Roundup

By John Austen

Concordia wrestlers gird for Canadian championships

Five Concordia student-athletes are at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., for the 2004 CIS Wrestling Championships which take place this weekend.

The wrestlers qualified by finishing in one of the top two spots in their weight classes at the AUS/QSSF qualifying tournament hosted by the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton late last month.

On the men's side, Tony Ronci (68 kg.), Tyler Marghetis (76 kg.), Mark-Anthony Roache (90 kg.) and David Zilberman, a heavyweight, alL finished first in their weight classes.

There are high expectations for this group, which will be led by Marghetis. As a rookie a year ago, he won a silver medal at the national championship. Roache and Ronci both bring a lot of experience to the team, while Zilberman has had a very strong rookie campaign and has also qualified for the world university championships.

On the women's side, Martine Dugrenier won the 70 kg. division. She is the two-time defending CIS gold medallist. She also recently qualified to represent Canada at the 6th World University Wrestling Championships in Poland from June 3-6.

The wrestling team is coached by Victor Zilberman, who has guided his athletes to more than 30 gold medals and several team titles at the national championships.

Grid glory for Paquette

The Concordia Stingers football team gathered to celebrate the highlights of the 2003 season at its annual banquet late last month at the John Molson Reception Hall in Montreal. Graduating seniors addressed their teammates for the last time and individual honours were handed out.

Popular running back Jean-Michel Paquette received the top awards. The fifth-year Administration major was the Stingers' leading rusher and returner. He won the Warrior Trophy as team MVP and the George Dixon Memorial Trophy as offensive MVP.

The team captain had an exceptional senior campaign and was rewarded with two spots on the QIFC all-star team and a CIS second team All-Canadian honor. It was the third straight season Paquette has been named to the Quebec honour role.

Linebacker Mickey Donovan was named the MVP defense and awarded the Russ Blackwell Memorial Trophy for most dedicated player.

Donovan has been a dominant force in the QIFC and CIS since transferring from the University of Maine and joining the Stingers in 2002. Last season, the New Hampshire native was the top tackler on the Stingers with 63 in seven games, including 40 solo tackles. He was also the second leading tackler in the QIFC with an average of 7.4 a game.

He was named the outstanding defensive player in the Quebec conference and a first team All-Canadian.

Other honourees from the defensive unit were: defensive end Troy Cunningham, outstanding defensive lineman, and tackle Josh MacDonald, Pat Davis Trophy for rookie of the year defence.

Also honoured were: slotback Nick Scissons, Pat Davis Trophy for rookie of the year offence; offensive tackle Shawn Cummins, outstanding offensive lineman; running back Mathieu Côté, top academic with a 3.9 in Engineering; and punter Mike Renaud, special teams player of the year.

The football team continues to gather regularly for winter workouts. The 2004 season will kick off with the Stingers travelling to Quebec City to play the Rouge et Or on Sept. 5. The home opener will be the following weekend versus the Montreal Carabins.

Athletes of the Week

Pascale Morin of the women's basketball team and Mark-Anthony Roache of the wrestling team were recently named Concordia Stinger athletes of the week.

Morin, a 23-year-old fourth-year guard, scored 16 points and added two rebounds to help her team defeat the No. 8-ranked Bishop's Gaiters 62-55 last Saturday. The team captain was solid all-round and helped the Stingers erase a 31-24 halftime deficit. The Montreal native is a Management major at Concordia.

Roache, a 29-year-old Montrealer, won a difficult contest in the final of the 90-kg. weight class at the AUS/QSSF conference qualifying meet last Saturday at UNB in Fredericton. He defeated UNB's Mike Trites 4-3. His prowess has earned him a berth at the CIS championships March 5-6. Roache is an anthropology major at Concordia.

Defenceman Patrice Thériault honoured

Congratulations to Patrice Thériault, who was presented with a $500 bursary and a keepsake medal by Canadiens president Pierre Boivin at the Bell Centre on Feb. 18. It was from Le Club de la Médaille d’Or, a foundation that assists elite Quebec athletes. This is not the first award for Patrice, who is assistant captain and the anchor of the Stingers’ defence.