Trinity Western gave out the most Complete Champion Awards in program history, honouring eight well deserving student-athletes at the Spartans annual year-end awards banquet.
Graduating Spartans women’s soccer defender Amy Gartke (Edmonton), women’s basketball guard Sarah Buckingham (Langley, B.C.), and forward Tessa Ratzlaff (Abbotsford, B.C.), men’s volleyball libero Carter Bergan (Winnipeg) and middle Aaron Boettcher (Surrey, B.C.), women’s poll-vaulter Madison Evans (Calgary), middle distance and cross-country runner Mirelle Martens (Grande Prairie, Alta.), and men’s hockey defenseman Kaleb Denham (Innisfail, Alta.) all took home the Spartans most prestigious awards Friday night at the Langley Events Centre.
The eight student-athletes were honoured with the evening-capping Complete Champion Awards, which are given to senior student-athletes who are “outstanding in athletic achievements, who advance to the edge of their abilities both academically and personally, and who also demonstrate leadership and a desire to grow spiritually.”
The Spartans Female Athlete of the Year award went to women’s soccer fifth-year forward Seina Kashima (Burnaby, B.C.), while the Spartans Male Athlete of the Year award went to third-year men’s volleyball outside hitter Eric Loeppky (Steinbach, Man.).
Kashima was named U SPORTS and Canada West Athlete of the Year while leading the Spartans to a Canada West championship and a U SPORTS silver medal, while Loeppky was named a first team All-Canadian and U SPORTS championship tournament MVP, as he led the Spartans to a sixth U SPORTS championship and a Canada West silver medal.
The Bahta Melles Award for servant leadership went to fourth-year men’s volleyball Jordan Koslowsky (Abbotsford, B.C.) and fourth-year women’s volleyball setter Brie King (Langley, B.C.).
The Spartans Female Scholar Athlete of the Year award went to fifth-year women’s track and field middle distance and cross-country runner Mirelle Martens and men’s fifth-year track and field Aidan Kits (Langley, B.C.)
The Rookie of the Year Awards went to women’s volleyball outside hitter Savannah Purdy (Victoria) and men’s volleyball outside hitter Brodie Hofer (Langley, B.C.).
The Human Kinetics Spartan Athlete Awards went to second-year middle distance and cross-country runner Jouen Chang (Langley, B.C.) and fourth-year men’s volleyball middle Pearce Eshenko (Banff, Alta.).
The School of Business Spartan Athlete Awards went to third-year women’s soccer defender Kristen Sakaki (Surrey, B.C.) and fifth-year men’s hockey defenseman Kaleb Denham.
The Student Therapy awards went to Georgia Sawatzky, who worked with men’s soccer, and Keaton Boughen, who worked with women’s soccer.
The Spartans also honoured their graduating seniors in a special ceremony Friday.
Graduating Senior Athletes
Men’s Hockey
Deryk Kirchner
Jacob Mills
Florian Niedermaier
Kaleb Denham
Men’s Soccer
Joel Waterman
Leighton Johnson
Vito Poletto
Austin Kasian
Matt Roxburgh
Josh Hardy
Women’s Soccer
Amy Gartke
Kathleen Chin
Seina Kashima
Danae Derksen
Leanne Verhoeff
Rachel Sydor
Kiersten Sawchuk
Track & Field / Cross Country
Tyler de Jong
Aidan Kits
James Lam
Madison Evans
Emma Li
Mirelle Martens
Sophie Pauls
Jordyn Piercy
Men’s Basketball
Vartan Tanielian
Tee Maberry
Eric Rogers
Josiah Allison
Women’s Basketball
Tessa Ratzlaff
Jessie Brown
Sarah Buckingham
Tessa Needham
Men’s Volleyball
Cam Slomp
Ben Lieuwen
Riley Vander Meulen
Carter Bergen
Aaron Boettcher
Women’s Volleyball
Ashtyn McKenzie
Micaylee Pucilowski
Kristin Anton
Alison Quiring
The Athlete of the Year Award is selected by the Spartan Athletics Awards Committee from the coaches’ nominations and awarded to a varsity athlete who is outstanding in the following areas: athletic achievement, quality of character, role model/TWU representative, academics.
The Scholar-Athlete Award is selected by the Spartan Athletic Awards Committee and awarded to the male and female graduating varsity athletes who best exemplify scholastic and athletic achievement.
The Bahta Melles Servant-Leader of the Year Award is selected by the Spartan Athletic Awards Committee from the coaches’ nominations and awarded to the varsity athlete who best exemplifies the Spartan Athletics Mission Statement and the attributes of Spartans Hall of Fame member Bahta Melles.
The Male and Female Rookie of the Year Awards are selected from team rookies of the year and voted on by the Spartan Athletics Awards Committee.