Trent Excalibur Athletes and Coaches Honoured by Ontario University Athletics
Rowing coaches of the year, women’s lacrosse MVPs and rookie of the year among OUA awards and team success in 2015 season
This past weekend was one for the books for the Trent Excalibur Rowing and Women’s Lacrosse teams, where both sports saw athletes and coaches recognized by Ontario University Athletics (OUA).
At the rowing OUA championships in St. Catharines the men’s team shone. Head coach, Jack Lapum was awarded Head Coach of the Year for varsity men’s rowing. This award comes as a result of the unprecedented success of the men’s rowing program at Trent which was proven in competition over the weekend. Joshua King took home gold in the men’s lightweight single and together with Alex Watson, also won in the lightweight men’s double category. Graham Peeters and Trevor Jones also took home gold in the heavyweight men’s double.
“It is an honour to be named the OUA varsity rowing men’s coach of the year, but it really speaks to the talent and hard work of the athletes,” said Mr. Lapum who simultaneously coached the lightweight and heavyweight men’s programs this season.
The women’s rowing program experienced similar success in the 2015 season. The novice team took home their second OUA gold at the weekend’s development regatta. The coaches of the team, Terry Kelly from Peterborough Rowing Club, and Rory Lepage, a Trent rowing alumnus, were presented with the Women’s Development Coaches of the Year award for their success this season, introducing 18 new female athletes to the sport.
Members of Trent’s varsity rowing program will travel this weekend to Antigonish, Nova Scotia to compete at the Canadian University Rowing Championships (CURC) on Saturday and Sunday. This is the first year in several years that Trent has sent a full slate of athletes to the CURCs.
The Women’s Lacrosse team also finished their season in style at the OUA Championship tournament, hosted by University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), last weekend. Following the game, OUA presented awards to top performers of the season, including three of Trent’s own. Leah Ogilvie, second year Sociology student, took home OUA Women’s Lacrosse Offensive MVP of the year, Denise Miller, second year Indigenous Studies student and Trent’s goaltender, took home Defensive MVP of the year, and Mikayla Hicks, first year student, took home Rookie of the Year.
“These three girls demonstrate the talent and character that is at Trent University. They are respected throughout the league as excellent players, and will be three players to watch moving into next season,” said Tori Wasson, coach of the women’s lacrosse team. “The awards are a true statement of their dedication to the sport, and their ability to lead in each area of the field. I could not be more proud of these girls. The awards are much deserved.”
One of Canada's top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that's personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent's unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent's students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent's Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.
Alex Bridal,
athlete development coordinator,
Athletics & Recreation, Trent University,
(705) 748-1011 x6278
varsity@trentu.ca