University News

Jamall Lee and Jessy Roy named Bishop's Athletes of the Year

LENNOXVILLE - March 29, 2009

LENNOXVILLE – Jamall Lee (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) and Jessy Roy (Val d'Or, Que.) were named the Bishop's University Athletes of the Year at the annual awards gala held tonight in Sherbrooke. Also winning major awards were D'Arcy Nash (Toronto, Ont.) and Becky Yates (Halifax, N.S.), who were named Freshmen of the Year. Mike Hickey, a writer for many years with the Sherbrooke Record and the Townships Outlet was awarded the prestigious Ray Almond Award for his contributions to Bishop's Athletics. At the gala, 40 awards were presented across all nine Gaiters sports, and a full list of winners follows this release.

Male Athlete of the Year - Jamall Lee, Football
Lee, a fourth-year running back, becomes the first three-time Male Athlete of the Year since Ron Perowne's three victories from 1970-72. This year, Lee led the CIS in rushing for the second straight year, posting 1202 yards on a league-record 182 carries, earning him unanimous league All-Star honours and his second straight First Team All-Canadian berth. His ten touchdowns led the QUFL, and he is now the QUFL's career leader for rushing yards (4,296) and rushing touchdowns (35). On September 20, he came within four yards of the CIS all-time single-game rushing record, when he ran for 391 yards against McGill - a game in which he set three different league records, and tied two of his own school marks.

Female Athlete of the Year - Jessy Roy, Basketball
Roy, a second-year point guard, has been a leader of the Gaiters Women's Basketball team since her arrival on campus in 2007. Last year's Female Freshman of the Year, this year she picked up right where she left off, taking charge of an offence that placed a great deal of responsibility on her shoulders. She led the Gaiters to a 10-6 finished, as she averaged eight points and five rebounds in 16 regular-season games. She finished 10th in the CIS (2nd in the QUBL) with 4.3 assists per game, and led the league with a 1.4 assist-to-turnover ratio. Roy was also fourth in the league in free-throw shooting (0.800) and steals (1.8 per game), tied for fifth in blocked shots (0.6 per game) and sixth in defensive rebounds (4.4 per game).

Female Freshman of the Year – Becky Yates, Soccer
Yates, 18, is the first soccer player to win the award since goalkeeper Chelsea Aboud's win in 2005. The Halifax native stepped in the Gaiters' lineup and immediately filled the gloves left behind by Aboud's graduation last season. She picked up her career win on September 14 at UQTR, and throughout the year she showed the potential to become one of the league's top goalkeepers, as she provided stability to the Gaiters' young defence corps and made several spectacular saves each game. Late in the season, and into the winter indoor season, she moved into the midfield, and immediately proved to be one of the team's best playmakers.

Male Freshman of the Year – D'Arcy Nash, Football/Basketball
Nash, 20, is the second straight two-sport athlete to be named Male Freshman of the Year. Nash joined the Gaiters as a reserve linebacker, worked his way into the lineup by September and became a key component of the Gaiters' special teams. On November 1 he played his first basketball game - with less than a week of practice - and scored 13 points. He broke into the starting lineup four weeks later, and became a consistent scoring threat, hitting double figures eight times and averaging 9.1 points per game. Nash was named to the QUBL's All-Rookie Team.

Ray Almond Award (Contribution to Bishop’s Athletics) – Mike Hickey
The Ray Almond Award is given annually to a dedicated member of the Bishop’s athletic community who rises above the expected to deliver an invaluable service for Gaiters Athletics. Since moving to the Eastern Townships in 1998, Mike Hickey has helped Bishop's Athletics in several different ways. For the last 11 years, he has spent countless hours covering Gaiters Athletics, formerly for the Sherbrooke Record, and now for the Townships Outlet. His coverage has helped the Gaiters remain an important part of the Townships community. He served as the Program Director of the Bishop's Gaiters Basketball Camp for over a decade, served for a year as the university's Sports Information Officer, and was an assistant coach for the Men's Basketball team from 2002-06.

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