Best of the best: Quinlan named top male athlete in CIS
One year after he led McMaster on a magical playoff run which culminated in a Vanier Cup victory, Quinlan completed his varsity career in 2012 with one of the best statistical seasons in CIS football history and a second Vanier appearance.
McMaster’s standout quarterback Kyle Quinlan has earned the BLG Award as Male Athlete of the Year in Canadian Interuniversity Sport.
The recipients of the 21st annual BLG Awards were announced Monday night at the John Bassett Theatre in the Toronto Metro Convention Centre. The awards show will premiere on Sportsnet on Tuesday, May 28.
Quinlan becomes the fourth McMaster student athlete to receive the prestigious award, joining Titus Channer (1998, basketball), Kojo Aidoo (2001, football) and Jesse Lumsden (2005, football).
All eight nominees — one female and one male from each of the four CIS regional associations — received a commemorative gold ring, while Quinlan and fellow award winner Shanice Marcelle (UBC) were presented with a trophy and a $10,000 scholarship to attend a Canadian graduate school.
The winners were selected by the Canadian Athletic Foundation, a not-for-profit board established for the purpose of administering the BLG Awards and protecting the integrity of the selection process.
“On behalf of BLG and the Canadian Athletic Foundation trustees, I would like to congratulate Shanice Marcelle and Kyle Quinlan, the winners of the 21sh annual BLG Awards,” said Doug Mitchell, national co-chair of BLG. “The eight student-athletes who were nominated are all outstanding in their sport. I congratulate all the nominees for their great accomplishments.”
In eight regular season games last fall, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound quarterback led the country with 19 touchdown passes against only two interceptions — the lowest total among starting pivots. He also ranked second in the nation in both passing yards per game (307.1) and completion percentage, with a new single-season OUA record of 68.9.
Read the full story on the Athletics & Recreation website, along with coverage in The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and the Hamilton Spectator.
