Ravens Stars on Full Display at Annual Varsity Banquet

OTTAWA (Mar. 28, 2024) - The Carleton Ravens handed out the hardware on Thursday night at the 2024 Varsity Banquet. Assembled at the Infinity Centre, Carleton Athletics and members of the Carleton community spent the evening recognizing the very best in athletic and community achievement. 

Among the evening's awards was a pair of ties, with Dani Sinclair (basketball) and Kevin Shields (Nordic ski) sharing the Pat O'Brien Award as Ravens Coach of the Year, and Kali Pocrnic (basketball) and Maggie McClure (Nordic ski) sharing the Ruth Coe Memorial Award as female athlete of the year. Pocrnic also claimed the Ravens' Outstanding Graduating Female Athlete award. 

On the men's side, it was a sweep for men's soccer as Luca Picciolio earned the Jack Vogan Award as the Graduating Male Athlete of the Year and Raphael Garcia earned the award of Male Athlete of the Year. 

In a new category, Xavier Spencer and Madeline Bartek were the first recipients of the Ravens' new Rookie of the Year award. 

Rounding out the awards From Ravens' rugby, assistant coach Jessica Joubarne earned the 2024 Varsity Council Volunteer of the Year award. 

Female Athlete of the Year: Kali Pocrnic & Maggie McClure

Voted a tie for the first time since 1996-97, the Ruth Coe Memorial Award for Female Athlete of the Year was awarded to both Kali Pocrnic and Maggie McClure. 

The MVP of the U SPORTS Final 8 Tournament, Kali Pocrnic was a star for the women's basketball team. A Second Team All-Canadian, Pocrnic was named OUA MVP and Critelli Cup MVP while also earning U SPORTS Player of the Week and OUA Athlete of the Week twice. Pocrnic also broke seven Ravens program records during the season.

Winner of individual gold and silver medals at the OUA Championship. Maggie McClure helped lead the Carleton Ravens to gold in the relay and the team title at the 2024 OUA Championships. The OUA Champion was also named OUA Athlete of the Year. 

Male Athlete of the Year: Luca Piccioli

A dominant force in the OUA playoffs, Luca Piccioli led the OUA with three goals and one assist in three games. The midfielders play helped the Ravens capture the OUA Championship before earning him the honour of being the third player selected in the 2024 CPL Draft.

Piccioli is the first winner from the men's soccer team since Gabriel Bitar in 2017-18.

Coach of the Year: Dani Sinclair & Kevin Shields

Voted a tie for the first time, the Pat O'Brien Award for Ravens Coach of the Year was awarded to Dani Sinclair of women's basketball and Kevin Shields of women's Nordic skiing. 

Head coach of the back-to-back U SPORTS and OUA champion women's basketball program. Sinclair led her team to a 21-1 regular season record and a 6-0 run through the OUA and U SPORTS playoffs. The OUA coach of the year, Sinclair's Ravens was the top-ranked team in U SPORTS for 8 of 12 rankings. 

Kevin Shields head coach of the CCUNC and OUA Champion women's Nordic skiing team, earned his second consecutive OUA Women's Coach of the Year award in 2024. Shield's women's team claimed seven of eight possible medals at the OUAs while the men also captured a silver medal. 

Sinclair repeats as coach of the year in just her third year on the Ravens bench while Shields is the first Nordic skiing coach to earn the honour since Pavol Skvaridlo in 2003-04.

Graduating Male Athlete of the Year: Raphael Garcia 

In his three-year career with Carleton, Garcia earned the U SPORTS Top 8 Academic All-Canadian Award, a U SPORTS silver medal and an OUA Championship. U SPORTS First Team and Second Team All-Canadian, and three-time Academic All-Canadian, the Ravens captain also earned the Ottawa Sports Award as the city's top soccer player in 2022.

Garcia is the first winner of the award from the men's soccer program since Tristan St. Pierre was named a co-winner in 2018-19.

Graduating Female Athlete of the Year: Kali Pocrnic

In four years at Carleton, Pocrnic is a two-time U SPORTS National Champion and OUA Champion, twice named U SPORTS Final 8 MVP, Kali Pocrnic has been the motor for Ravens basketball. After starting her career as an OUA All-Rookie in 2020, Pocrnic is the reigning 2023 Ruth Coe Award winner as Carleton's female athlete of the year. 

Pocrnic is the first winner from women's basketball since Nicole Gilmore in 2018-19. 

Female Rookie of the Year: Madeline Bartek

Bursting onto the scene in OUA rowing, Madeline Bartek capped a fantastic rookie season with two silver medals at the OUA Championships. Bartek and partner Rosie O'Brien were consistent throughout the season also earning gold and silver at the Brock Invitational.

Male Rookie of the Year: Xavier Spencer

Winner of the Dr. Peter Mullins Trophy as U SPORTS rookie of the year, Xavier Spencer joined Lloyd Pandi and Philip Scrubb as the third Ravens player to earn the national honour. Spencer led all rookies nationally in points, field goals, free throws, and assists.

Volunteer of the Year: Jessica Jourbarne

Jessica Joubarne has been an assistant with the program since 2019. She has helped the program through the COVID season where there were no games. Today, she is the Lead Backs Coach with the program overseeing Back set piece attack and defence.