banquet held at the W.F. Mitchell Centre.
 
  Third year Robbie Murphy was named Guelph's male Athlete of the Year, having already captured the OUA and CIS Player of the Year titles this season. In only three seasons at Guelph, Murphy has already established himself as one of the best players in Gryphon soccer history. As team captain, he led the OUA this season as the top scorer with 16 goals in 14 conference games en route to his third straight selection as an OUA West All-Star – including a pair on the first-team, and his first title as an All-Canadian. He helped pull the Gryphons into third place in the OUA West standings with a 10-4-2 record – double the wins from last year's season. Murphy was also chosen to represent Canada at the 2011 FISU games in China. On top of his feats in the game this season, Murphy is also a great role model in the local community. He works in the Student Athlete Mentor program, he volunteers as a speaker for local schools, and he is a part of the Gryphon Captain council.
 

  This is fifth-year Jacey Murphy's second straight time being named as Guelph's women's Athlete of the Year. Murphy has been a dominant force on the Gryphon's women's rugby team throughout her career and especially this season en route to the teams OUA and CIS team title. This season Murphy picked up the CIS Player of the Year title, along with being named an OUA MVP and All-Star for her position as a 2011 Top Try scorer in the OUA. She became the fourth multiple winner of the MVP award since women's rugby made its CIS debut in 1998. In her fifth and final year of eligibility, Murphy led the OUA conference with 12 tries in the five-game regular season and placed third in the league with 60 points. She was a force both on offence and defence, and was one of the main reasons the Gryphons led the country by a wide margin in both points scored (453) and allowed (8) in conference play en route to an unblemished 5-0 record.

  
2011-2012 Major Award Winner Summary:
 
Award – Name – Sport – Hometown
Male Athlete of the Year – Robbie Murphy – Men's Soccer – Ottawa, Ont.
Female Athlete of the Year – Jacey Murphy – Women's Rugby – Alliston, Ont.
President's Trophy Female – Rachel Aubry – Track and Field – Ottawa, Ont.
President's Trophy Male – Zachary Androschuk – Football – Sarnia, Ont.
W.F. Mitchell Sportswoman – Caitlin Beaton – Women's Rugby – Hepworth, Ont.
W.F. Mitchell Sportsman – Dan McCarthy – Men's Basketball – Guelph, Ont.
Shirley Peterson Most Improved – Julia Wallace – Track and Field – Whitby, Ont.
Don Cameron Most Improved– Andrew Nixon – Cross Country – Burlington, Ont.
Dr. Mary Beverley Burton Female Rookie – Madison Parks – Wrestling – Brantford, Ont.
Scott Yanchus Male Rookie of the Year – Aaron Hendrikx – Cross Country – Parkhill, Ont.
Fred Ramprashad Award – Ben Vangalen – Lacrosse – Orangeville, Ont.
Dr. John T. Powell Award – Brian Cluff – Football
Dr. James Maclachlan Trainer of the Year – Rachel Grafe – Women's Basketball
Cathy Rowe Manager of the Year – Diana Haefele – Women's Basketball
 
MAJOR AWARD BIOS
 
President's Trophy – Female Student-Athlete: Rachel Aubry – Track and Field – Ottawa, Ont.
A model student athlete, Aubry achieves excellence as a member of the Track and Field team and as a student in Human Kinetics. This past season Aubry was the OUA Champion for the 1000 metres race along with the 4 X 800 metre relay. She was named an OUA First Team All-Star. At the CIS championships Aubry was a Silver Medalist for 600 metres, and a CIS Champion for the 4 X 800 metre relay. She was named a CIS First Team All-Canadian. Balancing both academics and the commitment to her team, she has proven to be a great asset to the Gryphon community.
  

Zach Androschuk, Presidents Award

President's Trophy – Male Student-Athlete: Zac Androschuk – Football – Sarnia, Ont.
Androschuk has proven his dedication to both his team and his academics. With plans of attending medical school next year, Androschuk has maintained an impressive academic average while succeeding on the field – acting as an exceptional role model for his fellow teammates. As a Defensive Back and Special Teams specialist in his fourth year, Androschuk has won the 2011 Kyle Walters Trophy and was a twice winner of Special Teams "Player of the Week," during the season.  On and off the field, he has proven his leadership skills by co-organizing a number of events such as "Guelph Wheels in Action"  - a spinal cord injury fundraiser, and he was the Captain of the "Bowl for Kids Sake" football team event that raised over $1,200 to go towards Guelph's Big Brother program. 

 

Caitlin Beaton, Mitchell Award

W.F. Mitchell Sportswoman Award: Caitlin Beaton –Rugby – Hepworth, Ont.
Beaton's maturity on the field makes her a natural leader of the team. She was selected by her teammates as captain in only her third year. Now in her fourth, she has seen success on and off the field. Beaton was named an OUA All-Star the past 3 years, while acting as team captain for the past two. Beaton sets up team bonding events on a weekly basis during the season and has taken the team recruitment program to an entirely new level. Her commitment to the success of the Gryphon program has earned her the respect of all of her teammates and coaching staff. She has also been involved in food drives, Bowl for Kids, and is apart of the Captain's committee. Beaton was named a 2011 CIS Tournament All-Star and is now the 2012 National University 7's Championship team captain.

 

Dan McCarthy, Mitchell Award

W.F. Mitchell Sportsman Award: Dan McCarthy – Men's Basketball – Guelph, Ont.
McCarthy's leadership skills and sportsmanship were shown on and off the court this season. Leading as the team captain he was named the Team MVP this season, along with an OUA All-Star title. He was also given the CIS Ken Shields Award for his excellence in basketball, the classroom, and the community. This fourth year Gryphon guard also spent time as the GAC camp assistant director, and took part in "Brain Day" as the regional coordinator. McCarthy assisted with the Big Brothers Bowl for Kids event, and volunteers at Mitchell Woods Elementary School. He also took part in the Knights of Columbus FT Contest and Clinic, along with the OUA Final Four clinic.
 

 

Julia Wallace, Shirley Peterson Award

Shirley Peterson Award (Most Improved): Julia Wallace – Track and Field – Whitby, Ont.
Wallace has developed incredibly well over the past three years. Every championship meet she regularly sacrifices personal goals by competing in more events to better help the team. In her first year she qualified for the CIS Championships in high jump, and in her second she qualified for them in high jump and triple jump, finishing 6^th in triple jump in 2011. This season in 2012 Wallace was named a Second Team All-Canadian for her silver medal in triple jump, and seventh place in long jump. She was the only athlete at the CIS Track and Field Championships to qualify in three individual field events. Wallace was an OUA bronze medalist in triple and high jump. Her growth as a leader has seen her quickly become the heart and soul of the track and field team.
 

 

Andrew Nixon, Don Cameron Award

Don Cameron Award (Most Improved): Andrew Nixon – Cross Country – Burlington, Ont.
Nixon has the drive and the passion that one sees in all great athletes. In his first year (2009) he was named the OUA Rookie of the Year and finished 38^th at the CIS Championships. In his second year he was named a Second Team All-Canadian, finishing 11^th overall and finishing 7^th in the 3000. Nixon set a goal for himself at the beginning of this season: to win the individual title at the CIS Championships. After a diligent training regime and an outstanding season, he was able to realize this dream. He was named the OUA and CIS MVP and was the CIS Champion, along with placing 4^th in the 3000 at the Track Championships. Nixon has proven to be a great asset to the Gryphon Cross Country program, and will be looking to build on his accomplishments for next season.
 

 

Maddie Parks, Female Rookie

Dr. Mary Beverley-Burton Female Rookie of the Year: Madison Parks – Wrestling – Brantford, Ont.
Parks has made quite an impression on the Gryphon wrestling program in only her first year. She was both an OUA and CIS Champion this season, along with being named the OUA and CIS Rookie of the Year. She is very hardworking and determined and didn't let anything get in her way of success this season. She was also a 2012 Junior Provincial Champion this year.

 

Aaron Hendrikx, Male Rookie

Scott Yanchus Male Rookie of the Year: Aaron Hendrikx – Cross Country – Parkhill, Ont.
Hendrikx is exactly what a coach would hope for in an incoming athlete – a low maintenance fierce competitor. In his first season he took the OUA and CIS Team Championships and was named an OUA and CIS First-time All-Star, along with being named the OUA and CIS Rookie of the Year. Coming off a fantastic first season, he qualified to represent Canada at the World University Cross Country Championships. He won the bronze medal at the Canadian Junior Cross Country Championships, and will represent Canada at the North American, Central American, and Caribbean Championships. Hendrikx will be a force in the CIS for years to come and is a valued member of the Gryphon Cross Country program.
 

 

Brian Cluff, Powell Award

Dr. John T. Powell Award – Brian Cluff – Football
Brian Cluff has been acting as the Defensive Coach for the Gryphons for 21 years. During this time he has been the Defensive Coordinator, along with coaching the Special teams, Defensive Backs, and Defensive Linemen. In total, Cluff has been involved with University football for 27 years. He was a member of the 1984 Vanier Cup championship team at Guelph, and was drafted by the Toronto Argonauts in 1986. As a coach for Guelph he has been to the Yates Cup Championships four ties, winning it in 1992 and 1996. He has coached Team Ontario East (2006) and taught at several High School football camps and clinics. He is also a graduate of the NCCP Program. Despite his responsibilities as a Physical and Health Education teacher at Guelph Collegiate High School, Cluff attends every practice during the week and remains afterwards to chair film meetings with his Defensive Linemen. He also finds time to help with recruiting. With Pat Tracey's help, Cluff started the "25^th Man Club," the forerunner to the present day "Friends of Gryphon Football," which is a group of former Gryphon football players who support the team. His consistent dedication to the Gryphon Football program over the years has gained the immense gratitude and appreciation from the team, coaches and Gryphon community alike.
 

Ben Vangalen, Fred Ramprashad Award

Fred Ramprashad Award: – Ben Vangalen – Lacrosse – Orangeville, Ont.
Vangalen has shown the ability to maximize his talents both on and off the field. As a Biological Science major, he attained an 85.3% GPA over this past season. His leadership and dedication in the classroom translate over to the field, where Vangalen has emerged as one of the leaders of the Lacrosse squad. In his third season with the Gryphons, he played an instrumental role for the Gryphons as he acted as the primary face of man, dominating the league by winning over 75% of his draws and earning league-wide recognition as the most valuable drawman of 2011. His accomplishments this season culminated with his team voting him the team MVP for the 2011 season. 

 

Rachel Grafe, Trainer of the Year

Dr. James Maclachlan Trainer of the Year Award: Rachel Grafe – Women's Basketball
Grafe was awarded the Dr. James Maclachlan Trainer of the Year Award for her excellence and devotion to the Gryphon Women's Basketball team. Grafe, a full-time student at Sheridan College, performed all of her required duties and went well beyond the expectations. The team faced a number of injuries and concussions this year and she did a remarkable job in her treatment of them. She gave coaches immediate feedback on the injuries progress and also assisted the team with diet and food choices. Her dedication and concern for the teams' well being was greatly appreciated by the players and coaches this season.
 

Cathy Rowe Manager of the Year: Diana Haefele – Women's Basketball
Haefele, a full-time student pursuing her B.A., was awarded the Cathy Rowe Manager of the Year award for her devotion to the Women's Basketball team. As a former player, Haefele brought a unique perspective to the position of manager, which proved to be a huge help to the coaching staff. She designed a statistics program that could be used during games in order to receive instant feedback, and always made sure that everything was ready to go before competition. She also took a lead role in the Shoot for a Cure game by collecting and keeping track of donations, which was a daunting task. Despite living in Hamilton and commuting as a full-time student, Haefele always fulfilled her duties as Manager and went well beyond the expectations.