Warriors honour their top athletes
V-ball’s Mackenzie, football’s Ford named UW’s top performers
WATERLOO — Volleyball star Claire Mackenzie and football quarterback Tre Ford claimed the top awards at the University of Waterloo’s 59th annual athletics banquet on Friday night.
Mackenzie was awarded the Marsden Trophy as female athlete of the year after a standout season with the women’s volleyball team. The Vancouver native capped off an illustrious five-year career, winning Ontario University Athletics bronze on home court after leading her team to a program’s best, 17-2 regular season record.
Ford was presented the Totzke Trophy as male athlete of the year thanks to one of the most memorable seasons the football program has seen. The secondyear player from Niagara Falls electrified the crowd on a weekly basis putting up eye-popping numbers, leading the OUA in touchdown passes (27), passing yards (2,822), and completion percentage (an OUA record 74.1 per cent). The league MVP also threw the fewest interceptions among all qualified passers (two), while rushing for 641 yards — good for sixth in the OUA.
“It was another outstanding season for our Warriors, including several standout individual and team performances,” said Roly Webster, Waterloo’s director of athletics and recreation.
“It’s always incredibly fun to have 600 student-athletes together in the same room celebrating all that they have accomplished academically and athletically. I am very proud of each and every student-athlete that represented the Warriors with pride and passion this past season.”
Meanwhile, Jorg Ahne of track, Jesse Gibbon from football and John Willsey from curling won the Warrior Shield of Excellence, which recognizes outstanding accomplishments by a graduating student-athlete in their sport, academics and community service.
Ahne, the 2018 Marsden Trophy winner finished his illustrious career with three U Sports medals (two gold, one silver) four OUA medals (two gold, two silver) and was a three-time U Sports all-Canadian and four time OUA all-star.
Gibbon capped off his fouryear career with an all-Canadian nod and was also a 2018 OUA first-team all-star. The offensive lineman was also invited to the CFL National Combine where he turned heads and is expected to be drafted within the first three rounds of the CFL draft on May 2.
Willsey guided the Warriors to two U Sports championships where they finished fourth overall in 2018. He is also a back-toback OUA all-star and two-time OUA medallist.
Volleyball player Sarah Glynn and swimmer Lukas Wormald were selected as Waterloo’s top rookies. Glynn, from Fredericton, N.B., was named the U Sports rookie of the year and all-rookie, the OUA west rookie of the year as well as a member of the west first-team all-stars and all-rookie team.
Wormald took the OUA swim scene by storm winning three medals, including two individual golds at the OUA championships. The Kitchener native led men’s swimming to its best result in 30 years, an OUA silver medal, and held his own on the national stage, finishing seventh in the 200-metre individual medley with a personal-best time.
Volleyball coach Richard Eddy, the OUA and U Sports coach of the year, was named UW’s coach of the year after leading his team to OUA bronze. His team was ranked as high as No. 3 nationally. The volleyball squad was named UW’s team of the year.
Jason Coolman won the Warrior campus service award, Tyson Turchanski took the J.O. Hemphill award, Megan Muir received the Directors award, Callum Spurr and Jesurun Wong shared the Brian Farrance award.