Alex Campbell (Brampton, Ont.) of the Niagara College Knights Men's Basketball team and Marieka Ouimette (Spencerville, Ont.) of the Niagara College Knights Women's Volleyball team won the Male and Female Athletes of the Year Awards for 2011-2012. They were presented their awards at the the 43rd Annual Athletic Awards Banquet on Saturday, March 31 at the Welland Lions Club.
Male Athlete of the Year Award - Alex Campbell
Steve Atkin, head coach of the Niagara College Knights Men's Basketball team had the following to say about Alex:
"Alex Campbell is a very rare individual. He is exceptional and special, and is one of the most receptive players to constructive criticism that I have ever seen. In fact, he seeks out constructive criticism and advice. In his first year with the Knights, he led by example. Alex is extremely hard working, day in and day out. He is eager to learn, listens, and makes adjustments immediately; improving daily. He has a burning desire to excel and win. The extra work he puts in outside of practice demonstrates his disciplined and driven nature. His positive and easy going temperament makes him an absolute pleasure to work with. We really look forward to seeing him progress in our program, and would like to congratulate him on a remarkable, ground breaking year!"
Alex Campbell's Accomplishments:
He was the Knights leading scorer this season, and was honoured with three OCAA awards. He was named OCAA West Region Rookie of the Year, an OCAA West Region Second-Team All-Star, and a member of the OCAA West Region All-Rookie Team.
Campbell scored 326 points (18.1 ppg) this season which put him in 5th place amongst leading scorers in the OCAA West (7th in the OCAA). He was a 78.9% free-throw shooter, good enough for 7th place in the OCAA West (10th in the OCAA).
Besides being the Knights leading scorer, he was tied for first on the team in steals (1.61 spg), and second on the team in assists (2.17) and rebounding (5.17 rpg). He is enrolled in Graphic Design program at Niagara.
Female Athlete of the Year - Marieka Ouimette
Joey Martins, head coach of the Niagara College Knights Women's Volleyball team had the following to say about Marieka:
"Marieka has been an instrumental part of the success to our volleyball team. As one of our team captains, she led through example on the court, and was amongst the top players on our team in points per game.
As a student-athlete, who never played Club Level Volleyball, she was able to excel at the collegiate level. Marieka opened the eyes of many people around the league this year. Her strong season also captured the attention of coaches from Syracuse University, who are interested in having Marieka attend their NCAA Division I school.
In my opinion Most Valuable Players aren't just leaders on the court, they are also leaders off the court. Marieka has instilled her trust into all of the girls on the team, and is a constant help to her teammates.
As a graduating player it will not be easy to fill her shoes. We wish Marieka the best of luck in her future endeavours. Thank you Marieka for your contributions to our program, and congratulations."
Marieka Ouimette's Accomplishments:
She was recognized by other coaches in the league as she was named a 1st Team OCAA League All-Star. She was a major threat offensively in her attack and defensively with her blocking capabilities. She was one of the most dominating middles in the OCAA and finished fourth overall in blocking with 48, and a career high 146 in only three years. She is currently fifth overall in the OCAA career statistics standings in blocking. On offence, she finished the season with 131 kills, 22 aces, and 48 blocks for a total of 201 points (2.8 ppg).
In 2009-2010, Marieka was named Niagara College Knights Female Rookie of the Year.
