TORONTO – The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold announced their award winners from the 2022-23 season on Thursday, with volleyball player Alex King and basketball player Rachel Farwell taking home athlete of the year honours.
H.H. Kerr Female Athlete of the Year – Rachel Farwell, Basketball
Farwell received the H.H. Kerr Award after a career-best season to round out her time with the Bold. The senior forward played in all 22 games for the Bold women's basketball team this year and led the team in nearly every statistical category. Her 17.2 points per game were a new career-high and ranked sixth among all OUA players while her 52 three-pointers ranked fifth in the league and helped her reach second on the all-time list at TMU for made three pointers. Farwell's defensive game was also key to her success, picking up 58 steals which ranked third in the OUA. The OUA Second-Team All-Star helped the Bold back to the playoffs and into the OUA quarter-final.
This marks the second consecutive season a women's basketball player took home the honour, following Mikaela Dodig in 2021-22.
Volleyball middle Ashley Ditchfield and soccer midfielder Ivymae Perez were the other finalists for the award this year.
On the Record Male Athlete of the Year – Alex King, Volleyball
Third year middle Alex King earned the On the Record Male Athlete of the Year award after being instrumental for the Bold men's volleyball team this season, playing in all 20 games. King racked up 281 total points this season to rank seventh in the league. Those points came on both sides of the ball with a league-leading 50 solo blocks and a 0.333% hitting percentage to rank second in the province. The OUA First-Team All-Star guided the Bold back into the playoffs and finished as a quarter-finalist.
King is the first men's volleyball player to win the award since Xander Ketrzynski in 2019-20.
Hockey forward Kyle Bollers, basketball guard Aaron Rhooms, and soccer midfielder Christian Westlaken were also finalists for the award this year.
TMSU Female Rookie of the Year – Ahalya Julien-Medeiros, Hockey
Julien-Medeiros was named the Bold top female rookie this season after making a splash in her first season with the Bold, suiting up for 26 of 27 regular season games. Her defensive play on the blue line stymied opponents, while her ability to create offence made her a threat at both ends of the ice. Julien-Medeiros recorded eight points which ranked third in OUA rookie scoring, and tops among first year defenders. She helped the Bold to the OUA quarter-finals and she was named to the OUA All-Rookie Team for her strong play.
Julien-Medeiros is just the second women's hockey player to ever win this award, following teammate Erika Crouse from the 2018-19 season.
Basketball guard Kait Nichols and soccer defender Alexia Rhooms were the other finalists for the award this season.
Eyeopener Male Rookie of the Year – Kai Edmonds, Hockey
Edmonds won the Eyeopener Male Rookie of the Year award after a record breaking season in the crease, as the goaltender racked up the accolades this season. Edmonds won 14 games to rank fourth in the OUA, while his 2.00 goals against average and 0.934% save percentage both ranked second across the league. His goals against average and save percentage are also new all-time single-season records at TMU. Amidst his success for the Bold, Edmonds also backstopped Team Canada to a gold medal at the FISU Winter Games in January.
Edmonds is the first men's hockey player to win the award since the 2015-16 season when Brandon Devlin did so.
Fellow hockey player Connor Bowie and soccer midfielder Bilal Reslan were the other finalists for the award this year.
G.L. Dobson Female Community Contribution – Olivia Giardetti, Hockey
Giardetti took home the G.L. Dobson award this year after continuing to get involved in various activities in the community. Co-chair of the Student Athlete Advisory Council, Giardetti led multiple financial literacy events for all Bold athletes to benefit from. She also serves as the VP of Finance on the MBA Sport Leadership Committee where she helped lead several events. Giardetti spearheads the women's hockey team's annual Do It For Daron (DIFD) initiative which raised $3,000 this year for youth mental health initiatives and she also volunteers with the Hockey For Youth and Big Sisters Little Sisters organizations. An assistant captain of the hockey team, Giardetti won this year's OUA True Sport award for her work in the community and sportsmanship on ice.
Giardetti is the first women's hockey player to earn the honour since Ailish Forfar did so in the 2017-18 season.
Soccer player Jala Fraser, volleyball libero Jyoti Ruparell, and basketball guard Eve Uwayesu were the other finalists for this year's award.
D.H. Craighead Male Community Contribution – Kyle Bollers, Hockey
Bollers took home the D.H. Craighead award for the second consecutive season. Bollers empowers youth from underserved communities to reach their educational goals and volunteers at both community organizations and as a coach behind the bench. Bollers attends the Boys and Girls Club on a weekly basis and has created "KB's Bold Crew", playing floor hockey with the local kids. He also encourages other Bold student-athletes to attend and experience giving back to the community. Bollers also works with the AAO Black Aces Learn to Play Hockey program and is a volunteer coach with a 'AAA' team to help develop the next generation of hockey players.
Bollers is the second to ever win this award in back-to-back seasons, following hockey player Aaron Armstrong in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
Basketball forward Liam O'Leary-Orange and volleyball libero Lhexen Rabit were the other finalists for the award this year.
Outstanding Performance in Club Sport - Dechlan Papadopoulos, Wrestling
First year wrestler Dechlan Papadopoulos made a splash in his debut season in the blue and gold, winning the bronze medal in his weight class at the OUA championship before making history at the national level. Papadopoulos won bronze at the U SPORTS championship, earning TMU's first ever medal at the national wrestling stage.
This award is in its second season, with Dallyssa Huggins from the track and field team as the inaugural winner.
Fencer Erika Dominguez, curlers Jessica Filipcic and Victor Kniat, sprinter Felimon Henok, golfer Matt McRae, and baseball pitcher Matt Tohana were also finalists for this year's award.
See below for the full list of this year's award winners.
H.H. Kerr Female Athlete of the Year
Rachel Farwell, Basketball
On the Record Male Athlete of the Year
Alex King, Volleyball
TMSU Female Rookie of the Year
Ahalya Julien-Medeiros, Hockey
Eyeopener Male Rookie of the Year
Kai Edmonds, Hockey
G.L. Dobson Community Contribution
Olivia Giardetti, Hockey
D.H. Craighead Community Contribution
Kyle Bollers, Hockey
Outstanding Performance in Club Sport
Dechlan Papadopoulos, Wrestling
Claude LaJeunesse Award (Academics)
Emily Baxter, Hockey (varsity) and Mattias Cheung, Curling (club)
Gold 'B' Recipients (Outstanding Career)
Erika Crouse
Rachel Farwell
Alicia Lam
Kai Martin
Lhexen Rabit
President's Team Award
Men's Soccer (varsity) and Women's Curling (club)
Team MVPs
Badminton: Annie Lin & Yufei Yin
Baseball: Domenic Gonzalez
Women's Basketball: Rachel Farwell
Men's Basketball: Aaron Rhooms
Cross Country: Brigitte Toljagic & Cullen Ritchie
Curling: Cayla Auld & Weston Oryniak
Fencing: Erika Dominguez
Figure Skating: Marion Pollard
Golf: Matt McRae
Women's Hockey: Erika Crouse & Olivia Giardetti
Men's Hockey: Kyle Bollers
Women's Rugby: Athena Slater
Men's Rugby: Braeden Andreoli
Women's Soccer: Ivymae Perez
Men's Soccer: Christian Westlaken
Softball: Rakiyah Hurry
Track & Field: Meghan Koo & Aaron Kelly
Women's Volleyball: Alicia Lam
Men's Volleyball: Jacob Walker
Wrestling: Dechlan Papadopoulos
Communications & Media Award
Christina Flores-Chan & Matt Johnson, Digital Content Assistants
Peffers Staff Award
Bobby Langridge
Athletic Therapy Awards
Erin Krausz
Katie Reyes
Chris Singh
Natalie Seguin
Roxy Suida
Jesurun Wong
Windsor Ongchan
Leo Iizuka
Helen Kim
