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TRU honours Salmon Arm athlete

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Marlee Mertens

A 5’4” badminton player and a 7’2” basketball player were the big winners at the 2010-11 Thompson Rivers University WolfPack Athletics Awards Banquet.

Marlee Mertens from Salmon Arm in her fourth year at TRU was named the Female Athlete of the Year. Mertens was the WolfPack’s top female badminton player, winning a bronze medal in women’s doubles at the BC College Athletic Association championship tournament. Martens also played women’s singles this past season.

She was chosen over Abbey McAuley (third year, Langley) of women’s soccer, basketball’s Diane Schuetze (third year, Vernon) and Kelly Asleson (fourth year, Richmond) of women’s volleyball.

“This is the capper to a great year,” said Mertens. “ I was so shocked to win. The girls I was up against... all quality athletes and people. Any one of us could have won it. They deserve it as much as me.”

Mertens said winning the honour as a member of an individual sport made it even more special. “That’s the thing, we can’t really compare our sport to the others. We don’t have stats the others do. I am so happy.”

Mertens is the second badminton athlete in three years to be named an athlete of the year. Garrett Babichuk won Male Athlete of the Year in 2008.

Greg Stewart’s (fifth year, Kamloops) selection as the Male Athlete of the Year was a great way for him to cap off his post- secondary career. Stewart became the first WolfPack player to win a major CIS basketball award when he was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year. 2010-11 also saw him win his second straight Canada West Defensive Player of the Year.

The Doctor Roger H. Barnsley Scholar Athletes of the Year for 2010-11 were Ashley Piggot (fourth year, Prince George) of women’s soccer and Alex Condon (second year, Victoria) of baseball. Piggot had a high grade point average in the Bachelor of Science program, was involved in community work and was a key member of the WolfPack midfield this season while scoring twice.

Also in the running was first-year student Salmon Arm’s Jorri Duxbury of women’s basketball, Amanda Frayne (fourth year, Kamloops) from women’s volleyball, and Kia Lidster (third year, Kamloops) of badminton.