Black, Redekop Massey’s athletes of the year

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This article was published 14/06/2025 (191 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Kypling Black took a chance when she transferred to Vincent Massey from Neelin three years ago.

It’s safe to say the decision paid off. She returned to her favourite sport from her childhood, rugby, and is leaving as the school’s female athlete of the year, along with male winner Zach Redekop.

“There’s definitely a lot of really great female athletes at this school and there’s more coming. I was more than grateful and shocked to hear it,” Black said.

“It definitely wasn’t easy at the beginning but it was nice to get right into JV volleyball my first week here.

“It was great being accepted into the sports community so fast. This is a great school and I recommend any student-athlete growing up to come here.”

Black started on the Vikings varsity girls’ volleyball team, which held the No. 1 ranking in AAAA all year and claimed the school’s first-ever provincial girls’ volleyball championship.

The five-foot-11 middle blocker said the team didn’t necessarily expect to win it all in September but showed up and improved every day.

Massey won almost every tournament and survived a five-set thriller against Steinbach in the semifinals before beating Jeanne-Sauve 3-1 for gold.

“It feels great being known around the school and a little bit in the city for doing something pretty great that not a lot of people from Brandon have been able to do,” Black said.

The Vikings lineup was built around provincial MVP and Volleyball Manitoba player of the year Jersey Hansen-Young, with teammates embracing their roles and proving dangerous enough at the net to stop opponents from completely keying on the six-foot outside hitter.

“Jersey is an unstoppable player at times during a game and Jersey is a great player, to say the least, but when she needed that support the whole team was there to back her up,” Black said.

“We could all be there to support one another and I think that’s what brought us to the final and to win.”

Black almost immediately shifted to the basketball court, playing a vital role on a team that all too often has played second fiddle to the Crocus Plainsmen over the past decade and beyond.

Black was a tournament all-star as Massey won Crocus’s home Early Bird tournament in December and kept the Vikings rolling through the city championship a few months later.

While tall enough to play in the paint on most teams, Black took her game beyond the three-point line on offence while using her length to cause major problems in Massey’s full-court press.

“I wanted it bad enough — because that’s the position I wanted — that I took my sister (Dani) and played every day with her,” Black said. “It’s something I enjoy to do so it didn’t feel like I was working for it, it’s just something I got to do.”

Black was also a star of Massey’s rugby team and is only getting busier with the sport as she graduates.

She started playing when she was six years old and stopped when COVID-19 hit but came back when she moved to Massey.

She was named to Team Manitoba’s rugby sevens squad for the Canada Games, taking place in St. John’s, N.L., this August. She said she isn’t moving for the summer but will spend plenty of time training in Winnipeg, along with team trips to tune up for the Games.

“Despite how small the community is across Manitoba, there’s so many great opportunities I got out of rugby,” Black said.

“Getting to travel and go play with MacDowell Rugby and all the things I got to do, it’s definitely made it worth it.”

REDEKOP PUSHED

THROUGH SETBACKS

Redekop had his first high school football season cut short by a dislocated shoulder back in 2022. He re-injured it on the volleyball court last fall, putting his last year on the gridiron in jeopardy.

But he kept his head up and did what he could. The safety/kicker was limited to kicking until the Winnipeg High School Football League’s Vidruk Bowl when he returned to the defence only to make three interceptions in a victory over the Vikings’ crosstown rival Plainsmen.

“I still found ways to be part of the team,” Redekop said, “by showing up to practice, being part of the scout team, helping the defence get better and still kicking when I could, and staying motivational towards my teammates.”

Soon after, he was back at AAAA volleyball provincials as the Vikings drew the No. 9 seed and a matchup with the No. 8 Selkirk Royals.

The five-foot-11 setter, along with Volleyball Manitoba male player of the year Ethan Baraniuk, led Massey to a five-set triumph to earn a date with the No. 1 River East Kodiaks.

Of course, River East swept the quarterfinal and capped an undefeated season with a provincial title two matches later.

“Being ranked in the worst spot to be, winning our first game was pretty big. I know Massey hasn’t done that for a while,” Redekop said. “Playing the first-ranked team, not having the game we wanted but having a couple of close sets with them was pretty good.”

Redekop also competed in track and field, beach volleyball and soccer, helping the Vikings to a city title with an extra-time win over the Plainsmen.

He was at beach volleyball provincials during the soccer championships when the Vikings’ fifth-place game was called short while tied 3-3 due to a brawl with the Maples Marauders.

Redekop won the city 100-metre and long jump but wasn’t able to compete at provincials since the entire event was cancelled due to poor air quality.

“It really sucked, knowing that was the last chance I could compete for my school but it is what it is,” he said.

Fortunately, he’ll have plenty more chances to jump as he’s on track to join the University of Manitoba Bisons track and field team for the 2025-26 season.

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