Fanshawe athletics doles out awards

Forty-two years later and still going strong, the Fanshawe Falcons athletics department held their annual athletics banquet on April 17 to help celebrate the athletic achievements for the 2008- 2009 school year and end off the year on a high note. Individual awards both athletic and academic were handed out to Falcons athletes. The evening got underway with greetings from dignitaries including from outgoing student union president, Jonathan Hillis, and outgoing vice-president of athletics, Lauren Walton.

There were lots of awards given out, but here are just some of the highlights of the evening.

Becky Pieterson took home the female athlete of the year award. Pieterson was a standout rookie runner for the Falcons Women's Cross Country Team; she helped the team win an overall gold medal at the OCAA championships, and also managed to bring home some hardware herself winning an individual bronze medal. Taking home the male athlete of year was Matt Szydlowski. He meant business both on and off the soccer pitch, completing his second level of the business and human resources program and had an active role playing on both the indoor and outdoor men's soccer teams, as well as being the captain of the outdoor men's soccer team.

Leadership is an active part for any award and it is especially present in the Les Zoltai award winner, Jabari Cooper. The award is given out to an athlete who doesn't just personify athletic achievement, but someone who plays an active part in intercollegiate, student union and various campus activities. Cooper has played an active role in the Fanshawe community by not only being a leader for the men's basketball team and now he is also leading all students on campus as the 2009-2010 student union president.

Finally it just wasn't students receiving special recognition, coaches did as well too. Paul D'Hollander, received the CCAA Coach of the Year award, he is in sixth year of coaching the men's indoor soccer team and ninth year of coaching men's outdoor soccer. He also took home the OCAA Coach of the Year award along with Josh Westgate (men's volleyball coach) and Matt White (women's basketball coach).

To find out more about the winners and accomplishments from the 08/09 school year visit www.fanshawec. ca/athletics