Photo by: Brenden Cowan
10 Badger student-athletes have been nominated for the male and female athletes of the year awards.
Male Athlete of the Year nominees
Here are the five athletes nominated for the male athlete of the year award.
Stephen Harris – rowing
Harris is a third-year economics major from Guelph, Ontario. Harris was team captain for the men’s rowing team this year. Apart from leading the Badgers to their second consecutive OUA championship trophy, Harris’ main accomplishments this year include OUA gold in the lightweight 2x event, OUA gold in the lightweight 8+ event, OUA all-star, OUA oarsman of the year, Canadian University Rowing Championship gold in the lightweight 2x event and gold in the lightweight 4+ event, as well as co-oarsman of the year. Harris also came first place in the singles category in both of the Head of the Trent and Western Invitational rowing competitions. In the Niagara 2022 summer games, Harris took gold in the lightweight singles, lightweight 2x and men’s 4+ events. Harris also impressively brought home the male athlete of the year award for 2021-2022.
Taylor Miskolczi – soccer
Miskolczi is a second-year accounting major from Welland, Ontario. His major accomplishments this year include leading the OUA in clean sheets with nine in total, finishing third in the country in U SPORTS with a goals-against average of 0.45, tying in fourth place for save percentage with .906, tying in ninth in total goals conceded with nine, having a season total of 49 saves, being named and OUA first-team all star and a U SPORTS second team all-canadian honours.
Bobby Narwal – wrestling
Narwal, a fourth-year kinesiology major from Etobicoke, Ontario. He received several honours for wrestling this year. His biggest include: OUA gold medal in the 72 kg weight class, U SPORTS gold in the 72 kg weight class, OUA first-team all-star, U SPORTS first team All-Canadian honours, gold at the York Open wrestling competition, silver at the TMU Open and Brock Open competitions.
Michael Ivanov – track and field
Ivanov is a first-year business major from Niagara Falls, Ontario. His most notable achievements from the track and field competitions he took part in this year include a bronze OUA medal for high jump at the OUA Championship, OUA Rookie of the Year and fifth place for high jump at the U SPORTS national championship. Ivanon’s other accomplishments include third place in pole vault at the Bob Vigars Season Opener, gold in the long jump event and bronze in the pole vault event at the Sharon Anderson Meet, gold in high jump and silver in the pole vault at the Brockport Invitational, gold in the high jump event at the York Open, silver in the high jump event at the Hal Brown Meet and bronze in the pole vault at the Can-Am Classic.
Jacob Roach – hockey
Roach is a second-year sports management major from Brooklin, Ontario. Roach led the Badgers men’s hockey team to being ranked second in offence in the OUA West in goals scored (100). His other notable accomplishments include the OUA West scoring title with 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists), OUA West first team all-star, OUA West MVP, U SPORTS second team All-Canadian. Roach is the first Badgers men’s hockey player to receive both an OUA MVP and a U SPORTS all-Canadian honour.
Female Athlete of the Year nominees
The five athletes nominated for the female ahlete of the year award includes:
Emily Good – track and field
Good is a business graduate student from Desbarats, Ontario. In the 2022/23 track and field season, Good dominated the shot-put category by earning the first OUA shot-put gold medal ever. Her major accomplishments this year include a program record for Brock track and field in the shot-put event, team captain as well as an assistant coach for the shot-put program, fifth place at the shot-put event at the U SPORTS championship, gold in the shot-put event at three different events including the York Open, Can-Am Classic and Sharon Anderson Meet.
Madalyn Wienert – basketball
Weinert, a second-year medical sciences student from St. Catharines, Ontario, provided great leadership for Badgers women’s basketball this season. Her most notable accomplishments include ranking third in OUA points per game, second in OUA in free-throw percentage, and an OUA second team all-star. Weinert stayed consistent throughout the year by being a recipient of the “athlete of the aeek” award by the OUA and U SPORTS. She received the “athletes of the week” recognition three times during the year with the Badgers.
Isabella Durcak and Zoe Durcak – rowing
Isabella is a second-year accounting major, and Zoe is a second-year business major. The set of twins are from Stoney Creek, Ontario. Serving as co-team captains for the Badgers women’s rowing team, they had a lot of podium finishes this year including OUA gold in the lightweight 2x event, OUA all-star honours, CURC silver in the lightweight 2x event, gold in the lightweight 2x event at the Head of the Trent and double gold in the 2x lightweight category for both U23 and senior categories at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. Additionally, Zoe received two gold medals at the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games.
Sara Rohr – volleyball
Rohr is a fourth-year physical education major from Milton, Ontario. Rohr was a driving force for the women’s volleyball offence this season. Rohr’s major accomplishments this year include OUA first-team all-star, a 60-assists games versus the University of Waterloo, first in OUA in assists per set (9.80) and third in OUA in total assists. Rohr also stayed consistent throughout the season, being the recipient of three Brock Badgers “athlete of the week” awards. She led the Badgers women’s volleyball team to their second consecutive OUA Quigley Cup banner.
Mia Friesen – wrestling
Friesen is a second-year psychology major from St. Catharines, Ontario. Freisen, who was the Badgers women’s wrestling team captain this year, was a dominant force in the women’s wrestling program this year. Her biggest accomplishments this year includes Gold at the Guelph Open, OUA first team all-star honours in the 56 kg weight class, U SPORTS gold in the 56 kg weight class, two-time U SPORTS Athlete of the Week, U SPORTS first team All-Canadian, U SPORTS female wrestler of the year, bronze at the 2023 Senior National Championships and silver at the 2022 Pan-Am Junior Championship.
The winners will be presented their award at the Brock Sports Awards Gala on April 5