Red Deer Polytechnic Athletics has named Cassidy Blair and Sam Goodey the Athletes of the Week.
Goodey helped the Kings curling team capture the gold medal at the ACAC Curling Championships at SAIT.
After posting a 1-2 record during round-robin play they took their game to another level. They took down the NAIT Ooks in the semi-finals before beating the Concordia University Thunder in the finals.
What makes it more impressive is the Kings were down to just three players and Goodey had to perform extra sweeping duties.
With the victory, the Kings qualified for the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Curling Canada College Championships from March 12-16 in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
Blair, a first-year skip for the mixed curling team, helped RDP capture the silver medal at the weekend at the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Championships.
They went 2-1 in round-robin play before the Lakeland College Rustlers beat them in the gold medal match.
The Lacombe product was a main contributor for the team this season. Together they finished both regional tournaments a perfect 12-0 this season to earn a spot at the ACAC Championships. They were the only team to go undefeated through the fall and winter regionals.
Five students from the RDP curling programs were recognized by the ACAC for their fantastic seasons including Blair who was named the ACAC Women’s Curler of the Year.
“As a first-year student-athlete, Cassidy has demonstrated talent and leadership beyond her years,” said Brad Hamilton, RDP curling head coach in a media release.
“She has made an impact on her team, the RDP Curling program, and the league. Cassidy has done a great job of moving up to skip and leading her team to the final game at the ACAC Championships where they lost a tough one to Lakeland.”
Third-year Nicole Homan received the Charles Morter Memorial Award for making a positive impact on her team. She was picked by ACAC curling coaches for “best exemplifying Morter’s spirit, commitment, leadership and sportsmanship toward other curlers.”
“Nicole is a dedicated student-athlete who is always willing to help,” Hamilton added. “She leads by example and helps to grow the game at all levels.”
RDP’s Blair and Teryn Herder were also named to the ACAC Mixed Curling All-Conference team. In addition, Cuyler Desormeau, Kaylee Raniseth, and Homan of the Queens curling team were named to the ACAC Women’s Curling All-Conference team.
“I want to congratulate Cassidy, Teryn, Cuyler, Nicole, and Kaylee on making their All-Conference teams,” Hamilton said.
“They have worked hard to continue developing their curling skills and are great ambassadors for Red Deer Polytechnic and the RDP Curling program.”