Ken Rooney receives Dale Iwanoczko Award
Asper School of Business student and Bison volleyball player Ken Rooney was awarded a major honour on Thursday, March 16.
Rooney, 22, received the 2016-17 Dale Iwanoczko Award in recognition of his academic and athletic performance, and community service. Rooney has been a three-time U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian, and a team captain for the last four consecutive seasons.
According to Bison Sports:
Rooney has been a leader on and off the floor since the moment he joined the Manitoba program. In addition to his studies and athletic prowess, he has been part of University of Manitoba Athletic Council (UMAC) for last four years, including the last two years as president. He has worked to coordinate two key outreach initiatives for the Bisons, helping to lead the Bisons Against Bullying program, as well as the Bison Book Buddies Program.
Rooney has also been a volunteer for Manitoba’s ‘I Love to Read’ program, which is a month-long celebration that is held each year to encourage reading, writing, and sharing in the joy of literacy. In addition to these volunteer commitments, Rooney also volunteers at the Siloam Mission, which is a Christian humanitarian organization that alleviates hardships and provides opportunities for change for those affected by homelessness. Rooney has also been a club volleyball coach for five years while at Manitoba.
On the court, Rooney has been a two-time conference all-star (First Team All-Star: 2014-15; Second Team All-Star: 2015-16) while also being named to the U SPORTS All-Rookie Team and was Canada West Rookie of the Year in 2012-13.
“Ken is a fantastic role model for all of our student-athletes. He has taken on a leadership role both on and off the court and is always involved in some form of giving back,” said Pischke. “He has been one of my favourite athletes to coach over my career and his incredible work ethic is truly inspiring.”
At @USPORTSca MVB Championship in Edmonton, Bison Ken Rooney acceptance speech for 2016-17 Dale Iwanoczko Award…3rd Bison to win#gobisons pic.twitter.com/xtjXT79Ikb
— Manitoba Bisons 🦬 (@umbisons) March 16, 2017