Fraser Valley (Dan Kinvig) – Trevor Zanatta and Deanna Tuchscherer took top honours on Friday evening as the University of the Fraser Valley athletic department hosted its annual awards ceremony.
Zanatta (men’s soccer) and Tuchscherer (women’s basketball) were recipients of the male and female athlete of the year awards, in recognition of outstanding individual performances that contributed to significant team success during the 2021-22 season.
Other winners on Friday included basketball players Dario Lopez and Julia Tuchscherer, who were the male and female rookies of the year, respectively. Charandeep Rangi (men’s soccer) was selected as the community service athlete of the year, while Atena Darkhor was the recipient of the Cascades Crew award, recognizing excellence among student game-day staff.
Further details on the Cascades’ major award winners, along with a listing of team MVPs, are as follows.
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Finalists: Simi Lehal (soccer), Amanda Matsui (volleyball), Lucy Park (golf), Deanna Tuchscherer (basketball)
Deanna Tuchscherer (Chilliwack, B.C.) was voted a Canada West first team all-star after leading the Cascades women’s basketball team to first place in the West Division with a 15-3 record, and helping the squad return to the U SPORTS national rankings, rising as high as No. 7. The sophomore guard/forward finished fourth in the Canada West scoring race, averaging 17.6 points per game, and her 7.6 rebounds per game ranked 10th in the conference.
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Finalists: Nimo Benne (volleyball), Jackson Jacob (golf), Vick Toor (basketball), Trevor Zanatta (soccer)
Trevor Zanatta (Coquitlam, B.C.) led the UFV men’s soccer program to the Canada West Final Four, earning conference first team all-star honours along the way. The third-year midfielder led the Cascades in points, racking up three goals and five assists on the season. Four of those assists came in a single game, Oct. 3 vs. UBC, which represented a new Canada West single-game record. Zanatta also excelled in the classroom, posting a 4.0 GPA in the fall semester.
FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Finalists: Cailin Bitter (volleyball), Lucy Park (golf), Julia Tuchscherer (basketball), Avery Tulloch (soccer)
Despite arriving on campus a year ahead of schedule at age 17, Julia Tuchscherer earned a spot on the Canada West all-rookie team as she helped the Cascades finish atop the West Division with a 15-3 record. The 6’2” forward averaged 8.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and her field goal percentage (52.4) set a new team record and ranked third overall in CW this season. Tuchscherer also recently participated in Canada Basketball’s U18 national team assessment camp in Toronto.
MALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Finalists: Hudson LaFayette (golf), Dario Lopez (basketball), Jaskarn Sodhi (soccer), Jonas Van Huizen (volleyball)
Dario Lopez (Madrid, Spain)quickly established himself as an integral part of the UFV men’s basketball program’s present and future. The dynamic power forward averaged 7.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, ranking top-10 among all U SPORTS rookies in rebounding. He staged a breakout performance on Feb. 4, scoring eight straight points in the final three minutes of regulation to lead the Cascades to a crucial 80-76 road win over Thompson Rivers.
COMMUNITY ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Finalists: Stephen Horner (men’s baseball), Justin Peleshytyk (men’s volleyball), Charandeep Rangi (men’s soccer), Victoria Jacobse & Alexis Worrell (women’s basketball)
Charandeep Rangi (Surrey, B.C.) co-founded a non-profit organization called SEVA Movement which seeks to involve the community in selfless acts of service. Initiatives include food and clothing distribution to those in need, garbage clean-up, and toy drives for kids who are in the hospital. Rangi also mentors at-risk youth through the YMCA, and coaches with the Greater Vancouver United Soccer Club on a volunteer basis.
CASCADES CREW AWARD
Atena Darkhor (Ahwaz, Iran) was selected as the recipient of the Cascades Crew award, which recognizes excellence among student staff. Darkhor enrolled at UFV in 2015 to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree, and in 2017, she joined the varsity game-day staff as a member of the volleyball stats table. She has worked for UFV Athletics ever since, exemplifying all aspects of being a Cascade without ever setting foot on the field of play. This past season, Darkhor served as the live-stats inputter for both soccer and volleyball – arguably the most pivotal role on the stat table – and distinguished herself by going above and beyond to excel in her job.
TEAM MVPs
Cascades team MVPs for 2021-22 were announced as part of awards night.
Men’s basketball: Vick Toor
Women’s basketball: Deanna Tuchscherer
Men’s golf: Jackson Jacob
Women’s golf: Lucy Park
Men’s soccer: Trevor Zanatta and Ryan Donald
Women’s soccer: Alanna Sydenham
Men’s volleyball: Nimo Benne
Women’s volleyball: Amanda Matsui
Women’s rugby sevens: Kira Katan
Men’s baseball: Dylan Emmons
