Sunday night at the University of Northern British Columbia, in front of UNBC President Dr. Geoff Payne, Ken and Rhonda McIntosh, and countless other honoured guests, the UNBC Timberwolves celebrated the 2024-25 varsity athletics season with their annual Awards Banquet.

It was an evening of stories, laughter and celebration as student athletes from all four of UNBC's Varsity teams were honoured for their accomplishments on the pitch and court as well as in the classroom and the community.

Hosted by Kate Rattee (women's soccer) and Matteo Cuzzetto (men's soccer), 25 individual awards were handed out while an additional 23 students were recognized as Academic All Canadians and as soon-to-be graduates of UNBC.

Sveta Boykova's name can be found at-or-near the top of several UNBC Women's basketball records, and now the program's all-time assists leader can add another honour to her resumé – UNBC's Female Athlete of the Year for 2025.  She finished tops on the team in assists, rebounds and blocks and second in total field-goals and points-per-game.
 
Not to be outdone was UNBC Men's basketball star Evgeny Baukin who, in his third season at UNBC, earned the UNBC Male Athlete of the Year award. Baukin led the TWolves in field-goals, total points, assists, rebounds and blocks while finishing eighth in Canada West conference scoring.

The UNBC Male Rookie of the Year award went to men's basketball guard Isaiah Bias who became just the second player in program history to be named to the Canada West All-Rookie team. UNBC Women's Soccer midfielder Scarlet Thomas earned UNBC Female Rookie of the Year honours after playing the third most minutes on the team, and starting in all 14 games.

A summary of the 2024-25 UNBC Timberwolves Department Awards can be found below:
 
Male Rookie of the Year Award:  Isaiah Bias



Isaiah Bias committed to the Timberwolves during the Spring of 2024 after attending ID Camp. Originally the Vancouver product was going to red-shirt but two things altered that plan: His solid play, and a series of injuries sustained by older players on the roster.
 
Bias took full advantage of the opportunity and never looked back. In conference, Bias led all Pacific Division rookies in points, field goals, assists, points-per-game, steals, free-throws, assists-per-game. He finished second among Pacific Division rookies in rebounds and free-throw percentage.
 
Female Rookie of the Year Award: Scarlet Thomas


 
Scarlet Thomas' story is incredible. After two knee surgeries nearly derailed her soccer career, a chance summer encounter with UNBC Women's Soccer assistant coach Joanne Bray in Australia put UNBC on Thomas' radar. The rest, as they say, is history. Thomas joined the Timberwolves for the 2024 season and immediately became a mainstay in the Timberwolves midfield. Through 14 games, Thomas played in the third most minutes among all teammates and also was one of four players to start all 14 games.
 
Male Athlete of the Year: Evgeny Baukin



In a challenging season for the UNBC Men's Basketball team, one of the constant bright spots was third-year forward Evgeny Baukin. 'Geno' was dominant most nights. The talented Russian finished eighth in conference scoring and led the Timberwolves in field-goals, total points, assists, rebounds and blocks. He did all of this while continuing to prioritize leadership and a team-first mindset.
 
Female Athlete of the Year: Sveta Boykova


 
Sveta Boykova's incredible tenure at UNBC has sadly come to an end, but she leaves behind an incredible legacy of leadership, toughness and versatility. During her final season in Green and Gold, Boykova finished second on the team in points-per-game and field goals while leading the way in assists, rebounds and blocks. Her presence alone had such an incredible ripple effect on the rest of her team and it's only fitting that her final season at UNBC ends with the Female Athlete of the Year honour.
 
KJM Sales Timberwolf Award: Hagon Kim



On the pitch, Hagon Kim was one of the UNBC Men's Soccer program's most consistent players. His talent and team-first approach were glaringly obvious over the course of the 2024 season as on any given night, Kim would be asked to play in multiple different areas of the field due to injury and strategy. Kim's impact off the field was equally as impressive as he took on a major role with the Timberwolves Student Athlete Society as the Vice President of Fundraising. As Kim prepares to take on the role of TSAS President next season, he has helped set an incredible standard of quality both in sport and in our community.

 A complete list of 2024-25 UNBC Timberwolves team award winners can be found below:

Men's Soccer Award Winners:
 
Best Defensive Player – Koss Nystedt 
Golden Boot Award – Connor Lewis
The Green and Gold Award – Hagon Kim
Co MVP's – Isaac Tate and Connor Lewis
 
Men's Basketball Award Winners:

Practice Wins Leader – Evgeny Baukin 
Rookie of the Year Award – Isaiah Bias
Zane Robison Award – Miller Davies
Best Defensive Player Award – Evgeny Baukin
Most Inspirational Player – Marcus Nickles 
Most Outstanding Player – Evgeny Baukin 
 
Women's Soccer Award Winners:
 
Best Defensive Player – Maleah Fernie 
Best Offensive Player Award – Claire Turner
The Green and Gold Award – Anna deWynter
Team MVP – Maleah Fernie
 
Women's Basketball Winners:
Defensive Player of the Year – Sophia Fuller
Most Improved Player of the Year – Viktoriia Filatova
Co-Rookies of the Year – Yana Shupak and Avin Jahangiri
Leadership Award – Bella Mesquita
Most Valuable Player Award – Sveta Boykova
 
The UNBC athletics department would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all student athletes, staff members, volunteers, alumni, donors, media members and community supporters who went out of their way to champion the UNBC Timberwolves in any capacity during the 2024-25 season.