Montreal, Quebec native Robertha Charles has been named to the AUS women;s basketball rookie team.
Full awards announcement
2016-17 AUS Women's Basketball Awards and All-Stars Announced
Cape Breton’s Alison Keough named AUS most valuable player
(HALIFAX, N.S.) - Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2016-17 AUS women's basketball all-stars and major award winners as selected by the conference's eight head coaches following regular season play.
Fourth-year Cape Breton forward Alison Keough was named the Atlantic University Sport most valuable player at Thursday’s awards dinner banquet held at the Westin Nova Scotian in Halifax, N.S.
Other AUS major award winners announced during the banquet were UPEI’s Jenna Mae Ellsworth of Charlottetown, P.E.I., who was named AUS rookie of the year; UNB’s Katelyn Mangold of Peterborough, Ont., who was named AUS defensive player of the year; Memorial’s Brooklynn Wright of Cambridge, Ont., who is the AUS Tracy MacLeod Award Nominee; Acadia’s Chanel Smith of Bedford, N.S., who received the student-athlete community service award; and Saint Mary’s head coach Scott Munro, who was named the AUS coach of the year for the third time in his career.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Alison Keough, Cape Breton Capers
Alison Keough, a six-foot-one forward with the Cape Breton Capers, is the Atlantic University Sport women's basketball most valuable player.
The fourth-year business and science student from Marion Bridge, N.S., led the AUS conference in rebounding this season, averaging 9.9 rebounds per game. Her 7.4 defensive rebounds per game were the third most in U Sports.
Keough was the Capers’ leading scorer, averaging 19.3 points per game—good for second in AUS and third in U Sports.
In 80 games started and played over four seasons with Cape Breton, Keough has amassed 1,351 career points. Her 782 rebounds are the most in Capers’ history and place her fourth in AUS all-time record books with a season of eligibility remaining.
She was also named an AUS first team all-star tonight for the third consecutive year. Last season, she was also named a second team all-Canadian. In her first season with Cape Breton in 2013-14, she was named a member of AUS all-rookie team, an AUS second team all-star and the AUS and CIS (now U Sports) rookie of the year.
Keough is the fourth player from the Capers to be named the conference most valuable player and the first since 2011-12 when former Cape Breton standout Cassie Cooke earned the honour. She will now become the AUS nominee for the Nan Copp Award for U Sports player of the year. Former Saint Mary’s Huskies standout Justine Colley is the only AUS women’s basketball player to ever take home CIS MVP honours. She earned back-to-back Nan Copp awards in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Jenna Mae Ellsworth, UPEI Panthers
Jenna Mae Ellsworth of the UPEI Panthers is the AUS women’s basketball rookie of the year.
A five-foot-10 guard from Charlottetown, P.E.I., Ellsworth has made an instant impact with the Panthers, starting in 18 games this season.
In her freshman year with UPEI, she led the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per game.
She also finished tied for first in the conference in assists, averaging 3.3 per game. And second in AUS in steals with 2.8 per game.
Ellsworth’s stats also included an average of 4.9 rebounds per game.
Along with being honoured as the conference’s top rookie, she earned a place on the AUS all-rookie team and was named an AUS second team all-star.
Ellsworth will now represent the conference as the AUS nominee for the Kathy Shields Award.
Alison Keough of the Cape Breton Capers (in 2013-14), Vanessa Pickard of StFX (2011-12) and Claire Colborne of UNB (2010-11) are the most recent AUS players to win the national rookie of the year award.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Katelyn Mangold, UNB Varsity Reds
Katelyn Mangold of the UNB Varsity Reds women's basketball team is the Wilsons Security Defensive Player of the Year.
A fifth-year law student from Peterborough, Ont., Mangold received a $1,000 prize from Wilsons Security at this year’s awards banquet in recognition of her tireless efforts on the court this season.
The six-foot-two post started 19 games for the Varsity Reds this season and finished first in the conference and second in the country in blocks, averaging 2.5 per game.
She led UNB in defensive rebounds per game, averaging 5.7, and in total rebounds per game with 7.7.
Mangold and the Varsity Reds squad allowed the fewest points per game this season, averaging just 53.1. They finished with a 15-5 regular season record—good for second in the AUS standings.
In five seasons with UNB, Mangold’s career defensive statistics include 1.9 blocks per game and 5.2 defensive rebounds per game.
Her 589 career rebounds place her fourth in UNB school history.
She will now become the Atlantic conference nominee for the U Sports defensive player of the year award.
Kennisha-Shanice Luberisse of the Saint Mary’s Huskies earned the national honour last year. She is the only AUS player to ever be honoured with the U Sports (formerly CIS) award.
DR. CAROLYN SAVOY AWARD (AUS COACH OF THE YEAR): Scott Munro, Saint Mary’s
Head coach Scott Munro of the U Sports No. 10-ranked Saint Mary’s Huskies is the 2016-17 recipient of the Dr. Carolyn Savoy Memorial Award for AUS coach of the year for the second consecutive season.
This is the third time in his nine years at the helm of the program that he has received the honour.
The four-time defending AUS champion Huskies finished first in this year’s regular season standings with a 15-1 record. The Huskies defence allowed an average of just 58.4 points per game against this season.
Before joining the Huskies as head coach in 2008, Munro spent many of his formative years with Saint Mary’s, including working as an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s teams between 1995-2003.
The NCCP level three certified coach from Fredericton, N.B. has led the Nova Scotia Provincial Team nine times on both the men’s and women’s side as head coach. Munro coached team Nova Scotia in the 2005 Canada Summer Games, leading the province to its first medal in 29 years. He also served as head coach for the squad at the 2009 Canada Summer Games.
From 2003-2008, Munro spent his time as head coach for the University of King’s College Blue Devils, leading the team to a regular season conference championship, and was selected ACAA Coach of the Year for 2007-08.
He is one out of just two Huskies coaches to be named AUS coach of the year and the first from Saint Mary’s to earn the honour more than once. Jill Healy is the only other Saint Mary’s coach to be named AUS coach of the year, claiming the award in 1997-98.
Munro now becomes the AUS nominee for U Sports coach of the year, hoping to earn the honour for the second time in his career. He is the latest Atlantic conference coach to win the award, previously earning the honour in the 2012-2013 season.
TRACY MACLEOD AWARD NOMINEE: Brooklynn Wright, Memorial Sea-Hawks
Brooklynn Wright of the Memorial Sea-Hawks is the 2016-17 AUS nominee for the CIS Tracy MacLeod Award.
This award rewards a women's basketball player who demonstrates determination, perseverance and unwavering spirit to continue playing the game of basketball.
A six-foot-two third-year forward from Cambridge, Ont., sustained a torn ACL injury in her first season with the Sea-Hawks.
Wright has battled her way back from injury and improved steadily each season.
This season, she played in all 20 games for the Sea-Hawks, starting in 18 of them and averaging 25.5 minutes per game.
Wright averaged 8.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game for Memorial.
“Brook had to sit out her first year and await surgery that spring,” said Memorial head coach Mark English. “She was away from her family and it was a tough season for her. She had her surgery and went through the long, painstaking recovery process. She could have taken the easy road and stayed home after this devastating injury, but she didn’t. She put in countless hours of physio and strength trainng to get herself back in a Seahawks uniform.
“Brooklynn has overcome adversity through rebounding from a major physical and mental barrier, in order to develop into the player that she always had the potential to be. Through this experience, she has become a role model to her teammates and to all student-athletes.”
Wright now becomes the AUS nominee for the U Sports Tracy MacLeod Award. The only two AUS players to take home the national honour have been Memorial’s Brittany Dalton (2010-11) and Dalhousie’s Janet Wells (1999-00).
STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Katie Ross, Acadia Axewomen
Fourth-year Acadia Axewomen guard Katie Ross is the 2016-17 recipient of the AUS student-athlete community service award and the AUS nominee for the U Sports Sylvia Sweeney award.
The kinesiology student from Bedford, N.S., is a four-time academic all-Canadian.
She volunteers her time with the Annapolis Valley Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre. She is heavily involved in the Kinderskills and the Rec Buddies programs.
Ross is also involved with Acadia’s S.M.I.L.E. program (Sensory Motor Instructional Learning Experience), working with children with autism to develop motor, cognitive and social learning skills.
On the court, Ross started in 16 games for the Axewomen this season. She averaged 8.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
She is also one of AUS’s few dual student-athletes. She is also a member of Acadia’s women’s soccer team.
“Katie is an exceptional candidate for the Sylvia Sweeney Community Service award,” said Axewomen basketball head coach Len Harvey. “She is the most remarkable student-athlete I have coached in my time as an assistant or head coach at this level."She somehow manages to be a dual-sport athlete, excelling and starting for both the basketball and soccer teams at Acadia, maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA in a difficult academic program, all while volunteering more than anyone else on our team. She is one of the main leaders in our locker room, and is a friend to everyone she meets.”
Ross now becomes the AUS nominee for the U Sports Sylvia Sweeney Award. Ainsley MacIntyre from the Dalhousie Tigers won the national honour last season. She is the only AUS student-athlete ever to do so.
FIRST AND SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS AND ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
The Atlantic University Sport first and second team all-stars were also announced Thursday, along with this year's all-rookie team.
First Team All-Stars:
Alison Keough, Cape Breton (4th year – Marion Bridge, N.S.)
Paloma Anderson, Acadia (4th year – Phoenix, Arizona)
Angelina Carvery, Saint Mary’s (5th year – Halifax, N.S.)
Laura Kaye, UNB (4th year – Fredericton, N.B.)
Sydney Stewart, Memorial (3rd year – Sarnia, Ont.)
Second Team All-Stars:
Jenna Mae Ellsworth, UPEI (1st year – Charlottetown, P.E.I.)
Kennisha-Shanice Luberisse (3rd year – Montreal, Que.)
Hannah Currie, UNB (4th year – Collingwood, Ont.)
Chanel Smith, Acadia (4th year – Halifax, N.S.)
Colleen Keane (5th year – Scarborough, Ont.)
All-Rookie Team:
Jenna Mae Ellsworth, UPEI (Charlottetown, P.E.I.)
Mikaela Dodig, UNB (Bolton, Ont.)
Robertha Charles, Dalhousie (Montreal, Que.)
Jasmine Cain, Saint Mary’s (Halifax, N.S.)
Karla Yepez, UPEI (Quito, Ecuador)
The 2017 Subway AUS Women’s Basketball Championship will be hosted by the AUS conference office at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, N.S., March 3-5, 2017.
The championship schedule is as follows: (seeding in brackets)
Friday, March 3
Quarterfinal #1: Acadia (5) vs. UPEI (4), 1 p.m.
Quarterfinal #2: Memorial (6) vs. Cape Breton (3), 3 p.m.
Saturday, March 4
Semifinal #1: Winner QF#1 vs. Saint Mary’s (1), 1 p.m.
Semifinal #2: Winner QF#2 vs. UNB (2), 3 p.m.
Sunday, March 5
Final: SF1 Winner vs. SF2 Winner, 1 p.m.
Final AUS standings: http://atlanticuniversitysport.com/sports/wbkb/2016-17/standings.
All games of championship will be broadcast live on Fibe TV (on TV1—channels 1 and 401) and available via webcast at www.AUStv.ca.
For more information on the 2017 Subway AUS Basketball Championships, visit the event website at: www.AUSHoops.ca.
The AUS champion will advance to the 2017 Arcelormittal Dofasco U Sports Women’s Basketball Final 8 championship, being hosted by the University of Victoria, March 9-12 in Victoria, B.C.
Only the AUS champion is guaranteed a berth in the national championship.
For more information about the U Sports championship, please visit http://en.usports.ca/championships/wbkb/index.
-30-
For further information, please visit www.atlanticuniversitysport.com, or contact:
Jess Burns
Communications & Marketing Manager
Atlantic University Sport
P: (902)425-4235
C: (902)478-7057
E: jburns@atlanticuniversitysport.com