Record breaking teams, standout players and exceptional students shine at annual awards night
March 22, 2011 • Fort Kent, ME

Andre Anderson and Whitney Sinclair, 2011 UMFK Athletes of the Year, pose with Athletic Director Bill Ashby and President Wilson Hess

The UMaine Fort Kent Athletic Department held their annual athletic season awards night this past Friday on the campus of UMFK in a formal banquet. National Championship teams, incredible individual players and strong academic students were honored.

The 2011 UMFK Athlete of the Year Award was presented to the top male and female as voted by the coaches. The top female was junior women’s soccer forward Whitney Sinclair (Dexter, Maine) while the top male was senior men’s soccer forward Andre Anderson (Manchester, Jamaica). The awards were a fitting close to the evening which was highlighted by a USCAA National Championship Men’s and Women’s Soccer ring ceremony for the men’s and women’s soccer players, coaching staffs and team personnel. Sinclair led her team and the NAIA in most major scoring statistical categories as did Anderson.

Anderson was also named the 2010-11 recipient of the Terry Drown Award for Scholastic Achievement as held the high GPA of any male student-athlete during the athletic season. Senior women’s volleyball standout Kumiko Chow (Vancouver, Canada) was the female receipting of UMFK’s top student-athlete individual award. Chow, the Sunrise Conference Player of the Year and first team selection, was also named team MVP in women’s volleyball as she helped lead the program to their first ever Sunrise Conference title and a top 10 USCAA National Ranking.

Other multiple award winners included the seven soon to be graduates of the men’s soccer record team led by Anderson. Joining him were classmates Barrington Blake (St. Elizabeth, Jamaica), Henley Comrie (St. Elizabeth, Jamaica), Luka Odak (Kutnia, Croatia), Oniqueky Samuels (St. Elizabeth, Jamaica), Walford Stewart (St. Elizabeth, Jamaica) and Damion Stone (St. Elizabeth, Jamaica). The group won the 2010 USCAA National Championship and reached four straight NAIA National Tournaments, two Sweet Sixteen’s (2010 and 2007) and one Elite Eight (2008) in their sparkling careers. The group went 80-4-3, unbeaten in regular season play at 70-0-1 and undefeated in Sunrise Conference play at 62-0-0 where they took home four SC Championships. Their teams scored a staggering 453 goals while giving up just 42 over their four-year careers.

The before mentioned Garrison was given the Coaches Award in women’s volleyball and Most Valuable Teammate in women’s basketball. Senior women’s soccer captain Shanae Armstrong (Kingston, Jamaica) was given the women’s soccer Coaches Award as well as a special senior plaque. Armstrong was the Sunrise Conference Defensive Player of the Year and also excelled off the field of play where she was named a NAIA and USCAA Academic All-American. Sophomore men’s basketball guard Pablo Llamas (Leon, Spain) was also named a USCAA Academic All-American as well as the recipient of the team’s Coaches Award.

Full List of Award Winners