A pair of athletes with Cranbrook connections were honoured by U Sports’ Canada West conference for outstanding seasons as members of the University of Calgary Dinos.
Kootenay Ice alumnus Elgin Pierce, a fourth-year veteran for the Dinos was named Canada West Men’s Hockey’s most Outstanding Player of the year, while former College of the Rockies Avalanche volleyball player Curtis Stockton was named a Canada West first-team all-star in his fifth and final season.
Pierce, who played for the Ice from 2009 to 2012, led Canada West in in goal scoring this past season with 20, while finishing second in the scoring race with 31 points – just four shy of Mount Royal’s Conor Rankin.
In addition to lighting up the scoreboard, Pearce guided the Dinos to a third-place finish during the regular season and was also named the Canada West winner of the UBC Hockey Alumni Trophy for sportsmanship and ability.
It is the third consecutive season that Pierce has claimed the sportsmanship title.
Although the Dinos men’s volleyball team had a tough season, finishing with a 9-15 record and missing the postseason, Stockton had a great year.
The three-year Avs alumnus, broke the Dinos record for kills in a season by putting up 424 and eclipsing Bill Byma’s mark of 408 which had stood since the 1999 season.
Stockton also broke a school and Canada West record for kills in a single game when he put up 40 against the MacEwan Griffins on January 14.
While Stockton is from Melbourne, Australia and Pearce is from Port Coquitlam, BC, both athletes spent formative years in Cranbrook and have developed into legends for the University of Calgary athletics program.