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By Earl Zukerman

MONTREAL – Sebastien Flynn of Dartmouth, N.S., came away as a double trophy winner as the McGill cross-country and track & field awards were announced recently by head coach Dennis Barrett.

Flynn, a 19-year-old arts freshman, earned rookie-of-the-year honours and was named most valuable player for the Redmen cross-country running team. He started off his university career in fine fashion, finishing first in a field of 132 runners at the six-kilometre McGill Open but suffered a calf injury midway through the fall season. Flynn recovered in time for the league championship meet, where he placed fifth overall and was voted conference rookie of the year.

Lauren Whyte, a distance runner from Belleville, Ont., was named MVP of the Martlets. The 21-year-old political science senior was also named conference MVP after capturing the league’s individual title and guiding McGill to its 20th straight women’s cross-country title.

The track and field MVP awards went to Keith Esch, a 6-foot-7 junior from Lake George, N.Y., and Alana Battiston of Toronto.

Esch, a third-year International Development Studies major, was the conference champion in both the high jump and triple jump. He also established a school record with 2,796 points in the pentathlon.

Battiston, a physiology sophomore, also broke a school record in the pentathlon, won gold in the 4x400 relay at the Quebec conference championships and earned all-conference honours.

Eadaoin (Deenie) Quinn of Westfield, N.J., received the Andrea Taylor memorial award for an unprecedented third consecutive year. The trophy is presented to a member of the Martlets who demonstrates leadership, brings a unique spirit and promotes team unity.

Aside from Flynn, other rookie-of-the-year honourees were Arielle Beatty (x-country) of Sharon, Ont., Catherine Drouin-Audet (track) of Repentigny, Que., and Andrew Archibald (track) of Halifax.

Recipients of the most improved athlete award were cross-country’s Trish Muddiman of Sarnia, Ont., and Stephen Douglas of Pictou, N.S., plus track and field’s Katie Elmore of Pittsburgh, Pa., and David Sarfati of Toronto.