Dinos name athletes of the year
After seasons that saw them shine on both the conference and national stages, DaLeaka Menin and Thomas Cooper were rewarded for their outstanding seasons with the University of Calgary Dinos on Tuesday night.
There was impressive competition from around the Dinos athletic world, no question, but it would be hard for any school to argue with the likes of Menin and Cooper being named as its athletes of the year.
Menin became the first player in the history of the Dinos women’s rugby program to be recognized with the university’s Dr. Dennis Kadatz award after an outstanding season in which she helped lead the team to a national bronze medal.
That was the Dinos women’s rugby team’s best ever finish ever, and as co-captain, Menin was one of the leaders both on and off the field.
She was named both Canada West and U Sports player of the year, as well as being a first team all-Canadian and conference allstar, and was also part of the team that won the Canada West Rugby Sevens Series title in February.
Cooper, the men’s recipient of the Dr. Dennis Kadatz award, became the first men’s basketball player since Ross Bekkering in 2009 to be named athlete of the year.
Cooper became the third Dinos men’s basketball player to be named an all-Canadian for twostraight season after leading the Dinos to a No. 1 seed in the conference playoffs and an appearance in the U Sports Final 8 this year.
He averaged 22.7 points per game and led the country in total points scored.
Menin beat out wrestling champion Cara Nania, national field athlete of the year Niki Oudenaarden, women’s soccer MVP Jordan Smith and Teitope Ogunjimi, who played rugby and was a Canada West wrestling champion.
Cooper, meanwhile, got the nod over Dinos standouts Adam Laurensse, from the football team, Canada West men’s hockey MVP Elgin Pearce, soccer striker Dominic Russo and Curtis Stockton, who starred for the volleyball team.