Benoit Lemieux of the Boomerang d’André-Laurendeau has been named the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Golf Coach of the Year.
He received the award at the 2019 CCAA Golf National Championships banquet, hosted by Cégep André-Laurendeau in Sorel-Tracy, QC. Lemieux becomes just the second coach from the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) to receive the honour, which has been awarded annually since 2010.
“Benoit continues to build André-Laurendeau into a dominant force in the RSEQ,” said Jim Knight, CCAA Golf Convenor. “He challenges his team to reach their highest potential both on the course and in their day-to-day life.”
The Boomerang, which has won six of the last eight RSEQ titles in Men’s Golf, will look to defend its CCAA title this week as they host the National Championships at Club de Golf Continental in Sorel-Tracy.
This season, the Boomerang participated in five RSEQ events and came away with four victories and a second-place finish. On the women’s side, Béatrice Grisé earned individual bronze for André-Laurendeau at the conference championships.
Lemieux coaches several former Boomerang players during the summer, some of whom are among the best in the country.
André-Laurendeau alumnus Hugo Bernard is currently playing on the PGA Tour Canada, while Laurent Desmarchais and Olivier Menard are part of the junior national development squads.
Lemieux promotes a “team first” environment and while his players are serious, they have fun at the same time. He is also the golf coach at the Université de Montréal and Collège de Montréal.
CCAA Coach of the Year recipients receive a customized ring provided by Jostens Canada, the Official Ring Supplier of the CCAA Championship Awards Banquet.
OTHER NOMINEES
Mike Hrabowych |
Larry Petryk |
Rob Brown |
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| VIU Mariners | Concordia Thunder | St. Lawrence Vikings | ||
| Hrabowych led the Mariners Men’s Golf team to a silver medal at the PACWEST Championships. He assists his players with their mental and physical preparation and his objective is to help his players reach their individual goals. Hrabowych discusses and interprets player statistics with his student-athletes to help identify areas of weakness or strength and better understand their game. He is very professional and demands a lot from his players. Hrabowych also volunteers at the Nanaimo Golf Club. | Petryk guided the Thunder Women’s Golf team to a gold medal at the ACAC Championships. He aims to create a team environment that is fun while striving for excellence. Petryk fosters a team relationship where players are comfortable discussing challenges with each other and their coach. He creates time to work with his student-athletes outside of competition to help them get mentally and physically prepared. Petryk is extremely dedicated to unlocking the potential in each of his golfers at Concordia. | Brown led the Vikings Men’s Golf team to a second straight bronze medal at the OCAA Championships. In his eighth year with St. Lawrence, Brown continues to develop as a coach and build strong relationships with his student-athletes. He spearheaded a campaign to attract female students to the program, and for the first time in several years, St. Lawrence fielded a full women’s team. Brown is an active member at his home course and takes part in multiple clinics. |