The St. Thomas University Tommies hosted their yearend awards ceremony on Tuesday, honoring their teams for their achievements inside the classroom and in their respective sports.

The Tommies’ men’s rugby team handed out their hardware, with Chris Durell, Joey Hood, Hudson Barnaby, Grayson MacPherson, and Oliver Larson winning awards.

Durrell, in his first year with the Tommies, established a physical style of play for the Tommies up front from day one, earning the team’s Rookie of the Year award.  

“Chris was a physical presence who steadied us in the set-piece,” said Tommies’ head coach, Matt Coffey. “He got around the field very well and showed up with a purpose and passion to his game that rubbed off on the whole team.”

Hood, in his third year with the team, jumped into some new positions for the Tommies and responded well on the pitch to the new environments, being named the Outstanding Backfielder.

“Joey was a quiet leader for the team in 2021-2022. He was asked stepped up early in the season, playing very well out of his natural wing position due to personnel challenges. Joey is a x-factor athlete who is always a threat with the ball in hand.”

Barnaby, the first recruit for Coffey as a head coach, was an offensive force every time he touched the ball this season, usually rumbling through several tackles on his way to massive gains. He was named the team’s Outstanding Forward for the season.

“Hudson was a force in the scrum and in the loose all year. He had a nose for the try-line and his rucking was outstanding.”

MacPherson was a do it all type player for the Tommies this year, including stepping into some kicking duties for the team early on due to some injuries with the team, with the progression he made on the pitch he was named the team’s Most Improved Player.

“Grayson had a fantastic year on the rugby pitch. He really came into his own in 2021; his confidence, positioning and tackle commitment & technique all improved. He also stepped up early in the season with some fantastic kicking duty while Oliver was out with injury.”

Since his arrival to the Tommies in 2018-19 Larson has been a special player in the Green and Gold. The Team’s Rookie of the Year and Outstanding Backfielder that season, he was then named team Co-MVP the following year, before once again taking home the team MVP this season.

“Oliver led by example all year. His footwork, ball skills and vision broke down opposing defenses, while his cover tackles kept our team in matches. His work ethic and consistency provided some much-needed stability for the group.”