Dianna Ros is supreme, among nation's top rookies at CIS basketball awards gala
Photos of Dianna Ros by Gary Rush (left) and Andrew Dobrowolsjyj (right)
CALGARY -- Dianna Ros of the McGill women's basketball team earned CIS all-rookie honours during the All-Canadian Gala held at the Sheraton Suites Eau Claire in downtown Calgary, Friday night.
The 20-year-old physical therapy freshman from Montreal becomes the eighth member of the Martlets to earn that honour, joining Debbie Morse (1990), Melanie Gagne (1992), Vicky Tessier (1993), Maude Vallieres (2001), Julianne Noseworthy (2005), Catherine Parent (2006) and Anneth Him-Lazarenko (2009).
A 5-foot-7 point guard, Ros was the RSEQ conference rookie of the year, averaging 21 minutes of playing time, 6.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. She ranked second among league leaders in three-point shooting (34.3), shot 34.2 per cent from the floor and connected on 64.3 per cent of her free-throws. She was 10th among league leaders in assists per game (1.8) and was credited with nine steals and five blocked shots.
Second-seeded McGill opens the CIS Final 8 on Saturday when they take on the No.2-UBC Thunderbirds at 2 p.m. Eastern, at the University of Calgary's Jack Simpson Gym. The three-day tourney culminates on Monday evening with the gold medal final, live on Shaw TV at 7 p.m. Mountain. Shaw TV and NBA TV Canada will also carry the two Sunday semifinals live, while SSN Canada will have live webcasts of all 11 contests, including the main and consolation brackets.
Other winners announced included Hannah Sunley-Paisley, a fifth-year post from the University of Ottawa, who was named the CIS player of the year. The native of Toronto received the Nan Copp Award, making her the first player in Gee-Gees history to claim a CIS major award in women's hoops.
Also honoured was Windsor point guard Miah-Marie Langlois, named the defensive player of the year; St. Francis Xavier point guard Vanessa Pickard, who captured the Kathy Shields Award as the nation's top freshman; Regina head coach Dave Taylor, who received the Peter Ennis Award, presented by Coaches of Canada; Lakehead forward Lindsay Druery, honoured with the Sylvia Sweeney Award which recognizes excellence in basketball, academics and community service; as well as Windsor guard Laura Mullins, who merited the Tracy MacLeod Award for her determination and perseverance.
The all-Canadian teams were also announced on Friday.
Joining Sunley-Paisley on the first squad were Cape Breton guard Cassie Cooke of Westminster, Md., Concordia guard Kaylah Barrett of Brampton, Ont., Regina guard Joanna Zalesiak of Gorzow, Poland, as well as Windsor forward Jessica Clemençon of Saint-Rambert, France.
Clemençon was also a first-team member a year ago, when she claimed the Nan Copp Award. This season, she averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 points per game.
Cooke, the AUS MVP, finished second in CIS scoring with 23.6 points per contest. Barrett, the RSEQ player of the year, placed second in Quebec with 16.4 points per outing. Zalesiak, the Canada West MVP, averaged a CIS-best 5.8 assists per game while running the highest scoring offence in the nation.
In addition to Langlois, the second CIS dream team is comprised of Saint Mary's guard Justine Colley of East Preston, N.S., Saskatchewan guard Katie Miyazaki of Richmond, B.C., Acadia guard-forward Emma Duinker of Cambridge, N.S., and Thompson Rivers post Diane Schuetze of Vernon, B.C.
Colley, who was voted to the first unit a year ago, led the country in scoring for the second straight season with an average of 24.4 points per contest. Miyazaki is a two-time CIS defensive player of the year.
Joining Ros and Pickard on the CIS all-rookie squad are Saskatchewan forward Dalyce Emmerson of Prince Albert, Sask., Ottawa guard Kellie Ring of Ottawa and Dalhousie forward Tessa Stammberger of Kensington, P.E.I.
Championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wbkb/index
2011-2012 CIS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL AWARDS & ALL-CANADIANS
Nan Copp Award (player of the year): Hannah Sunley-Paisley, Ottawa
Defensive player of the year: Miah-Marie Langlois, Windsor
Kathy Shields Award (rookie of the year): Vanessa Pickard, St. Francis Xavier
Peter Ennis Award (presented by Coaches of Canada): Dave Taylor, Regina
Sylvia Sweeney Award (basketball, academics & community service): Lindsay Druery, Lakehead
Tracy MacLeod Award: Laura Mullins, Windsor
First Team
Pos. Athlete University Year Hometown Faculty
P Hannah Sunley-Paisley Ottawa 5 Toronto, Ont. Arts
G Cassie Cooke Cape Breton 2 Westminster, Md. Business Admin.
G Joanna Zalesiak Regina 4 Gorzow, Poland Kinesiology & HS
G Kaylah Barrett Concordia 2 Brampton, Ont. Religion
P Jessica Clemençon Windsor 3 Saint-Rambert, France Arts & English
Second Team
G Justine Colley Saint Mary's 3 East Preston, N.S. Commerce
G Katie Miyazaki Saskatchewan 5 Richmond, B.C. Graduate Studies
G/F Emma Duinker Acadia 5 Cambridge, N.S. Science
P Diane Schuetze Thompson Rivers 4 Vernon, B.C. Tourism
PG Miah-Marie Langlois Windsor 3 Windsor, Ont. Business
All-Rookie Team
PG Vanessa Pickard StFX 1 Riverview, N.B. Human Kinetics
F Dalyce Emmerson Saskatchewan 1 Prince Albert, Sask. Business
G Kellie Ring Ottawa 1 Ottawa, Ont. Communications
G Dianna
Ros
McGill
1 Montreal,
Que.
Physical Therapy
F Tessa Stammberger Dalhousie 1 Kensington, P.E.I Kinesiology
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012 (Tel.)
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile
website)
@EarlZukerman (twitter)