(Posted 7:30 a.m., Feb. 1)
Orléans native wins A.C.T. Athlete of the Year Award
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

Orléans Olympian Courtnay Pilypaitis received the Athlete of the Year Award at the Ottawa Sports Awards dinner Thursday night. Fred Sherwin/Photo

Courtnay Pilipaitis went to the A.C.T. Ottawa Sports Awards banquet Thursday night content with the fact that she was receiving an award for the sport of basketball.

Little did she know that she had also been selected to receive the Women's Athlete of the Year Awards following in the footsteps of past winners like 6-time recipient Kristina Groves, former Olympians Linda Thom and Elizabeth Manley, Sue Holloway and Glenda Reisner.

Pilypaitis is a former member of the St, Peter High School team, having led the Knight to three straight OFSAA appearances.

After graduating in 2006 Pilypaitis spent four years at the University of Vermont where she led the Catamonts to a berth in the 2010 NCAA tournament. By the time she graduated, she established several team records including minutes played, three-point baskets, assists and games played and was third in points scored with over 1,900.

Pilypaitis joinwd the national bastketball program in 2007 as an 18-year-old. She played at the international level on both the U18 and U21 teams before making the senior women's squad in 2010.

In 2012, she led Canada by scoring 21 points in a 71-63 must-win victory over Japan at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. This gave Canada an Olympic berth for the first time in 12 years. Pilypairis was named the team MVP in the tournament as she averaged 12.6 points per game, 4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and shot 42.3 percent from the 3-point range.

At the 2012 Olympics in London, she helped lead Canada to a pair of victories, scoring 11 points against Great Britain and 14 points in the win over Brazil. The team made the quarterfinals and finished the Games as one of the top eight teams in the world.

Other local athletes honoured during the award ceremony include Jake Fox in lacrosse, Ivanie Blondin and Samantha Morrison in speed skating, Demi Orimoloye in baseball, and Cody Ceci in hockey,

(This story was made possible thanks to their generous support of our local business partners.)

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