Jen Woods (middle) pictured with her sister (Julie) on her right and her father (Randy) on her left after being named the Athlete of the Year at the 38th Annual City of Kelowna Civic Awards.
Jen Woods’ magical season continues long after she last struck a golf ball for the UBC Okanagan Heat last October. Jen added to her collection of accolades by receiving her city’s highest honour bestowed upon an athlete when she was named the City of Kelowna's female athlete of the year.
Jen took home the award Wednesday night at the Civic Awards ceremony at the Kelowna Community Theatre.
Listen to interview of Jen with Ryan Watters after winning award
This past season was a remarkable one for the fifth year golfer and Jen was recognized for her season many times over the past year. Along with just capturing her home town’s top award for a female athlete, she was also named the top female athlete at her university, a community sport hero award, and earlier this year she was one of the three finalists for the top collegiate athlete at the 47th Annual Sport BC Athlete of the Year Awards.
Jen Woods
At the 2012 PING CCAA national championship, Jen finished fourth overall individually, collecting a National Tournament All-Star for her efforts; her third time earning that distinction, and her team was crowned national champions.
Woods and her Heat teammates won their fourth straight PACWEST provincial championship in 2012, with Woods earning a Provincial All-Star as well as an Athlete of the Week accolade for her individual efforts.
Jen won 7 of the 20 tournaments she competed in for the Heat and finished top 3 in every tournament this past season. Provincially she has earned two Player of the Years and two All-Stars.
Jen was very shocked at winning the award and said "it was an honour to be recognized in this way," she also indicated that it was bittersweet winning this and the other awards in her final year competing for the UBC Okanagan Heat but said that "it means a lot to her to get the recognition out there to the young golfers and the potential of the sport."
Chandler Proch of the UBC Okanagan Heat women’s volleyball team and acrobatic gymnast Madison Arnold were the other nominees.
Jen’s national champion Heat team was nominated for the Bryan Couling Memorial Award Team of the Year but fell to the boys’ soccer team from OKM Secondary School, the Okanagan Athletics Senior baseball team was the other team nominated. A team from UBC has been a finalist for the team of the year award for five straight years, and won three in a row, 2008-2010. (2010 - UBC Okanagan Heat Women's Volleyball Team, 2009 - UBC Okanagan Heat Women's Volleyball Team, 2008 - UBC Okanagan Men' Volleyball Team)
HEAT NOTES: The team that won the Bryan Couling Memorial Award over the Heat women’s golf team, the OKM Huskies boys’ soccer team boasts at least one future Heat athlete. The UBC Okanagan Heat men’s soccer team has received a commitment from keeper Michael Sexton to suit up for Dante Zanatta’s Heat squad this fall.
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