The annual awards honor student athletes, coaches and teams for the Kodiaks. (Photo: LethbridgeNewsNow)

By Christian Oldale

Lethbridge College Kodiaks celebrate 2023 KODI award winners

Apr 14, 2023 | 11:25 AM

Lethbridge, AB – The Lethbridge College Kodiaks capped off their athletics season by presenting the 2023 KODI Awards on Thursday, April 13, 2023.

The awards were selected by members of the Kodiaks Athletics administration team and use the results of a public vote that had 615 participants, a new record for the awards. Votes were steered by the three pillars of Kodiaks Athletics – academic accountability, athletic excellence, and the student-athlete experience.

The men’s indoor track team was named the Val and Flora Matteotti Kodiaks Team of the Year, following a season that saw them break school and Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) records, collect gold medals and win the ACAC championship.

Gunnarr Gibb and Cooper Williams were named to the All-Conference Team, Simon Schaerz was named the indoor track Coach of the Year. Williams was also named Rookie of the Year for indoor track and Rookie of the Year across all sports in the ACAC.

Williams and volleyball player Jamie Brown were recognized as the Student Athletes of the Year.

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Williams earned the award after earning a spot on the All-Conference Team for both cross-country and indoor track. The Kodiaks say he was a big factor in the team winning bronze at cross-country championships and gold at indoor track championships and is a CCAA Academic All-Canadian.

Brown earned the women’s honour after being named an All-Conference outside hitter, ACAC Player of the Year, CCAA Academic All-Canadian and CCAA All-Canadian.

A full list of award winners, as provided by a Lethbridge College media release, is below:

KODIs Major Awards

• Tim Tollestrup Leadership/Athlete of the Year (Male) – Cooper Williams (men’s cross-country/indoor track)
• Tim Tollestrup Leadership/Athlete of the Year (Female) – Jamie Brown (women’s volleyball)
• Val and Flora Matteotti Team of the Year – Men’s indoor track
• Electrical Solutions Inc. Kodiaks coach of the year – Ryan Heggie (men’s basketball)
• Calgary Flames Foundation Leadership Scholarship (female) – Samantha Demchuk (women’s soccer/futsal)
• Calgary Flames Foundation Leadership Scholarships (male) – Julio Vega (men’s soccer/futsal)
• Best championships performance – Men’s indoor track winning ACAC championships.
• Best upset – Men’s basketball. Facing a Keyano team that went undefeated in the regular season, the Kodiaks put forth a complete all-around effort and downed the Huskies 80-72 to claim an ACAC bronze medal. Best comeback – Women’s volleyball. The team was down 2-0 in the ACAC quarterfinals and came back to defeat the nationally ranked number six team, The Kings University Eagles, in a five-set thriller.

KODIs Special Awards

• lvin Tietz/Knud Petersen Award for soccer – Brian Sure and Olivia DePasquale
• Alvin Tietz/Knud Petersen Award for futsal – Mauricio Rosas and Megan Morrison
• Haylie Shoults Memorial Award – Montanna Rousselle
• Gerry and Brian Stewart Memorial Award for cross-country – Cooper Williams and Maria Boix-Frias
• Simulacrum Interactive Inc. Esports Leadership Award – Nathan Johnson and Bradley Pike
• 1981 Alberta Summer Games Athletic Award for volleyball – Michael Kindley
• Emmalee Cherweniuk Memorial Award for women’s volleyball – Reese Hanusich
• Alvin Tietz/Knud Petersen Award for volleyball – Reia Taylor and Malcolm Fisher
• John Jasiukiewicz Award for men’s basketball – Chris Schlauwitz
• John Jasiukiewicz Award for women’s basketball – Kitawna Sparks

KODIs Pillar Awards

• Men’s soccer:
  • Pillar award: Julio Vega
  • Outstanding player: Vincent Dyke
  • Newcomer: Joel McLeod
• Women’s soccer
  • Pillar award: Samantha Demchuk
  • Outstanding player: Nicole Stahl
  • Newcomer: Montanna Rousselle
• Men’s futsal
  • Pillar award: Keegan Bolton
  • Outstanding player: Jaxon Uhl
  • Newcomer: Parys Ona MacArthur
• Women’s futsal
  • Pillar award: Keira Worsey
  • Outstanding player: Malorie Hanson
  • Newcomer: Brooke Krowchuk
• Men’s cross-country
  • Pillar: Justin Fisher
  • Outstanding runner: Cooper Williams
  • Newcomer: Cooper Williams
• Women’s cross-country
  • Pillar: Hannah Smith
  • Outstanding runner: Maria Boix-Frias
  • Newcomer: Hannah Smith
• Men’s indoor track
  • Pillar: Kurt Caballo
  • Outstanding runner: Gunnarr Gibb
  • Newcomer: Orin May
• Women’s indoor track
  • Pillar: Rosie Bouchard
  • Outstanding runner: Maria Boix-Frias
  • Newcomer: Jenna Klok
• Esports
  • Pillar: Raphael Aubut
  • Outstanding player: Liam Benedict
  • Newcomer: Kyle Ayson
• Men’s volleyball
  • Pillar: Malcolm Fisher
  • Outstanding player: Nolan Moes
  • Newcomer: Cameron Piers
• Women’s volleyball
  • Pillar: Shane Fowlie
  • Outstanding player: Mack Lewicki
  • Newcomer: Reese Hanusich
• Men’s basketball
  • Pillar: Declan Peterson
  • Outstanding player: Paycen Blackmore
  • Newcomer: Mason Hoffman
• Women’s basketball
  • Pillar: Catriona Smith
  • Outstanding player: Kitawna Sparks
  • Newcomer: Tylee Leavitt

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