The best in Huskie Athletics were celebrated on Wednesday, as Emily Koshinksy and Adam Machart were named Huskie Athletics' female and male athletes of the year at the annual Huskie Salute at TCU Place on Wednesday night.
 
Koshinsky won the Mary Ethel Cartwright Trophy for female athlete of the year, while Machart was the recipient of the E. Kent Phillips Trophy for male athlete of the year.
 
Koshinsky captained the Huskie women's volleyball to an impressive 14-2 regular-season which saw Emily break the program record for most career kills and notching her name into the Canada West record books holding third place in both total kills and kills per set. The Canada West First-Team All-Star had 279 kills, 164 digs and 43 service aces in her final season with the team. Koshinsky is the first volleyball player to win the award since Chelsea Grimson in 1999.
 
Machart enjoyed another standout season for the Huskies. The Canada West All-Star and U Sports All-Canadian punched the Huskies ticket to the program's first Vanier Cup since 2006 on a last second touchdown run to defeat the No. 1 ranked Montreal Carabins. The Uteck Bowl Offensive Player of the Game got it done both on the ground and through the air throughout the regular-season, finishing sixth in the county in all-purpose yards-per-game and finished second in Canada West with 83 rushing yards-per-game. Machart is the first football player since Kit Hillis in 2013 to win the award.
 
Huskie Athletics handed out five other major awards on the night, which honoured the achievements of the athletes of the University of Saskatchewan's 15 athletic teams. Canada West and U SPORTS All-Canadians and major award winners, along with fifth-year athletes were also honoured at the celebration.
 
Track and field athlete Avery Peason won the Patricia Lawson Trophy for female rookie of the year after winning gold medals in the Canada West women's 1000m, 4x800 relay, 600m, and 4x100 relay. The Kinesiology student added to this impressive list of hardware by adding two silver medals in the 4x800m and 4x400m relays, and a bronze medal in the 600m at U SPORTS Nationals. Pearson was named the Canada West and U SPORTS Rookie of the Year. The Meadow Lake, Sask. product is the second track and field standout in the last four years to win the award, joining current teammate Kendra Farmer.
 
Skyler Varga became the fourth volleyball player in the last four years to win the
Howard Nixon Trophy for male rookie of the year, joining current teammate Dylan Mortensen. Varga was named to both the Canada West and national all rookie teams after an outstanding debut season. The 6'6' outside hitter from Muenster, Sask., played in 21 matches for the Huskies this season, recording 216 kills, 119 digs, 32 service aces and 46 blocks. Varga recorded the game-winning kill over the UBC Thunderbirds in the opening round of the Canada West playoffs, helping the Huskies win their first postseason game in more than six years.
 
The Valerie Girsberger Trophy is awarded to an upper-year female student-athlete who during her entire career best combines the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, academic ability and athletic prowess.
 
This year, women's basketball captain Libby Epoch took home the honour. Epoch has been the epitome of the term "student-athlete" throughout her tenure as a Huskie and was the recipient of this year's Canada West Student-Athlete Community Service Award as a result. Starting at point guard since her rookie season, Epoch led the Huskies to a National Championship in 2020 and four Canada West Championships during her five-year career. Off the court, the College of Engineering student is the president of the Huskie Athletics Council and has played a key role in the level of community outreach that Huskies student-athletes partake in. The major award was the second of Epoch's career, after she was named the female rookie of the year in 2017.
 
Another team captain took home the Rusty MacDonald Trophy, with men's soccer's Tobias Hyrich-Krueger adding to his Canada West Student-Athlete Community Service Award. The three-time Academic All-Canadian from Winnipeg, MB has been a true example of what it means to be a student-athlete. Tobias was a standout on both sides of the pitch in his final season, contributing a goal and two assists during the 10 games. The Kinesiolgy student has been a member of the Huskie Athletics Council since 2018 and served in an executive role since 2020. Hyrich-Krueger spent time volunteering for Read Saskatoon, CJWW Secret Santa, and instructing and organizing the Little Kicks Soccer Program in community schools.
 
After being named Canada West coach of the year, Scott Flory is the winner of the Colb McEwon Trophy as Huskies coach of the year for the first-time in his tenure. Flory guided the program to a 5-1 regular-season and eventual Hardy Cup and Uteck Bowl wins, as the Huskies reached the Vanier Cup for the first-time in 15 years.
 
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 soccer's Mya Duong.
 
Major Award Winners:
Patricia Lawson Trophy Female Rookie of the Year – Avery Pearson, track & field
Howard Nixon Trophy Male Rookie of the Year – Skyler Varga, volleyball
E. Kent Phillips Trophy Male Athlete of the Year – Adam Machart, football
Mary Ethel Cartwright Trophy Female Athlete of the Year – Emily Koshinsky, volleyball
Rusty MacDonald Cup All-Round Male – Tobias Hyrich-Krueger, soccer
Valerie Girsberger All-Round Female – Libby Epoch, basketball
Colb McEwon Trophy Coach of the Year – Scott Flory, football
Dr. Walter Hader Award Student Trainer of the Year – Mya Duong, soccer