The highlights of UBC's 79th Annual Big Block Awards included the selection of volleyball standouts Jessica Mills and Guy Davis who received the Marilyn Pomfret and Bobby Gaul awards as athletes of the year. More than 650 people attended the celebration held recently.
Mills is completing first-year Medicine and finishing her varsity eligibility as the team's all-time leading scorer. She has scored 1,954 points in her five years at the university.
The 24-year-old native of Stanstead, Que., was named a Canadian Inter-University Athletic Union (CIAU) First Team All-Canadian for the second consecutive year after leading her team in scoring and rebounding last season.
Off-court, she is an outstanding student and a two-time Royal Bank Academic All-Canadian, who finds time to work with autistic children. Calgary native Guy Davis, who is completing a Bachelor of Science in Genetics, started all five of his seasons at UBC. He recovered from an abdominal hernia to spark his team at mid-season and was named Canada West Player of the Year as well as a CIAU First Team All-Canadian.
He serves on the executive of the Thunderbird Athletic Council, and often speaks to local schools, acting as a role model for young children as well as his peers.
The Du Vivier Award for the Thunderbird Team of the Year was shared by the women's field hockey and men's and women's swimming teams, all national champions.
The women's field hockey team won its second consecutive national title, allowing only a single goal in CIAU championship play. With their 1999-2000 championship titles, the Thunderbird swim teams became the first teams in CIAU history to win three consecutive double championships.
Other award winners include: Kay Brearley Award (exceptional service to women's athletics)- Sandy Silver, women's volleyball; Carolyn Dobie-Smith Award (student trainer)-Faye Leung; Men's Rugby PowerBar Outstanding Athlete Award-Guy Davis, volleyball; Arthur W. Delamont Award (freshman spirit)-Bruce Arthur; Ubyssey and CiTR Thunderbird Athletic Council Leadership Awards-Sarah Cunningham and Nick Seddon, soccer.