Butts And Howse Named REDS Athletes Of The Year

(FREDERICTON, NB) Katie Butts, of the women’s basketball team, and Jared Howse, of the men’s cross country and track & field teams, have been named the UNB REDS female and male Athletes of the Year.

The awards were presented on Thursday night in the second of UNB’s two REDS Awards evenings.

In her fifth season, Butts, a 1^st Team Atlantic University Sport all-star and 2^nd Team All-Canadian, helped lead the REDS to UNB’s first conference championship in 27 years and a silver medal at the national championship tournament.

Howse, also in his fifth season, was the AUS men’s cross country champion, a 1^st Team conference all-star, and helped UNB’s 4-by-800-metre relay team to a historic gold medal at the U SPORTS Track & Field Championships, earning 1^st Team All-Canadian status.

Maria McDougall, of the women’s swimming team, and Steph Snyman, of the men’s cross country and track & field teams, were named the REDS female and male Rookies of the Year.

Erin McAleenan, head coach of the women’s basketball team, was named Coach of the Year, while Dr. Wayne Albert, Dean of UNB’s Faculty of Kinesiology, was presented with the James Born Award for long-time service to the REDS athletics program.

Isla Olesen and Emily Wezeman, of the women’s volleyball team, Tony Jeong, of the men’s track & field team, and Georgia Bernhard, of the women’s cross country and track & field teams, were named co-winners of the Brunswickan Award, and Payton Hargreaves, of the women’s hockey team, was presented with the Copeland Award as the REDS top all-round student-athlete.

Jeong and Sarah Doyle, of the women’s soccer team, were named the REDS Unsung Heroes for the 2025-2026 season.

REDS TEAM AWARDS

MEN’S BASKETBALL

MVP – Marcus Barnes

Rookie of the Year – Keegan May

Red & Black Award – Brandon Laryea

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MVP – Katie Butts

Rookie of the Year – Clancy MacIntyre

Red & Black Award – Kylee Speedy

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

MVP – Jared Howse

Co-Rookie of the Year – Liam Palmer

Co-Rookie of the Year – Steph Snyman

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

MVP – Nikolina Kapovic

Rookie of the Year – Bridget Jeffrey

Red & Black Award – Georgia Bernhard

MEN’S CURLING

MVP – Sean Beland

Co-Red & Black Award – Luke Robichaud

Co-Red & Black Award – Aden Kavanaugh

WOMEN’S CURLING

MVP – Jenna Campbell

Rookie of the Year – Hannah Williams

Red & Black Award – Rebecca Watson

MEN’S HOCKEY

MVP – Cody Morgan

Rookie of the Year – Braeden MacPhee

Red & Black Award – Colton Kammerer

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

MVP – Cassie McCallum

Rookie of the Year – Keira Grant

Red & Black Award – Payton Hargreaves

MEN’S SOCCER

MVP – Christopher Schmit

Rookie of the Year – Diego Carreno

Red & Black Award – Ian Aleong

WOMEN’S SOCCER

MVP – Carolina Grzesniak

Rookie of the Year – Kiara Hackett

Red & Black Award – Danielle Irrinki

MEN’S SWIMMING

MVP – Blake Kingston

Rookie of the Year – Matthew DeGoey

Red & Black Award – Pierre-Luc Boudrias

WOMEN’S SWIMMING

MVP – Bronwyn Preece

Rookie of the Year – Maria McDougall

Red & Black Award – Mya Beth Welton

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD

MVP – Silas Conlin-Morse

Rookie of the Year – Caden Wolverton

Red & Black Award – Oliver Arnfast

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD

MVP – Ashley Morrow

Rookie of the Year – Shaniece Smikle

Red & Black Award – Anne Vogt

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

MVP – Lucas Maffia

Rookie of the Year – Alex Bourque

Red & Black Award – Shamus Cormier

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

MVP – Lydia Green

Rookie of the Year – Haylee Ellis

Red & Black Award – Emily Wezeman

MEN’S WRESTLING

MVP – Koen Poirier

Rookie of the Year – Jeremy Leger

Red & Black Award – Johnathan Sherrard

WOMEN’S WRESTLING

MVP – Olivia Hamilton

Rookie of the Year – Lydia Enman

Red & Black Award – Julia Colborne

STORY BY: Andy Campbell/UNB REDS

PHOTO BY: Cameron Fitch/UNB Media Services