The UNBC Timberwolves hit the jackpot when they recruited Maria Mongomo.
Her impact this past season on the basketball court as a first-year point guard in the CIS was immediate.
The native of Las Palmas, Spain became the first UNBC player in any sport to earn national recognition in the CIS when she was named to the All-Rookie Team. Mongomo finishing second in the voting for rookie-of-year honours in the Canada West Conference, despite missing eight games due to visa complications which required her to return to Spain.
The accolades continued for Mongomo Friday night at the Timberwolves awards banquet at the Hart Crown Banquet Hall when she was named UNBC's female athlete of the year and selected as her team's top rookie, marking the first time one athlete has won both awards.
The five-foot-nine Mongomo posted a per-game average of 17.5 points (third in Canada West), seven rebounds (second among Canada West rookies), 2.6 assists and 2.5 steals (fourth in conference). Playing for a UNBC team which finished the season 3-17, her shooting average was 39.6 per cent from the field and 31.3 per cent from three-point range.
Mongomo, an English Language Studies student, was unable to attend Friday's awards banquet but plans to return to UNBC for next season.
Soccer player Sydney Hall was also considered for UNBC's female athlete-of-the-year award. Hall, the starting midfielder/striker, scored four goals to lead the T-wolves in her fifth and final season with the team. Hall was also active as a volunteer with Prince George Special Olympics and was chosen her team's most valuable player and top offensive player.
Soccer player Francesco Bartolillo was UNBC's choice as male athlete of the year. In his second season at UNBC, the five-foot-eight midfielder from Calgary scored two goals and played every minute of the T-wolves' 12 games. UNBC finished the season with a 1-10-1 record.
"It's always nice to get an award like that, I owe it to my teammates who surround me and make me better and help me play the game we're all trying to play to the best of our abilities," said Bartolillo.
"I credit Tofa (T-wolves forward Fakunle) for me coming to UNBC. I had broken my leg the year before and I wasn't even looking to come here until Tofa threw out the idea and (former coach) Alan Alderson was a good speaker and he kind of got me here.
"As I was healing from my injury, there were a couple other schools on the map, but I was looking forward to coming here to play with my best friend and I'm glad I did because I met a bunch of really good guys. The university is unbelievable for academics, the teachers are really supportive and it's definitely helped me academically as well as athletically."
Bartolillo, the Timberwolves top rookie in 2014-15, was a star in the classroom. He earned Academic All-Canadian honours, majoring in finance, and also served as a volunteer coach in the Vancouver Whitecaps Northern Academy program.
Bartolillo has signed to play this summer for FC Tucson of the Premier Development League, the top amateur soccer league in the United States. He and T-wolves defender Gordon Hall will travel to Tucson in late April. The 65-team, four division league starts its three-month season in May.
"That was an opportunity given to us by our coach Steve (Simonson) and I'm very grateful for that," said Bartolillo. "It should be a good chance for us to earn and develop as players and hopefully learn some stuff that we can bring back to the team and help the team be successful next season."
Rhys Elliot, a guard for the T-wolves basketball team, was also considered for the top male athlete award. He led the team with an 18.0 points per game average and in a 20-game season he totaled a CIS-high 705 minutes of playing time, an average of 35.3 minutes per game, second among CIS players. He was his team's most outstanding player.
Elliott was also generous with his free time, volunteering with Prince George Special Olympics and the Junior Timberwolves basketball programs.
T-wolves shooting guard Saje Gosal was picked as the overall male rookie-of the year.
The six-foot-four graduate of Golden secondary school joined the veteran-stacked basketball team in August, along with rookie guard Neal Randhawa. A knee injury to five-year veteran Billy Cheng gave Gosal an opportunity to showcase his talents in the second half of the season and he started the last five games of 2015-16. He hit for a season-high 14 points and five rebounds in a February game against Thompson Rivers. The political studies major played in 16 games and averaged 39 per cent (13-for-39) from three-point range.
Haydn Molcak and Anthony Hokanson, Elliott's basketball teammates, were also nominated for the male rookie award. Midfielder Julia Babicz and forward Maddy Doucette, both soccer players, were UNBC's other female rookie of the year nominees.
Gordon Hall, a second-year defender from Chilliwack, captured two awards as the T-wolves soccer team's MVP and top defensive player.
Handmade drums from UNBC's First Nations Centre were presented Friday to the graduating T-wolves -- Sydney and Jordan Hall, and Jo Ribeiro, of the women's soccer team; and Cheng and Colin Plumb, of the men's basketball team.
