Conestoga’s top athletes were honoured at the college’s Varsity Athletics Awards banquet held on April 7 at Conestoga Place in Kitchener.
Wesley Lau of Woodstock was named as Male Athlete of the Year. A student in Conestoga’s Construction Engineering Technology Architecture program, Lau played middle for the men’s volleyball team and was also named to the OCAA all-rookie team.
In 18 matches this year, Lau had 125 kills, 299 total attacks, 40 blocks and 181 points, also earning him the title of MVP for the team.
Coach Wayne Harris recognized Lau’s outstanding potential during tryouts last September: “Wesley was lightning fast, jumped out of the gym and had a whip of an arm.” According to Harris, Lau’s physical attributes, combined with “a great work ethic and an outstanding attitude,” led to his tremendous success this season.
Lauren Ruf of Cambridge was named as Female Athlete of the Year. A pitcher and right fielder for the women’s softball team, Ruf is a third-year player and graduated from the Interior Decorating program in December.
Ruf was named OCAA Pitcher of the Year and helped lead her team to an OCAA silver medal. She pitched 61 innings, scoring 9 wins and 1 loss with 52 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.41. She was at bat 60 times, accounting for 17 RBIs, with an on-base percentage of .367 and a slugging percentage of .517.
According to coach Ron Taylor, “Lauren was dedicated and well-liked by her teammates but showed her opponents no mercy. This past ball season, she raised her play to another level. It’s been a pleasure watching Lauren’s success on the diamond.”
Also recognized at the banquet was cross-country runner David Sharratt, who was named to the Conestoga College Athletics and Recreation Hall of Fame. Sharratt ran for Conestoga from 2007 to 2009, capturing OCAA gold medals in both 2007 and 2008 and competing in three CCAA championships.
He was named as Conestoga’s Male Athlete of the Year in both 2007 and 2008. Sharratt is a graduate of the Mechanical Technician - General Machinist program and serves as head coach for Conestoga’s varsity cross-country team.
MVP and Coaches Awards were also presented at the event, and OCAA All-Academic winners were recognized.