MONTREAL -- Allene Kennedy, captain of the McGill University women's alpine ski team, has been named recipient of the David Kreiner-Vaillancourt award, presented to a skier for combining leadership with academics and community service, in a league-wide vote by the coaches in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec.

The 21-year-old native of Truckee, Calif., becomes the third member of the McGill Martlets to win the RSEQ conference honour, joining Louise Pick (2011) and Anne Sexton (2008). The award is named after Kreiner-Vaillancourt, a member of the Concordia University ski team who died on March 10, 2007, two days after hitting a tree while free skiing before a race at Mont Adstock, near Thetford Mines, Que.,

"Her leadership goes beyond her role as a captain," said McGill head coach David Apap. "Her dedication and ability to motivate and lead her teammates are exemplary."

Kennedy, an environmental sciences senior with a domain in water environments and ecosystems, is in her final year of undergraduate studies at McGill. She achieved a lofty grade-point average of 3.88 last fall and is involved in Dr. Irene Gregory-Eaves' research lab, focusing on limnology, the study of inland waters.
 
A past recipient of the team's MVP honours, Kennedy has been largely responsible for organizing the logistical aspects of the ski team throughout the past two seasons. In her four years on the circuit, She has consistently proven to be McGill's top skier, finishing 15th in the individual rankings in 2016, sixth in 2015, and third in both 2014 and 2013. Kennedy was an RSEQ second team all-star in 2015, after making the first team in both 2014 and 2013. A product of the Squaw Valley ski team, she joined the McGill program in 2012 out of Truckee high school in California.

2016 RSEQ ALPINE SKI ALL-STARS

WOMEN'S FIRST TEAM
Victoria Stevens, Montréal
Stéphanie Gould, Laval 
Hannah Schmidt, Carleton
Sandrine David, Montréal
Andréa Audet, Montréal
   
WOMEN'S SECOND TEAM
Laurence Pichette-Beaurivage, Montréal
Patricia Turcotte, Laval
Alice Stoll, Laval
Gabrielle Huot, Montréal
Meagan Palfreeman, Montréal
    
MAJOR AWARD WINNERS
INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION: Victoria Stevens, Montréal
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Hannah Schmidt, Carleton
DAVID-KREINER-VAILLANCOURT LEADERSHIP & CITIZENSHIP AWARD: Allene Kennedy, McGill 
COACH OF THE YEAR: Gabriel Bouffard, Carleton

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MEN'S FIRST TEAM
Simon-Claude Toutant, Laval
Adam Lamhamedi, Laval
William Schussler-Bédard, Montréal
William Mercier-Robin, Laval
Vincent Lajoie, Montréal

MEN'S SECOND TEAM
Vincent Boulianne, Laval
Gabriel Mains, Montréal
Louis-Samuel Kirouac, Laval
Rémi Therrien-Fournier, Montréal
Gabriel Lafontaine, UQO

MAJOR AWARD WINNERS
INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION: Simon-Claude Toutant, Laval
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Adam Lamhamedi, Laval
DAVID-KREINER-VAILLANCOURT LEADERSHIP & CITIZENSHIP AWARD: Simon-Claude Toutant, Laval
COACH OF THE YEAR: Gabriel Bouffard, Carleton
 
FOR MORE INFO CONTACT:
Earl Zukerman
McGill Sports Info Office
514-398-7012
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca