BlackBerry CIS athletes of the week: Concordia’s Tittley, Guelph’s Brett honoured

OTTAWA (CIS) – Concordia rugby player Jackie Tittley and Guelph cross country runner Allan Brett are the BlackBerry Canadian Interuniversity Sport female and male athletes of the week for the period ending Nov. 1, 2009.

Tittley, a second-year leisure sciences student from Kirkland, Que., almost single-handedly qualified the Stingers for this week’s CIS championship scoring eight of her team’s 13 points, including the game-winning penalty kick in overtime, as Concordia upset previously undefeated and defending Quebec champion Laval 13-10 in the QSSF final played on the Rouge et Or’s home turf in Quebec City. The 21-year-old centre, named a QSSF all-star this season, also had a penalty kick and a convert in regulation. The Stingers advance to the CIS tournament in Vancouver (UBC, Nov. 6-8) where they’ll battle two-time reigning national champion Lethbridge and Western in round-robin action on Friday.

Cross country runners Ashley Ryer of Saint Mary’s and Megan Brown of Toronto, as well as Thompson Rivers basketball player Diane Schuetze were also nominated for the women’s award.

Brett, a third-year biological engineering student, captured the individual gold medal for the second straight year at the OUA championships in St. Catharines, Ont., and led the Gryphon men to a fifth consecutive team title. The Ottawa native, who ran the 10-kilometre course in 30:08, became only the third athlete in the last 30 years to successfully defend the OUA individual title and helped Guelph set a record for lowest team score in the event, with Gryphon scorers finishing first, second, third, fifth and sixth. Brett will try to improve on a fourth-place finish in 2008 at this year’s CIS championships in Kingston, on Nov. 14.

Cross country runners Russell Christie of Dalhousie and Baghdad Rachem of Sherbrooke, as well as Trinity Western volleyball player Steve Marshall were the other male nominees.

Female nominees:
AUS: Ashley Ryer, cross country, Saint Mary’s
QSSF: Jackie Tittley, rugby, Concordia (recipient)
OUA: Megan Brown, cross country, Toronto
Canada West: Diane Schuetze, basketball, Thompson Rivers

Male nominees:
AUS: Russell Christie, cross country, Dalhousie
QSSF: Baghdad Rachem, cross country, Sherbrooke
OUA: Allan Brett, cross country, Guelph (recipient)
Canada West: Steve Marshall, volleyball, Trinity Western


-CIS-