Mighty Mariners Celebration

NANAIMO, BC - Volleyball student-athletes Linnea Brickwood (Kamloops, BC) and Daniel Mascarenhas (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) were named VIU Athletes of the Year at the Mariners 2023-24 Year End Awards Celebration. 

The celebration, held at the VIU Gym for the first time, featured welcomes from VIU Métis Elder in Residence Stella Johnson, VIU Provost & Vice-President Academic, Dr. Michael Quinn, and Associate Vice-President of Student Affairs, Irlanda Gonzalez-Price.

[Event Photos by Gloria Bell - on Flickr]

VIU AVP of Student Affairs, Irlanda Gonzalez-Price (L) and VIU Female Athlete of the Year, Linnea Brickwood

Brickwood, in her final season at VIU, was named Female Athlete of the Year as she led her team to the top of the PACWEST standings, a PACWEST conference championship, and a CCAA national silver medal. A setter who ran a dynamic offense along with plenty of defensive prowess, her individual accolades included a conference first team all star nod, recognition as the conference's top setter, PACWEST championship MVP, CCAA All-Canadian, and CCAA national tournament first team star.

VIU AVP of Student Affairs, Irlanda Gonzalez-Price (L) and VIU Male Athlete of the Year, Daniel Mascarenhas

Mascarenhas, also in his final season at VIU, was named Male Athlete of the Year. The 'Man in the Middle' led the conference in blocks per set by a wide margin and was named a PACWEST first team all star and the conference's top middle blocker. He was VIU's player of the game in a semifinal win over Camosun and had a huge role in the Mariners coming back from 2-0 down to defeat the Douglas Royals 3-2 for the PACWEST championship. Mascarenhas was named a CCAA national tournament all star as the Mariners earned a national bronze medal--the fifth CCAA medal in team history.

(L-R) Kolton Rawlusyk, Male Rookie of the Year; Danielle Hyde, VIU Director of Athletics & Recreation; Aimee Skinner, Female Rookie of the Year

VIU Rookie of the Year Awards also went to volleyball players. Female Rookie of the Year Aimee Skinner (Coldstream, BC), despite missing a number of first semester games due to injury, ended the season as one of the top offensive players in the conference and was named conference Rookie of the Year and a first team all star. The Male Rookie of the Year award went to Kolton Rawlusyk (Red Deer, AB), an outside hitter who grabbed a spot in the starting lineup early in the season and maintained his strong play throughout the season. 

VIU Registrar Fred Jacklin (L) presents the VIU Mariners Academic Excellence Awards to Thomas Greze-Kozuki and Mya Creed

The VIU Academic Excellence Award for top GPA in VIU courses over the previous three semesters went to a pair of soccer players: Mya Creed (Nanaimo, BC) and Thomas Greze-Kozuki (Campbell River, BC). The Top Team GPA for the 2023 Fall Semester went to women's volleyball.

(L-R) Shea Battie, Lisa Davidson, Georgia Nicholls, Mike Davidson, Larissa Stefanek

The most emotional moment of the night happened when it was announced that the Unsung Hero Award for women's and men's soccer was renamed the Reid Davidson Memorial Award. Davidson, a past winner of the Unsung Hero Award, passed away in 2023. His parents, Mike and Lisa Davidson, alongside Reid's partner Georgia Nicholls and close friend Shea Battie, presented the awards to Larissa Stefanek (Qualicum Beach, BC) and Ashton Bryant (Whitehorse, YT).

VIU Unsung Hero Award winners pose with the PACWEST Aggregate Trophy. (L-R) Mika Yamada-McCormick, women's volleyball; Larissa Stefanek, women's soccer; Mackenzie Hall, women's basketball; Noah Lehto, men's basketball; Emerson Cooke, men's volleyball; Ashton Bryant, men's soccer

Earlier in the week, the PACWEST announced that VIU was the 2023-24 winner of the PACWEST Aggregate Award. This trophy is awarded to the PACWEST institution who earns the most points through regular season and post-season play.

Full List of Award Winners and Recognized Student-Athletes & Coaches