NWP Celebrates Festival of Gold

The annual Festival of Gold celebration took place April 2 in Northwestern Polytechnic’s gymnasium as athletes, coaches and family members gathered to celebrate academic and athletic accomplishments from the 2021-2022 season. 

“Northwestern Polytechnic is fortunate to have such driver and talented athletic ambassadors within our learning community,” said Dr. Vanessa Sheane, Provost and Vice-President, Academic at NWP. “This weekend, we celebrated our local champions along with those who have made the northwest their home and are continuing to excel in their sporting and academic journey.”

Master of Ceremonies and former, Director of Athletics, Francois Fournier had the privilege of presenting the 2022 honours to the following awardees:

• Female Athlete of the Year - Lana Matthews, Women’s Volleyball
• Male Athlete of the Year - Manny Iloka, Men’s Basketball
• Female Rookie of the Year - Raylene Badger, Women’s Basketball
• Male Rookie of the Year - Chris Liwanag, Men’s Basketball

Individual Academic Excellence Awards were also handed out to the student athletes who had the highest GPA on each team in the Fall semester. 

Many of these athletes are above the 3.3 GPA threshold and will be recognized upon completion of the Winter semester at the CCAA National Scholar and the ACAC Academic Awards. 

Memorial Awards

Each year, NWP recognizes the contributions of Wolves supporters who have played a major role in the legacy of the Wolves program. Through our Wolves Memorial Awards, we celebrate our once a wolf, always a wolf motto. 

• Darryl Nicoll Memorial Basketball Award - Colton Brouchu
• Tim Pomeroy Memorial Volleyball Award - Lane Matthews
• The Gary Kostiuk Memorial Volleyball Awards - Zach Ohori and Gabrielle Capelle
• Arthur Dunn Memorial Volleyball Scholarship - Corom Gregson
• Louis Lamoureux Award - Michael Authenac
• Gurevitch Burnham Cross Country Running Award - Lydia Steinke

CCAA Academic All-Canadian Award

The Academic All-Canadian Award is the CCAA’s most prestigious student athlete honour, epitomizing a commitment to academic success and athletic achievement. Tom Wheeler, a fourth year Men’s Volleyball team member who is currently studying his Bachelor of Education, was awarded the honour. Wheeler, dubbed with the “Big Red” nickname due to his presence on the court, standing at 6’8” tall, hails from Ipswich, Queensland, Australia and is viewed as a role model on the Wolves roster.

Visit NWP.me/FOG to learn more about this year’s award winners and to view photos from the night’s festivities.

Learn more about your NWP Wolves program here and how you can continue to help support their athletic and academic goals here.