Brennan Arduini

Marlee Mertens

Natasha Little

Seven members of the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack athletic program have been honored for academic excellence.  The seven were awarded the BC College Athletic Association Academic Excellence Award for 2008-09.   All seven achieved the minimum of 3.5 grade point average and had 27 credits for the past year and a half.

Those being recognized for their prowess in the classroom are:  Brennan Arduini (Kamloops, BC), Venita Colton (Kamloops, BC), Kia Lidster (Kamloops, BC), Marlee Mertens (Salmon Arm, BC), Alex Perkin (Kamloops, BC) and Caitlin Sharp (Invermere, BC)  of the WolfPack badminton team.  The other athlete who won the award is women’s soccer player Natasha Little (Kamloops, BC).
For Arduini, it’s the third time he’s won the award in the four years he has attended TRU.  “It’s nice that the BCCAA recognizes those athletes that do well in the classroom and on the court,” he said.  “ It shows that they value student athletes.” 

 Arduini has also won a Canadian College Athletics Association Academic Award.    He admits that the fourth year of his post-secondary education has been the toughest  to balance school and athletics.  “ I have been very busy this year and I’m glad my sports finished in the first half of the winter semester.” Arduini was a member of both the badminton and the golf programs.  He is hoping to get into the medical school in the future.

Mertens was a CCAA Academic All Canadian as well in 2008-09.  She was shocked that she won the BCCAA Academic Excellence achievement in her third year of the Arts program.  “ It’s been much tougher  this year,” she says.  “Being an athlete with decent grades at times is quite difficult. There is always pressure coming from one side if not both.  Then, adding a job and a boyfriend is just added time consumption.  The best way to deal with it is to be prepared and manage your time properly.”

 Mertens is hoping to get into the Bachelor of Education: Physical Education program in 2010-11. “ With any luck, I’ll be accepted and continue playing badminton, returning at the end of the year with a silver medal instead of bronze.”   Mertens won a bronze in women’s singles in 2009-10.

Badminton coach Brad Pape is very proud of his student athletes: “it shows that with good time management, you have time to play, practice and study. All of the people that won the award seem to have it all together and I think that you can tell from talking and getting to know them a bit that they have their priorities straight.”

Pape says his players made it a priority to study: even on the road  “ Some of them need to study on the road to get these grades while some are naturally smart and plan for our travel days.  I think it’s great that these people can enjoy their time at TRU, play on a varsity team and get exceptional grades. My hat goes off to all of them.”

The only non badminton athlete to be recognized is Natasha Little of Women’s Soccer. The Norkam grad red shirted in 2008-09, but played regularly in 2009-10.  This, while involved in the Bachelor of Science in Cellular Molecular Microbial Biology program.   “ It’s exciting to be recognized for academics in the athletics world,” she said.  “ Juggling everything-soccer, school, work, community involvement and a personal life is often challenging and stressful but it’s worth it. I can’t imagine eliminating a single element from my life.” 

Little also coordinated the Tim Hortons/Blackwell Dairy WolfPack Kids Club which ran at all home ‘court’ sports games during the season. 

The seven athletes will be recognized at the TRU WolfPack Athletics Awards Banquet on April 8 th.

Brad Pape receiving CCAA Coach of the Year in 2007-08

For the fifth time in his illustrious career coaching badminton at Thompson Rivers University,  Brad Pape has been named Coach of the Year in the BC College Athletic Association.

Pape was selected Coach of the Year at the BCCAA Provincial Championships in Nanaimo this weekend.

“Coach of the year means that the rest of the coaches in the conference regard our team and myself highly,” says Pape, who won it for the second time in three years.  “ I’m glad they see me in that light but, mainly I think it’s the team that wins the award for the coach>”

Pape says this  honor is different from his previous achievements.  “ I always appreciate the recognition but this one is a little different in that I also had the help of Robin and Becky (Barlow, former TRU players) to keep me organized and on track.”

Pape admits that the award is also a bittersweet one because his team finished out of the medals at this weekend’s Provincials and thus, will have no players at the upcoming Canadian College Athletic Association Championships in Edmonton next month.   “ I think the teams this year were far stronger than in the past and any small falter could cause a big swing in the results. In the end, BC team selection comes down to one day and in many cases one match. It just didn’t work in our favour this year.”

Pape’s coaching future is uncertain but he did feel the 2009-10 BCCAA Coach of the Year honor should definitely be shared with his team. “ They struck together through some tough times and tough games. They made the coaching staff look good,” he added.

Pape was the CCAA Coach of the year in 2007-08.

TRU WOLFPACK ATHLETICS: PROUD HOSTS OF THE 2010 CIS MENS NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS-MARCH 12-14  TH  TOURNAMENT CAPITAL CENTER, KAMLOOPS BC.

WEBSITE:  http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/mvball/index      http://francais.cis-sic.ca/championships/mvball/index

Marlee Mertens won a bronze medal (A. Snucins photo)

The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack badminton team wound up fourth in the BC College Athletic Association for 2009-10.  And, they will have none of their players moving onto the National Championships.

 The WolfPack struggled in both the team and individual events this weekend (Feb 20-21), at the BCCAA Provincials hosted by Vancouver Island University.

 Saturday in the team event,  TRU finished fifth.  The ‘Pack downed Langara 4-1 but lost to Douglas College, VIU, Kwantlen Polytechnic and Capilano University College.

 On Sunday, the WolfPack garnered only one individual medal.  Marlee Mertens (3^rd year, Salmon Arm, BC)  finished with the bronze medal in women’s singles.

 The other TRU results were as follows:  Joey Chu (1^st year, Kamloops, BC) was fourth in men’s singles.  The duo of Alex Perkin and Noah Woods (both 3^rd year, Kamloops, BC) were fourth in men’s doubles.  Garrett Babichuk (3^rd year, Kelowna, BC) and partner Whitney MacKenny (4^th year, Port Alberni, BC) were fourth in mixed doubles.  Kia Lidster (2^nd year, Kamloops, BC) and partner Anica Arduini (1^st year, Kamloops, BC) were fifth in women’s doubles.

 The top competitors go to the Canadian College Athletic Association Championships in early March in Edmonton.

 TRU WOLFPACK ATHLETICS: PROUD HOSTS OF THE 2010 CIS MENS NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS-MARCH 12-14  TH  TOURNAMENT CAPITAL CENTER, KAMLOOPS BC.

WEBSITE:  http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/mvball/index      http://francais.cis-sic.ca/championships/mvball/index

Marlee Mertens will play women's singles at the Provincials (A. Snucins photo)

The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack know that its ‘crunch time’ this weekend in the BC College Athletic Association. The WolfPack head into the 2009-10 BCCAA Championships as the number two ranked team. The Championships are being hosted by Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo

“If we don’t play as well as we did in the past two tournaments, we wont be able to hold onto that placing,” said WolfPack head coach Brad Pape.  “ We don’t have Ming Wong (4^th year, Kamloops, BC) to help us out because of her Co-op program in Penticton. So we will have a tough time staying in second place. We’ll need 100 per cent effort from all our players.”

After preparing for the past couple of weeks, Pape has set out his line up for the weekend (Saturday Feb 20 and Sunday Feb 21).   Joey Chu (1^st year, Kamloops, BC) will play men’s singles, Marlee Mertens (3^rd year, Salmon Arm, BC) will play women’s singles.  Anica Arduini (1^st year, Kamloops, BC) will team up with Kia Lidster (2^nd year, Kamloops, BC) in women’s doubles.  Alex Perkin (3^rd year, Kamloops, BC) and Noah Woods (3^rd year, Kamloops, BC) will play men’s doubles.  While Whitney MaKenny (4^th year, Port Alberni, BC) will partner with Garrett Babichuk (3^rd year, Kelowna, BC) in mixed doubles.

“Men’s singles will be very tough, “said Pape. “The competition is very close but Joey has beaten all but one of his competitors.  Men’s doubles has a very tough field so I envision Alex and Noah fighting it out for bronze.  Marlee is looking to medal (likely silver) in women’s singles.  Anica and Kia will have quite a struggle to medal in their event. Mixed with Garrett and Whitney should see us capture the silver if they both play to their potential.”

Pape explains the process on how he determined who would play where:  “We try to put forward our strongest teams in order to fill out the best team to send to nationals and also to try and judge where our team can get the highest medals”

The top team will go the Nationals, to be held March 5-7 in Edmonton, Alberta (hosted by the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology).  There is a chance that some of the silver medal winners will also get a chance to attend if BC is chosen to be the “Wildcard team” by the Canadian College Athletic Association.

 TRU WOLFPACK ATHLETICS: PROUD HOSTS OF THE 2010 CIS MENS NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS-MARCH 12-14  TH  TOURNAMENT CAPITAL CENTER, KAMLOOPS BC.

WEBSITE:  http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/mvball/index      http://francais.cis-sic.ca/championships/mvball/index

Alex Perkin (left) and Noah Woods (right) won their doubles flight.

New Westminster, BC—The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack badminton will finish the BC College Athletic Association regular season in second spot.  The ‘Pack earned the placing after the final tournament of the year this weekend (Jan 16-17) at Douglas College.

 The WolfPack were third after the team portion of the tournament, but rose to second based on points garnered in Sunday’s individual event.

In that event, Alex Perkin and Noah Woods (both 3^rd year, Kamloops, BC) finished first in the men’s doubles ‘B” flight.  Perkin and teammate Whitney MaKenny (4^th year, Port Alberni, BC) were first in the mixed ‘B” flight.

 Other results: Garrett Babichuk (3^rd year, Kelowna, BC) and Ming Wong (4^th year, Kamloops, BC) were second in the mixed “B” flight.  Kia Lidster (2^nd year, Kamloops, BC) was second in the women’s “B” singles. Joey Chu (2^nd year, Kamloops, BC) was second in the men’s “B” singles.  

Babichuk was third in the men’s ‘B” singles, Chu and Brennan Arduini (4^th year, Kamloops, BC) placed third in the men’s “B” doubles.  Marlee Mertens (3^rd year, Salmon Arm, BC) and Lidster were third in the women’s “A” doubles.  Wong and Anica Arduini (1^st year, Kamloops, BC) were fourth in women’s “A” doubles.  Mertens was fifth in the women’s ‘A” singles after having to forfeit due to injury.

The BCCAA finals are set for next month (Feb 20-21) in Nanaimo.  The Canadian College Athletic Association championships will go at N.A.I.T. in Edmonton in March (4-6).