Wrestler Landon Squires accepts the Rusty McDonald trophy for male all-around athlete.

The winners of the Huskies Major 7 Awards were announced during the Huskie Salute at TCU Place on Friday, April 5.

The Major 7 awards recognize players, coaches and trainers for their athletic achievements during the year.

Koren Pitkethly and Kit Hillis took home top honours of the night, being named Huskie Athletics’ female and male athletes of the year.

Pitkethly capped off her fifth and final year with the Huskies wrestling squad by winning her third Canadian Interuniversity Sport silver medal and a silver medal in the 59 kilogram weight class at the Canada West Championship. She thanked her friends, family, teammates, coaches and trainers for a great year on the mat.

Pitkethly is just the second wrestler to win the Mary Ethel Cartwright trophy for female athlete of the year.

Huskies football receiver Kit Hillis’ 2013 season was one to remember as he led the Canada West division in receptions per game, receiving yards per game, total reception yards and receptions.

Hillis’ 797 yards is the third best single season record in Huskies’ history and his 57 receptions broke the previous school record. He was honoured to receive the award and thanked his teammates, coaches and parents.

Hillis is the 13th football player to win the E. Kent Phillips trophy for male athlete of the year.

The all-around female and all-around male awards were given to Huskies wrestlers Natasha Kramble and Landon Squires.

Squad captain for the past two seasons, Kramble won three CIS bronze medals during her time with the Huskies and achieved podium finishes in four seasons at the Canada West Championships.

She graduated from the College of Kinesiology in 2012 with great distinction and has been an active member of the community, volunteering with various initiatives such as the Athletes in Action Huskie For A Day program.

Kramble was not present to receive the Valerie Girsberger trophy as she was competing in the Senior Pan-American Championships.

Wrestler Landon Squires took home the Rusty McDonald trophy for male all-around athlete.

Like Kramble, Squires has combined academic and athletic achievement with volunteerism during his time with the Huskies squad.

Squires has worked with Walk of Hope for Ovarian Cancer and was the recipient of the Canada West and CIS Student-Athlete Community Award for 2011-12.

The Urban Planning student has consistently been a Huskie Athletics all-academic and won gold at the past three Canada West Championships.

Huskies hockey goaltender Cassidy Hendricks and forward Jimmy Bubnick took home the awards for female and male rookie of the year.

Hendricks won the Patricia Lawson trophy for her 25 starts in the 2012-13 season, the most of any rookie goaltender in the CIS. She also boasted three shutouts and 653 saves for the year.

Bubnick led the Canada West men’s hockey scoring with 11 goals and 13 assists in the season — the most by any rookie — helping him secure the Howard Nixon trophy. He finished as one of the top offensive players on the team and scored one goal and four assists during eight playoff games.

The Colb McEwon trophy for coach of the year was awarded to men’s volleyball coach Brian Gavlas, who has led the Huskies for 20 seasons and has won the award three previous times. Gavlas’ team finished third in the CIS with a 15-7 record for the season.

The Dr. Walter Hader student trainer of the year award was given to men’s hockey trainers Scott Cyr and Kaden Johnson. The award recognizes student trainers who have worked with Huskie Athletics and show potential in the field of sports medicine.

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Photo: Jordan Dumba