Dalhousie’s Noah Mascoll-Gomes named AUS swimmer of the year
(HALIFAX, N.S.) Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2021-22 AUS swimming major award winners as selected by the conference's head coaches.
SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: Noah Mascoll-Gomes, Dalhousie University
The Atlantic University Sport men's swimmer of the year for 2021-22 is Noah Mascoll-Gomes from the Dalhousie University Tigers. This is Mascoll-Gomes’ second consecutive MVP nod, his first with the Tigers.
A third-year commerce student and Academic All-Canadian from St. John's, Antigua, this year Mascoll-Gomes had seven individual wins, six relay wins and earned a U SPORTS qualifying time in five events. Throughout the 2021-22 season, he recorded more wins than any other male swimmer in the AUS.
Mascoll-Gomes is currently ranked first in the AUS and fifth nationally in the 100m and 200m freestyle. He was previously chosen as the AUS rookie of the year for the 2018-19 season.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Matthew Whelan, Memorial University
Matthew Whelan of the Memorial University Sea-Hawks has been named the 2021-22 AUS Atlantic University Sport men's swimming rookie of the year.
A first-year engineering student from St. John’s, Newfoundland, he specializes in the 200m IM, 400m IM and 400m freestyle. Whelan got off to an impressive start with the Sea-Hawks this year, recording four individual wins, one individual second-place finish and two individual third-place finishes. He was also part of two relay wins, one second-place relay finish and three third-place relay finishes.
STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Oliver Keith, Mount Allison University
The 2021-22 recipient of the Jeremy Ingham Award for student-athlete community service is Oliver Keith of the Mount Allison Mounties.
A fourth-year politics student in his third year of eligibility with the Mounties, Keith has seen success in the pool, classroom and the community. He is a dean’s list student with a 3.82 GPA and serves as a dedicated team captain with the Mounties, known for consistently challenging himself and his teammates.
A volunteer with the Canadian Arthritis Society since 2014, Keith has contributed to the organization in many ways over the years, most recently as a camp counsellor at Camp Sunrise, an online summer camp for children with arthritis across Canada. As a person living with arthritis himself, he works closely with campers to create a sense of community and provide support as they navigate the challenges they face daily.
In 2021, he was awarded the Arthritis Society’s National Mary Pack Volunteer of the Year Award, which is presented “to the most dedicated and inspirational volunteers and honours the contributions they make."
When not volunteering with the Arthritis Society, Oliver lends his time to the Nova Scotia Food Bank and the New Brunswick Youth Forum.
THE DAVID FRY AWARD (COACH OF THE YEAR): Lance Cansdale, Dalhousie University
In his 11th season as head coach of the Dalhousie Tigers swimming program, Lance Cansdale has been chosen by his peers as the recipient of the David Fry Award for Atlantic University Sport men's swimming coach of the year.
This marks the fourth time that he has earned the honour on the men’s side; he has been named women’s swimming coach of the year eight times.
During the 2021-22 season, Cansdale’s well-decorated Tigers earned a first-place team finish at all three invitational swim meets. Heading into AUS championship weekend, six swimmers from his women’s team and five swimmers from his men’s teams have posted U SPORTS qualifying times.
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The 2022 Subway AUS Swimming Championships, presented by Bell Aliant, get underway Friday, March 11 and run until Sunday, March 13 at Dalhousie University's Dalplex.
No spectators will be permitted at this year’s championship events, but all finals will be broadcast live at http://www.AUStv.ca.
The U SPORTS national swimming championships are being hosted by Université Laval in Quebec City from March 24 to 26.