MacEwan Athletics
In a new world of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are announcing all 2019-20 Griffins award winners online over the next few days. Here is our schedule:
Wednesday: Most Improved winners for each team (Find the story here)
Thursday: Most Outstanding winners for each team (Find the story here)
Friday: Team of the Year (Find the story here)
March 28: Academic Team of the Year (Find the story here)
Today: Female Rookie of the Year
Tuesday: Male Rookie of the Year
Wednesday: Female Athlete of the Year
Thursday: Male Athlete of the Year
Our Female Rookie of the Year goes to the female student-athlete (in good academic standing) who had the greatest impact in their first year with the Griffins.
Here are our three finalists (in alphabetical order). The winner will be revealed at 4:30 p.m. today.
Sofia DiGiacomo, women's soccer
Awards: U SPORTS all-rookie team … Canada West all-rookie team … Named to MacEwan Athletics' three stars list twice (3rd – Oct. 1, 3rd – Nov. 5).
Stats: 4G, 1A, 5 PTS in 14 regular season games, 19 shots (10 on goal).
Synopsis: Sofia DiGiacomo started her Griffins career as a central midfield player, but when centre back Samantha Gouveia sustained a season-ending injury midway through the season, she stepped into a prominent defensive role with MacEwan.
Playing the final eight games of the regular season and three playoff matches at centre back, DiGiacomo not only held her own against some of the top offensive players in the country, she dominated. The rookie was a major reason why the Griffins had the second-best goals against in Canada West (eight allowed in 14 games).
She was used as an offensive threat on corner kicks and netted four goals with her dominant presence in the box.
As a result, DiGiacomo was the runner-up in voting for the Canada West rookie of the year award.
She was active in the community in various capacities, including Santa's Anonymous, Edmonton food bank and helping kids at St. Maria Goretti school.
Kiana Row, women's cross-country/indoor track
Awards: Canada West second all-star team … Named to MacEwan Athletics' three stars list five times (1st – Sept. 10, 2nd – Oct. 1, 2nd – Oct. 8, 2nd – Oct. 15, 2nd – Oct. 29).
Synopsis: Kiana Row finished 11th in the women's 8K (31:28) to earn Canada West second all-star team honours at the conference championship in Calgary on Oct. 26.
That kept alive a program streak of six-straight years a Griffins female cross-country runner has made the Canada West all-star team, following Vanessa Trofimenkoff (2014-15), Hannah Leggatt (2016-17) and Emma Steele (2018).
Much like Steele did in 2018, Row burst onto the scene as a rookie 2019, topping all post-secondary athletes competing at the ACAC Grand Prix #1 event in Edmonton before finishing as the top Griffin at the Victoria Vikes Invitational. She then ran one of the fastest 5K races in program history (17:56.40) to finish only behind Seattle's Olivia Stein at the John Payne/Curtis Sundodger Invitational and finished up her preparations for the Canada West championship by topping all post-secondary competitors at the ACAC Grand Prix #5.
She also finished with a solid indoor track season representing the Griffins, winning the 1500 metres and coming second in the 3000 at the MacEwan Invitational in January and then winning the 1500 at ACAC Grand Prix #2 earlier this month.
Brianna Sank, women's hockey
Awards: ACAC first all-star team, which means she was ACAC goaltender of the year.
Stats: 10W in 13 regular season games played (710:55 minutes), 1.35 GAA (1st in ACAC), .923 save percentage (T2nd in ACAC), 1 shutout; 2 playoff games played (120 minutes), 0.50 GAA (1st in ACAC), .971 save percentage (1st in ACAC), 1 shutout
Synopsis: Sank split time with Natalie Bender in the MacEwan crease in her rookie season and was a revelation for a Griffins team who had just lost former ACAC player of the year Sandy Heim to graduation.
Sank led the ACAC with a sterling 1.35 goals against average, allowing just 16 goals past her all regular season, stopping 193 of 209 shots against.
As a result, she was named to the conference's first all-star team, which makes her the ACAC's goaltender of the year – the seventh time a Griffins goalie has earned that distinction, following Trina Hamm (2002-03), Kristle Beaudry (2007), Morgan Glover (2015) and Heim (2016-17).
In two playoff games, Sank posted a league-leading 0.50 GAA and .971 save percentage.
In the community, Sank helped with a number of initiatives, including Read-In Week, the Salvation Army, Boyle Street Hot Lunch service and a warm clothing drive for the Mustard Seed.
