Quinlan named OUA athlete of the year

GRAVENHURST, Ont. – Guelph rugby standout Britt Benn (Napanee, Ont.) and McMaster quarterback sensation Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, Ont.) were named the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Athletes of the Year, presented by Pioneer Energy at the 2013 OUA Honour Awards Banquet. The event was held on Thursday evening at Taboo Resort in Gravenhurst, Ontario. It is Quinlan’s second consecutive male athlete of the year honour, and Benn’s victory marks the second consecutive season that a member of the Guelph Gryphons women’s rugby team has earned female MVP.

Quinlan completed his varsity career with one of the best statistical seasons in CIS football annals. In eight regular season contests last fall, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound quarterback led the country with 19 touchdown passes against only two interceptions, the lowest total among starting pivots. He ranked second in the nation in both passing yards per game (307.1) and completion percentage, with a new single-season OUA record of 68.9. The ultimate dual threat, he also led all CIS signal callers with seven majors and 550 yards on the ground. Quinlan was a logical choice for the Hec Crighton Trophy as CIS player of the year. His stellar play helped the Marauders to their first 8-0 regular season since 2003, a second straight OUA banner and a return trip to the Vanier Cup final, which ended in a loss to archrival Laval in front of a record crowd of 37,098 at Rogers Centre.
In her fifth and final year of eligibility, Benn led the OUA conference in scoring in the regular season with 80 points on 16 tries, eight more than any other player. The 5-foot-6 outside centre helped guide the Gryphons to a perfect 6-0 record in league play and a trio of playoff wins en route to their fifth consecutive OUA title. Benn ends her remarkable university career with five selections as an OUA all-star, four OUA scoring titles and four all-Canadian nods. Named the OUA Russell division rookie of the year back in 2008, she led Guelph to the podium in each of her first four trips to the CIS championship, including three bronze medals and a Monilex Trophy triumph a year ago in Peterborough, Ont. Benn was named the CIS women’s rugby MVP.

Pioneer Energy, the presenting sponsor for the OUA Athletes of the Year, also provided a monetary award to each recipient to go towards educational expenses.