Stingers roundup

By John Austen

Athletes receive provincial honours

Four Concordia athletes were honoured by la Fondation de l'athlète d'excellence du Québec at their 19th annual dinner in Montreal earlier this month.

Sammy Okpro, a cornerback with the Concordia Stingers football team, earned a $6,000 entry bursary. He represented Canada at the 2004 Global Junior Football Championship last January. Coming out of Vanier College, he was a first team CEGEP AAA all-star.

Tim Wadsworth, who will join the Concordia wrestling team in January, also received $6,000. He was a gold medallist at the 2003 junior national wrestling championships and a bronze medallist at senior nationals.

James Mancini, who is also expected to join the wrestling team in January, earned a $2,000 entry bursary. He was a gold medallist at the 2003 juvenile national championship and a gold medallist at the 2004 Quebec championship.

David Zilberman, a second-year Leisure Sciences student, received a $2,000 athletic excellence award. Zilberman was a silver medallist at the 2004 world university championships. He also won the CIS championship and the senior nationals this season.

More than $110,000 in scholarships was given out to 45 university athletes at the dinner

This one's a keeper!

The Concordia Stingers men's and women's soccer teams took both goalkeeper spots on the QSSF first all-star teams.

Diane Ouimet, a second-year Athletic Therapy student from Ottawa, was a first team all-star. She helped lead the Stingers to an 8-3-3 record and a third place in the eight-team women's conference. She started all 14 games for the Stingers, and recorded eight shutouts.

Mid-fielder Melanie Poirier was a second team all-star. The second-year Athletic Therapy student was the leading scorer on the Stingers with three goals and two assists.

Steve McCauley, a third-year English student, was the goalkeeper on the QSSF men's first all-star team. McCauley played in all 14 Stinger games, recording six shutouts.

Stinger captain and defender Frank Bastien was named a first team all-star. A graduate student in Administration from Ottawa, it is his first all-star recognition in four seasons with Concordia.

Donovan, Cunningham best in Quebec

Stinger middle linebacker Mickey Donovan has been named the outstanding defensive player in the Quebec University Football League. He will be among four finalists for the President's Trophy, presented during Vanier Cup festivities in Hamilton in late November.

This is the second year Donovan has been named the top defensive player in the QUFL. He has been a powerful presence in the Quebec conference since transferring from the University of Maine and joining the Stingers in 2002.

Defensive end Troy Cunningham was named the outstanding lineman in the QUFL. He will be among four finalists for the J.P. Metras Trophy, which will also be given in Hamilton.

He has been able to pick up 54 total tackles this season, which is second in the QUFL and seventh in the CIS — an unprecedented feat for a lineman. Even more remarkable are his 19.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including 10.5 sacks, the highest number in Canada this season.

Rugby all-stars named

The Concordia men's rugby team earned four spots on the 2004 QSSF all-star team, while the Stingers women's side was awarded three places on the Quebec conference's elite squad.

Captain David MacLeod leads the Stingers men's all-stars. It is the second consecutive honour for the fourth-year flanker. First-time all-stars are rookie prop Brandon Ionata, third-year fullback Etienne Bouchard-Claisse and another rookie prop David Chung.

Prop Robin Hemming heads the list of women's rugby all-stars. She was also on the Quebec honour role in 2003. Joining her on the team are first-time all-stars Elizabeth Vicente, a second-year forward, and Anna Bediako, a second-year back.