Introducing the finalists for Griffins' 2019-20 Male Rookie of the Year
MacEwan Athletics
In a new world of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are announcing all 2019-20 Griffins award winners online over the next few days. Here is our schedule:
March 25: Most Improved winners for each team (Find the story here)
March 26: Most Outstanding winners for each team (Find the story here)
March 27: Team of the Year (Find the story here)
March 28: Academic Team of the Year (Find the story here)
Monday: Female Rookie of the Year (Find the story here)
Today: Male Rookie of the Year
Wednesday: Female Athlete of the Year
Thursday: Male Athlete of the Year
Our Male Rookie of the Year goes to the male student-athlete (in good academic standing) who had the greatest impact in their first year with the Griffins.
Here are our three finalists (in alphabetical order). The winner will be announced at 4:30 p.m. today.
Brandt Holt, curling
Awards: Named to MacEwan Athletics' three stars list once (3rd – Jan. 28).
Synopsis: It was an impressive rookie season for Brandt Holt, who was a major reason why the Griffins' mixed curling rink captured an ACAC Championship on March 1.
Playing third for the Griffins, he was arguably the rink's steadiest player – a rock they could lean on as they defeated NAIT in the final to deliver the 16th curling title in the program's history and seventh mixed championship.
Holt and his mixed rink teammates of skip Rebecca Bartz, second Brennin Turner and lead Zale Zabolotniuk also recorded a rare eight-ender during league play at the Saville Centre back in January and received a special plaque from Curling Canada for the achievement.
At the ACAC Championship, Holt outshot his counterpart in all but one game – a solid performance borne out of the extra practice that he put in throughout the season. Without much formal coaching prior to coming to MacEwan, Holt worked extra hours with head coach Tom Kitagawa to improve his delivery and it paid off.
Always coachable and looking to improve, Holt came through at a very important position for the Griffins mixed rink.
Jefferson Morrow, men's volleyball
Stats: 104 kills (3rd on Griffins), 1.51 kills/set (3rd), 5 service aces (T5th), 99 digs (3rd), 123 points (3rd), 1.8 points/set (3rd).
Synopsis: The Australian outside hitter came to a new country and adjusted quickly to a big role on the MacEwan Griffins men's volleyball team.
Possessing high volleyball IQ and exhibiting solid ball control, Morrow contributed all over the court for the Griffins.
He had the second-most kills attempts (380) on the team as he manned the left side and produced the third-most kills (104).
Morrow was also key in the defensive side of the game for the Griffins, producing 99 kills in 69 sets of action.
He was involved in the community by volunteering with NAVC camps and various promotional booths around MacEwan.
Jordan Taupert, men's hockey
Awards: Named to MacEwan Athletics' three stars list once (3rd – Jan. 14).
Stats: 11G, 17A, 28 PTS in 28 regular season games, 2 SHG; 2G, 2 PTS in 3 playoff games
Synopsis: Jordan Taupert joined the MacEwan Griffins after scoring at greater than a point-per-game pace in his final two seasons with the Drumheller Dragons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and picked up right where he left off in his rookie ACAC campaign.
Impressively, Taupert finished with 28 points in 28 games – third in team scoring – as he helped replace some of the offence that was lost with the program's large graduating class in 2019. His production also placed him third in rookie scoring in the ACAC behind NAIT's Jared Legien (48 points) and SAIT's Jared Power (37 points).
Taupert's ability to play in all situations for the Griffins was huge as he was a key member of the powerplay and earned plenty of minutes in late-game situations – an impressive vote of confidence for the rookie.
In the community, Taupert has helped out with mental health initiatives, Skate with the Griffins and has done reading at schools.
