Music: {allcanada} Quinlan, Marcelle named CIS athletes of the year

Monday, April 29, 2013

{allcanada} Quinlan, Marcelle named CIS athletes of the year

TORONTO — Kyle Quinlan dreams of playing in the CFL. Shanice Marcelle is hoping to play for Canada's volleyball team at an Olympics.

Grey Cups and gold medals may yet be in their future.

Quinlan and Marcelle were honoured Monday at the BLG Awards as the Canadian Interuniversity Sport athletes of the year.

For Quinlan, the award gave him a chance to thank his McMaster Marauders teammates. A loud contingent of them were on hand at the John W.H. Bassett Theatre to support their former quarterback.

"All the guys that I've been able to play with, that's the first thing I think back on when I won this award," said Quinlan, who added he was happy the event was so close to McMaster's campus in Hamilton so his team could join him.

"I can't wait to share this with them."

Marcelle, a standout outside hitter who won a national championship in all five years she played for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, said she couldn't believe her university career was over.

"It's shocking," said Marcelle. "It doesn't really feel like it's finished, and so it will be weird not returning next year. But it's an incredible way to go out."

Marcelle, a Victoria native, won the women's award after finishing fourth in the Canada West conference with 3.33 kills and 4.16 points per set.

She was also sixth in hitting percentage at .302 and seventh in service aces at 0.46, while also contributing defensively with 166 digs

Quinlan meanwhile won the Hec Crighton Award as CIS football player of the year after leading the Marauders to an 8-0 regular season record and an appearance in the Vanier Cup where they lost 37-14 to Laval in November.

The six-foot-three, 210-pound native of South Woodslee, Ont., led the country with 19 touchdown passes and just two interceptions, while ranking second in passing yards per game with 307.1 and a 68.9 completion percentage.

Quinlan signed a three-year contract with the CFL's Montreal Alouettes in December.