Niki Oudanaarden and Adam Sinagra named Dinos Athletes of the Year

By Kristy Koehler, April 9 2019—

The 52nd Annual Night of the Dino was held on April 9. The annual awards banquet celebrates the awards, championships and individual athletic performances of members of the University of Calgary Dinos varsity sports teams.

The top honour of the evening is the Dr. Dennis Kadatz Athlete of the Year Award. This award is named for the University of Calgary’s very first athletic director and football coach. Kadatz coached the football team from 1964-1968, becoming athletic director in 1966 and retaining that role until 1985. He was among the first set of athletes and builders inducted into the Dinos Hall of Fame in 1995.

Female athlete of the year was awarded to Niki Oudanaarden, one of the Dinos track and field stars. She ended her varsity athletic career on a high note, taking home gold in pentathlon, shot put and 4 x 400-metre relay at the Canada West Championships, claiming Canada West field athlete of the year for the third time in her five-year varsity career. She also won the gold medal in pentathlon at the U Sports national championships in Winnipeg in early March.

Oudanaarden was unable to attend the event due to being in Arizona training for a competition, but recorded a message for her fellow Dinos.

“Thank you guys so much for the amazing opportunity to let me run with you for the last five years and to be a Dino,” said Oudanaarden. “I’ve had such a great time getting to know the coaches, the athletes, the athletic trainers — all of you guys are amazing and are crucial for the experience I’ve had as a Dino.”

Male athlete of the year was awarded to football quarterback Adam Sinagra. The Canada West MVP also won the Hec Crighton Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding player in U Sports football. Sinagra’s Hec Crighton win is the sixth time in history a Dinos player has been awarded the honour. The quarterback averaged more than 400 yards per game in an undefeated regular season, setting the U Sports single-season passing yardage record in the process.

The Dinos Athlete of the Year award winners are automatically nominated for the U Sports athlete of the year awards.