Conestoga guard Yasmeen Smith was chosen the CCAA player of the year. The 5-9 guard and fifth-year broadcasting & digital media major from Cambridge, Ont. (Monsignor Doyle HS), was the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association West division player of the year and scoring champion. In leading the Condors to an 8-8 (5th place) finish in the OCAA’s West division, Smith started all 16 regular season conference games, playing an average 34.1 mpg. She hit 149-339 (.440) from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 58-112 (.518) from the line, while garnering 174 boards, including 118 on the offensive glass and a 10.9 rpg, 42 fouls (fouling out twice), 19 assists, 59 turnovers (an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.3), 4 blocks, 38 steals and 346 points, for a 22.3 ppg. OCAA women’s basketball convenor Colin March said “Yasmeen is a high performing student-athlete who had a standout year in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA). She is a class act on and off the court and is an integral part of her team at Conestoga.” Condors manager of varsity & athletic operations Matthew Schnarr said “Yasmeen’s addition has elevated our Women’s Basketball program to new heights and her offensive prowess has allowed the program to compete and defeat some of the top programs this season in the OCAA. Yasmeen is influential on the boards where nightly she tends to lead the game in total rebounds taken down especially on the offensive end of the floor.”
Mount Allison’s Ryan Chase was named CCAA coach of the year. In his fifth year at the helm, he led the Mounties to first-place (16-2) finish Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association regular season. Mounties manager of athletics Marcel Dupuis said “it is the selflessness by which he conducts himself with his team, in respect to the time that he gives to his student-athletes that sets the example throughout the department. His approach to discipline and staying true to a routine are some of the reasons why our Women’s Basketball team climbed to No. 1 in the country.” Chase is also the Director of Operations for Basketball New Brunswick and provides coaching and player clinics across the province. He was the lead for the high-performance Women’s provincial programs. Chase was the mentor coach for New Brunswick Women’s U15 and Women’s U17 at the National Championships and the Canada Games. Other nominees for the award were Chris Weimer of Capilano (Pacific Western Athletic Association); Robbie Valpreda of Concordia-Edmonton (Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference); Janine Day of Lambton (Ontario Colleges Athletic Association); and Georges Germanos of Champlain Saint-Lambert (Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec).
Joining Smith on the All-Canadian team were (all were first-team all-conference selections in their respective leagues): …………………………………………………… Harriette MacKenzie (Vancouver Island), a 6-2 forward and second-year arts major from Comox, B.C. (Mark R. Isfeld HS), was the Pacific Western AA player of the year. She started all 17 regular season conference games, playing an average 27.3 mpg. She hit 121-276 (.438) from the floor, 0-2 from the arc and 82-127 (.646) from the line, while garnering 254 boards, including 100 on the offensive glass and a 14.9 rpg, 44 fouls (fouling out 3 times), 17 assists, 33 turnovers (an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.5), 37 blocks, 21 steals and 324 points, for a 19.1 ppg. …………………………………………………… Tegan Michel (Camosun), a 5-9 guard and second-year sciences major from Victoria, B.C. (Oak Bay HS), started 17 of 18 regular season conference games, playing an average 27.3 mpg. She hit 109-279 (.391) from the floor, 8-37 (.216) from the arc and 66-84 (.786) from the line, while garnering 112 boards, including 52 on the offensive glass and a 6.2 rpg, 46 fouls (fouling out once), 23 assists, 54 turnovers (an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.4), 14 blocks, 48 steals and 292 points, for a 16.2 ppg. …………………………………………………… Andrea Stitt (St. Mary’s University), a 5-4 guard and third-year science biology major from Birmingham, Alabama, was the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference South division player of the year. Lightning coach Steve Shoults said Stitt’s “a tenacious, hard-working, and humble student-athlete”. She started all 22 regular season conference games, playing an average 36.6 mpg. She hit 142-360 (.394) from the floor, 33-129 (.256) from the arc and 47-69 (.681) from the line, while garnering 140 boards, including 24 on the offensive glass and a 6.4 rpg, 32 fouls, 100 assists, 91 turnovers (an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.1), 4 blocks, 77 steals and 364 points, for a 16.5 ppg. …………………………………………………… Kaelyn Bryks (Concordia-Edmonton), a 5-9 guard and fifth-year education major from Sturgeon County, Alta. (Archbishop O’Leary), was the ACAC North division player of the year. Thunder director of athletics Nate MacLellan said “Kaelyn is a leader on and off the court … Her work ethic is unmatched, which allows her to succeed both in athletics and academics. Kaelyn has been an important of this program since she got here, and it’s great to see her rewarded for her hard work and dedication. She is the epitome of a Thunder student-athlete; an outstanding athlete, a very strong student, and someone who continually gives back to the community.” Bryks started all 20 regular season conference games, playing an average 24.9 mpg. She hit 105-256 (.410) from the floor, 20-83 (.241) from the arc and 43-62 (.694) from the line, while garnering 74 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass and a 3.7 rpg, 43 fouls (fouling out once), 37 assists, 60 turnovers (an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.6), 12 blocks, 41 steals and 273 points, for a 13.7 ppg. …………………………………………………… Alana Olson (Lakeland), a 5-11 guard and third-year science major from Maidstone, Sask. (Maidstone HS), started all 16 regular season conference games she played, for an average 35.2 mpg. She hit 77-219 (.352) from the floor, 29-87 (.675) from the arc and 52-77 (.675) from the line, while garnering 134 boards, including 40 on the offensive glass and an 8.4 rpg, 42 fouls, 20 assists, 52 turnovers (an assist-to-turnover ration of 0.4), 5 blocks, 19 steals and 235 points, for a 14.7 ppg. …………………………………………………… Dasia McDonald (Algonquin), a 5-6 guard and 2nd-year business administration major from Nepean, Ont. (St. Mother Theresa HS), was the OCAA East division player of the year and defensive player of the year. She started all 12 regular season conference games, playing an average 31.0 mpg. She hit 70-142 (.493) from the floor, 12-39 (.308) from the arc and 33-48 (.688) from the line, while garnering 93 boards, including 17 on the offensive glass and a 7.8 rpg, 40 assists, 20 turnovers (an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.0), 2 blocks, 63 steals and 185 points, for a 15.4 ppg. …………………………………………………… Kia Watt (Humber), a 5-6 guard and third-year criminal justice major from Toronto, Ont. Watt started all 16 regular season conference games, playing an average 30.4 mpg. She hit 89-223 (.399) from the floor, 23-82 (.280) from the arc and 33-66 from the line, while garnering 88 boards, including 18 on the offensive glass and a 5.5 rpg, 25 fouls, 71 assists, 56 turnovers (an assist-to-turnover ration of 1.3), 5 blocks, 44 steals and 234 points, for a 14.6 ppg. …………………………………………………… Chloe Oliver (Champlain St-Lambert), a 5-8 guard and third-year commerce major from St-Hubert, Que. (College Charles-Lemoyne) was the RSEQ player of the year. She started 11 of the 15 regular season conference games she played, for an average 31.0 mpg. She hit 79-200 (.395) from the floor, 22-72 (.306) from the arc and 51-64 (.797) from the line, while garnering 101 boards, including 37 on the offensive glass and a 6.7 rpg, 25 fouls (fouling out once), 39 assists, 52 turnovers, 2 blocks, 28 steals and 231 points, for a 15.4 ppg. …………………………………………………… Rosalie Mercille (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu), a 5-8 guard and second-year sciences major from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. (Cegep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu), started 12 of 14 regular season conference games, playing an average 31.5 mpg. She hit 73-194 (.376) from the floor, 24-90 (.267) from the arc and 59-79 (.747) from the line, while garnering 67 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass and a 4.8 rpg, 32 fouls (fouling out once), 31 assists, 30 turnovers, 5 blocks, 19 steals and 229 points, for a 16.4 ppg. …………………………………………………… Abby Miller (Mount Allison), a 5-11 forward and fourth-year arts major from Mount Denson, N.S. (Avon View HS), was the ACAA player of the year. She started all 15 regular season conference games she played, for an average 25.3 mpg. She hit 80-167 (.479) from the floor, 0-2 from the arc and 41-69 (.594) from the line, while garnering 119 boards, including 57 on the offensive glass and a 7.9 rpg, 37 fouls (fouling out once), 14 assists, 23 turnovers (an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.6), 8 blocks, 27 steals and 201 points, for a 13.4 ppg. …………………………………………………… Emily Holt (Mount Saint Vincent). A 5-10 forward and third-year arts major from Halifax, N.S. (Citadel HS), started all 16 regular season conference games she played, for an average 28.1 mpg. She hit 106-227 (.467) from the floor, 23-62 (.371) from the arc and 38-55 (.691) from the line, while garnering 149 boards, including 48 on the offensive glass and a 9.3 rpg, 33 fouls, 65 assists, 38 turnovers (an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.7), 8 blocks, 40 steals and 273 points, for a 17.1 ppg.