Basketball unveils recruiting classes

Men and women’s basketball are both bringing in fresh faces in an effort to build on promising seasons.

The men’s team recruited centre Mike Shoveller of Arnprior, ON and Mike Mullins, a guard from Burlington.

Shoveller led the Arnprior Redmen to their first Ontario provincial championships in four decades, earning team MVP honours four times in high school. At 6’11, he’ll be the tallest player on the Gaels’ roster.

Mullins, who is 6’2, hails from Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School, where he averaged 15 points and 12 rebounds a game en route to an OFSSAA silver medal in 2012.

The women’s team added four top recruits: post Andrea Priamo from Guelph, guard Sarah Saftich from Markham, guard Abby Dixon from Vancouver and wing Amy Cotton, a Kingston native.

— Sam Koebrich

Rugby trio reigns in England

For three women’s rugby players, an overseas excursion ended in international gold.

Reigning OUA rookie of the year Nadia Popov joined third-year Gaels Lauren McEwen and Jordyn Rowntree with Team Canada’s entry into the U20 Rugby Nations Cup earlier this month.

Canada rode a spotless 4-0 showing to the gold medal in England — the country’s first-ever women’s U20 championship.

After blanking South Africa 37-0 in their final preliminary fixture, Canada topped the United States 27-3 to clinch gold. They’d previously beaten the Americans 25-15 in the tournament opener.

Popov scored a try in Canada’s first victory over the United States. She finished third in the OUA in scoring last season, tallying six tries and 52 individual points.

All three Gaels internationals will return to Queen’s next season, along with nearly every other impact player on the roster.

— Nick Faris

Tessier, Pedlow compete in Kazan

Two former Gaels represented Canada at the 2013 FISU Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia earlier this month, making notable contributions despite seeing their teams fall short.

Jackie Tessier, a former striker on Queen’s women’s soccer team, scored three times in six games for Canada at the world university championships, including a second-minute goal in the team’s 4-0 round-robin win over China.

After finishing third in Pool B behind Mexico and Ireland, Canada won a pair of consolation matches before losing 2-1 to the host Russians.

Men’s volleyball alum Sam Pedlow competed in pairs beach volleyball in Kazan, winning six of eight matches with partner Grant O’Gorman before falling to the USA in the quarterfinals.

Queen’s athletic therapist Vicky Wiltshire also travelled to Kazan as part of Canada’s official medical staff.

— Angela Su