Gaels dominate East-West Bowl

Led by Queen’s receiver Doug Corby, Team East defeated Team West 29-21 at the 2015 CIS East-West Bowl on May 9 in Montreal. The two rosters consisted of university players from across the country.

Corby set an East-West Bowl record with three touchdowns (seven, 50 and 63 yards), and was named Team East Offensive Player of the Game with four catches for a game-high 131 yards. Last year, the fourth-year receiver was integral to the Gaels having the fourth-best ranked passing attack in the OUA, finishing the season with 33 receptions, four touchdowns and 487 yards.

Gaels kicker Dillon Wamsley joined Corby on the East squad, hitting all four extra point attempts, scoring a rouge, as well as averaging 39.5 yards per punt.

The thirteenth annual East-West Bowl served as a showcase for CIS players who will be eligible for the 2016 Canadian Football League Draft. 

— Joseph Cattana 

Carroll signs first CFL deal

Former Queen’s football receiver Alex Carroll has signed a contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League after a five-year career with the Gaels.

Last year, Carroll led the OUA with 52 receptions and eight  receiving touchdowns and while his 109.4 receiving yards per game sat second in the league. Following the season, the fifth-year was named a first-team OUA All-Star receiver and second team All-Star as a kick  and punt returner for his special teams play.

Carroll recently attended the Roughriders’ mini-camp following being scouted at regional combine. Renowned accross the OUA as one of the league’s fastest players, Carroll also competed for the Gaels in the indoor track season as a sprinter.

Carroll isn’t the only Gael on the Roughriders’ roster, as he joins former teammate and second-year defensive back Matt Webster, as well as receiver and eight-year veteran Rob Bagg, a 2013 Grey Cup Champion.

Carroll will be looked upon to help bolster the Roughriders’ struggling offence from 2014, which ranked seventh in total yards, and fifth in total points in the nine-team league.

— Joseph Cattana

Women’s basketball All-Star Game hosted at Queen’s 

The OUA’s women’s basketball All-Star game was held in the ARC this past month, celebrating excellence from the 2014-2015 season. The Gaels were represented this year by guard Liz Boag and wing player Jenny Wright. New to the format this year, coaches were given the opportunity to draft their teams, in comparison to the traditional East-West format. Gaels Jenny Wright and Liz Boag were pinned against each other, with Wright playing for Windsor Lancers’ coach Chantal Vallee and Boag playing for Carly Clarke of the Ryerson Rams.

The score ended with Team Clarke winning the game 71-69, with Boag finishing with a stat line of ten points, five rebounds and four assists. Wright scored 10 points for Team Vallee, adding two rebounds, one assist and one steal. 

Last year the Gaels finished seventh in the OUA, but made a surprise run to the OUA Final Four, led by the two all-stars. Ryerson ultimately topped the Gaels by a score of 69-60. 

Wright led the Gaels in points (13.8 ppg), earning OUA First-Team All-Star honours, while Boag finished her Gaels career with a Second-Team berth.

— Joseph Cattana

Bailie Belleville’s Best 

Kevin Bailie was recently awarded Belleville’s 2014 Athlete of the Year for his contributions over parts of his first two years for the Queen’s men’s hockey team.

The presentation is part of Belleville’s annual Honours and Awards Night, with individuals and teams from the city receiving recognition for outstanding athletic achievement in 2014.

In his first year at Queen’s, Bailie backstopped the Gaels to an impressive 17-6-5 record in 2013-14, tying the school mark for wins in a season. Bailie finished with a 1.98 GAA and 0.934 save percentage, playing an integral role in taking Queen’s to the OUA East semifinals. 

Bailie was honoured with multiple awards in his freshman year including being named the CIS Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Gael to receive the Clare Drake Award. At the conference level he also took home OUA East MVP and Rookie of the Year honours.

Bailie was named to the OUA East First All-Star team and OUA East All-Rookie team. He also was named as the Queen’s male Rookie Athlete of the Year, and took home the Alfie Pierce Trophy.

— Joseph Cattana