2010-11 RSEQ major awards and all-stars announced

PHOTO OF ANNETH HIM-LAZARENKO

MONTREAL - The Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) announced today the 2010-11 university women's basketball individual award winners and members of the association's all-star teams. McGill Martlet *Anneth Him-Lazarenko (Laval, QC) is the Player of the Year after leading her team to the RSEQ regular season title for the first time since 1995-96. The former Vanier College Cheetah averaged a league-best 15.6 points per game and was second in the conference in rebounds per game with 8.6. The education student (with a concentration in social sciences) also posted the best shooting rate (.541), and was one of the top rebounders in the conference averaging 3.8 offensive and 4.9 defensive boards per game averages. The 2008-09 rookie of the year also captured the Tracy MacLeod Award from Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) last year underlining her determination, perseverance and courage. In 2007-08, she was picked on the AAA College League First All-Star Team.

Concordia Stinger Kaylah Barrett (Brampton, ON) is both the Defensive Player of the Year and the Rookie of the Year. The Religious Studies student had the best league-wide steals per game average (2.9) and was second in offensive rebounds with 3.8 per game. She was fourth overall in the RSEQ in total boards per game with 7.6 while ranking ninth in the points per game with 11.5.

*Marie-Michelle Genois (Cap-Santé, QC) of the Laval Rouge et Or is the RSEQ's nominee for the CIS Sylvia Sweeney Award honouring academic and athletic excellence. The two-time player of the year finished first in the league with 10.6 the rebounds per game, 1.6 blocked shots per game and 7.4 defensive rebounds per match. The masters student in Cellular and Molecular Biology posted an overall 4.18 grade point average on a scale of 4.33. The former Ste. Foy Cegep Dynamique was a guest athlete at many events, such as the Rimouski Basketball Camp, the Portneuf Schoolboard Charity Golf Tournament and the Dribblons avec cœur Event (Dribble with Heart) at the Dominique-Savio Elementary School.

Jessy Roy (Val-d'Or, QC) of the Bishop's Gaiters is the RSEQ's nominee for CIS Tracy MacLeod Award that honours determination, perseverance and courage. The former Sherbrooke Cegep Volontaire returned from a pair of severe injuries to become on of the league's elite players. The senior starter missed the second half of last season with injuries to her shoulder and knee but resumed play this season and closed the campaign as the sixth best pointer getter with 12.3 ppg and was third in the assists per game with 3.6. A second-team all-star, Roy was second in the RSEQ in 2010-11 with 2.4 steals per game.

McGill's Ryan Thorne is the conference Coach of the Year after leading the Martlets to the regular season pennant with a 13-3 record, the team's highest win total since 1996-97. Thorne also guided the Martlets to the best offensive and defensive records in the conference. In his eighth season as bench boss of the Marlets, Thorne was previously honoured as the league's top coach in 2005-06. A former standout at Bishop's University, he helped the Gaiters win Quebec's last CIS title in 1998.

Rounding out the major award winners is Mario Boutin who was named Official of the Year.

Playoffs on this week's menu
A pair of semifinals are on the agenda Wednesday night in RSEQ women's university basketball action.

The Laval Rouge et Or will travel down Autoroute 20 to face the McGill Martlets this Wednesday at 7 pm (ET). McGill has won three of the four regular season matchups against the six-time champions in the last decade. McGill's last championship goes back to 1995-96.

The other semifinal sees the Concordia Stingers heading across town to tip-off against the UQAM Citadins at 7 pm. UQAM was the winner of three out of four games this season against Concordia and home court has been an true advantage for UQAM who have not lost to the Stingers since January 26, 2007.

The semifinal winners will tip-off in the title game, Saturday night at the home of the highest remaining seed. The RSEQ champions will move on to the CIS women's basketball championship March 18-20 at the University of Windsor while the loser will have a shot at redemption as they head to Western Canada to participate in one of three CIS regional play-in tournaments.

Player of the Year
*Aillier, Anneth Him-Lazarenko, U. McGill, Secondary Social Sciences, Laval, QC, Vanier College

Defensive Player of the Year
Arrière, Kaylah Barrett, U. Concordia, Religion, Brampton, ON, Sultan Prospects OBA

Rookie of the Year
Arrière, Kaylah Barrett, U. Concordia, Religion, Brampton, ON, Sultan Prospects OBA

Sylvia Sweeney Award Nomination
*Ailier/centre, Marie-Michelle Genois, U. Laval, QC, Maîtrise biologie cellulaire et moléculaire, Cap-Santé, Cégep de Sainte-Foy

Tracy MacLeod Award Nomination
Arrière, Jessy Roy, U. Bishop's, Math / Education, Val-d'Or, QC, Cégep de Sherbrooke

Coach of the Year
Ryan Thorne, U. McGill

Official of the Year
Mario Boutin

FIRST ALL-STAR TEAM

Position, Name, School, Program, Hometown, Last team

*Forward, Anneth Him-Lazarenko, U. McGill, Secondary Social Sciences, Laval, QC, Vanier College
*Forward/Centre, Marie-Michelle Genois, U. Laval, Maîtrise biologie cellulaire et moléculaire, Cap-Santé, QC, Cégep de Sainte-Foy
*Guard, Marie-Eve Martin, U. McGill, Sociology, Granby, QC, Vanier College
Guard, Kaylah Barrett, U. Concordia, Religion, Brampton, ON, Sultan Prospects OBA
Guard, Michelle Auger-Bellemare, UQAM, Sciences comptables, Victoriaville, QC, Collège Édouard-Montpetit

SECOND ALL-STAR TEAM

Position, Name, School, Program, Hometown, Last team

Guard, Jessy Roy, U. Bishop's, Math / Education, Val-d'Or, QC, Cégep de Sherbrooke
Guard, Yasmin Jean-Philippe, U. Concordia, Sociology, Montréal, QC, Vanier College
Guard, Jessica Bibeau-Côté, UQAM, Communication, Sherbrooke, QC, Cégep de Sherbrooke
Guard, Elyse Jobin, U. Laval, Physiothérapie, Campbellton, NB, NEDA
Guard, Françoise Charest, U. McGill, Industrial Relations, Québec, QC, Cégep de Sainte-Foy

ROOKIE ALL-STAR TEAM

Position, Name, School, Program, Hometown, Last team

Guard, Kaylah Barrett, U. Concordia, Religion, Brampton, ON, Sultan Prospects
Guard, Roya Assadi, U. McGill, Science (undeclared), Vancouver, Colombie-Britannique, York House School
Forward, Gabrielle Chamberland, U. Bishop's, Business, Sherbrooke, QC, Cégep de Sherbrooke
Centre, Bailey Trafford, U. Bishop's, Env. Biology, Centerville, NB, Carleton North H.S.
Guard, Catherine Groleau, U. Laval, Administration des affaires, Québec, QC, Cégep de Sainte-Foy

*Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence bursary winner

-RSEQ-