CW Announces Players of the Week

Ten student-athletes recognized across the conference

Feb. 13, 2024 – The past weekend was filled with a dazzling array of great performances across the conference, as CW student-athletes continue to turn up the intensity with playoffs and championships on the horizon.

Fans also witnessed program history being made on a couple of occasions. Notably, Jaeli Ibbetson recorded the first triple-double in UBCO Heat women's basketball history, while Trinity Western goaltender Leon Sommer steered the Spartans to their first wins over Alberta and Saskatchewan in program history.

Here are your Canada West Players of the Week.


Women's Basketball - Jaeli Ibbetson (UBCO)

Ibbetson caught fire as she delivered two monster outings in a pair of road victories over Manitoba, making Heat history after recording a triple-double on Saturday.

The fourth-year hometown Kelowna, B.C. product finished one-assist shy of a triple-double on Friday, powering UBCO to a 95-83 victory. While her teammate Lauren Foullong made headlines after dropping a CW record-tying nine three pointers, Ibbetson was not to be overlooked, grabbing 17 points, 21 boards and nine helpers. It marked Ibbetson's second 20-plus rebound game this season and third of her career, as she recorded her conference leading 12th double-double of the campaign.

Ibbetson then recorded the program's first ever triple-double as the Heat completed the weekend sweep with a commanding 85-64 win on Saturday.

She secured the 11th triple-double in Canada West history after totalling 23 points, 13 boards and ten assists, along with three blocks. Playing in her final regular season game as a member of the Heat, she joins a club of only eight other players to record a triple-double in the conference's 51-year history.

UBCO (11-9) will now prepare for the 2024 CW Women’s Basketball Championships, hosted by UFV in Abbotsford, B.C. beginning Feb. 21.

Women's Basketball Player of the Week - Week 11

Men's Basketball - James Woods (UBC)

In a clash of two nationally ranked squads, Woods appeared in playoff form while helping the No. 4 T-Birds secure a weekend split with the nationally No. 5 ranked Calgary Dinos.

Woods led the T-Birds in scoring with 22 points in Friday’s tight 85-82 defeat, adding four rebounds and three assists. The fifth-year guard saved his best performance for his last ever regular season home game at War Memorial Gym, dropping 28 points on 12-18 shooting on Saturday while helping the T-Birds rebound with a commanding 107-75 win. The Surrey, B.C. product also added six rebounds and five assists.

Woods will now look to help the T-Birds (14-6) make some noise at the 2024 CW Men’s Basketball Championships, which tip-off on Feb. 21 in Winnipeg, hosted by the University of Manitoba.

Men's Basketball Player of the Week - Week 11

Women's Hockey - Courtney Kollman (Calgary)

Kollman was nothing but clutch to wrap up the regular season, helping the Dinos secure the fifth seed after a weekend road split with Regina.

She was all over the scoresheet in Friday’s 3-2 victory, starting with an assist on a Sydney Mercier tally just minutes into the game. After Regina tied it early in the third, Kollman scored her first of the night to regain the Dinos lead. The game seemed destined for overtime after the Cougars tied it up on a penalty shot, but Kollman had other plans, ripping home a top corner powerplay marker with 56 second remaining to secure the dramatic win.

She also added an assist in a 3-2 defeat the next day.

The fifth-year forward finishes the regular season third in conference scoring with 28 points, one of just four players to average more than a point-per-game. The Dinos will now turn their attention to the postseason, starting with a best-of-three quarterfinal series against Saskatchewan beginning Friday in Saskatoon. ​

Women's Hockey Player of the Week - Week 16

Men's Hockey - Leon Sommer (Trinity Western)

Sommer helped the Spartans make program history, earning back-to-back wins against two U SPORTS Top 10 teams, making 93 saves with a 2.00 goals against average.

On Tuesday morning the first-year goalie from Austria gave up just a single goal and made 52 saves to lead the Spartans to a 2-1 shoot-out win over No. 9 Saskatchewan, the first win over the Huskies in program history. ​

He then helped the Spartans defeat the No. 8 Alberta Golden Bears for the first time on Friday, making 41 saves in a 4-3 regulation win.

The back-to-back wins over Top 10 teams is a first for the Spartans men’s hockey program. 

Sommer finishes the season with a 4.13 goals against average, making 643 saves with a .899 save percentage. Sommer faced 715 shots on the season, the most in Canada West, his .899 save percentage is tied for ninth in Canada West and second among rookie goalies. His total saves, goals-against average, and save percentage are all TWU team records.

Men's Hockey Player of the Week - Week 16

Women's Volleyball - Maryn Boldon (Trinity Western)

Maryn Boldon takes this week’s nod after challenging history in the Spartans sweep of the MacEwan Griffins. Boldon finished the weekend with 37 kills, .382 hitting efficiency, 12 digs, and 37.5 total points.

On Friday night the Okotoks, Alta. product led the Spartans to a 3-0 victory over the Griffins with 14 kills and five digs.

Boldon challenged Spartans history on Saturday night as she led TWU to a 3-1 win over the MacEwan Griffins. Boldon finished the four-set match with 23 kills, two shy of the TWU match record of 25, while adding seven digs, and one block.

The TWU outside hitter is currently second in Canada West in kills with 303, and fourth in kills/set at 3.56.

Women's Volleyball Player of the Week - Week 13

Men's Volleyball - Emmett Graham (Saskatchewan)

The hometown Saskatoon product helped the Huskies secure a key split with the UBC Thunderbirds, finishing the weekend with 33 kills, .360 hitting efficiency, along with 21 digs and three aces.

The third year outside hitter was a standout in Friday’s dramatic 3-2 win, striking for 21 kills with just two errors on 38 swings and a .500 hitting percentage. He also added 12 kills the following night in a 3-1 defeat.

Graham has been key to the Huskies’ success as they’ve compiled a 15-7 record this season. He ranks eighth in the conference in kills-per-set (3.36) and seventh in hitting percentage (.283).

Men's Volleyball Player of the Week - Week 13

Women's Wrestling - Aleah Nickel (Alberta)

Nickel was named the women’s Outstanding Wrestler at the 2024 Canada West Wrestling Championship in Calgary last weekend after dominating the 68 kg competition.

The third year from Swift Current, Sask. secured her gold medal with an impressive pin of Calgary's Ellise Daynes. Her performance led the Pandas to a silver performance in the team standings, just two points shy of first place Calgary.

Nickel will now prepare for the upcoming U SPORTS National Championships, which will be hosted by the University of Guelph, March 1-2.


Men's Wrestling - Isaiah Springer (Alberta)

Springer led the way as the Golden Bears captured their third straight Canada West men’s wrestling championship last weekend, dominating the 82 kg competition with a pair of high-scoring tech falls.

The third year from Cochrane, Alta. was honoured as the men’s Outstanding Wrestler at the event.

His attention will now shift to the U SPORTS National Championships, which will be hosted by the University of Guelph, March 1-2.


Women's Track and Field - Sienna MacDonald (Calgary)

MacDonald continues to steal the headlines after another jaw-dropping weekend. The third-year combined event athlete from Airdrie, Alta. scored a meet-high 24 points at the Panda Open in Edmonton, winning two of her three events. MacDonald opened the weekend with a new personal best of 8.18 seconds in the 60m hurdle prelims – which was already a new meet record – before obliterating that mark by crossing the line in 8.11 seconds in finals. That time is by far the fastest in U SPORTS this season and ranks her second in all of Canada so far this year.

The arts major wasn't done there, turning a new personal best in long jump with a leap of 6.14m on the very first approach of the weekend. MacDonald was the lone competitor to clear six metres on the day and now ranks second in the nation in the event. 


Men's Track and Field - Nicolas Martin Huerta (Trinity Western)

Martin Huerta vaulted 4.92m to move himself alone atop the U SPORTS rankings. ​ ​
​ ​
The fourth year from Chile had previously vaulted 4.90m, which had him tied for first in the rankings, but his performance last weekend gave him sole possession of top spot in the national rankings. 


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About Canada West

Since 1972, Canada West (CW) has been a leader in Canadian university sport, working to provide our student-athletes the opportunities to excel in sport, the classroom, and their communities. CW and our 17 members from across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba collectively carry on a legacy of competitive excellence, as our champions proudly go on to represent the conference at U SPORTS national championships.

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