News Archives: NWP Wolves named to ACAC All-Conference teams
Thursday, March 10th, 2022
NWP Wolves named to ACAC All-Conference teams.
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) has announced the athletes who have been named to the All-Conference teams.
For the 2021-22 Volleyball All-Conference team, Northwestern Polytechnic Wolves, formerly GPRC Wolves athlete, Tom Wheeler has been selected.
Wheeler, a 4th year middle athlete, is in the Bachelor of Education program and has been dubbed with the “Big Red” nickname due to his presence on the court, standing at 6’8” tall. Hailing from Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, Wheeler is a role model on the Wolves roster as a senior member of the squad. His relentless dedication, good attitude and work ethic in the gym, on the court and in the classroom is looked up to by his team and classmates.
With 1.06 blocks per set and 56 blocks total, Wheeler is currently first in the ACAC men’s volleyball conference leaderboard. Wheeler played a major role in the Wolves fifth place finish this season.
“Tom is a great leader, executing on the court as well as assisting within the community and helping to teach younger players,” said Tu’ivai. “He shares his knowledge of the game well and his success is shown through his consistency and work ethic in both practice and games. We could not be more proud of Tom’s selection as an ACAC All-Conference athlete for 2021/22.”
The All-Conference player awards were presented on the ACAC website here.
Congratulations Tom.
For the 2021-22 Basketball All-Conference teams, Northwestern Polytechnic Wolves, formerly GPRC Wolves athletes, Abdul Al-Tamimi (First Team) and Emmanuel (Manny) Iloka (Second Team) have been selected.
“It is always great honour for a program to have athletes selected as an ACAC All-Conference player, and especially great to get two selections,” said Head Coach, Evan Lloyd. “A testament to their hard work and dedication to the program over the season. As a coach, I am truly grateful that they wanted to be a part of the wolves family, and so happy they were rewarded for their efforts this season.”
Al-Tamimi is a second year guard for the Wolves hailing from Edmonton, Alberta. Al-Tamimi leads the ACAC conference in assists with 82*. He’s sitting at 7th in the conference for points with 331*. Al-Tamimi is a motivator and attacker on the court with impressive ball control. His relentless dedication to basketball and work ethic in the gym and on the court is looked up to by his team and classmates.
“Abdul is the anchor of our offense, and our emotional leader, he knows the right things to say and knows how to get the best out of his teammates,” said Lloyd. “His feel for the game and vision with the ball helps set his teammates up to succeed. His exceptional ball handling allows him to get the shot he wants when we need it most.”
“Without Abdul we would be a completely different team. He was instrumental in our clinching of a home playoff game and the win in that game. I am extremely proud of everything he has done this year and so happy I had the privilege to coach him this season. He is very deserving to be a top 5 player in the North.”
Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, business student, Iloka is in his second year with the Wolves. The 6’8” forward leads the ACAC conference in rebounds per game with 12.4*; defensive rebounds with 160*; total rebounds with 199*; and blocks with 44*. In his Wolves career, Iloka has a total 225* points. Known to keep his teammates laughing and the crowd wild with his dunks, Iloka’s positive attitude and commitment to his sport is a huge asset to the Wolves program as a whole.
“Manny is our anchor at the defensive end and always a guy that can put a smile on your face. He’s a pleasure to be around,” said Lloyd. “Manny's athleticism allows him to play above the rim and as a coach, it's fun to see all the dunks and blocks, and the reaction he gets from crowds and his teammates.”
“Manny had a great season as he continues to grow and evolve as a basketball player. It is awesome to see his work rewarded with an All-Conference award. I am appreciative of Manny’s dedication to our program and his time spent at NWP. It has truly been special.”
Both Al-Tamimi and Iloka have played a major role in the Wolves fourth-place finish this season. We look forward to welcoming them back on the court next year.
The All-Conference player awards were presented at the ACAC website here.
Congratulations Abdul and Manny.
*Statistics as of March 4, 2022.
