Mike Tomlinson of the Queen’s Golden Gaels has won the Dale Iwanoczko Sportsman Award for the second consecutive season.
The award is presented by Ontario University Athletics to the men’s volleyball player who best displays academic achievement, community involvement and athletic performance.
A fifth-year right side hitter from Stratford, Tomlinson finished in among the Top 10 in the league kills per set (3.37), hitting percentage (.286) and points per set (4.0). He was named to the OUA all-star team for the third year in a row, this time to the second team.
Currently completing an honours degree in biomedical (mechanical) engineering, Tomlinson is co-president of the Queen's Varsity Leadership Council, which organizes varsity athletes for community activities and fundraisers, and provides a forum for athletes to discuss and affect relevant issues.
He is also a member of Gaels Care, an elementary school outreach program that matches varsity athletes with schools, to help with literacy and gym classes, and to speak about such topics as bullying and the importance of health. He also serves as a student-athlete tutor, mentoring first- and second-year engineering students who are struggling to stay academically eligible for varsity athletics.
Tomlinson also coaches at the Pegasus Volleyball Club Center for Excellence, a weekly supplemental training session for young volleyball players.
Tomlinson is one of two major award winners from the Gaels. Outside hitter Chris Brunet of Calgary has been named OUA rookie of the year. The first-year engineering student appeared in 19 games for Queen's, registering 2.00 kills per set to go along with a .180 hitting percentage.
Brunet becomes the first Gael to win the award since Joren Zeeman in 2008.
Left side hitter Marko Dakic of Mississauga represents Queen’s on the first all-star team.
Dakic, who played four years at York, transferred to Queen's to study law and he finished the regular season ranked seventh in the league, averaging 3.67 kills per set to go along with a .350 hitting percentage. Dakic led Queen's with 281 points, sixth-best in OUA.
Middle blocker Josh Edwards of Kingston, a fifth-year human kinetics student at Windsor, was named to the second all-star team. He was second in the OUA with a .392 hitting percentage.
Royal Military College left side Dale Towe of Caledon, Ont., was named to the conference all-rookie team.