Jylisa Williams, Kevin Tree named top Thunderwolves athletes

Emcee Jay Gilbert called Jylisa Williams the best athlete ever to play at Lakehead University.

The LU hockey star is probably right.

Williams, whose whirlwind stint with the Thunderwolves came to an end in the OUA women’s basektball semifinals, on Saturday was named Lakehead’s female athlete of the year, an all but foregone conclusion for the star guard who earlier this month was named Canadian Interuniversity Sport’s most valuable player.

The Atlanta native led the nation in scoring, with a 28.8 points-per-game average, finished second in the OUA in rebounds and topped all players in steals.

Along the way the 26-year-old set a new single-game standard with a 50-point effort against the University of Toronto and broke the OUA’s one-year-old single-season scoring record.

“It’s a great feeling,” Williams said on Saturday the LU’s annual awards ceremony.

“School is where you started, so even with all the other awards for the conference and the country, it’s great, at the same time this is where I started from and a good feeling to come back and share these awards.”

Williams gave full credit to her teammates.

“I wouldn’t be here without them,” she said.

Williams wasn’t the only athlete feted at the afternoon ceremony.

Runner Kevin Tree, who couldn’t attend Saturday because he was racing to an 83rd-place finish with Team Canada at the World Cross Country Championships in China, took male athlete-of-the-year honours.

Tree had a banner year, finishing 14th at the Pan American Cross Country Championship and earned a 12th-place finish at CIS nationals.

Not bad for a runner who wasn’t recruited by any major schools and just happened to land at LU.

Hockey’s Brennen Dubchak, who joined older brother Carson on the Thunderwolves, took home the male rookie-of-the-year award.

It was a surprise, said the Kenora native, who scored eight goals and 18 points in 25 appearances, helping the Wolves squeak into the OUA playoffs and pull a first-round upset over Western.

“It’s humbling receiving an award like this, with so many other great athletes,” Dubchak said.

Volleyball’s Rheanna Geisel won the female rookie-of-the-year trophy.

“It was a big surprise to win the award tonight. I’ve had great success this year, which has been awesome, but it couldn’t have been done without the other rookies on the team this year who have trained hard too,” the Dauphin, Man.-born Geisel said.

Fifth-year basketball star Anthony McIntosh, who shared team MVP honours with guard Dwyane Harvey, was given the Hank Akervall Award as the graduating student demonstrating excellence in athletics, the classroom and the community.

The Argus Award, which rewards sportsmanship and dedication, went to hockey’s Mike Quesnele.

Athletic director Tom Warden said he’s proud of all his athletes.

“Everyone today is a winner,” Warden said.