Soffee, Besselink, and Jeffrey Named Women's Basketball Award Winners

The St. Thomas University Tommies hosted their yearend awards ceremony on Tuesday, honoring their teams for their achievements inside the classroom and in their respective sports.

The Tommies’ women’s basketball team handed out their team awards, with Mary Besselink, Alyssa Jeffrey and Vanessa Soffee taking home team awards.

Jeffrey was named team Rookie of the Year after a season that saw her playing time increase as the season went, playing valuable minutes for the Tommies down the stretch.

“Alyssa played major minutes for the Tommies as she averaged 19 minutes per game,” said Fred Connors. “She provided great energy and defensive pressure off the bench and gave us a solid back court option with her ball handling. Alyssa is a very hard worker with a bright future because of her excellent work ethic and drive to improve.”

Besselink was named the team’s Leadership Award winner. In her second year with the Tommies, she immediately jumped into a leadership role with the team, following two season with the Ottawa GeeGees.

“Mary joined the Tommies and brought a wealth of experience with her. Mary isn't always the loudest player, but she is well respected by her teammates for her work ethic and team first approach. Mary was second on the team in rebounding, second on the team in assists and first in free throw percentage. Mary is always a positive voice in the locker room and always wants what is best for her teammates.”

Soffee was the biggest award winner on the evening, as she was named the team’s Top Defender, MVP and was also STU’s Female Athlete of the Year.

“Vanessa was named a first team all-conference selection again this season and named to her second All-Canadian Team. She led the team in steals and assists and was the catalyst for what made the Tommie's the best team in the league defensively. Vanessa had another outstanding season for the Tommies.”