Major award winners Miah-Marie Langlois, Nick Falk, Jenny MacKnight and Parker Van Buskirk at Thursday's athletics banquet. Photo by Edwin Tam.
Hockey standouts Jenny MacKnight and Parker Van Buskirk received the Banner and Olympic Shields as Lancer athletes of the year at Thursday’s Evening of Excellence athletics awards banquet.
MacKnight led Ontario University Athletics with 40 points in 24 games en route to being named the women’s hockey player of the year and the first-ever Lancer all-Canadian in her sport. The fourth-year environmental studies major ranked among the nation’s leaders in goals and assists.
Goaltender Van Buskirk backstopped the Lancers to both divisional and provincial championships. An OUA All-Star, he led Canadian Interuniversity Sport in saves and finished eighth in save percentage with a .920 mark. In the playoffs, his 1.72 goals-against average and .970 save percentage led all netminders in the conference by a wide margin, earning him most valuable player honours in the Queen’s Cup competition.
The DeMarco Awards, presented annually to the top female and male students that best combine academic achievement with athletic prowess, went to track and cross country athlete Nick Falk and Miah-Marie Langlois, co-captain of the four-time CIS champion women’s basketball team.