Team of the Year: Redmen Baseball
Redmen Baseball was dominant from start to finish this season, posting a 15-1 regular season record and cruising through the postseason to clinch the team’s third-straight CCBA national championship. In the first round of the CCBA playoffs, the Redmen conquered the Montreal Carabins to advance, claiming the first and third games of the best-of-three series. In round two, they swept the Concordia Stingers to win the CCBA North conference. Then, they broke out at the national championship, scoring 37 runs while allowing just 11 in the five-game tournament.
In the final game, starting pitcher Simon Brisebois was lights-out for the Montreal Carabins, but, tied 2-2 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, first-year catcher Christopher Stanford took a 1-0 fastball over the left-centre field wall to walk-off with the championship. Head Coach Jason Starr deserves a lot of credit for the squad’s success and for never letting them rest on their laurels throughout the year.
Male Rookie of the Year: Andrew Seinet-Spaulding (Redmen Football)
This 300-pound monster established himself as not only the best rookie, but the best defensive tackle in the RSEQ. Freshmen Andre Seinet-Spaulding’s penchant for pushing the pile rewarded him with 29 total tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Seinet-Spaulding’s space-eating presence netted him the RSEQ Defensive Rookie of the Year award. At the McGill Football Awards Gala on March 25, he was given the Students’ Society Trophy for McGill Team MVP, the Friends of McGill Football Trophy for Best Defensive Player, and the Charlie Baillie Trophy for most outstanding team player. He is only the third freshmen in McGill history to be awarded the Students’ Society Trophy.
Seinet-Spaulding’s continued dominance on the field bodes well for a McGill team that finished the season 4-4—Redmen football’s best record since 2006. Head Coach Ronald Hilaire has the team moving in the right direction and having a game-breaking young talent like Seinet-Spaulding makes his job that much simpler.
Redmen Athlete of the Year: Spencer Bromley (Redmen Lacrosse)
Redmen lacrosse attacker Spencer Bromley continued his streak of excellence this season. He led the CUFLA East Division in goals scored and was third in overall points. His efforts helped secure first place for McGill going into nationals.
The senior captain was announced as a CUFLA All-Canadian, along with teammates midfielder Emile Sassone-Lawless and defender Bradley Hofmann. Bromley is no stranger to superhuman feats, scoring six goals in a game on two separate occasions. The first occurred on Oct. 16 during a 15-8 smackdown of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, with the second coming the following week against the Queen’s Gaels.
As a sign of his continued success, Bromley was the first McGill athlete ever drafted by the National Lacrosse League (NLL). He was selected 48th overall in the fifth round by the Saskatchewan Rush—a fitting end to the university career of the best lacrosse player in McGill history.
Coach of the Year: David DeAveiro (Redmen Basketball)
In his seventh season with the Redmen, Head Coach David DeAveiro led his squad to their fifth consecutive first-place finish in the RSEQ regular season. With a roster full of veteran talent, the squad cruised through the conference playoffs, beating the Laval Rouge et Or before clinching gold with an 82-65 beatdown over the UQÀM Citadins.
Despite losing their starting point guard Kendrick Jolin to an upper-body injury late in the season, the Redmen managed to remain hot, heading into the U Sports National Tournament as the third seed. After a heartbreaking 72-69 loss last year in the first round against the University of Calgary Dinos, McGill was determined to exorcise their first-round demons and advance. Against a strong Manitoba Bison squad, the Redmen jumped ahead early and never looked back, downing the Bison 63-53. Though the squad lost in the second round to the eventual national-champion Carleton Ravens, the team’s fourth-place finish ties McGill’s best finish in 40 years.
