TWU's Van Berkel named Canada West Athlete of the Week

CANADA WEST ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPARTANS VAN BERKEL EARNS CANADA WEST HONOURS

LANGLEY, British Columbia –Tuesday morning Canada West announced that TWU men’s volleyball middle Lucas Van Berkel and Calgary's women's wrestler Gen Haley were named Canada West male and Female Athletes of the Week.

Male: Lucas Van Berkel, Trinity Western (Volleyball)

Lucas Van Berkel established a new Canada West single-season record for blocking average by finishing the 2010-11 conference season with 1.60 blocks per set. Van Berkel bettered the mark of former National Team member and Manitoba Bison Peter Trupin, who averaged 1.55 during the 2001-02 season. Van Berkel had 11 blocks on the weekend, helping lead the CIS #4-ranked Spartans to a weekend sweep of #5 Manitoba.

In addition to his blocking exploits Van Berkel added 11 kills, hit at a .476 clip, while adding nine digs to help the Spartans to Friday’s 3-1 and Saturday’s 3-0 victories over the Bisons.

The second year general studies student finishes the season with 104 total blocks and his 1.60 average was 0.24 ahead of his closest competitor.

Van Berkel and the Spartans host the Thompson Rivers WolfPack in the Canada West men’s volleyball quarter-finals, Feb. 17-19 at the Langley Events Centre.

Female: Gen Haley, Calgary (Wrestling)

Fifth-year senior Genevieve Haley successfully pulled off a five-peat over the weekend at the Canada West wrestling championships in Saskatoon.

Moving up a weight class didn’t faze the native of Campbell’s Bay, Que. as she gave up just one point in her three matches to win a fifth consecutive conference title – this time at 55 kg after winning her first four at the 51 kg level.

Her dominance, which included a pair of 7-0 superiority round victories, earned her the Most Outstanding Wrestler award from the Canada West coaches, another feather in the cap for the 2010 CIS most outstanding female wrestler.

She helped the Dinos capture their record eighth Canada West women’s wrestling title in the process, edging out the surging Alberta Pandas by just four points. She will lead a strong group of lady Dinos into the CIS championships in Thunder Bay, Ont., where she will look to become the first female wrestler in history to win five CIS gold medals in five consecutive seasons.

About Canada West Universities Athletic Association
Canada West is consistently the most decorated of the four conferences in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), winning at least 10 CIS national titles every year since 1997-98. Comprised of 14 schools, from the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Canada West produces numerous major award winners and Academic All-Canadian student-athletes each year, with many going on to athletic success around the globe in pro leagues or events such as the Olympics, Paralympics or Universiade Games.

A proud member of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).

Last Updated: 2011-02-15
Author: Scott Stewart