University of Saskatchewan Track & Field Athlete Julianne Labach picked up two major awards while hockey player Taran Kozun was named the Male Athlete of the Year at the annual Huskie Salute at TCU Place Friday night.
 
Kozun claims the E. Kent Phillips Trophy, while for the second year in a row Labach wins the Mary Ethel Cartwright Trophy for Female Athlete of the Year. This year she also added the Valerie Gisberger Award as Female All-Around Athlete.
 
Labach claimed seven medals at the Canada West and U SPORTS championship in 2018-19. Helping the Huskies to the conference title, the first year law student won gold in both the 600- and 1000-metre races. On the national stage, she added a gold in the 600-metre and silver in both the 1000-metre and 4x400-metre relay. Prior to the national meet Labach was also named the U SPORTS Track Athlete of the Year.

An Academic All-Canadian in all of her seasons with the Huskies, Labach leaves the team as the holder of two Huskie records. In the last two seasons the Saskatoon product has compiled 13 medals between conference and national championships. Labach is ranked in the top-10 in Canada, not just among university competitors, in four distances and has volunteered and multiple Huskie Track & Field events, including at the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Indoor Games. Labach becomes the first winner of the all-around and athlete of the year awards since Daniel Olver of wrestling won the double in 2011.
 
Second-year arts & science student, Kozun, had a historic 2018-19 campaign and was named the top goaltender in the nation for his efforts. Setting four Canada West records in the regular season: wins (20), shutouts (5), consecutive shutouts (3) and consecutive shutout minutes (267:53), Kozun helped the Huskies to a program-best 25 wins in the regular season. He compiled a 1.81 goals against average mark and a .926 save percentage in his 23 games of action in the regular season and led the way for a fourth-place finish at the University Cup.
 
Huskie Athletics handed out five other major awards at the annual Huskie Salute Friday night at TCU Place. The event also featured the achievements of the athletes of the University of Saskatchewan's 15 athletic teams. Canada West and U SPORTS All-Stars/All-Canadians and award winners, along with fifth-year athletes were also honoured at the celebration.
 
Attacking-midfielder Payton Izsak won the Patricia Lawson Trophy after leading women's soccer in points in her very first season with the team. The kinesiology student started in 10 regular season games, racking up five points and was named to the Canada West All-Rookie Team. In the playoffs, Izsak scored both goals as the Huskies upset the UVic Vikes by a score of 2-0 in a Canada West play-in game.
 
The Howard Nixon Trophy for male rookie of the year is awarded to Logan Sloan of wrestling after the product of Calgary defeated all comers in 2018-19. Sloan was named both the conference and national rookie of the year after winning gold in the 54-kg weight class at the Canada West and U SPORTS National Championships. Sloan came back from a six-point deficit to claim gold at nationals.
 
The men's version of the All-Around Award – the Rusty MacDonald Cup – was given to Kyle Siemens. 
 
Second on the Huskies all-time passing list, Siemens finished his career by leading the Huskies back to the top of the Canada West with the team's first Hardy Cup victory since 2006. The kinesiology student played in every single regular season game of his five-year career, while also being an Academic All-Canadian in three seasons. A captain of the Huskies, Siemens has spent time off the field volunteering for various organizations including: Huskie Homeroom, Physical Activity for Active Living, St. Luke Elementary school and Tim Hortons Camp Day.
 
Huskie Athletics also handed out the Dr. Walter Hader Student Trainer of the Year Award. The trophy given annually to a student trainer who displays dedicated volunteer service to Huskie Athletics and shows promise in the pursuit of a career in sports medicine was won by both Brianna Antonichuk and Melinda Ardagh.
 
Speaking of Olver, the current head coach of the wrestling team won the Colb McEwon Trophy for Coach of the Year after guiding the women's team to a Canada West Championship and a second-place finish at the U SPORTS National Championship. Olver was also named the Canada West and U SPORTS Women's Coach of the Year.
 
More than 300 athletes, fans, sponsors, alumni and supporters gathered at TCU Place to celebrate the special event.
 
Major Award Winners:
Patricia Lawson Trophy Female Rookie of the Year – Payton Izsak, soccer
Howard Nixon Trophy Male Rookie of the Year – Logan Sloan, wrestling
E. Kent Phillips Trophy Male Athlete of the Year – Taran Kozun, hockey
Mary Ethel Cartwright Trophy Female Athlete of the Year – Julianne Labach, track & field
Rusty MacDonald Cup All-Round Male – Kyle Siemens, football
Valerie Girsberger All-Round Female – Julianne Labach, track & field
Colb McEwon Trophy Coach of the Year – Daniel Olver, wrestling
Dr. Walter Hader Award Student Trainer of the Year – Brianna Antonichuk, women's soccer & Melinda Ardagh, women's basketball