varsity news

Durham Lords Media Release
Friday, March 26, 2010

Smith and Watts named Durham College Athletes of the Year

OSHAWA, Ont. – The Durham College athletic department held the 40th annual Athletic Banquet Friday night in front of a crowd of over 200 at the Trillium Trails banquet hall in Oshawa. It was a couple of sophomores earning top honours as basketball standout Eric Smith (Ajax, Ont.) and two-sport athlete Katie Watts (Oshawa, Ont.) were named the 2009-10 Durham College Athletes of the Year.

In two years at Durham College, Watts has done it all with the women’s soccer program. Adding 18 goals to her totals in 2009/10, Watts became the Lords all-time scoring leader with 38 career goals. She averaged 1.64 goals per game this season, claiming her second straight OCAA scoring title.

For her efforts on the pitch, the Eastdale graduate was named a CCAA All-Canadian and an OCAA first team all-star, while leading the Lords to the provincial title game earning a silver medal.

She was also a valuable contributor and member of the women’s basketball team, solidifying her as a genuine two-sport collegiate athlete at Durham College.

Watts becomes the fifth consecutive women’s soccer athlete to be named the college’s athlete of the year following Ashley Visser (2009), Katie Szeghalmi (2008), Amanda Durno (2007) and Nicole Stephens (2006). Visser also played on the women’s basketball team last season.

Smith, a graduate of Jean Vanier, had an excellent sophomore season as he took his game to new heights in 2009/10. The Law and security major was dominant among big men in the OCAA as he led the province with 188 rebounds. Smith also finished the year averaging 19.2 points per game, the seventh highest total in Durham College history.

As a result, Smith was named an OCAA first team all-star and was selected to represent the Lords at the OCAA all-star game. Smith is flying up the all-time Durham College scoring charts as he sits sixth with 756 career points, passing legends such as Ken Upshaw and Augusto Duquesne.

It was a night of celebration as the college took some time to look back and reflect on another successful year. There were plenty of special presentations made over the course of the evening including honouring the achievements of all of the student-athletes.

Other big winners on the night included Kayleigh Kraemer (Germany) and Sebastian Dignoti (Whitby, Ont.) who took home the Freshman Athlete of the Year awards.

Kraemer brought the women’s golf program back to prominence in 2009 as she won two invitational titles (Fanshawe and Durham) as well as an OCAA silver medal. Kraemer also finished seventh at the CCAA national championship in Windsor, Ont.

Dignoti, who scored 11 goals in 11 games for the Lords men’s soccer program, was named an OCAA first team all-star following the season. The Whitby native finished fourth overall in league scoring, second in East region scoring and first overall in freshmen scoring.
 
The Bonnie Ginter-Brown Leadership Award is presented to the overall male and female athletes who best exemplify outstanding leadership in the pursuit of excellence. This years honour went to Courtney Small (Oshawa, Ont.) of the men's basketball team and Mandi Doris (Ajax, Ont.) of the women’s volleyball team.

The women’s soccer team took home the Team of the Year award for the second time in three years. Led by first year head coach Dave Staley, the Lords went on to capture an OCAA silver medal and the East Region championship, while setting the OCAA all-time record for most goals in a season (59) and being named the top defensive team.

The department also honoured long time men’s volleyball head coach Gord Williamson who retired from coaching following the OCAA championship. In thirteen seasons on the bench with Durham, Williamson retires with an overall record of 223-102. Prior to joining Durham College, Williamson coached 10 years at Seneca College, where he led the women’s program to six Ontario titles. He leaves Canadian collegiate volleyball with over 23 years of coaching experience and as one of the most successful coaches in the history of the sport.

AWARD WINNERS

Male Overall Athlete of the Year – William Avery Memorial Award
Eric Smith, Men’s Basketball (Ajax, Ont.)

Female Overall Athlete of the Year
Katie Watts, Women’s Soccer/Basketball (Oshawa, Ont.)

Freshman Athletes of the Year
Sebastian Dignoti, Men’s Soccer (Whitby, Ont.)
Kayleigh Kraemer, Golf (Germany)

Team of the Year
Women’s Soccer

Bonnie Ginter-Brown Leadership Award
Mandi Doris, Women’s Volleyball (Ajax, Ont.)
Courtney Small, Men’s Basketball (Oshawa, Ont.)

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Four Year Award
Jamie Mayer, Men’s Volleyball (Penetanguishene, Ont.)
Julian Daligadu, Baseball (Whitby, Ont.)
Morgan Kelly, Women’s Soccer (Oshawa, Ont.)

Five Year Award
Jonathon Thiebaud, Baseball (Whitby, Ont.)
Mandi Doris, Women’s Volleyball (Ajax, Ont.)
Trevor Delpippo, Men’s Soccer (Whitby, Ont.)

TEAM-BY-TEAM AWARDS

Baseball
MVP – Jonathon Thiebaud (Whitby, Ont.) *Lionel “Boom” Baker Award
Rookie of the Year Award – Ethan Boston (Ajax, Ont.)
Leadership Award – Nur Osman (Whitby, Ont.)
Top Pitcher - Julian Daligadu (Whitby, Ont.)

Women’s Fastball
MVP – Erin Dewey (Port Hope, Ont.) *Richard Snowden Award
Rookie of the Year Award – Janna Hagan (Sherwood Park, Alta)
Leadership Award – Jodi Lang (Walkerton, Ont.)
Top Pitcher – Janna Hagan (Sherwood Park, Alta)
Top Pitcher – Kayla MacLean (Whitby, Ont.)

Golf
MVP – Brad Hickey (Uxbridge, Ont.) *Gerry Pettit Award
Rookie of the Year Award – Robbie Untinen (Thunder Bay, Ont.)
Leadership Award – Justin Knaggs (Brooklin, Ont.)

Women’s Soccer
MVP – Katie Watts (Oshawa, Ont.)
Rookie of the Year Award – Daniela Calleri (Oshawa, Ont.)
Leadership Award – Pam Ogle (Oshawa, Ont.) *Gord Oliver Award

Men’s Soccer
MVP – Sebastian Dignoti (Whitby, Ont.) *Vaso Vujanovic Award
Rookie of the Year Award – Agya Oppong-Kyekyeku (Etobicoke, Ont.)
Leadership Award – Jelani De Jonge (Ajax, Ont.) *Gord Oliver Award

Indoor Soccer
Men’s MVP – Jordan Sutherland (Oshawa, Ont.)
Women’s MVP – Shira Wickenheiser (Duchess, Ont.)

Women’s Basketball
MVP – Erin Emery (North Bay, Ont.) *Bonnie Slaughter Award
Rookie of the Year Award – Kelsey Hare (Whitby, Ont.)
Leadership Award – Jessica Newton (Oshawa, Ont.)

Men’s Basketball
MVP – Eric Smith (Ajax, Ont.)
Leadership Award – Courtney Small (Oshawa, Ont.)

Women’s Volleyball
MVP – Meghan Renwick (Brooklin, Ont.) *Stan Marchut Award
Rookie of the Year Award – Allison Doris (Ajax, Ont.)
Leadership Award – Mandi Doris (Ajax, Ont.)

Men’s Volleyball
MVP – Jeff Torraville (Oshawa, Ont.)
Rookie of the Year Award – Paul Luttjeboer (Quinte, Ont.)
Leadership Award - Jamie Mayer, Men’s Volleyball (Penetanguishene, Ont.)

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Scott Dennis
Sports Information and Marketing Coordinator
Durham College and UOIT Athletics
905.721.2000 Ext. 2784 (P)
905.721.3117 (F)
scott.dennis@dc-uoit.ca