CALGARY (CIS) – University of Calgary Dinos quarterback Erik Glavic has been named the Canada West male athlete of the year for 2009-10 and will represent the conference at the 18th Annual BLG Awards.

Canadian Interuniversity Sport and national business law firm Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) announced Wednesday the eight finalists for BLG Awards, which will be handed out Monday, April 26 at the EPCOR Centre's Jack Singer Concert Hall in Calgary.

Official website: www.blgcanada.com/blgawards

The BLG Awards were established in 1993 to recognize the top female and male athletes from universities affiliated with CIS.

Glavic is the 11th Dino to earn a BLG Award nomination, beginning with volleyball's Andy Cameron who was the inaugural winner of the men's award. University of Calgary athletes have won a record six BLG Awards since 1993, more than any other school in Canada.

He will look to have his photo added to the Dinos' BLG Wall of Distinction on April 26, when the eight national nominees will be honoured with one female and one male winner receiving a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship in front of more than 1,000 BLG guests.

WATCH ERIK'S 2009 HIGHLIGHT REEL

The awards show will premiere on TSN on Sunday, May 16, at 9 a.m. MT.

“We are delighted to recognize these outstanding student-athletes along with our clients and guests at the 18th Annual BLG Awards that will again be hosted by our Calgary office,” said Doug Mitchell, National Co-Chairman, BLG LLP. “Our goal in hosting these Awards is not only to focus attention on the importance of athletics at Canadian universities, but also to shine a spotlight on the exceptional athletes produced right here in Canada.”

“The BLG Awards are a highlight of the university sport calendar year,” said Marg McGregor, CIS Chief Executive Officer. “The BLGs honour the achievements of eight exceptional student-athletes. They celebrate excellence and showcase student-athletes who inspire us with their impressive accomplishments.”

Pickering, Ont. native Glavic became the first player in CIS football history to claim the Hec Crighton Trophy as player of the year for two different teams and guided the Dinos to their first Vanier Cup appearance since 1995.   

He will take on three other finalists for the Doug Mitchell Trophy presented to the CIS male athlete of the year: UNB hockey player Hunter Tremblay of Timmins, Ont., McGill hockey player Francis Verreault-Paul of Mashteuiatsh, Que., and Western Ontario football player Michael Faulds of Eden Mills, Ont.

Tremblay was named CIS men's hockey MVP after he captured the national scoring crown and helped the Varsity Reds set a single-season CIS record for most wins.

Verreault-Paul joined Tremblay on the first all-Canadian team and was named OUA player of the year after he finished tied for first in the nation in goals and second in points.

Faulds was chosen OUA MVP in football and was selected to the second all-Canadian squad after he established single-season and career CIS records for most passing yards.

The 2010 nominees for the Jim Thompson Trophy presented to the female BLG Award recipient are Cape Breton basketball player Kelsey Hodgson of Fredericton, Montreal soccer player Véronique Maranda of Saint-Lambert, Que., Wilfrid Laurier hockey player Liz Knox of Stouffville, Ont., as well as UBC volleyball player Liz Cordonier of Vancouver.

Hodgson is the two-time reigning CIS women's basketball scoring champion and was an all-Canadian each of the past three seasons.

Maranda was named a first-team all-Canadian for the second straight campaign and led the Carabins to the CIS women's soccer final for the first time in team history.

Knox was named CIS women's hockey player of the year after she tied the single-season and career CIS records for most shutouts.

Cordonier became the first Thunderbird in history to be named CIS women's volleyball player of the year and led UBC to a third straight national title.

The BLG Awards are based on athletic accomplishments, outstanding sportsmanship and leadership. Each of 52 CIS schools selects one female and one male athlete of the year. From these nominees, one female and one male athlete are chosen within each of the four regional associations: Atlantic University Sport (AUS), Quebec Student Sports Federation (QSSF), Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA). To be eligible, a student-athlete must have competed in a CIS sport for a minimum of two years and cannot be a previous recipient of a BLG Award.

Nominees receive a commemorative gold ring, and winners are presented with a trophy and a $10,000 scholarship to attend a Canadian University graduate school. Winners are selected by the Canadian Athletic Foundation, a not-for-profit Board established for the purpose of administering the BLG Awards and protecting the integrity of the selection process. The CAF Board of Trustees consists of 22 members from five Canadian cities representing major corporations from across the country who are committed to ensuring that Canadian University athletes receive the recognition they deserve.

Canada West Nominee
ERIK GLAVIC
University of Calgary
Sport: Football
Year of eligibility in 2009-2010: 4
Academic program: Social Sciences (Economics)
Hometown: Pickering, Ont.

It has been an interesting ride for quarterback Erik Glavic over the last two and a half years. After being recruited to Saint Mary's by former Huskies head coach and current UofC sideline boss Blake Nill in 2006, the 6-foot-6, 230-pound standout claimed the Hec Crighton trophy as CIS MVP in only his second campaign at SMU the following year. Unfortunately, the 2007 campaign didn't end the way Glavic would have wanted it to as he sustained a torn ACL in the Uteck Bowl and had to watch from the sidelines as the Huskies lost to Manitoba in the national final. After suffering a setback while attempting a comeback with Saint Mary's early in the 2008 season (he would need a second knee surgery), he transferred to Calgary and rejoin Nill with the Dinos. The rest, as they say, is history.

In his first Canada West season last fall, Glavic set a school record completing 67.5% of his passes and led the conference in total offence (336.1 yards per game), touchdown responsibility (20), rushing average (10.5 yards per carry), pass efficiency (181.6) and passing TDs (14), all of this while helping the Dinos set single-season team marks for total offence and first downs and tie the team record with 39 touchdowns. After leading Calgary to a 7-1 mark in conference play – the program's best since 1988 – the social sciences student was named MVP of the Canada West final and guided the Dinos to their first Vanier Cup appearance since 1995 thanks to a 38-14 win over his former team, Saint Mary's, in the Uteck Bowl. On Nov. 26, he became the first player in history to capture the Hec Crighton trophy with two different teams.

Glavic, who also played basketball at Saint Mary's - reaching the CIS semifinals in 2007 - and may join the Dinos hoops team after the 2010 football season, comes from an athletic family. Both his brothers are currently playing pro football in Switzerland, including Marko who won the Euro Bowl in 2008 and the Swiss Bowl in 2009, and Sasha who played three years with Hamilton in the CFL. His father, Tomo, was a champion volleyball player in Croatia.

“As an athlete, Erik has been blessed with God-given ability that allows him to supersede most. Along with his physical talent, he is immensely competitive, and the combination of the two is a formula for success,” says Dinos head coach Blake Nill. “Being a senior athlete, his experiences have allowed him to mature, thus his leadership skills allow him to be a positive influence among our other players. He has brought a new excitement to our university and our football program. He is a true leader both on and off the field and is truly deserving of this honour.”

Past BLG Award Winners:

2008-09: Annamay Pierse (UBC - swimming), Joel Schmuland (Alberta - volleyball)
2007-08: Laetitia Tchoualack (Montreal - volleyball), Rob Hennigar (UNB - hockey)
2006-07: Jessica Zelinka (Calgary - track & field), Josh Howatson (Trinity Western - volleyball)
2005-06: Marylène Laplante (Laval - volleyball), Osvaldo Jeanty (Carleton - basketball)
2004-05: Adrienne Power (Dalhousie - track & field), Jesse Lumsden (McMaster - football)
2003-04: Joanna Niemczewska (Calgary - volleyball), Adam Ens (Saskatchewan - volleyball)
2002-03: Kim St-Pierre (McGill - hockey), Ryan McKenzie (Windsor - cross country & track)
2001-02: Elizabeth Warden (Toronto - swimming), Brian Johns (UBC - swimming)
2000-01: Leighann Doan (Calgary - basketball), Kojo Aidoo (McMaster - football)
1999-00: Jenny Cartmell (Alberta - volleyball), Michael Potts (Western Ontario - soccer)
1998-99: Corinne Swirsky (Concordia - hockey), Alexandre Marchand (Sherbrooke - track)
1997-98: Foy Williams (Toronto - track & field), Titus Channer (McMaster - basketball)
1996-97: Terri-Lee Johannesson (Manitoba - basketball), Curtis Myden (Calgary - swimming)
1995-96: Justine Ellison (Toronto - basketball), Don Blair (Calgary - football)
1994-95: Linda Thyer (McGill - track & field), Bill Kubas (Wilfrid Laurier - football)
1993-94: Sandra Carroll (Winnipeg - basketball), Tim Tindale (Western Ontario - football)
1992-93: Diane Scott (Winnipeg - volleyball), Andy Cameron (Calgary - volleyball)

Past University of Calgary BLG Award Nominees:
(* indicates recipient of the BLG Award)

2009-10: Erik Glavic, football
2006-07: *Jessica Zelinka, track and field
2003-04: *Joanna Niemczewska, volleyball
2000-01: *Leighann Doan, basketball
1998-99: Stephanie O'Neill, soccer
1996-97: *Curtis Myden, swimming
1995-96: *Don Blair, football
1995-96: Meagan Koch, basketball
1994-95: Stacy Kozak, field hockey
1994-95: Jamie Pegg, hockey
1992-93: *Andy Cameron, volleyball

About Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
With more than 750 lawyers, intellectual property agents, and other professionals working in six major Canadian cities, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP is the largest Canadian full-service law firm focusing on business law, litigation and intellectual property solutions. BLG provides bilingual services in virtually every area of law, and represents a wide range of regional, national and multinational organizations.  For further information, visit www.blgcanada.com.

About Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada. Fifty-two universities, 10,000 student-athletes and 550 coaches vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. CIS also provides high performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous world university championships. For further information, visit www.cis-sic.ca.

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