October 30, 2024

GUELPH’S WARRINER TAKES HOME U SPORTS FIELD HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE YEAR HONOURS

University of Guelph midfielder Abby Warriner was awarded the Liz Hoffman Award as U SPORTS Field Hockey Player of the Year Wednesday night. Warriner, a fourth-year biomedical engineering major from Newmarket, Ont., became the first Gryphon to win the award since 2019, and is also an all-Canadian for a third consecutive year.

Warriner was just one of two Gryphons to be recognized with a major national award. Guelph head coach Michelle Turley was presented the Marina van der Merwe Award as U SPORTS Field Hockey Coach of the Year on the same campus as van der Merwe coached for 22 years. Turley guided the Gryphons to a 7-1-2 record, top spot in the OUA West and an OUA silver medal.

Three other major awards were handed out on the night. UBC’s Sydney Le was named winner of the Joyce Slipp Award as U SPORTS Field Hockey Rookie of the Year. Le, a forward from North Vancouver, B.C., arrived on the Canada West scene with a bang, leading the conference in goals with eight, and earning two Canada West Player of the Week honours.

The other major award winner out of the Canada West conference was Calgary midfielder Elliott Kellough. The native of Calgary was named the latest recipient of the Gail Wilson Outstanding Contributor Award. Kellough, a team captain in just her second season of eligibility, has been instrumental in campus-wide and team-led initiatives. She is currently serving as co-President of U of C’s student-athlete council, has helped resurrect the field hockey team at Western Canada High School and has been an assistant coach for the U16 Alberta provincial team.

Jamal Burgess, from the Atlantic University Field Hockey League, was awarded the U SPORTS Umpire of the Year Award. A long-serving umpire in Atlantic Canada, Burgess regularly conducts umpire assessments as well as educational seminars for coaches and umpires on rule interpretations. He will be the Atlantic representative at the 2024 U Field Hockey Canada SPORTS Invitational Championship.