Alexa Normore and Ron Omara named StFX student-athletes of the year

ANTIGONISH, NS --- The StFX Athletic Department honored the athletic accomplishments of their varsity athletes Saturday evening at their annual awards gala at the Charles V. Keating Centre. X-Women hockey forward Alexa Normore was named the StFX Female Student-Athlete of the Year, while X-Men football linebacker Ron Omara was awarded StFX Male Student-Athlete of the Year honors. The StFX Female Community X-Cellence award was presented to Melissa Hardy from the X-Women cross country team, while X-Men football athlete Demetrius Ferguson was the winner of the StFX Male Community X-Cellence award.

Alexa Normore is a fourth year human kinetics student from Bedford, N.S. and a captain with the X-Women hockey team. The dynamic forward led the country in scoring this season with 48 points (15 goals and 33 assists) and was named the AUS most valuable player for the third consecutive year. Normore also garnered AUS first team all-star honors for the fourth consecutive season and has been a CIS All-Canadian in each of her four years with the blue and white. She won a gold medal with team Canada at the 2013 World University Games in Italy as a member of the CIS all-star team. Alexa becomes the third X-Women hockey player to be named the StFX Female Student-Athlete of the Year. Suzanne Fenerty (2008) and Brayden Ferguson (2007) were the other X-Women hockey athletes to receive the award.

Ron Omara is a third year arts student from Alymer, Que. who completed his fourth year of eligibility with the X-Men football team this past season. The 6’2” linebacker was honored as the 2013 AUS defensive player of the year, in addition to being named an AUS defensive all-star and CIS second team All-Canadian. Omara led the AUS conference in total tackles (62), solo tackles (47), and tackles per game (7.8). His 62 tackles were second best in the country. He will be competing in the upcoming CIS East West Bowl, a national all-star game featuring 2015 CFL draft-eligible athletes. Ron joins a list of over ten X-Men football athletes to be named the StFX Male Student-Athlete of the Year and the first since Steve Myddelton in 2009.

Melissa Hardy is a fifth year human nutrition student from Deer Lake, N.F. who was enrolled in a dietetic internship this year. A runner and AUS individual champion with both the X-Women cross country and track & field teams, she was a captain and leader in all facets of her involvement as a student-athlete at StFX. Honored with the ‘Leader of Distinction’ award as the highest honor bestowed on a StFX Leadership Academy participant, Melissa was also a member of the Student-Athlete Leadership Team where she was involved with X-Out Bullying and the X-Out Violence initiative, speaking out against the prevention of violence against women.

She is a member of the Stand Tall and Speak Up Mental Health Organizing Committee, the Food Service Advisory Committee, and helped facilitate nutrition assessment labs. Melissa has facilitated nutrition education sessions for a variety of athletic teams, as well as facilitating a focus group with various StFX student-athletes on the topic of nutrition. She was a member of the organizing committee for the ‘Leading the Way on Obesity Prevention and Management’ workshop, performs individual nutrition counseling with StFX students and is involved with GASHA’s inter-professional education program. Melissa has volunteered her time with local junior and intermediate cross country teams, and she recently completed her CanFitPro personal training certification course.

Demetrius Ferguson is a second year business student from Nassau, Bahamas who wrapped up his fifth year of eligibility with the X-Men football team and second year of eligibility with the AUS champion track & field team. Demetrius was the co-chair of the Student-Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) where he dedicated weekly hours to organizing community initiatives, including co-chairing the annual X Athletes for Charity event. He is a member of the X-Men football Unity Council, as voted on by his peers, and is a member of the Veteran Leaders program with the StFX Leadership Academy. Demetrius is also involved with X-Out Bullying, the Black Student Advisory organization and the X-Out Violence initiative to promote the prevention of violence against women. He volunteered at the international students ‘Culture Shock’ event, has been a volunteer flag football referee and lent his time to the Student Union during frosh week.

Demetrius also volunteered with the local Antigonish community food bank, canvassed for the Alzheimer’s Society with the X-Men football team, and while home in P.E.I. during the summer his charity hours included time at a local community centre, volunteering at youth sports camps and running youth fitness classes. He helped raise funds for youth who cannot afford sports equipment and donated equipment back to the kids in his community, in honor of his mother who passed away from cancer.

Dr. Sean Riley was honored as the recipient of the StFX Athletics ‘X-Ceptional Award,’ which recognizes individuals who go above and beyond to contribute in a positive manner to StFX Athletics. The president of StFX University, Dr. Riley is wrapping up 18 years at the helm of the university as he retires this coming spring. An avid supporter of StFX Athletics, Dr. Riley has been one of the biggest fans of all the X-Women and X-Men teams throughout his presidency. He attends as many games and championships as possible and has an annual tradition of not only attending a varsity practice for each team, but training alongside the student-athletes. Over his 18 years at StFX, Dr. Riley has shared in the achievement of seven CIS national championships, 51 AUS championships, 116 CIS All-Canadians and 742 CIS Academic All-Canadians.

Bernie Chisholm was named the winner of the StFX Coach of the Year award. In his 28th season behind the helm of the cross country team, Coach Chisholm led the X-Men to a third consecutive AUS championship banner and the X-Women to a second place finish. With the track and field team, Coach Chisholm’s X-Men brought home the first ever AUS banner for the university and the X-Women finished in a close second place. He also garnered two AUS Coach of the Year awards, for both men’s cross country and men’s track & field.

Three StFX varsity teams, three track and field relay teams, eight individual track and field athletes and one X-Women cross country athlete received their traditional varsity ‘X’s in honor of their AUS championships from this past season. AUS championship teams included the X-Women rugby, X-Men cross country and X-Men track & field teams, while the AUS champion track and field relay teams included the X-Women 4x200m, X-Women 4x400m and X-Men 4x400m teams. Individual AUS champions honored were track and field athletes Liz O’Connell (1500m), Melissa Hardy (3000m), Eilish MacQuarrie (300m), Abbi Finnan (60m and 60m hurdles), Robert Kennedy (shot put), Andrew Bain (600m), Mackenzie Munroe (300m), and Bryden Tate (1500m and 3000m). Hardy was also honored as the AUS individual women’s cross country champion.

X-Men and X-Women student-athletes who received AUS and CIS accolades were recognized for their achievements as StFX Athletics produced 33 AUS all-stars, four AUS all-rookies, 15 AUS major awards winners and five CIS all-Canadians this past varsity season. All student-athletes who consumed their first year of eligibility received their traditional StFX varsity pins. 

Student therapists and student managers from all StFX varsity teams were presented with plaques of appreciation for their contributions to the 2013-14 varsity season, with StFX soccer manager Drew MacQuarrie and X-Women basketball manager Corinne Scott receiving the male and female student-manager of the year awards. The evening was dedicated in memory of former X-Women volleyball student-athlete Melissa Landry who tragically passed away this past December.

Individual awards for each varsity team were handed out by StFX coaches to the athletes in the categories as listed below.

2014 StFX Athletic Awards Gala – Individual Award Winners

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL     
Rookie of the Year – Kim Taylor   
Coach’s Award – Rebecca Sheehan     
Most Valuable Player – Lia St. Pierre 

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY    
Rookie of the Year – Beth MacDonald    
Coach’s Award (co-awarded) – Liz O’Connell and Alexa Zarins    
Runner of the Year – Melissa Hardy 

WOMEN’S HOCKEY      
Rookie of the Year – Daley Oddy    
Coach’s Award – Kelsey Farrell 
Most Valuable Player (co-awarded) – Alex Normore and Jenna Pitts

WOMEN’S RUGBY      
Duffley Rookie of the Year (co-awarded) – Miranda Sample and Jaelei Meyer  
Birks Coaches Award – Vanessa Duffley
Most Valuable Player – Zahra Batool       

WOMEN'S SOCCER      
Rookie of the Year – Brittany Parks    
Coaches Award – Melanie Sunada    
Most Valuable Player – Alix Bruch 

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD    
Rookie of the Year – Abbi Finnan    
Coach’s Award – Bridget Brennan    
Track Athlete of the Year – Eilish MacQuarrie
 
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Rookie of the Year – Kevin Bercy
Most Improved Player – Cameron Walker
Most Valuable Player – Will Donkoh

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Rookie of the Year – Alex Neuffer
Coach’s Award – Riley Johnston
Runner of the Year – Scott Donald

MEN’S FOOTBALL
Rookie of the Year – Keon Hughes
Best Defensive Player – Hugo Rajotte
Best Offensive Player – Devon Bailey
Most Valuable Player – Ron Omara

MEN’S HOCKEY
Rookie of the Year – Nathan Chiarlitti
Melanson Top Scorer Award – Jason Bast
Unsung Hero Award – Murdock MacLellan
Most Valuable Player – Rob Slaney

MEN'S SOCCER
Rookie of the Year – Natneal Tecle
Coaches Award – Max Maund
Most Valuable Player – Randy Ribeiro

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD
Rookie of the Year (co-awarded) – Adam Mitchell and Andrew Bain
Coach’s Award – Robert Kennedy
Track Athlete of the Year – Bryden Tate

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