Acadia's Ross named AUS James Bayer Award winner

WOLFVILLE, N.S. - At a special presentation during Acadia University's annual athletic awards banquet held at Festival Theatre in Wolfville, N.S. this evening, Atlantic University Sport announced Axewomen dual-sport soccer and basketball student-athlete Katie Ross as the 2016 recipient of the 30^th annual James Bayer Memorial Scholarship Award presented by PepsiCo Beverages Canada.

The James Bayer Memorial Scholarship Award was established in 1985 and is awarded annually to an outstanding student-athlete in Atlantic University Sport for excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, sportsmanship and citizenship.

Marg Bayer, wife of the late James Bayer, and Phil Currie, executive director of Atlantic University Sport, were on hand to make the presentation.

"It's always an exciting time of year when we get the opportunity to recognize these outstanding student-athletes," said Currie. "We had one of the strongest fields of nominees this year that the committee has ever seen. Although there was steep competition, Katie Ross emerged as the clear winner. She is an outstanding student-athlete who embodies what this award represents and we congratulate her on her win."

Ross is a third-year centre midfielder for the Acadia women's soccer team and a guard for the Axewomen basketball team.

A 5-foot-11 kinesiology honours student from Bedford, N.S., she played in all 13 games for the soccer Axewomen, scoring four goals and adding four assists this regular season.

Ross then led Acadia to the Subway AUS Women's Soccer Championship final, scoring two of the Axewomen's three goals in a 3-0 semifinal win over StFX in the semifinals. The team would finish as championship runners up after a hard-fought 1-0 loss to Cape Breton in the final.

Ross played in 18 games for the Axewomen basketball team this regular season and started in 13 of them. She posted an average of 7.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1 steal per game, helping Acadia to a second-place finish in the AUS regular season standings.

"Over my time as an athletic director, the term 'body of work' has never been more positively applied to a student-athlete than Katie Ross," said Acadia athletic director Kevin Dickie. "She is not only a two-sport athlete, but an outstanding one, morphing from soccer into basketball as a starter and leader in both. Katie has an almost perfect grade point average, and her selfless community involvement is incredible. She exemplifies the very best qualities in all the dimensions of being a student-athlete. More significant however, is that aside from any affiliation to sport, Katie Ross is an even better person than she is a student-athlete."

In the classroom, Ross is a two-time academic all-Canadian, on pace to repeat the feat for a third consecutive year.

In 2015, she was the recipient of the Governor General Medal. Following her 2014-15 sophomore season, Ross was selected as one of two Atlantic conference members of the CIS Top Eight Academic All-Canadians.

She is also the recipient of the International Baccalaureate Scholarship as well as the Class of 1937 Scholarship.

Ross is also heavily involved in the community. She volunteers her time with an array of initiatives, including the Acadia S.M.I.L.E. program (Sensory Motor Instructional Learning Experience), working with children with autism to develop motor, cognitive and social learning skills.

She is a volunteer with the Annapolis Valley Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre and the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life.

She serves as a team leader for the Hannah Miller Memorial Hockey Tournament, the proceeds of which go towards creating opportunities for female hockey development and initiatives.

Ross is one of the organizers of Enactus Acadia's March Against Hunger Food Drive. She also serves as a volunteer coach with the Bedford Soccer Club.

"Katie is confident, without being overbearing, and has an extraordinarily high level of achievement in athletics, academics, and in the community," said Acadia women's basketball head coach Len Harvey. "With her compassionate spirit, inquisitive mind and winning personality, she will be a credit to this prestigious award. She is not only a fantastic representative for our university and basketball program, but sets the bar as a role model for young female athletes to aspire toward."

Each year, the 11 AUS member schools nominate one student-athlete for this prestigious award. As this year's recipient, Ross receives a $1,000 scholarship.

Also nominated were Dalhousie's Anna Dunn-Suen, Cape Breton's Robyn Novorolsky, Memorial's Jessie Noseworthy, Moncton's Allain Saulnier, Mount Allison's Allison Loewen, UNB's Lauren Adam, UPEI's Samantha Sweet, StFX's Nathan Chiarlitti, Madeline Clarke from Saint Mary's and Rankyn Campbell from St. Thomas University. Each of the nominees receive a $500 scholarship award.

James Bayer taught education and physical education at both high school and university levels. He served as supervisor and consultant for the Nova Scotia Department of Culture, Recreation and Fitness.

At Acadia University, he served as dean of recreation and physical education and as director of athletics from 1978-1985. As an administrator in the AUAA and the CIAU, he was a key player in the establishment of intercollegiate athletic policy.

This memorial scholarship is the most prestigious award offered annually by Atlantic University Sport.

Previous recipients the James Bayer Memorial Scholarship Award:

1987 - Greg Berry, StFX University, Soccer; Caroline Lulham, Mount Allison University, Volleyball
1988 - Gunnhildur Baldursson, Acadia University, Soccer
1989 - Jackie Wong, Mount Allison University, Volleyball / Soccer
1990 - Augy Jones, St. Francis Xavier University, Basketball
1991 - Heather Morrison, University of Prince Edward Island, Field Hockey
1992 - Keith Donovan, Dalhousie University, Basketball
1993 - David Sykes, Saint Mary's University, Football
1994 - Kathy McNally, University of Prince Edward Island, Field Hockey
1995 - Scott Bagnell, Dalhousie University, Volleyball
1996 - Carla Edwards, Mount Allison University, Volleyball
1997 - Chris Diamond, University of Prince Edward Island, Soccer
1998 - Peter Benoite, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Basketball
1999 - Jan Trojanowski, Acadia University, Basketball
2000 - Kristen Lewis, Dalhousie University, Cross Country
2001 - Jillian MacDonald, Dalhousie University, Basketball
2002 - Louis Poirier, Université de Moncton, Track & Field
2003 - Dan Tudin, Dalhousie University, Hockey
2004 - Eric Gillis, St. Francis Xavier University, Cross Country
2005 - Adrienne Power, Dalhousie University, Track & Field
2006 - David Chant, Saint Mary's University, Hockey
2007 - Colin Sinclair, University of New Brunswick, Hockey
2008 - Katherine Quackenbush, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Basketball
2009 - Isabelle Miles, University of New Brunswick, Soccer
2010 - Alex Legge, Dalhousie University, Basketball
2011 - Jacob Kilpatrick, University of New Brunswick, Volleyball
2012 - Daniel You, Dalhousie University, Volleyball
2013 - Rebecca Haworth, Dalhousie University, Track & Field
2014 - Alana Fairfax, Acadia University, Soccer
2015 - Karolyne Blain, Cape Breton University, Soccer
2016 - Katie Ross, Acadia University, Soccer and Basketball