Hetherington, McDonald, Gate and King Named Women's Rugby 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 rugby team handed out their team awards, with Rachel McDonald, Kyleigh King, Kyra Gate and Sarah Hetherington all taking home awards.

McDonald was named the team’s Rookie of the Year.

“Rachel’s physicality and understanding of the game made her an incoming threat this year,” said incoming head coach, Rebecca Baker. “Her avidness for learning and developing as a player continued throughout the season and her overall team-first mentality awarded her many starting positions. After being thrown into a new position this year, Rachel adapted well to the change in pace and style of play from the Forwards to the Backs. Rachel’s hits are strong, solid, and often silenced the crowd. Rachel is an athlete that many will look up to, not only for her strength and commitment to the team but for her leadership and selflessness towards her teammates.”

King, in her second season with the Tommies, was named the team’s Most Improved Player.

“Kyleigh was the only recruit in her recruiting class for the previous year, and although she did not have the season that she planned, Kyleigh met every goal and expectation that we had for her. This was no different in her 2^nd year with the team. Kyleigh makes decisions quickly and uses her power and agility to push through defensive lines well. Kyleigh has grown into an all-around player; she can read the opposing plays well and react fast defensively. Kyleigh does not back down in tackles and uses her strength to win over rucks.”

The winner of this year’s Heather Leonard Memorial Award was Kyra Gate.

“Kyra is an absolute powerhouse on the field. With her intensity and overall strength, she is a force to reckon with and a massive threat to opposing teams. Kyra’s development over the last few years has been amazing to watch, she has learned how to control the play and attack well off set pieces. She is someone that the team looks to in high pressure situations. Kyra will be the first to attack a defensive line, often needing 3-4 opposing players to complete the tackle. Off the field, Kyra has become a mentor and supporter for her teammates and has been the leading voice in advocacy for the players.”

In just her second official ACAA season, Hetherington was named the team’s MVP, after being the ACAA’s Rookie of the Year in her first year.

“Sarah has been a distinct player for the Tommies since her debut with the team in 2019. Sarah’s footwork and agility has gone unmatched and her dedication to the sport and her team is unmeasurable. Sarah’s ability to understand plays and read the field makes her a threat to opposing teams. Sarah’s quick recovery and strength has saved the team many oppositional tries and her speed and endurance has countered many points. While battling injury, Sarah continued to push herself and her team. Sarah is a leader on and off the field.”