Sackville, NB -
Kensington resident Laurie Marchbank was honoured as Mount Allison University's Female Athlete of the Year at the year-end athletics awards night recently. On the same night Lauren Ledwell of Charlottetown received the New Brunswick university's Sportsmanship Award.
Marchbank was also recognized as her volleyball team's MVP and a 2010 Canadian Colleges Athletic Association All-Canadian.
Marchbank, who led the team to another Atlantic Colleges Athletic Association (ACAA) conference playoff, is a defensive libero for the Mount Allison Mounties. She led her team with 291 digs over the season (4.55 per game), an 85 per cent serve receive average and was selected as a first-team all-star and as the league's Most Valuable Player.
"Laurie has been a real standout with our team since her first year," said Andrew Kennedy, volleyball coach of the Mount A Mounties. "Her solid defensive play kept us near the top of the standings for most of our seasons."
Marchbank is a former student from Kensington Intermediate Senior High School where she captained the basketball team and was a P.E.I. volleyball all-star and captain with her high school team. As well, she is a past member of the 2003 Winter Games, and the 2005 Summer Canada Games teams.
Last year with the Mounties, Marchbank was a second-team all-star in the ACAA and along with her Mountie teammates represented the league at the national championships.
A defensive wizard on the floor, Laurie is enrolled in fifth-year Commerce and hopes to continue on with an MBA and a career in sales and advertising.
Ledwell, a fourth-year midfielder with the soccer Mounties, received the Gigi Hicks Trophy.
"Lauren has been a real leader with our soccer team for all four seasons. We will certainly miss her presence both on the field and in the dressing room," said Barry Cooper, head coach of the
Mount Allison Mounties women's soccer team.
Ledwell is a former player with the 2005 Canada Games squad, and the Eliot River senior women's team. Before entering Mount Allison in 2006, she was a standout student-athlete at Colonel Gray High School in Charlottetown.
Ledwell, a two-time Mountie captain, has provided leadership to her team over four years. She was an Academic All-Canadian every season, and in 2006-07, was not only the soccer Mounties' Rookie of the Year but the university's top first-year athlete. In 2008-09 she was recognized as the team's MVP.
