NEWS PHOTO SEAN ROONEY - Jaamel Slack, left, and Becky Martin pose after being named athletes of the year at the Medicine Hat College Rattlers awards banquet Friday at Medicine Hat Lodge.
srooney@medicinehatnews.com@MHNRooney
When they thought their careers were done, fate pulled them to Medicine Hat College.
Now, Becky Martin and Jaamel Slack are ending their time in post-secondary athletics on top.
Martin, the champion golfer, and Slack, the leader of the men’s basketball team, were named athletes of the year during the Rattlers awards banquet at Medicine Hat Lodge Friday night.
“Player of the year, that’s the award everyone wants,” said Martin, whose NCAA career was cut short due to injuries before she decided to play when she could in the shorter Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference season. “It’s exciting to be awarded in your hometown for doing something for your hometown.”
The ACAC women’s champ in both 2016 and 2018 (she didn’t play in 2017), Martin also helped the women’s team win the conference crown and take second at nationals on their home course of Desert Blume this past fall.
Her severe nerve problems often made it hard to even hold a club, but she didn’t make any excuses. Now that her college eligibility is done she’s going to give the competitive women’s scene another run, with nationals set for Red Deer this summer.
“I think I’m at the point where I’m coming off some good things, I’ll give another rip at it, see how good I can get,” she said. “I love competitive golf, I love team golf. You don’t get to experience that so much, I’m glad I could be a part of it.”
Slack thought he was done with the Rattlers after going home to British Columbia two years ago. He figured he’d catch on with a team there and continue working on his kinesiology degree.
But things didn’t work out, and the Rattlers were more than happy to have the veteran back. He averaged 17 points per game in his final year, ninth in the conference, plus 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
More than that, he was an anchor as the team went 13-8 and made the playoffs.
“It means a lot,” said Slack. “I’ve been here for four years, to end my fifth year here makes me really happy
“I felt like I came back to where I fit in, where I belong.
“I’m going to miss it.”
Off the court Slack was a leader, too. He was among four Rattlers to earn academic all-Canadian status, along with fellow basketball player Morgan Muir and soccer players Cassidy LaRochelle and Kaylei Hole.
The awards ceremony was highlighted by a speech from fan of the year winner Kym Porter, who credited the college’s student-athletes with helping her – whether they knew it or not – after her son died of a drug overdose a few years ago. Her daughter Grace, who’s on the women’s volleyball team, presented the award.
Other major winners included basketball players Rhiannon Ware and Arthur Rosa, who were named rookies of the year; ex-basketball players Kennedy Werre and Dragana Vukovic, named minor officials of the year; Wayne Resch, given the Rattlers Appreciation Award; volleyball player Molly Marie, given the Lisa Tschritter Memorial Award; and volleyball player Griffin Moline, named the Brett Bell Memorial winner.
