The feeling was one of togetherness and celebration at the Ravens annual Varsity Awards Banquet on March 19, as the teams reflected on the year and recognized their best athletes.
The annual event celebrates the end of the athletic year, and recognizes outstanding achievements by Carleton’s athletes that year. Awards include each team’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), as well as Top Male and Female Athletes, and graduating player awards. There are also alumni and memorial awards.
Jennifer Brenning, Ravens athletics co-ordinator, said the winning athletes have a unique combination of fortitude and humility.
“They are grounded, they’re humble, but they’ve got this desire to compete and be successful,” Brenning said. “In terms of the number of hours they put into practicing, and the time they put into their sport and their studies, it’s incredible. So not only do they have the talent, they also have that drive to be the best.”
Brenning said the choices of athletes were tough this year, as there were a lot of qualified recipients.
“We’ve had immensely talented athletes, and certainly the number nominated this year, especially on the male side, that were very deserving. It’s very challenging to select,” Brenning said.
Thomas Scrubb received Male Athlete of the Year, while Phil Scrubb received Outstanding Graduating Male Athlete.
Women’s basketball player Lindsay Shotbolt won the women’s basketball MVP award.
She said despite an up and down season, including an injury, the banquet was a huge success for her.
“It’s just a really fun atmosphere to celebrate the success and how hard not only the athletes work, but also everyone who supports the athletes,” she said.
Shotbolt said that the recognition belongs to her whole team.
“It is really nice and I’m so thankful to get the award, but at the same time, I honestly feel like you have to give credit to everyone that you work with and my entire team,” she said. “If it wasn’t for the girls on my team and the coaches and all the support that I get, there’s no way that I’d be able to be the player that I am or the player I’ll be able to be in the future.”
Kendra Murray, who competed on the women’s Nordic ski team, won Outstanding Graduating Female Athlete. She said the award came as a complete surprise.
“Carleton is a big school with a lot of outstanding student athletes, so I was pretty surprised and happy,” Murray said. “It’s nice to have a recognition of your athletic accomplishment at school.”
Brenning said the banquets, which have been going on for “at least 30 or 40 years,” provide a valuable opportunity to recognize the contributions of the athletes to the school.
“Win or lose they are working so hard both in the classroom and in their sport.” she said. “Representing the university as well as they do, they are wonderful ambassadors to the school.”
