McGill hoops star earns all-Canadian honours

(PHOTO OF ANNETH HIM-LAZARENKO BY ANDREW DOBROWOLSKYJ)

WINDSOR, Ont. -- Anneth Him-Lazarenko, a third-year forward from McGill University, earned all-Canadian honours at the CIS women's basketball championship awards gala, Thursday.

It marks the 14th time in school history that a member of the Martlets merited all-Canadian status and the first time in 14 years that a McGill player has made the first team. Hall of Famer Vicky Tessier, in 1996-97, was the last McGill player to achieve that feat.

Him-Lazarenko, a 5-foot-10 forward from Laval, Que., was voted player of the year in the Quebec University Basketball League and earned all-conference honours. She captured the league scoring title with a 15.6 points per game average and was second among rebounders at 8.6 per game. A 23-year-old education junior, who is majoring in secondary social sciences, she also registered the top field-goal shooting percentage (.541), making 99 of 183 attempts.

Saskatchewan dominated the individual awards ceremony held at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts.

Guard Katie Miyazaki of Richmond, B.C., was named the CIS defensive player of the year for the second straight season. Team captain Jill Humbert of Saskatoon received the Sylvia Sweeney Award, recognizing excellence in basketball, academics and community involvement. Lisa Thomaidis claimed the Peter Ennis Award as coach of the year for the second time in three campaigns.

Jessica Clemençon, a sophomore forward from the University of Windsor, was named CIS player of the year. The native of Saint-Rambert, France, became the first-ever Lancer to claim the Nan Copp Award, a year after being the first Windsor player to be selected rookie of the year.

Also honoured during the All-Canadian Banquet were UNB guard Claire Colborne of Calgary, who captured the Kathy Shields Award as rookie of the year, as well as Memorial's Brittany Dalton of Harbour Main, Nfld., who received the Tracy MacLeod Award recognizing determination and perseverance.

The CIS Final 8 gets underway Friday with the quarter-final round and culminates on Sunday with the gold medal final, live on TSN at 4:30 p.m. SSN Canada will have live webcasts of all games except the title match, while TVCogeco will televise six contests locally, including the first three quarter-finals, both semis and the bronze medal match.

Joining Him-Lazarenko and Clemençon on the first all-Canadian squad were conference MVPs Sharpe (AUS) and Tulloch (Canada West), as well as Saint Mary's guard Justine Colley of East Preston, N.S.

All are first-time all-Canadians with the exception of Tulloch, who was a first-team member two years ago.

The second CIS unit is comprised of Ottawa post Hannah Sunley-Paisley of Toronto, Regina guard Joanna Zalesiak, a native of Gorzow, Poland, Toronto forward Nicki Schutz of Etobicoke, Ont., Laval forward Marie-Michelle Genois of Cap-Santé, Que., as well as Western Ontario forward Matteke Hutzler of Napanee, Ont.

Genois accomplished a rare feat by becoming a five-time CIS all-star, including first-team nods a year ago and in 2007-08. Sunsley-Paisley and Schutz both return from the 2010 second squad.

Joining Colborne as CIS all-rookies for 2010-11 were conference top freshmen Barrett, Stratton and Kleysen, as well as Fraser Valley guard Sarah Wierks of Chilliwack, B.C.

2010-11 CIS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL AWARDS & ALL-CANADIANS

Nan Copp Award (player of the year): Jessica Clemençon, Windsor

Defensive player of the year: Katie Miyazaki, Saskatchewan

Kathy Shields Award (rookie of the year): Claire Colborne, UNB

Peter Ennis Award (presented by Coaches of Canada): Lisa Thomaidis, Saskatchewan

Sylvia Sweeney Award (student-athlete / community service): Jill Humbert, Saskatchewan

Tracy MacLeod Award: Brittany Dalton, Memorial

First Team

Pos.     Athlete                                    University       Year    Hometown                  Faculty

F          Jessica Clemençon       Windsor           2          Saint-Rambert, France Arts & English

G         Kim Tulloch                Saskatchewan  5          Regina, Sask.               Pharmacy

P          Amanda Sharpe                       UNB                5          Fredericton, N.B.         Kinesiology

F          Anneth Him-Lazarenko           McGill             3          Laval, Que.                  Education

G         Justine Colley              Saint Mary's    2          East Preston, N.S.        Science

Second Team

P          Hannah Sunley-Paisley            Ottawa             5          Toronto, Ont.               Arts

G         Joanna Zalesiak                       Regina             3          Gorzow, Poland                       Kinesiology & Health

F          Nicki Schutz                Toronto                        5          Etobicoke, Ont.                        Arts & Science

F/P       Marie-Michelle Genois            Laval               5          Cap-Santé, Que.           Ms C&M Biology

F          Matteke Hutzler                       Western           5          Napanee, Ont.              Health Sciences

All-Rookie Team

W         Claire Colborne                       UNB                1          Calgary, Alta.               BRSS

G         Stephanie Kleysen       Winnipeg         1          Winnipeg, Man.                       Science

G         Kaylah Barrett             Concordia        1          Brampton, Ont.                        Religion

F          Sarah Wierks               Fraser Valley   1          Chilliwack, B.C.          Science Studies

G         Jill Stratton                   Toronto                        1          Etobicoke, Ont.                        FPEH

McGill All Canadians

1981-82 Linda Marquis **
1983-84 Helene Cowan **
1984-85 Helene Cowan
1985-86 Bonnie McNaughton **
1988-89 Tina Fasone **
1990-91 Tina Fasone **
1992-93 Vicky Tessier **
1993-94 Vicky Tessier
1994-95 Vicky Tessier **
1995-96 Vicky Tessier
1996-97 Vicky Tessier
1997-98 Anne Gildenhuys **
2006-07 Nathifa Weekes **
2010-11 Anneth Him-Lazarenko

** second team