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Awards

U SPORTS unveils AUS nominees for 2023 U SPORTS Athletes of the Year Awards

15 May 2023, 12:55 PM 15 May 2023, 12:55 PM

U SPORTS Staff

U SPORTS proudly announced Monday the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) finalists for the 2023 Lois and Doug Mitchell U SPORTS Athletes of the Year Awards on May 24 at the McDougall Centre in Calgary.

The AUS male and female Athlete of the Year nominees are Andrew Peverill (Saint Mary’s, men’s cross country and track & field) and Kendra Woodland (UNB, women’s hockey).

The remaining six nominees will be unveiled this week with Canada West on Tuesday, the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) on Wednesday and Ontario University Athletics (OUA) on Thursday.

AUS_2023_AOTY_Nominees.png (307 KB)

AUS Nominees

Andrew Peverill, SMU

Andrew Peverill

Saint Mary’s University
Cross Country and Track & Field (middle distance)
Lower Sackville, N.S.
Fifth Year
Master of Business Administration

Andrew Peverill, a fifth-year runner with the Saint Mary’s Huskies, is the 2022-23 AUS Male Athlete of the Year and their nominee for the 2022-23 U SPORTS Male Athlete of the Year Award.

Competing in both cross country and track and field for Saint Mary’s, Peverill was named AUS Athlete of the Year in men’s cross country for the third consecutive season, as well as AUS Track Athlete of the Year in men’s track and field for the first time in his career.

At the 2022 Subway AUS Cross Country Championships, Peverill earned his third straight AUS championship gold medal with a time of 24:37. Peverill capped off his cross country career with a sixth-place finish at U SPORTS nationals, the highest finish of his career, making him a First Team All-Canadian.

On the track, Peverill set new school records in the 600m, 1000m, 1500m, mile and 3000m events. At the 2023 AUS Track and Field Championships, he captured three medals—gold in both the 1500m and 3000m, and silver in the 4x400m relay. He went on to win a national bronze medal at the 2023 FFUN U SPORTS Track and Field Championships, presented by Discover Saskatoon—the first national medal in track and field for Saint Mary’s in 20 years.

“Andrew has been an Academic and Athletic leader from the day he walked through the doors of Saint Mary's University," said Kevin Heisler, the Huskies head coach in both cross country and track & field. “Andrew leads by example. He was captain of both the cross country and track & field teams and was the hardest working and most motivated athlete. He has been an excellent student-athlete at Saint Mary's and has developed into an even better person!”

Peverill is a five-time Academic All-Canadian, two-time Deans List honouree, and the 2022 Sobey’s MBA Scholarship award winner. He also won the 2019-20 Saint Mary’s President’s Award for outstanding academics and athletics. Peverill also added to his trophy case last month, as he was named the 2022-23 Saint Mary’s Huskies Male Athlete of the Year.

“Andrew Peverill's career at Saint Mary's University can be captured in his success in the sport of cross country and track & field, but this student-athlete is that and so much more. Andrew is an active leader on-campus through peer tutoring and being a member of our athletic council, while also giving back to the community by helping coach Sackville High School and serving on the volunteer board of directors of Athletics Nova Scotia,” noted Scott Gray, the Director of Athletics and Recreation at Saint Mary’s. “As a student-athlete, it truly amazes me how Andrew can be so successful on the track, the cross country course, in the classroom and in his community. It is my honour to nominate him for this prestigious award.”

Kendra Woodland, UNB

Kendra Woodland

University of New Brunswick
Hockey (Goaltender)
Kamloops, B.C.
Fourth Year
Recreation and Sports Studies

In her fourth year of eligibility with the UNB Reds women’s hockey team, Kendra Woodland has been named the 2022-23 AUS Female Athlete of the Year and is their nominee for the U SPORTS Female Athlete of the Year. A recreation and sports studies student from Kamloops, B.C., Woodland was named the 2023 recipient of the Brodrick Trophy as the U SPORTS women’s hockey player of the year, the first UNB athlete to win that honour.

She led the nation with a save percentage of .960 through the regular season—helping her team to a first-place finish in the conference standings—and was named the Atlantic conference’s most valuable player.

Woodland continued her dominant play in the AUS playoffs—finishing with a league-leading .952 save percentage in the postseason and leading the Reds to their second consecutive conference title. She was named AUS Championship MVP for her efforts.

In addition to her play for UNB, she helped Canada win a gold medal in women’s hockey at the 2023 FISU World Winter University Games in Lake Placid, N.Y. In four games, she had three shutouts, posted a 0.25 GAA, and a 0.984 save percentage.

“We are so proud of Kendra and all that she has accomplished this year. Her hard work and determination both on and off the ice have been impressive,” said Sarah Hilworth, the head coach of the Reds. “Kendra looks at winning every day in the classroom, in the community, and on the ice, and has been a leader for us. We’re very proud of everything she has been able to succeed here at UNB.

Woodland is a four-time AUS conference all-star and was named a U SPORTS First-Team All-Canadian for the first time this season. She was also honoured with the Colin B. MacKay Shield this season as UNB’s female athlete of the year.

“Kendra has been nothing short of impressive since the day she arrived at UNB. One of the country’s top goaltenders since that day, she’s worked hard to improve her game and has been a major factor in the progress our women’s hockey program has shown,” said John Richard, the executive director of UNB athletics. “Kendra has helped push the Reds from a program re-emerging on the U SPORTS scene to a two-time conference champion and national championship contender. Her work on the ice is surpassed only by her work off it, as she strives to maintain solid academic standing and fulfill her goals of improving our community. Kendra has proven to be an incredible ambassador for the Reds, for UNB, for Atlantic University Sport, U SPORTS and the game of women’s hockey.”

This year's event pays homage to the 30 years of the Awards (formerly known as the Howard Mackie Awards, BLG Awards and Lieutenant Governor Awards) and will also celebrate the life of the program's founder, Doug Mitchell, who passed away last July at 83.

The winners of the Lois and Doug Mitchell Awards will be selected in a secret ballot vote on May 23 by the Trustees of the Canadian Athletic Foundation, a not-for-profit board founded 31 years ago by Doug Mitchell. The winners will be unveiled the following evening during a reception at McDougall Centre.

All eight (8) nominees will be in attendance in Calgary, with media availability occurring on May 24.

Media wishing to attend the awards ceremony or who would like to request an interview can submit an accreditation and interview request by clicking here.

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