Victor Pietrangelo (men’s curling) and Madalyn Weinert (women’s basketball) have been selected as The Brock Press’ Athletes of the Month for January.
Men’s Athlete of the Month – Victor Pietrangelo
Victor Pietrangelo (men’s curling) has been named TBP’s Men’s Athlete of the Month for January, highlighted by a third-place finish at the FISU World University Games in Italy and a first-place performance at the Brock Invitational.
At the FISU Games, the Niagara Falls native represented Canada in mixed doubles curling alongside partner Jessica Zheng of the University of Waterloo as the Canadian duo captured the bronze medal in the inaugural year of the event.
After a sensational 6-1 record in round robin play which included wins over Norway (9-4), United States (7-6), Switzerland (9-4), Japan (7-3), Italy (10-4) and Germany (9-4), the Canadians ranked second in the standings behind Great Britain — their lone loss of the group stage — before dropping a narrow 7-5 semi-final clash to Germany.
But Pietrangelo and Zheng responded in the bronze medal match to defeat the hosts 9-3 on Jan. 14 in a game where the fourth-year Accounting major shot 80 per cent.
With their accomplishment in Turin, the Canadian pair now rank eighth in Canada in mixed doubles and are 17th in the world.
Pietrangelo followed up his bronze medal performance on the international stage by leading the Badgers men’s curling team to a perfect weekend in their home tournament at the St. Catharines Golf and Country Club on Jan. 18 and 19.
The Badgers defeated the York Lions (5-4), Western Mustangs (11-1), Laurier Golden Hawks (5-2) and Ottawa Gee-Gees (7-1) on their way to a noteworthy 4-0 invitational in the final tune-up event before the OUA Championships in February.
Women’s Athlete of the Month – Madalyn Weinert
Madalyn Weinert (women’s basketball) has been named TBP’s Women’s Athlete of the Month, dominating the OUA in the final stretch before the playoffs.
The St. Catharines native averaged 23.9 points per game, 13.7 rebounds per game, 3.4 assists per game, 3.0 steals per game and 2.3 blocks per game in seven games in January to lead the Badgers women’s basketball team to a 5-2 record in the month.
The Medical Sciences major began the month with back-to-back 24-point double-double performances against the York Lions and TMU Bold en route to being named the OUA Athlete of the Week for the week ending Jan. 12.
Weinert took her game up a notch the following week in the annual Paint the Meridian Red showcase, scoring a career-high 34 points in a win over rival McMaster Marauders on Jan. 17.
After three more 20-plus point performances against the Toronto Varsity Blues, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks and Queen’s Gaels — making six consecutive 20-plus point games to begin January — Weinert closed her sensational month with her first triple-double of the season, tallying 18 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists while shooting a month-high 66.7 per cent from the field (10-for-15) in a win against Lakehead on Jan. 31.
Weinert has now scored 21.9 points per game to lead the OUA, while her 11.4 rebounds per game and 2.0 blocks per game rank second in both categories.
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Stay tuned to The Brock Press following every month where the Men’s and Women’s Athletes of the Month will be highlighted.
Want a say in selecting a winner? Email lcosta@brockpress.com to nominate a Badger.