Sam Flowerday and Rida Erlalelitepe with their Athlete of the Year awards. (Image Credit: Andrew Snucins/TRU WolfPack)

By Victor Kaisar/Anthony Corea

TRU WolfPack Awards

Erlalelitepe, Flowerday headline 2025 TRU WolfPack awards night

Apr 5, 2025 | 1:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — Rida Erlalelitepe and Sam Flowerday were named Female and Male Athlete of the Year as the TRU WolfPack hosted their annual awards night on Thursday (April 3).

Erlalelitepe, from Izmir, Turkey, was a Canada West First-Team All-Star and finished in the top ten in Canada in kills and kills-per-set. The first-year outside hitter led the WolfPack women’s volleyball team to one of their strongest seasons ever.

Flowerday, from Proserpine, Australia, is the first back-to-back winner of the WolfPack’s Male Athlete of the Year award in TRU’s U SPORTS history. The graduating outside hitter was named a Canada West Second-Team All-Star and became just the second member of the WolfPack to eclipse the 1,000 kill milestone.

In all nine awards were handed out during Thursday’s ceremony, that also saw the 1999-2000 University College of the Cariboo Sun Demons women’s soccer team inducted into the TRU Athletics Hall of Fame.

Two and Out

PETERS: School district budget roller coaster takes another turn

Apr 11, 2025

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Where to find dishes from different cultures in Kamloops

Apr 11, 2025

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: April 10, 2025

Apr 11, 2025

Major Award Winners:

Female Newcomer of the Year
Rida Erlalelitepe, women’s volleyball – Winner
Morgan Eichenberger, women’s basketball – Finalist

Male Newcomer of the Year
Dami Farinloye, men’s basketball – Winner
Marcus D’Andrea, men’s soccer – Finalist
Brandon Johnson, men’s volleyball – Finalist

Dr. Roger H Barnsley Male Scholar Athlete of the Year
Matthew Hamilton, men’s volleyball – Winner
Domenico Comita, men’s soccer – Finalist
Asher Mayan, men’s volleyball – Finalist

Dr. Roger H Barnsley Female Scholar Athlete of the Year
Danijela Kovacevic, women’s basketball – Winner
Jessye Large, women’s soccer – Finalist
Libby Meldrum, women’s volleyball – Finalist

Female Cliff Neufeld Leadership Award
Hadley Schmidt, women’s volleyball – Winner
Maria Banman, cheerleading – Finalist
Allie Shiyuk, women’s soccer – Finalist

Male Cliff Neufeld Leadership Award
Asher Mayan, men’s basketball – Winner
Jonathan Rinaldi, men’s soccer – Finalist
Mason Sodaro, men’s volleyball – Finalist

Director’s Award
Olivier Jumeau, men’s soccer – Winner

Sports Task Force Male Athlete of the Year
Sam Flowerday, men’s volleyball – Winner
Asher Mayan, men’s basketball – Finalist
Zac Robinson, baseball – Finalist

Sports Task Force Female Athlete of the Year
Rida Erlalelitepe, women’s volleyball – Winner
Danijela Kovacevic, women’s basketball – Finalist
Raiya Rumo, women’s soccer – Finalist