Three Stars: Steele, Ivicak, Vriend earn honours
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Emma Steele is the MacEwan Athletics first star of the week after a record-breaking performance at the U SPORTS women's cross-country national championship.
The Griffins rookie broke the MacEwan record in the women's 8K in earning a Canada West second team all-star award.
Other athletes recognized this week include second star Kayla Ivicak of the women's basketball team and third star Max Vriend of the men's volleyball team.
Steele cracks the three stars list for the third time in 2018-19, previously earning second-star honours on both Oct. 2 and Oct. 16. Ivicak and Vriend are both being honoured for the first time this season.
1st star: Emma Steele, women's cross-country
Edmonton, AB, first-year, Arts
The Griffins' rookie capped off a terrific first season by netting a Canada West second team all-star award at the U SPORTS national championship in Kingston, Ont., on Saturday.
Steele ran the women's 8K in 30:19.8 to finish 11th amongst Canada West competitors and broke the MacEwan University record in the process.
She also placed second in the conference female rookie of the year race, finishing 16 seconds behind UBC's Gabrielle Joffe.
Steele's award keeps alive a streak of five-straight years that MacEwan has had a Canada West all-star in cross country, following Vanessa Trofimenkoff (2014-15) and Hannah Leggatt (2016-17).
2nd star: Kayla Ivicak, G, women's basketball
St. Albert, AB, fifth-year, Commerce
Tired of mounting losses, the fifth-year guard put the Griffins on her back on Friday, leading them to their first win of the season, a 73-64 triumph over the visiting Winnipeg Wesmen.
Ivicak produced her second double-double of the Canada West season in monster fashion with 20 points and 18 rebounds, adding two assists, a game-high five steals and a block.
Her rebound total on Friday was the highest of her university career and is the second-most posted by a Griffins player in Canada West competition, just shy of Kelly Fagan's 20 in the 2014-15 season.
In Saturday's 75-34 loss to Winnipeg, Ivicak had five points, four rebounds, three assists and four steals.
For the season, Ivicak is tied for seventh in Canada West with 7.0 rebounds per game and is tied for eighth in steals per game (2.0).
The Griffins will host UFV on Friday (6 p.m.) and Saturday (8 p.m., David Atkinson Gym).
Kayla Ivicak cuts around the Winnipeg defence on Friday, en route to a 20-point, 18-rebound double-double (Chris Piggott photo).
3rd star: Max Vriend, OH, men's volleyball
Barrhead, AB, fourth-year, Commerce
The fourth-year outside hitter went toe-to-toe with reigning U SPORTS first team All-Canadian Taryq Sani and held his own as the Griffins pushed No. 4 Alberta to the limit in a pair of weekend losses.
In Friday's 3-1 defeat, neck and neck as evidenced by MacEwan leading late in two of the sets they lost, Vriend had 16 kills, four blocks and four digs.
In Saturday's narrow 3-2 loss, Vriend produced 14 kills, two service aces, six digs and three blocks.
For the season, Vriend is fourth in Canada West with 98 kills, seventh in kills/set (3.50) and is tied for fourth in blocks (26).
The Griffins are now on a bye week before returning to action with a visit to Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C. on Nov. 23-24.
Max Vriend, seen hitting the ball against UBC-Okanagan earlier this season, had two big games against the University of Alberta last weekend (Robert Antoniuk photo).
