It was another successful year in RDC Athletics and the student-athletes, coaches, volunteers, officials and supporters were recognized at the 2017 RDC Athletics Awards Night on Tuesday.

This past season, Red Deer College Athletics added 17 medals to their already impressive totals.

The RDC squads, along with individual athletes, earned 13 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) medals (two gold, six silver and five bronze) and four Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) medals (two gold, one silver and one bronze).

Two teams earned the honour of the top collegiate team in Canada. In London, Ontario, the Kings Volleyball team won their third CCAA gold in the past four years.

In Camrose, the RDC Queens Curling team picked up CCAA gold, which was their second national gold since 2014.

Many student-athletes and coaches were recognized on a provincial and national level this past year. RDC student-athletes were named the ACAC Athlete of the Week on seven occasions and CCAA Athlete of the Week three times. Red Deer College coaches received two ACAC and one CCAA Coach of the Year award.

Jordanna Cota was named the 2017 Red Deer Bottling RDC Female Athlete of the Year after she had an incredible season with the Cross-Country and Indoor Track teams.

At the ACAC Cross- Country Running Championships in Grande Prairie, the Bachelor of Science (Nursing) student earned silver with a time of 20:25 on the 5 km course and helped lead the women’s team to an ACAC gold medal. Cota was named the RDC Female Athlete of the Week three times and ACAC Athlete of the Week once, and she was also named a member of the ACAC Women’s Cross- Country All-Conference team.

The fourth year student-athlete from Red Deer helped lead the RDC Queens to a CCAA silver medal at the Cross-Country Running National Championships in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, with a strong sixth place finish (19:21) and was named a CCAA Cross-Country Running All-Canadian.

“Jordanna had a fantastic season. At nationals, she not only placed higher this season but ran a personal best,” says Kari Elliott, RDC Cross-Country and Indoor Track head coach.

In Lethbridge, Cota picked up a silver medal at the ACAC Indoor Track Championships in the 3,000m finals, added another silver in the women’s 4 x 400 metre relay finals and helped lead the RDC Queens Indoor Track team to a silver medal finish.

“Jordanna is a hard worker and a leader. She would finish a long day at a nursing clinical and then give 100 per cent at a training session. She wants to win and knows how to push to the finish without saving anything. I have high hopes for her for next year, her last season with RDC, and I know she does too,” said Elliott.

Regan Fathers was chosen as this season’s Red Deer Bottling RDC Male Athlete of the Year after he put up some amazing numbers on the volleyball court. The Kinesiology and Sport Studies student led ACAC Men’s Volleyball with a total of 316 kills and averaged 3.95 kills per set.

Fathers was chosen as the RDC Male Athlete of the Week four times and the ACAC Athlete of the Week twice. The third year student-athlete from East Fremantle, Western Australia, played a significant role in helping the RDC Kings win their fourth ACAC Men’s Volleyball Championship in the past five years.

Fathers received the player of the game honours in all three of RDC’s matches and was named the tournament MVP. The talented student-athlete was named to the ACAC Men’s Volleyball South All- Conference team.

At the CCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championship, Fathers elevated his game and helped the RDC Kings win their 13th national gold since 1995.

Against Fanshawe College, Fathers was chosen as the player of the match and was eventually named the CCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championship Most Valuable Player.

“Regan had a tremendous season for us and got better week after week. We knew when he first came to RDC that his ceiling would be quite high, but I think that we are only beginning to see what he is capable of in the sport of volleyball,” said Aaron Schulha, Kings Volleyball head coach. “By the end of the season, he was the most complete player in the CCAA in my opinion. Regan wanted the ball as much as possible, especially in high pressure situations. He elevated his game in the last month of the season as the stakes of each match rose, and he was instrumental in the Kings winning back-to-back ACAC and CCAA Championships. He was named the MVP at both championships and rightfully so.”

While the RDC student-athletes strive for excellence during competition, their efforts extend into the classroom. At the Awards Night, 98 student-athletes who maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher were named RDC Academic Excellence recipients.

“We had a great season, not only with the number of ACAC and CCAA medals we won, but with the individual awards and academic performances of our student-athletes. Success goes beyond just the championship banners,” said Diane St-Denis, RDC Athletic Director.

“This night gives us a chance to reflect on the accomplishments and also acknowledge the people who help set the stage for the student-athletes to pursue their passion – the donors, support staff, sponsors and coaches.”

– Fawcett