Werre named player of year
Basketball teams in ACAC playoffs today
She’s been the face of the Medicine Hat College Rattlers, and now Kennedy Werre is the face of her conference.
The fifth-year women’s basketball player was named Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference player of the year Wednesday at SAIT, where her team plays a league quarterfinal tonight against Concordia.
“When you think of Rattlers women’s basketball you think of Kennedy Werre,” said her coach, Clayton Nielsen, in a press release. “Kennedy brings hard work, drive, leadership and the higher level of compete needed to play post-secondary basketball. She is a role model to young female basketball players and always has time to talk to them. Her growth as a basketball player has been tremendous, but not as much as her growth as a leader and as a person. She leads our team with her desire to win and determination to get better.”
Already the ACAC’s all-time rebounding leader with 1,053, the press release noted she’s also broken the single-season record for defensive boards this year at 189. Add to that 16 points per game (fourth in the ACAC) and she’s a huge reason Medicine Hat is even in the playoffs.
With a year left in her education degree, Werre is already coaching the next generation. An honour roll student, she was named an all-Canadian by the ACAC and a first-team all-star in the South Division.
Joining Werre in the all-star parade was teammate Kendell Kuntz, named a second-team all-star after averaging 14 points per game. Both are local products, with Werre a Monsignor McCoy grad and Kuntz an Eagle Butte alumnus.
As for the team, the Rattlers finished 14-7 to take the third seed in their division. Concordia went 16-8 to take second in the North and is led by guard Morgan Dool’s 13 points per game. Their top rebounder is a rookie, Ann Ulmer, with only six per contest. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m.
Keyano and host SAIT are the top seeds in the women’s draw. Keyano faces St. Mary’s, SAIT plays NAIT and the other quarter-final pits Lakeland against Olds.
The weekend’s two finalists advance to play at nationals in New Brunswick March 15-17.
Men’s basketball
There might be a lot of new faces but it’s the same situation for the Rattlers men’s basketball team this weekend as it’s been the last few years — high expectations.
At 16-5 the Rattlers tied SAIT for the top record in the South but only beat the Trojans once in three tries, thus relegated to the No. 2 seed. They play North No. 3 seed Lakeland in a 6 p.m. quarter-final at Val Matteotti Gymnastium in Lethbridge tonight.
Jon Sappleton (18 points, 10 rebounds per game) and Aaron Cameron (20 points per game) were both named ACAC South first-team allstars Wednesday but the truth is the men’s team has depth to spare.
At 16-8 Lakeland is led by forward Prentice Gardner’s 17 points and three assists per game, though fellow starter Artavis Holiday isn’t far behind with 15 and also adds nine rebounds a night.
Nationals are in Laval, Que. this year from March 1517.