HAMILTON – Three members of the Canada West champion University of Calgary Dinos football team were named CIS All-Canadians Thursday, as announced at the All-Canadian Gala in Hamilton in advance of Saturday's Desjardins Vanier Cup.
Middle linebacker Andrea Bonaventura becomes the first Calgary linebacker to crack the first All-Canadian team since Ian James in 1987, and he is joined by running back Matt Walter and wide receiver Nathan Coehoorn, both of whom were named second team All-Canadians Thursday night.
Bonaventura and Walter were both up for major CIS awards on the night as well, but both awards instead went to schools further east. Bonaventura was the Canada West nominee for the Presidents' Trophy for the top defensive player, while Walter is the conference MVP and was up for the Hec Crighton Trophy. The Hec Crighton went to Laval quarterback Benoit Groulx, while Queen's linebacker Thaine Carter took home the Presidents'.
The trio of All-Canadians marks the most individual awards for the Dinos at the CIS level since 2002, when four players were named to the second team. Since 1971, 52 Calgary players have been named first team All-Canadians.
Six time Quebec champion Laval, who defeated the Dinos in the Uteck Bowl last Sunday, leads the way with nine players on the All-Canadian teams. The Rouge et Or are heavy favourites heading into this weekend's Vanier Cup in Hamilton, where they will take on the Western Ontario Mustangs.
In addition to Groulx's national MVP award, Laval defensive end Étienne Légaré was named winner of the J.P. Metras Trophy as the nation's top down lineman. Waterloo linebacker Jordan Verdonne claimed the Peter Gorman Trophy as CIS rookie of the year, while Toronto quarterback David Hamilton received the Russ Jackson award for combining athletics, academics, and citizenship.
The three All-Canadians for Calgary leads Canada West in 2008, with Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta (two each) close behind. One player from each of UBC and Simon Fraser was also honoured.
The Calgary Dinos had their most successful season in 13 years in 2008, going a perfect 6-0 at home, winning their first playoff game since the 1995 Vanier Cup, and taking the Hardy Cup title with a 44-21 victory over Simon Fraser in the conference championship game, before falling to Laval in the Uteck Bowl in Quebec City.
The 2008 Desjardins Vanier Cup goes Saturday from Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton as the Mustangs battle the Rouge et Or for national supremacy. Kickoff is at noon MT on The Score and RDS, with SSN Canada providing a live webcast.
-UC-
2008 CIS Football Major Award Winners
HEC CRIGHTON TROPHY (outstanding player)
QUFL: Benoit Groulx (Montreal, Que.), quarterback, Laval
PRESIDENTS' TROPHY (outstanding defensive player)
OUA: Thaine Carter (Nanaimo, B.C.), linebacker, Queen's
J.P. METRAS TROPHY NOMINEES (outstanding down lineman)
QUFL: Étienne Légaré (St-Raymond, Que.), defensive tackle, Laval
PETER GORMAN TROPHY (rookie of the year)
OUA: Jordan Verdone (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.), linebacker, Waterloo
RUSS JACKSON AWARD (student-athlete community service)
David Hamilton (Mississauga, Ont.), quarterback / human biology, Toronto
2008 CIS Football All-Canadians
FIRST TEAM
Offence
Pos. Athlete University Year Hometown Academic Program
QB Benoit Groulx Laval 4 Montreal, Que. Education
RB Michael Giffin Queen's 4 Kingston, Ont. Arts & Science
RB Jamall Lee Bishop's 4 Port Coquitlam, B.C. Humanities
WR Julian Feoli Gudino Laval 2 San José, Costa Rica Industrial Relations
WR Scott Valberg Queen's 5 Kingston, Ont. Arts & Science
IR Erik Galas McGill 5 Ottawa, Ont. Physical Education
IR Gary Ross Mount Allison 3 Windsor, Ont. Science
C Louis-David Gagné Laval 4 Quebec City, Que. Science
T Simeon Rottier Alberta 4 Westlock, Alta. Agriculture, Life & Environnemental Sciences
T Steve Myddelton StFX 4 Barrie, Ont. Business Administration
G Vincent Turgeon Laval 5 Montreal, Que. Science
G Luc Brodeur-Jourdain Laval 5 St-Hyacinthe, Que. Business Administration
Defence
DT Étienne Légaré Laval 4 St-Raymond, Que. Education
DT Dedrick Sterling Queen's 4 Kingston, Ont. Arts & Science
DE Scott McCuaig UBC 4 Surrey, B.C. Arts
DE Osie Ukwuoma Queen's 3 Mississauga, Ont. Business
LB Thaine Carter Queen's 4 Nanaimo, B.C. Arts & Science
LB Andrea Bonaventura Calgary 3 Hamilton, Ont. Social Sciences
LB Joash Gesse Montreal 3 Montreal, Que. Education
FS Callan Exeter Mount Allison 2 Ajax, Ont. BCM
HB Maxime Bérubé Laval 3 Valleyfield, Que. Business Administration
HB James Savoie Guelph 2 Niagara Falls, Ont. Landscape Architecture
CB Hamid Mahmoudi Montreal 3 Teheran, Iran Arts & Sciences
CB Jeff Zelinski Saint Mary's 4 Mission, B.C. Science
Special Teams
P Rob Maver Guelph 3 Brampton, Ont. Political Science
K Christopher Milo Laval 2 Montreal, Que. Industrial Relations
RET James Allin Queen's 4 Belleville, Ont. Arts & Science
SECOND TEAM
Offence
Pos. Athlete University Year Hometown Faculty
QB Danny Brannagan Queen's 4 Burlington, Ont. Business
RB Matt Walter Calgary 2 Calgary, Alta. Science
RB James Green StFX 4 Halifax, N.S. Business Administration
WR Jedd Gardner Guelph 2 Niagara Falls, Ont. Commerce Business
WR Nathan Coehoorn Calgary 2 Redcliff, Alta. Social Sciences
IR Mark Stinson Toronto 5 Calgary, Alta. Employment Relations
IR Alain Dorval Sherbrooke 5 Quebec City, Que. History
C Kurtis Stolth Manitoba 4 Port Alberni, B.C. Social Work
T Scott Evans Wilfrid Laurier 5 Cambridge, Ont. Computer Science
T Bryan Jordan Saint Mary's 5 London, Ont. Arts
G Hubert Buydens Saskatchewan 4 Saskatoon, Sask. Arts & Science
G Vincenzo De Civita Queen's 3 Gormley, Ont. Health Sciences
Defence
DT Dan Schutte Saint Mary's 2 Red Deer, Alta. Arts
DT Dan Oramasionwu Manitoba 4 Winnipeg, Man. Asper School of Business
DE Mathieu Brossard Montreal 4 Montreal, Que. Business Administration
DE M-A Beaudoin-Cloutier Laval 3 St-Basile, Que. Business Administration
LB John Surla Western 2 Niagara Falls, Ont. Social Sciences
LB Henoc Muamba StFX 2 Kinshasa, Congo BIS
LB James Yurichuk Bishop's 4 Brampton, Ont. Education
FS Matthew Carapella Western 5 London, Ont. Social Sciences
HB Corey McNair Western 5 London, Ont. Social Sciences
HB Joel Lipinski Saint Mary's 4 Regina, Sask. Science
CB Jon Krahenbil Saskatchewan 4 Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask. Business
CB Anthony Deslauriers Simon Fraser 3 Surrey, B.C. Bachelor of Arts
Special Teams
P Hugh O'Neill Alberta 2 Edmonton, Alta. Science
K Rob Maver Guelph 3 Brampton, Ont. Political Science
RET Gary Ross Mount Allison 3 Windsor, Ont. Science
