2012-13 Athletic Banquet Gallery
The Guelph Gryphons celebrated their Annual Athletic Awards Ceremony on Wednesday night at the W.F. Mitchell Centre. Highlighting this year's major award winners were track and field athlete Anthony Romaniw as the men's athlete of the year. The women's athlete of the year went to women's rugby player Britt Benn, cross country and track and field athlete Andrea Seccafien and field hockey player Brittany Seidler all receiving the top honour.
 

Tom Kendal & Anthony Romaniw

Anthony Romaniw (Hamilton, Ont.) was named the Gryphon Male Athlete of the Year after a magnificent season with the men's track and field team. He dominated the OUA Championships winning three gold medals (1000m, 600m, 4x800m) and one silver medal (4x400m) and was named the OUA Performer of the Meet and helped the Gryphons to their first ever OUA title. At the CIS Championships he won two gold medals (600m, 4x800m) and one silver medal (1000m). He was named a two-time first team All-Canadian, second team All-Canadian and helped lead the team to a national title. He tallied 21.5 points, the most of any athlete in the competition and was also the only athlete to capture three medals. He ended the season ranked first nationally in the 1000 metre and 4 x 400 metre relay.
 

Britt Benn (Napanee, Ont.) from the women's rugby team helped lead her team to their fifth consecutive OUA title and a silver  medal finish at the CIS Championships. She was named the CIS player of the year, CIS All-Canadian, CIS tournament all-star, OUA MVP, OUA all-star and the Gryphon team MVP. In her fifth and final year, she led the conference in scoring with 80 points on 16 tries, eight more than any other player.
 
Andrea Seccafien (Guelph, Ont.) from the cross country and track and field team enjoyed a dream year. In the fall, she won her first individual CIS championship title leading the Gryphons to their eighth consecutive team title. She was named the CIS MVP 
and a first team All-Canadian. During the indoor season, she won three gold medals (3000m, 1500m, 4x800m) at the OUA Championships propelling the Gryphons to an OUA title and was named the OUA performer of the meet. At the CIS Championships, she won gold in the 3000 metre, a silver in the 1500 metre and a bronze with the 4 x 800 metre relay team. Her three medals were the second most of any athlete at the Championships and she was named a first and second team All-Canadian.
 
Brittany Seidler (Oliver, BC) spearheaded her team to an OUA silver and a CIS bronze medal this season. A potent scorer, she led the CIS scoring charts with 19 goals in 12 games. She was named an OUA all-Star, OUA MVP, Team MVP, CIS All-Canadian, CIS player of the year and the player of the game in the Gryphons bronze medal CIS contest.
 

Major Award Winners List:
Dr. John T. Powell Award: Chris Clancy – Men's Hockey
Cathy Rowe Manager of the Year: Derek Lahaie – Men's Volleyball
Dr. James MacLachlan Trainer of the Year: Kara Muhlhausen – Women's Hockey & Women's Basketball
Dr. Mary Beverley-Burton Female Rookie: Christine Grant – Hockey
Scott Yanchus Male Rookie: Yves Sikubwabo – Cross Country & Track
Shirley Peterson Award: Alisha Harricharan  – Swimming
Don Cameron Award: Robert Farquharson – Football
Fred Ramprashad Award: Teresa Reitz  – Rowing
President's Trophy (Female): Kelsey Gsell – Wrestling
President's Trophy (Male): Dan McCarthy – Basketball
W.F. Mitchell Sportswoman: Nadine Frost – Cross Country & Track
W.F. Mitchell Sportsman: Robert Jackson – Cross Country & Track
Female Athlete of the Year: Andrea Seccafien(Cross & Track), Britt Benn (Rugby), Brittany Seidler (Field Hockey)
Male Athlete of the Year: Anthony Romaniw - Track
 
Team Awards List:
Baseball MVP: Justin Interisano
Basketball Men's MIP: Adam Kemp
Basketball Men's MVP: Dan McCarthy
Basketball Women's MIP: Julia Tennant
Basketball Women's MVP: Kayla Goodhoofd
Cross Country Men's Rookie: Yves Sikubwabo
Cross Country Men's MVP: Ross Proudfoot
Cross Country Women's Rookie: Madeline Yungblut
Cross Country Women's MVP: Andrea Seccafien
Field Hockey MIP: Daniela Jelec
Field Hockey MVP: Brittany Seidler
Figure Skating MVP: Amanda Sproule
Football Rookie: A'Dre Fraser
Football MVP: Robert Farqhuarson
Football Ted Wildman: Zach Androschuk
Golf Men's MVP: Chris Hemmerich
Golf Women's MVP: Vanessa Dupuis
Hockey Men's Rookie: Andrew Bathgate
Hockey Men's MVP: Andrew Loverock
Hockey Women's Rookie: Christine Grant
Hockey Women's MVP: Amanda Parkins
Lacrosse Men's MVP: Ben Vangalen
Lacrosse Women's MVP: Dana Skyvington
Nordic Skiing MVP: Scott Weersink
Rowing Men's MVP: Mark Henry
Rowing Women's MVP: Emily Jago
Rugby Women's Rookie: Elizabeth George
Rugby Women's MVP: Britt Benn
Rugby Men's Rookie: Eric Charest-Pekeski
Rugby Men's MVP: Byron Boville
Soccer Men's MIP: Ethan Danielli
Soccer Men's MVP: Brenden Springer
Soccer Women's MIP: Breanna Hall
Soccer Women's MVP: Alex Harriss
Swimming Men's MIP: John Carroll
Swimming Men's MVP: Evan Van Moerkerke
Swimming Women's MIP: Laura Van Bommel
Swimming Women's MVP: Alisha Harricharan
Track & Field Men's Rookie: Yves Sikubwabo
Track & Field Men's MVP: Anthony Romaniw
Track & Field Women's Rookie: Madeline Yungblut
Track & Field Women's MVP: Andrea Seccafien
Wrestling Men's MIP: Mathieu Deschatelets
Wrestling Men's MVP: John Fitzgerald
Wrestling Women's MIP: Emma Crouch
Wrestling Women's MVP: Jade Papke
Volleyball Men's MIP: Connor Cressman
Volleyball Men's MVP: Winston Rosser
Volleyball Women's MIP: Marieka Ouimette
Volleyball Women's MVP: Julie Gordon
 
 
Major Award Winner Bios:
 
Dr. John T. Powell Award: Chris Clancy – Men's Hockey
In the past 20 years, the men's hockey team has benefited greatly from Chris' presence on, and off the ice.  With four years experience as a varsity athlete at Guelph, Chris helped lead the Gryphons to two OUA Championships, as well as captaining the team to their first, and only CIS Championship in 1996-97. As a player, Chris was the heart and soul of the team with a nice combination of skill and toughness that rubbed off positively on all those around him. After a brief hiatus, Chris returned to the Gryphons in the 2003-04 season and has just completed his tenth season behind the bench. Chris has come to be highly respected amongst everyone in the league. He has proven to be a vital asset to the defensive side of the puck, as well as the powerplay unit. With his incredible outlook, Chris has become an invaluable coach, mentor and friend to everyone involved in the program. Despite his busy schedule with the Gryphons, Chris is happily married and has two children who are both involved in sports.
 
Cathy Rowe Manager of the Year: Derek Lahaie – Men's Volleyball
Derek's ability to assist the coaching staff was imperative to the Gryphons men's volleyball team's success this season. As a fourth year Human Kinetics major, Derek provided integral assistance as a team trainer as well as a manager. He was consistently the first one in the gym, and the last one out and never missed a practice. Outside of the gym, Derek also acted as a team tutor helping team mates with homework, as well as teaching first year players how to organize their work load and ensure assignments were in on time. He took the initiative to design a stats program for the players to see how they progressed over the course of practices. In addition, he was also invaluable in collecting data during games for both players and coaches.  
 
Dr. James MacLachlan Trainer of the Year: Kara Muhlhausen – Women's Hockey & Women's Basketball
Kara went above and beyond a typical trainers role this season. With the women's hockey team she designed, supervised, and monitored the entire in-season training program as well as providing sound nutritional advice to the athletes. She was extremely professional and went out of her way to research injuries and techniques to allow the student-athletes to return to play or maintain playing ability. She was also an excellent communicator and time manager.

 
Dr. Mary Beverley-Burton Female Rookie: Christine Grant – Hockey
Christine is coming off a record-breaking rookie season with the women's hockey team. In her first season, the right-winger tallied 32 points with 14 goals and 18 assists in 26 regular season games, good for fourth in OUA scoring and ninth in the nation. She was named an OUA second-team all-star, OUA rookie of the year and the CIS rookie of the year. She was the first-ever Gryphon to earn the recognition of CIS Rookie of the Year. Her impeccable work ethic carried through to her time on the ice playing in every game as well as attending all 73 practices this season.

 
Scott Yanchus Male Rookie: Yves Sikubwabo – Cross Country & Track
Rarely does a first year athlete come in with the type of expectations that Yves Sikubwabo faced when joining the Gryphons program. And, during his first year, Yves succeeded these expectations, and then some. After a silver medal performance at the OUA Cross Country Championships, Yves was named the OUA rookie of the year. He carried this success onto the Track team. At the OUA Championships, he won a gold and two silvers to help the Gryphons to their first ever OUA Title.  At the CIS Championships, he won gold in the 4 x 800m relay and delivered a clutch performance to secure a silver in the 1500m and virtually secured the national title for the Gryphons. For his outstanding performance, he was named the CIS track and field rookie of the year.
 

 

 
Shirley Peterson Award: Alisha Harricharan – Swimming
Alisha's progress with the swimming team has been inspirational. In her first season with the Gryphons, she secured the bronze medal in the 100m butterfly at the OUA Championships.  Encouraged by her podium finish, Alisha carried her tenacious energy into the offseason and well into her second year. At the OUA Championships in year two, she broke free of the pack to claim the gold medal and stole the OUA record. This past year, in her third year, Alisha developed into a team leader and was named the 2013 OUA swimming Female Athlete of the meet after securing gold in the 50m, 100m, and 200m butterfly. At the CIS championships, she took home a gold in the 100m butterfly and a bronze in the 50m butterfly and was named a first team All-Canadian.

 
Don Cameron Award: Robert Farquharson – Football
Robert has the drive and enthusiasm that is seen in all great athletes. In the locker room he is a quiet leader, one that leads by example on and off the field.  Robert has dressed at the tailback position for three years, but took control of the starting position midway through his second year.  In his second season, he rushed for four touchdowns and 322 yards on 76 rushes. But it was in his third year where his career as a Gryphon exploded. After finishing third in the CIS in rushing and first in total yards from scrimmage with 1,265, he led the Gryphon offence to the Yates cup final for the first time since 2007. In addition to his impressive stats, his hard work and dedication was recognized by the OUA being named a second team all-star.
 

 
Fred Ramprashad Award: Terese Reiz – Rowing
Terese is an excellent example of a student-athlete. In the classroom, she holds a 88.4% average and for the rowing team this season she raced the Lightweight Double at OU's with her teammate and made the final finishing sixth. She is a great team member who attends every workout, team event, regatta and is on the rowing Team's Executive council.
  
President's Trophy (Female): Kelsey Gsell – Wrestling
Kelsey has put together an impressive season with the Gryphons Wrestling team, while maintaining an remarkable 90.2% GPA studying Human Kinetics. In the gym, she led the women's wrestling team with a gold medal finish at the Western Open. She carried this success into the OUA Championships in the women's 82kg where she won a gold medal, and recognition as an OUA All-Star.  At the CIS Championships, she made it to the final round where she was able to scoop up the silver medal and a spot as a CIS second team All-Canadian.  Her outstanding accomplishments in and out of the gym are truly an inspiration.

 

 
President's Trophy (Male): Dan McCarthy – Basketball
Dan has excelled both on the court, as well as in the classroom where he holds an 86.4% GPA while majoring in Biomedical Science. Along with his third nod as an OUA West All-Star this year, McCarthy was named the Ken Shields National Award Winner for the second straight season.  Recognized for his outstanding accomplishments on the court, in the classroom and in the community, he is only the second multiple award winner of the Ken Shields Award since its inception. The Gryphon captain played only half of the season after returning from knee surgery in January. Despite the late start that limited him to 14 games, he led the team in scoring, rebounding and assists. He will graduate this year as the second leading scorer in program history with 1,322 career points.
 

 
W.F. Mitchell Sportswoman: Nadine Frost – Cross Country & Track
Nadine will graduate as a six-time All-Canadian during her career with the Gryphons. She won the OUA community service award for Cross Country this fall and last year for Track and Field. This past year as a team captain, she led the Gryphons to one of the most dominant performances in CIS Cross Country history as the Gryphons placed six athletes among the top nine finishers. Off the track, she is incredibly involved with the community as an ambassador for the run and read program, believe to achieve program, speed river xtreme team and is a member of the SAM program as a student-athlete mentor. In addition to these involvements, she also received the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation summer internship in both 2010 and 2011 and has a cumulative GPA of 86.9%.

 

 
W.F. Mitchell Sportsman: Rob Jackson – Cross Country & Track
In his final race of his career, Rob gained his first All-Canadian honour. He won the award as part of the school record setting 4x800m relay team. It was his second CIS individual medal after winning a bronze medal at the CIS Championships in the 1500m race in 2010. Rob was also a member of three CIS Cross Country Championship teams, twice being named an OUA all-star and winning OUA rookie of the year in 2009. He has been the heart and the soul of the Gryphon track and cross country program over his tenure and has been the team captain the past two years. Rob was named the OUA community service winner twice in track and field and once in cross country. His community outreach is inspirational, working with programs such as the 'Give Yourself Credit' group, the 'KidsAbility' jazz improve group, volunteering with the speed river xtreme team and in his spare time he is a freelance journalist having written for Canadian Running.