North Vancouver native and University of British Columbia rugby player Savannah Bauder was named the Canada West player of the year as she helped power her Thunderbirds to their second straight conference title.
The second-year fly-half earned player of the year honours after leading the Canada West league in scoring by a wide margin, racking up 82 points as UBC battled to a perfect 5-0 regular season record. The Carson Graham grad led the league with nine tries in five matches and also drilled 17 conversions and one penalty.
In Canada West playoff action, UBC knocked off the University of Calgary 22-12 in the semifinals, Oct. 28, and topped the University of Victoria 47-13 in the final three days later. Bauder scored a try and kicked six converts in the championship win over Victoria. This was the second Canada West title for the UBC women.
Bauder also earned a spot on the Canada West all-star team, where she was joined by UBC rookie prop Mikiela Nelson, a Sutherland grad.
This week, the Thunderbirds will be battling for a national title at the USports Women’s Rugby Championships starting Thursday in Kingston, Ont. Their first matchup will be against Queen’s University, Nov. 11.
