Labonté earns Quebec nomination for CIS athlete-of-the-year award
MONTREAL – Charline LabontĂ©, the All-Canadian goaltender from Boisbriand, Que., who led ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą to their second consecutive undefeated season has been named as the Quebec university female nominee for the BLG Award, sponsored by the law firm of Borden Ladner Gervais and presented annually to the CIS athletes of the year. She is one of four women finalists across the country up for the award, which will be announced on April 27 at the John Bassett Theatre in Toronto. The awards show will premier on TSN on Saturday, May 16, at 2 p.m.
“I’m very honoured to be recognized,” said LabontĂ© on a conference call from Finland, where she is currently playing for Canada at the IIHF world championships. “Our team (the ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą Martlets) has been very successful the past few seasons. We have had some amazing coaches and players that made my job very easy and I’m just a part of that process.”
The 5-foot-8 netminder backstopped the hockey Martlets to their second consecutive CIS national title, posting a 15-0 record in regular season play and a 35-2-0 record overall, with 14 shutouts, a 1.06 goals-against average and a .949 save percentage.
"It's not easy," added Labonté, a 26-year-old physical education junior who will miss almost a month a school by the time she returns from Finland. "It's really not an easy thing for them as well but they're really helping me to be successful at school.
"±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą is a very understanding school," LabontĂ© said. "Our athletic program is really supportive. They understood the situation.
She says her national team experience is among the assets she
brings to the Martlets.
"Being on the national team obviously gives me a lot of experiences
that are extremely enjoyable as a hockey player and as a person,"
she said. "That's the kind of confidence I'm trying to provide to
my teammates."
LabontĂ© is bidding to become the third ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą athlete to win a BLG Award. Previous recipients from ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą include netminder Kim St-Pierre in 2003 and distance runner Linda Thyer in 1995.
Labonté’s three other competitors for the 2009 BLG award will be St. Francis Xavier rugby player Ghislaine Landry from the Atlantic conference (AUS), Guelph distance runner Lindsay Carson from the Ontario league (OUA) and UBC swimmer Annamay Pierse, representing the Canada West conference.
On the men’s side, the nominees include Laval football player Étienne Légaré (QSSF), Saint Mary’s hockey player Marc Rancourt (AUS), York soccer player Francesco Bruno (OUA) and Alberta volleyball star Joel Schmuland (Canada West).
Each of the eight nominees will receive by a commemorative gold ring and the men’s and women’s BLG Award winners each receive a trophy and a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship to attend post-graduate studies at a Canadian university. To date, BLG has contributed $140,000 in university scholarships since the awards were established in 1993 to recognize the top female and male athletes from universities affiliated with CIS. After 16 successful years in Calgary, the BLG awards are coming to Toronto for the first time ever.
“It will be our great pleasure to recognize these outstanding student-athletes along with our clients and guests at the 17th annual BLG awards in Toronto,” said Doug Mitchell, National Co-Chairman, BLG LLP. “Our goal in hosting these awards in Toronto is not only to focus attention on the importance of athletics at Canadian universities, but also to shine a spotlight on the exceptional athletes produced right here in Canada.”
The BLG Awards are based on athletic accomplishments, outstanding sportsmanship and leadership. Each of 52 CIS schools selects one female and one male athlete of the year. From these nominees, one female and one male athlete are chosen within each of the four regional associations: Atlantic University Sport, Quebec Student Sports Federation, Ontario University Athletics, and Canada West Universities Athletic Association. To be eligible, a student-athlete must have competed in a CIS sport for a minimum of two years and cannot be a previous recipient of an award.
“The BLG awards recognize the best of the best of CIS student-athletes. To be selected as a BLG nominee is a prestigious honour that all top athletes aspire to,” said Marg McGregor, CIS Chief Executive Officer. “It is truly impressive to see how this year’s cohort of candidates have excelled as athletes without compromising their academic success as students. They are truly inspiring and they reflect and represent the many talented CIS student-athletes who train and go to school in Canada.”
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Past BLG Award Winners:
2007-08: Laetitia Tchoualack (Montreal - volleyball), Rob
Hennigar (UNB - hockey)
2006-07: Jessica Zelinka (Calgary - track & field), Josh
Howatson (Trinity Western - volleyball)
2005-06: Marylène Laplante (Laval - volleyball), Osvaldo Jeanty
(Carleton - basketball)
2004-05: Adrienne Power (Dalhousie - track & field), Jesse
Lumsden (McMaster - football)
2003-04: Joanna Niemczewska (Calgary - volleyball), Adam Ens
(Saskatchewan - volleyball)
2002-03: Kim St-Pierre (±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą - hockey), Ryan McKenzie (Windsor -
cross country & track)
2001-02: Elizabeth Warden (Toronto - swimming), Brian Johns (UBC -
swimming)
2000-01: Leighann Doan (Calgary - basketball), Kojo Aidoo (McMaster
- football)
1999-00: Jenny Cartmell (Alberta - volleyball), Michael Potts
(Western Ontario - soccer)
1998-99: Corinne Swirsky (Concordia - hockey), Alexandre Marchand
(Sherbrooke - track)
1997-98: Foy Williams (Toronto - track & field), Titus Channer
(McMaster - basketball)
1996-97: Terri-Lee Johannesson (Manitoba - basketball), Curtis
Myden (Calgary - swimming)
1995-96: Justine Ellison (Toronto - basketball), Don Blair (Calgary
- football)
1994-95: Linda Thyer (±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą - track & field), Bill Kubas
(Wilfrid Laurier - football)
1993-94: Sandra Carroll (Winnipeg - basketball), Tim Tindale
(Western Ontario - football)
1992-93: Diane Scott (Winnipeg - volleyball), Andy Cameron (Calgary
- volleyball)
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SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą
514-398-7012 (Tel.)