OCAA STARS OF THE WEEK

TORONTO - The following student-athletes have been recognized by the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) for their accomplishments during the seven-day period ending Sunday, Nov. 3.

Student-athletes are nominated by their respective athletic departments.

Ashlyn Anderson
School: Fanshawe
Program: Business - Marketing
Year of Eligibility: 1
Sport: Basketball
Hometown: Latchford, Ont.
Anderson picked up double doubles in back-to-back home victories for the Fanshawe Falcons, lifting the team to 2-2 on the season. The first-year forward collected 11 points and 11 rebounds in a 67-62 victory over the Sheridan Bruins on Oct. 29, and followed this up with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 69-54 win over the Redeemer Royals on Nov. 2. Between the two games, Anderson shot an efficient .571 from the field. Anderson leads all OCAA players in the early going with a dozen blocks, and is fourth in total rebounds with 36 boards.

Harry Lutumba-Mpongo
School: Humber
Program: Fitness & Health
Year of Eligibility: 1
Sport: Rugby
Hometown: Scarborough, Ont.
Lutumba-Mpongo was named the man of the match as the Humber Hawks defeated the Georgian Grizzlies 34-15 in an OCAA semifinal on Nov. 2. The big man from Scarborough used size and strength to help the Hawks control the scrum and win the ball on numerous occasions. Humber avenged a loss to Georgian in last year's OCAA gold medal match and now return to the championship finale for the second straight season. The Hawks will put their perfect season on the line against Conestoga this Saturday, having won six straight.

Julia Marks
School: Mohawk
Program: Health, Wellness & Fitness
Year of Eligibility: 1
Sport: Volleyball
Hometown: Lucan, Ont.
Marks and the Mohawk Mountaineers remain perfect after two matches this past week, defeating the Niagara Knights and Redeemer Royals and improving their overall record to 5-0. The first-year outside hitter combined for 17 kills, nine service aces and 34 digs in eight sets played. Marks is currently tied for 12th in kills in the OCAA with 42, tied for seventh in service aces with 13, and tied for fifth in digs with 56. In those categories amongst OCAA first-year athletes, Marks is third in kills, and second in both service aces and digs.

Jason Sache
School: Georgian
Program: Pre-Health Sciences
Year of Eligibility: 1
Sport: Basketball
Hometown: Kanata, Ont.
In back-to-back road victories for the Georgian Grizzlies in the nation's capital, Sache returned close to home and delivered standout performances off the bench. On Nov. 1 against the Algonquin Wolves, the first-year guard scored a game-high 25 points on an impressive 10-of-11 shooting, helping Georgian secure an 80-78 win in a close contest. The following day against La Cité Coyotes, Sache's strong play continued, scoring a dozen points and adding crucial rebounds to keep the Grizzlies ahead in their 80-74 victory, improving to 3-1.

Avery Surette
School: Redeemer
Program: English Writing
Year of Eligibility: 3
Sport: Volleyball
Hometown: Barrie, Ont.
Surette was dominant for the Redeemer Royals in a four-set victory over the Fanshawe Falcons on Oct. 30. The third-year outside hitter tied the Redeemer program record for most kills in a match with 23, and tied for second most points in a match with 29. Surette hit an astounding .367 on 49 attempts in only four sets. Surette's performance will surely be one of the best in the OCAA all season long. Surette is averaging 2.92 kills and 3.6 points per set. Surette was unfortunately limited in Redeemer's four-set loss to Mohawk on Nov. 2.

Stefan Van Niekirk
School: Conestoga
Program: Mechanical Engineering Technology
Year of Eligibility: 2
Sport: Rugby
Hometown: Oakville, Ont.
Van Niekirk was tremendous on defence as the Conestoga Condors traveled 3 1/2 hours east to Kingston and downed the St. Lawrence Surge 31-12 in an OCAA semifinal on Nov. 2. Van Niekirk came up with massive tackles at key moments of the match. The second-year inside centre plays a key role offensively for the Condors and is excellent at distributing the ball into space for teammates to attack. Van Niekirk's contributions have led the Conestoga program to its first OCAA gold medal championship berth in program history this Saturday.

- OCAA -

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For over 50 years, the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association has been a dedicated leader in amateur athletics through the provision of quality varsity and recreational athletic opportunities at the collegiate level.

For additional information please contact:
Josh Bell-Webster
Marketing and Communications
Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Tel: 416-426-7041
E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com