Ottawa Gee-Gee post Hannah Sunley-Paisley was named recipient of the Copp Award. In her fifth and final season, the 6-1 senior led the OUA and finished fifth in the country in scoring with an average of 18.5 points per game. She was equally dominant under the boards, placing seventh in the nation with 9.5 rebounds per contest, including a CIS-best 4.3 at the offensive end of the court. The arts student also finished in the CIS top 10 in blocks (1.2 per game) and field goal percentage (50.1), recorded 12 double-doubles in 22 league games, and guided the Gee-Gees to first place in the OUA East standings with a 19-3 record. Sunley-Paisley was voted to the first all-Canadian squad for the first time in her career, following second-team nods each of the past two campaigns. The three-time OUA East MVP is the all-time uOttawa leader in scoring and rebounding. At the OUA level, she ranks second for career rebounds and sixth in points. “Hannah is an outstanding athlete who is able to control a game on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor,” said Ottawa head coach Andy Sparks. “She has brought a tremendous amount to the program at the University of Ottawa and was instrumental in the success of the team over the past five years.”
Regina’s Dave Taylor was named recipient of the Ennis award. In his sixth year at the helm, Taylor led Regina to its first-ever undefeated conference season thanks to a 20-0 mark. The Cougars were the highest-scoring team in the country in league play with an average of 84.2 points per game, led all 14 national polls during the season and head into the CIS championship with a remarkable 35-2 overall record against CIS opponents. Taylor, who guided his troops to back-to-back CIS finals in 2008 and 2009, ranks second in the school’s all-time record book in both conference wins (99) and postseason victories (23). He joined the Cougars as an assistant coach under Christine Stapleton in 1993-94 and helped the program win its lone Bronze Baby title in 2001. “Dave’s success is directly attributable to his exceptional work ethic and his commitment to excellence in every aspect of the Cougar women’s basketball program,” said Regina athletics director Dick White.
St. Francis Xavier’s 5-11 point guard Vanessa Pickard was named recipient of the Shields award. The Riverview, N.B. native led the team in scoring in her university debut with 17.2 points per game, an average that ranked first amongst CIS freshmen, fourth overall in the Atlantic conference and tenth in the country. The third most utilized player in the Maritimes with 34.1 minutes of court time per contest, the human kinetics student was also third in the league in steals (50), fourth in free throw percentage (82.3) and ninth in assists (73) en route to a selection as a second-team AUS all-star. “Vanessa has been a truly outstanding addition to the team since she arrived on campus. Our program definitely expected big things from her coming out of high school, but she has surpassed our expectations,” said X-Women coach Matt Skinn. “Off the court, she is a fantastic student, and is a prime example of an all-around student-athlete. Her transition to the CIS level has been a smooth one, and I am excited to see what she is going to continue to bring to our program in the future.”
Windsor’s Miah-Marie Langlois was named Defensive Player of the Year. The Windsor native and 5-8 junior was also voted to the second all-Canadian team after she led the country with 3.5 steals per game and finished first in the nation amongst point guards with 5.2 defensive rebounds per contest. The Lancers ranked second in CIS allowing only 51.7 points on average in conference play. The business economics student also chipped in offensively this season with an OUA-best 4.9 assists per game and an 11.6-point average, good for second on her team. She helped the Lancers take first place in the OUA West for the fourth straight campaign with a 20-2 mark and achieve No. 2 status in 12 of 14 weekly coaches’ polls. “I am extremely proud of Miah’s development this year because of the commitment she made to become a top defensive player in the OUA,” said Windsor coach Chantal Vallée. “We always knew what a tremendous offensive player she was but this year she grew into a force in all facets of the game. Her defensive stats in CIS speak for themselves and I believe her play this year was a big factor in our team’s overall success.”
Joining Sunley-Paisley as first-team all-Canadians were: Cassie Cooke (Cape Breton); Joanna Zalesiak (Regina); Kaylah Barrett (Concordia); and Jessica Clemencon (Windsor). …………………………………………………… Cooke, a 2nd-year 5-8 guard and business administration student from Westminster, Maryland, was the AUAA player of the year. She appeared in the top ten of nearly every AUS offensive statistical category, leading both the AUS and CIS in total points scored with 471 and 23.6 ppg. Her 471 single-season point tally is also the fifth highest total in AUS history. She was also a first team all-star and led the AUAA in three-point field goals with 55. She was also third in AUS steals (35), and tied for third in total assists with 81. She helped to lead her Capers team to a second-place finish with a 15-5 record. “Cassie’s versatility has been a tough match up for many opponents this season,” said Cape Breton coach Fabian McKenzie. “Her quickness allows her to penetrate to the rim while her ability to shoot the ball from deep range makes her a dangerous offensive weapon.” …………………………………………………… Zalesiak, a 4th-year point guard and kinesiology student from Gorzow, Poland, was the Canada West player of the year. The 5-7 Zalesiak ran an offence that averaged 84.2 points per game during the conference schedule, the third-highest in conference history. Zalesiak led the conference with 117 assists, averaging just under six per game. She also led the team in steals (57), minutes played and was second on the Cougars with 137 rebounds. “Joanna’s ability to push the ball in transition and attack the defence was instrumental in helping us go 20-0 during conference play. Her work ethic is second to none and she gladly decreased her scoring average this year to help make us better as a team,” said Cougars coach Dave Taylor. “She makes everyone around her better.” …………………………………………………… Barrett, a 2nd-year guard and religion student from Brampton, Ont., was the player of the year in the RSEQ. She was the league’s second leading scorer, averaging 15.5 points per game and the conference leader with 2.1 steals per match. Barrett finished third in the league in rebounding with 6.5 boards per game. …………………………………………………… Clemencon, a 3rd-year arts & English student from Saint-Rambert, France, was the OUA West player of the year. She finished the year with 387 points and third overall with an average of 17.59 points per game. She was efficient in reaching these totals, posting a 53.1 field goal percentage and also converting 82 percent of her free throws, which put her second in the league in both categories. Clemencon was also a first-team OUA West all-star.
Joining Langlois on the second team all-Canadians were: Justine Colley (Saint Mary’s); Katie Miyazaki (Saskatchewan); Emma Duinker (Acadia); and Diane Schuetze (Thompson Rivers). …………………………………………………… Colley, a 3rd-year guard and commerce student from East Preston, N.S. …………………………………………………… Miyazaki, a 5th-year guard from Richmond, B.C., was the Canada West defensive player of the year for the third consecutive year. She helped lead the Huskies to a 10-game winning streak and a 17-5 conference record. The graduate studies student finished the season in the top 10 in three statistical categories. She was fourth in the conference, averaging 15.2 points per game, fourth in rebounding, nabbing 142 boards and seventh in assists, with 76. She also helped the Huskies hold opponents to averaging just 62.5 points per game and 38 steals. “Katie epitomizes the adage that great players make those around them better,” said Huskies coach Lisa Thomaidis. “Unselfish almost to a fault, Katie has been a huge reason why our young team has overachieved this season. She has simply made everyone around her a better player. She is a difference-maker at both ends of the floor – something few athletes have the ability to do. She’s had a tremendous year.” …………………………………………………… Duinker, a 5th-year forward from Cambridge, N.S. …………………………………………………… Schuetze, a 4th-year tourism student from Vernon, B.C.
Joining Pickard on the all-rookie team were: Dalyce Emmerson (Saskatchewan); Kellie Ring (Ottawa); Dianna Ros (McGill); and Tessa Stammberger (Dalhousie). …………………………………………………… Emmerson, from Prince Albert, Sask., was Canada West rookie of the year. The 6-3 post was also a second team all-star, while averaging 10.5 rpg. She averaged 13.4 points per game, had a conference-best 11 double-doubles and was one of just two players in the country to average double-digits in both rebounding and scoring. “Dalyce has had one of the most outstanding rookie seasons of anyone that I have seen in the Canada West in my 14 seasons,” said Huskies coach Lisa Thomaidis. “She has shown exceptional progress over the course of the season due to her intelligence and coachability. We are beyond excited to see what is next for Dalyce.” …………………………………………………… Ring, a communications major from Ottawa, Ont., was OUA East rookie of the year. Ring dished out 105 assists on the year to finish second in OUA and also tallied 55 steals, good for seventh in the league. …………………………………………………… Ros, a physical therapy student from Montreal, Que., was the RSEQ rookie of the year. The 5-7 point guard finished fourth in league scoring, averaging 6.5 points per game while placing second in three-point shooting percentage, draining 34.3% of her attempts from beyond the arc. The graduate of the Collège Montmorency also averaged 1.9 assists per game. …………………………………………………… Stammberger, a kinesiology student from Kensington, PEI