Basketball player Lacey Knox and cross-country runner Rob Asselstine were named female and male athletes of the year, respectively, at the annual St. Lawrence College athletics banquet Wednesday night at the Sheraton Four Points hotel.

For Knox, who came to St. Lawrence from Frontenac Secondary School via the Western Mustangs, it was the second athlete-of-the-year award. She ended a distinguished three-year career with the Vikings as the school’s leading all-time scorer, with 1,069 points. She was captain of a team that ended the regular season in first place (15-1) in its division and ranked third in Canada.

Individually, she was eighth in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association with 14.3 points per game, though she was excused early from many of the Vikings’ blowout victories. Her field goal percentage (.515) and three-point shooting percentage (.417) were both second best in the province.

She also carries a grade-point average of 3.5.

Knox said she was humbled to win the award.

“There are so many talented athletes at (the college),” she said, in a release. “I’m very honoured to have been selected as the top female athlete.

“I get support from so many important people around me, from my parents, coaches, teammates and athletics staff. Everyone plays a part and I couldn’t have accomplished it all without them.”

In just his first year as a competitive intercollegiate runner, Asselstine, a graduate of Sydenham High School, won medals at three different meets: gold at the St. Lawrence Invitational, silver at the Seneca Invitational and bronze at the conference championship, where he finished just 18 seconds behind the leaders.

At the Canadian college championship in Calgary, Asselstine was the second Ontario runner across the line, finishing fifth overall.

“As the night went on, the more I realized how many talented athletes there are at (St. Lawrence),” Asselstine said, noting members of the men’s basketball team and OCAA bronze-medal golfer Brennan Smith. “I’m incredibly honored to have been selected male athlete of the year.

“My coaches, teammates and the athletics staff have been so overwhelmingly supportive. They definitely deserve recognition for pushing me this year.”

Andrew Dawkins, a conference all-star basketball player, was presented with the Barry Ellerbeck Memorial Award for his dedication and contributions to developing and promoting sport and student-life activities on campus.

Named female and male academic athletes of the year were soccer players Jessie Pennock and Jess Borges.

For Pennock, captain of the women’s team, it was her second successive academic award; she’s carried a GPA of 3.5 or better for all three years of her accounting studies in the business administration program.

Captain of the men’s team, Borges, like Pennock an all-Canadian player, also carries a 3.5 GPA in the Bachelor of Business Administration program.