BY SHELBY PAULGAARD / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Our Vikings athletics teams have been having a tremendous and unprecedented year in so many different sports. With student athletes travelling all over the country to represent Augustana at the national level, our Vikings pride is at an all time high.
The Vikings Curling teams have had an incredible season, with the women’s team taking Augustana’s first CCAA National Championship in Sudbury, Ontario this month. They advanced to nationals following a silver medal at the ACAC Curling Championship at the start of March. This win represents the eighth national title in any Vikings sports team’s history. The team, led by skip Josie Zimmerman, consisted of lead Darby-Anne Swanson, seconds Hope Zimmerman and Claire Bevan-Stewart, and third Bryn Woloshyn. Josie Zimmerman was named ACAC Female Curler of the Year at the beginning of the month. Swanson was named CCAA First Team Tournament All-Star and ACAC Athlete of the Week last week. The men’s team also advanced to the CCAA National Championship following a silver medal at the ACAC Curling Championship. The team consisted of skip Beau Cornelson, lead Corbin Diprose, and third Marcus Sawiak, who have all been named to the ACAC All-Conference Team, and seconds Owen Fenske and Hunter Reese.
The Women’s Volleyball team has had a record season, advancing to the CCAA National Championships this month for the first time in team history after taking home the silver medal at the ACAC Conference Championship in February. The team headed to Vancouver Island University for games between March 8-11th, where they closed out the season strong with a 1-2 record at nationals. In addition, Vikings Sarah Dedrick, Shae Boyes, and DJ Molle were named to the ACAC All-Conference Team – North for the second consecutive year for Boyes and Molle and the third for Dedrick. Shae Boyes and Sarah Dedrick were also named CCAA Nationals Championship Tournament Second Team All-Stars at the championship. In addition, DJ Molle has also been named a CCAA All-Canadian, just the second Women’s Volleyball Vike to achieve this honour, and joining only 14 other WVB athletes from across Canada.
The Women’s Basketball team has had a similarly triumphant season, traveling to Hamilton, Ontario for the CCAA National Championships from March 15-18th, for the team’s first national championship since 2014. The team advanced after winning the silver medal at the ACAC Conference Championship at the beginning of the month, which was only the third medal in the team’s history. Tayah Fiveland and Kamryn de Klerk were named to the ACAC Championship All-Tournament team, and Lauren Cardinal was named a CCAA National Championship Tournament Second Team All-Star, only the fourth court-sport athlete and the third athlete this year from Augustana to be given this honour. Cardinal was also named an ACAC athlete of the week last week.
The men’s indoor track team has had a great season, with the men’s 4x400m Relay earning bronze in the ACAC Indoor Track Championship. The team consists of Ben Nawrot, Sam Nawrot, Connor Peake, and Aidan Peake. In addition, Sam Nawrot won gold in the Men’s 600m with a time of 1:24.61 and was named to the ACAC All-Conference Team. Both the Men’s and Women’s teams also attended the ACAC Running Room Grand Prix in February, with Sam Nawrot and Chloe Funnell finishing in the top three in their races and achieving personal bests.
Vikings Nordic Sports athlete, Chloe Funnell, travelled to Valcartier, Quebec, to compete at the Canadian Biathlon Nationals. Funnell achieved 4th in all of her events at the competition. Cross-Country Skier, Reese Bendiksen, was named to the Nordiq Canada roster in December, and traveled to Lake Placid, New York, for the FISU Games.
Bendiksen’s ski season follows a fantastic cross-country running season. She attended the CCAA Cross-Country Championship in Medicine Hat in November, finishing with a bronze medal and the CCAA All-Canadian title. The championship follows Bendiksen’s two ACAC Running Room Grand Prix wins and an ACAC Championship silver medal, in addition to being named to the ACAC All-Conference team. Ben Nawrot led Augustana’s male runners at the CCAA Championships, finishing in 29th.
The Men’s Hockey team has also had a successful season, ending the season in the early stages of the playoffs at the beginning of March. The team also had three players named to the ACAC All-Conference Men’s hockey team. Tavis Roch, Jake Gudjonson, and Daniel Moody earned spots as defence, forward, and goaltender, respectively.
The Men’s Basketball Team’s season ended on February 25th with a loss to the Northwestern Polytechnic Wolves. Nic Harder was named an ACAC First Team All-Conference athlete following the season.
The Men’s Volleyball Team also ended their season in February with a loss to the Ambrose University Lions, and the Women’s Soccer Team ended their season back in October with a loss to the SAIT Trojans. The team won the ACAC Women’s Soccer Fair Play Award for the season.
Congratulations to all of our outstanding student athletes and their accomplishments this year! For the latest in Vikings news, head to the Vikings website.
The Dagligtale News 