Today in Calgary, Prince George's Colin Carson will be presented with a major Canadian Interuniversity Sport award.
Carson, a graduating member of the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men's volleyball team, will be handed the Dale Iwanozko Student-Athlete Award, which goes to a CIS volleyball player who has demonstrated excellence on the court, in the classroom and in the community.
TRU head coach Pat Hennelly, who submitted Carson's name for the award, told The Citizen on Tuesday that Carson will be named the winner. Others nominated were Greg Ivan of the York University Lions (Ontario University Athletics), Olivier Jannini of the Laval University Rouge et Or (RSEQ, Quebec) and Logan Keoughan of the University of New Brunswick Reds (Atlantic University Sport).
"To me, this is the premier award you can get as a CIS student-athlete," Hennelly said. "It's quite an honour for Colin and he couldn't be more deserving.
"This award encompasses everything a student-athlete should be," Hennelly added. "You have to be an excellent volleyball player to win this award, and when you add school work and community service, which Colin has done above and beyond anything we could ask, I think this award helps set you up for success in life."
Carson, a 22-year-old setter, captained the WolfPack to a 13-9 record in the Canada West conference of the CIS this season. TRU finished the regular season in fourth place and got back into the playoffs after a two-year absence. In playoffs, the WolfPack beat the Brandon University Bobcats in last weekend's bronze-medal match in Langley.
Individually, Carson led the entire CIS in assists this season. He had 929 helpers in 85 sets (average of 10.93 per set, also a CIS-high). For his five-year career, he finished second all-time in Canada West assists with 3,350.
With the WolfPack, Carson didn't miss a single match and played almost exclusively as a starter. In the summer of 2010, he cracked the roster of the junior national team and helped the club win silver at an international tournament.
For the WolfPack, Carson's absence next season will create a huge void.
"It's an impossible hole to fill," Hennelly said. "With his level of experience and his level of leadership, particularly by example, those are the intangibles that are hard to replace."
Academically, Carson has a grade point average of 3.25 and will graduate from TRU in April with a business degree. He attended high school at Duchess Park secondary and graduated from there in 2009.
Carson's community involvement, meanwhile, has been extensive. His volunteer work includes: coordinating the TRU volleyball team's Raise a Reader literacy campaign and its Wendy's Dreamlift efforts; participating in the WolfPack's Adopt a School program; helping out with the PACE program (designed to assist student-athletes cope with the demands of school and sports); serving on the TRU Captain's Council; and coordinating the TRU athletic awards banquet.
Carson has also been a regular coach at youth volleyball clinics, including in Prince George.
