Woodland And Adeniyi Named Top REDS

Men's soccer player Keji Adeniyi, left, and women's hockey player Kendra Woodland, right, were named UNB's male and female Athletes of the Year, at Tuesday's REDS Awards. (PHOTO: Cameron Fitch/UNB Media Services)

April 4, 2023

(FREDERICTON, NB) Kendra Woodland and Keji Adeniyi walked away with the biggest prizes from Tuesday’s 2022-2023 REDS Awards.

Woodland, who backstopped the REDS’ women’s hockey team to a second straight Atlantic University Sport championship as conference MVP and the nation’s most outstanding player, was named winner of the Colin B. MacKay Shield as the female athlete of the year, while Adeniyi, the AUS MVP in men’s soccer, earned the James Downey Shield, awarded to UNB’s male athlete of the year.

The REDS Awards were handed out in a ceremony at UNB’s Richard J. Currie Center attended by more than 400 people.

Samuel Richard, named AUS and U SPORTS Rookie of the Year in men’s hockey, was named UNB’s top male rookie, while Heather Benko, of the women’s volleyball team, and cross-country runner Sierra Rodrigues were named co-winners of the women’s Rookie of the Year award.

Scott Mann, winner of the community service award in RSEQ men’s volleyball, was recognized as UNB’s top all-round student-athlete, earning the prestigious Garnet Copeland Award.

Barry Morrison, named AUS Coach of the Year in men’s soccer, was named winner of the REDS Dean’s Award for Coach of the Year.

Long-time women’s volleyball assistant coach Kim Colpitts was recognized as winner of the James Born Award for distinguished service, and women’s hockey standout Ashley Stratton was named winner of the Brunswickan Award, given to a graduating student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average.

Lauren Kelly, of the women’s soccer team, and Austin Ross, from the men’s volleyball team, were named winners of the Director’s Unsung Hero Awards.

Payton Hargreaves, of the women’s hockey team, was announced as UNB’s recipient of Atlantic University Sport’s James Bayer Memorial Scholarship Award.

Each team presented awards as well, naming Rookies of the Year, MVPs and winners of the Red & Black Award for dedication to team.

The team awards winners were:

Women’s Basketball

ROOKIE N/A

MVP Jayda Veinot

RED & BLACK Marley Curwin and Kylee Speedy

Men’s Basketball

ROOKIE Marcus Barnes

MVP Norm Burry

RED & BLACK Rees Hasson

Women’s Cross Country

ROOKIE Georgia Bernhard

MVP Sierra Rodrigues

RED & BLACK Ivy Bialowas

Men’s Cross Country

ROOKIE N/A

MVP Jared Howse

RED & BLACK Ben Perrett and William Boyle

Women’s Curling

ROOKIE N/A

MVP Veronique Carroll

RED & BLACK Jenna Campbell

Men’s Curling

ROOKIE Sean Beland

MVP Jamie Stewart

RED & BLACK Loris Elliot

Women’s Hockey

ROOKIE Mackenzie Keenan

MVP Kendra Woodland

RED & BLACK Paige Grenier

Men’s Hockey

ROOKIE Samuel Richard

MVP Samuel Richard

RED & BLACK Jason Willms

Women’s Soccer

ROOKIE Danielle Irrinki

MVP Carolina Grzesniak

RED & BLACK Julia Dalley

Men’s Soccer

ROOKIE Alex Opera

MVP Keji Adeniyi

RED & BLACK Olivier Menard

Women’s Swimming

ROOKIE Hannah MacLeod

MVP Jennifer Moore

RED & BLACK Hannah Casey

Men’s Swimming

ROOKIE Ethan Nestoruk

MVP Blake Kingston

RED & BLACK Matthew Croft

Women’s Track & Field

ROOKIE Sierra Rodrigues

MVP Lexi Shannon

RED & BLACK Peighton Johnson

Men’s Track & Field

ROOKIE Hayden McKinnon

MVP Mitchell Kean

RED & BLACK Oliver Arnfast

Women’s Volleyball

ROOKIE Heather Benko

MVP Heather Benko

RED & BLACK Paige Lehto

Men’s Volleyball

ROOKIE Emil Pederson

MVP Rafael Hilario

RED & BLACK Austin Ross

Women’s Wrestling

ROOKIE Vivian Kutnowski

MVP Tania Blanchard

RED & BLACK N/A

Men’s Wrestling

ROOKIE Koen Poirier

MVP Drew Coldwell

RED & BLACK Brian Anderson

STORY BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: Cameron Fitch/UNB Media Services