CFL.ca Staff
EDMONTON — The three-time defending Canada West Hardy Cup champion Calgary Dinos have twice as many 2011 All-Stars as any other school, placing 10 student-athletes on the all-conference football roster.
Heading the 28-player list are several unanimous selections, including fourth-year UBC quarterback Billy Greene, T’Birds wide receiver Jordan Grieve, running back Steven Lumbala (Calgary), freshman placekicker Johnny Mark (Calgary) and veteran punter Chris Bodnar (Regina).
Greene passed for a league-high 2,558 yards on 171-286 passing, with 20 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He also ran for 482 yards and four majors. Lumbala finished second in rushing, with 898 yards, seven TDs and a lofty 8.1-yard average.
Mark was very impressive in his first season, booting 17 field goals on 19 attempts for 89.5% accuracy and a punting average of 35.9 yards. Bodnar posted the third-best yearly punting average of any punter in conference history, at 44.6 yards, including a season-high 83-yarder on October 22. Twenty-two of his kicks were over 50 yards and 17 were placed inside the 20-yard line.
All-Stars making a return to the annual conference team are Bodnar (2010), Serge Kaminsky (UBC, 2010 CIS), Ben Heenan (Saskatchewan, 2010 CIS), Kirby Fabien (Calgary, 2009 CIS), Sam Carino (UBC, 2009 & 2010), Pete Adams (Manitoba, 2009 & 2010), Sam Hurl (Calgary, 2010), Reed Alexander (Calgary, 2010), Tye Noble (2010), Zach Hart (Saskatchewan, 2010), Akiem Hicks (Regina, 2010).
All-Star Linden Gaydosh of Calgary was the 2009 CIS Peter Gorman Rookie of the Year, while Manitoba linebacker Thomas Hall took home the CIS Russ Jackson Award in 2009 and 2010.
Mark McConkey, Regina, moved into fifth all-time on the Canada West receptions list, adding 36 for a total of 145 over four seasons with the Rams.
Among the six conference schools, Calgary has 10 All-Stars, while Hardy Cup finalist UBC, Regina and Manitoba each have five. Saskatchewan placed two players on the list and one Alberta Golden Bear made the squad.
With just three fifth-year players selected, most 21 of the standouts are eligible to return again in 2012, and three freshmen also made the team.
