BANQUET PROGRAM ORDER OF EVENTS
YORK LIONS
Before Dinner Call to Order Greetings from the Emcees Greetings from Athletics & Recreation Sport Council Award Roar Cup Spirit Cup Most Improved Team Toast to Canada Video - Fall Highlights
DINNER During Dinner OUA All-Stars Academic & Graduating Awards OUA & U SPORTS Major Awards and U SPORTS All-Canadians MVP Awards
After Dinner Video - Bloopers Athletic Therapy Award Legacy Award #1 U SPORTS Medallists OUA Champions Legacy Award #2 Special Presentation Toast to the Coaches Coach of the Year Legacy Award #3 Female Rookie of the Year Male Rookie of the Year Charles Saundercook Memorial Trophy Video - Winter Highlights Bryce M. Taylor Award Legacy Award #4 / Outstanding Male Graduate Award Female Athlete of the Year Male Athlete of the Year Closing Remarks Video - Top 10 Plays
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49TH ANNUAL VARSITY BANQUET ALEX DUNCAN-THIBAULT
TONIGHT’S EMCEES
NOUR GHONEIM
York University Athletics & Recreation would like to thank Alex Duncan-Thibault and Nour Ghoneim for officiating tonight’s festivities. Alex Duncan-Thibault Alex is the co-captain of the men’s volleyball team and recently wrapped up his fifth and final season with the Lions in style, putting up career numbers in every major statistical category including OUA scoring. He was rewarded for his tremendous play by being named the OUA East player of the year, a first-team OUA all-star and U SPORTS first-team all-Canadian. He also received the OUA Award of Merit thanks to his contributions to his team and the community. Nour Ghoneim Nour is one of the greatest soccer players ever to suit up for the Lions. In her five years she scored 70 goals in 66 regular season games. Her list of accomplishments are staggering, both at the conference and national levels. Within the OUA she was named the rookie of the year, a four-time OUA all-star and a two-time player of the year. Nationally, she has been recognized as a rookie of the year, a three-time all-Canadian and the player of the year. Nour is also one of the most recognizable athletes on our campus and is a tremendous supporter of her fellow Lions.
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YORK LIONS
YORK UNIVERSITY SPORT COUNCIL PRESIDENT GREETINGS
On behalf of York University’s Sport Council, we would like to welcome you to the 2016-17 Varsity Athletics Awards Banquet. Tonight we are all here to celebrate both our individual and team successes experienced throughout this past season. We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the various initiatives arranged by the sport council, including Adopt-A-Family, our outreach to Holland-Bloorview and Shoreham Public Sports and Wellness Academy, our Winter Holiday Social, as well as the annual Varsity Post-Season Palooza. To the sport council members who have attended the meetings and provided so many amazing ideas and helped with these initiatives, we thank you all for your enthusiasm and assistance as none of this could have been possible without your help. We would also like to acknowledge the entire Lions community that enthusiastically attended the regular season and playoff games, cheering on your fellow Lions and showing your pride. Furthermore, we would like to congratulate all athletes for the outstanding success that they have had this past season. It took constant work, determination, sacrifice, blood, sweat and tears to get just an inch closer to success. To recognize a few, we saw our men’s soccer and women’s tennis teams earn OUA silver medals in the fall, and our men’s hockey team hoist the Queen’s Cup for the first time in 13 years. We boast 13 OUA major award winners, two U SPORTS major awards, 11 U SPORTS all-Canadians and 59 academic all-Canadians representing 19 varsity teams. Each and every competing team represented York University with pride and we want to thank you for continuing to raise the bar. The Sport Council would also like to extend its most sincere thanks to all those that make things happen behind the scenes, particularly our special guests for their continued support, in addition to the administrative and support staff, coaches and therapists who are the foundation of our programs and work with us daily to help us reach our potential. A very special thank you to all of the student-athletes in attendance today who have dedicated countless hours to being the best they can be both in the classroom and on the court, field, track, ice and mat. To the graduating athletes, we would like to thank you for all of your hard work and commitment throughout your entire university career. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours and would like to remind you that you will always be part of the Lions family. To the returning athletes: congratulations once again on the completion of yet another successful season. Let’s use the memories of this past year, both the good and the bad, to motivate us in the years to come and continue to accomplish bigger and better things each successive year!
Muad Issa & Rebecca Titus Co-Presidents, York University Sport Council
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49TH ANNUAL VARSITY BANQUET MEN
YEAR IN REVIEW
WOMEN
Basketball Cross Country
4th in OUA East (4-15)
Football
9th in OUA (2-6)
Hockey Soccer
2nd in OUA West (18-6-4) OUA Champion U SPORTS Quarter-finalist
Tennis
4th at OUA Championship
Track & Field
5th at OUA Championships 15th at U SPORTS Championships
Volleyball
1st in OUA East (15-3) OUA Quarter-finalist
Wrestling
6th at OUA Championship
12th at OUA Championships
1st in OUA West (14-0-2) OUA Silver Medallists 6th at U SPORTS Championship
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Basketball 4th in OUA East (5-14) Advanced to first round of OUA playoffs Cross Country 14th at OUA Championships Field Hockey
3rd in OUA (7-2-3) 5th at OUA Championship
Hockey
12th in OUA (4-2-14-4)
Rugby
3rd in OUA Russell Division (3-2) OUA Quarter-finalist
Soccer
1st in OUA West (11-2-3) OUA Quarter-finalist
Tennis
OUA Silver Medallists
Track & Field
5th at OUA Championships 13th at U SPORTS Championships
Volleyball Wrestling
4th in OUA East (10-9) OUA Quarter-finalist 6th at OUA Championship
YORK LIONS
MEDAL WINNERS U SPORTS INDIVIDUAL MEDALS
OUA TEAM MEDALS
GOLD
GOLD
Holly Pitters
Track & Field (Long Jump)
SILVER Nick Fyffe
Men’s Hockey
SILVER Track & Field (Triple Jump)
Men’s Soccer Women’s Tennis
OUA INDIVIDUAL MEDALS GOLD Nick Fyffe Holly Pitters
Track & Field (Triple Jump) Track & Field (Long Jump)
SILVER Sam Adams Kayden Johnson
Track & Field (Pole Vault) Track & Field (Heptathlon)
BRONZE Mikeisha Bobb Maddy Delle Donne Courtney Dwyer Christy Ihunaegbo Shania Payne
Track & Field (4x200m) Wrestling (82kg) Track & Field (4x200m) Track & Field (4x200m) Track & Field (4x200m)
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49TH ANNUAL VARSITY BANQUET
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Given to a female student-athlete who has exhibited outstanding athletic skill, character and fair play, in her sport and, as a result, contributed to the success of her team.
NIKKI CARNOVALE TENNIS
NOUR GHONEIM SOCCER
HOLLY PITTERS TRACK & FIELD
PETRA WOODS RUGBY & WRESTLING
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• OUA first-team all-star • Undefeated in singles and doubles playing out of the top spot in regular season to lead Lions to perfect 6-0 record • Went 3-1 at OUA championships to lead Lions to OUA silver medal • York athlete of the week • Led Lions to national championship last summer
• U SPORTS first-team all-Canadian • OUA first-team all-star • 1st in OUA and U SPORTS scoring (14 goals in 16 games) • Scored 5 game-winning goals and had 2 multi-goal games • Led Lions to 1st in OUA West and quarter-final finish • York athlete of the week
• U SPORTS gold medallist in the long jump • U SPORTS first-team all-Canadian • OUA gold medallist in the long jump • OUA first-team all-star • Set school record in the long jump twice, breaking a 32-year-old record • Lions finished 5th at OUA championships and 13th at U SPORTS championships • 3-time York athlete of the week
• U SPORTS second-team all-Canadian • OUA Russell Division first-team all-star • Helped Lions to 3-2 record and 3rd in OUA Russell Division • 4th at OUA wrestling championships in 67kg weight class • OUA women’s wrestling community service award • Named to Rugby Canada’s Senior Women’s Maple Leafs squad last summer
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
YORK LIONS
Given to a male student-athlete who has exhibited outstanding athletic skill, character and fair play, in his sport or sports and, as a result, contributed to the success of his team.
ALEX DUNCAN-THIBAULT VOLLEYBALL
NICK FYFFE TRACK & FIELD
JONATHAN LAO SOCCER
FILIP OBUCINA TENNIS
DEREK SHEPPARD HOCKEY
• OUA East player of the year • OUA East Award of Merit • U SPORTS first-team all-Canadian • OUA East first-team all-star • Led Lions to 1st place in OUA East and quarter-final finish • 1st in OUA in scoring, kills per set and total blocks • 3-time York athlete of the week
• U SPORTS silver medallist in triple jump • U SPORTS second-team all-Canadian • OUA gold medallist in triple jump • OUA first-team all-star • York athlete of the week • Lions finished 5th at OUA championships and 15th at U SPORTS championships • U SPORTS player of the year • U SPORTS first-team all-Canadian • OUA West most valuable player • OUA West first-team all-star • Scored 4 goals and had 3 assists while playing midfield • Led Lions to undefeated regular season and 1st place in OUA West • Won OUA silver medal and finished 6th at U SPORTS championships • York athlete of the week • OUA player of the year • OUA first-team all-star • Undefeated in singles while playing out of the top spot • Led Lions to 4th place finish at OUA championships – Best result since 2012 • Earned York’s only point in semifinal loss to eventual champion Western • York athlete of the week • OUA West player of the year • OUA West defenceman of the year • OUA West first-team all-star • 1st in OUA scoring by defenceman (32 points in 28 games) • 8th overall in OUA scoring • 1st in OUA playoff scoring (10 points in 8 games) • OUA Queen’s Cup champion and U SPORTS quarter-finalist – First title and national berth since 2004 • OUA athlete of the week • York athlete of the week 2016-2017 Varsity Banquet 9
49TH ANNUAL VARSITY BANQUET
LIONS LEGACY AWARDS
Presented to the graduating student-athletes who have, throughout their undergraduate years, made outstanding contributions to varsity athletics at York University. Leadership, dedication, enthusiasm and participation in all aspects of varsity athletics will be considered qualifications for this award.
MARILYN GRAMMENOPOULOS SOCCER
RIANNA LANGFORD HOCKEY
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• 3-time OUA West first-team all-star • U SPORTS second-team all-Canadian in final season • Academic all-Canadian • Recipient of returning AFA award in all five years – One of only four athletes in her class to achieve that honour • PAWS mentor • Member of York Sport Council • Peer mentor at Shoreham Public Sports and Wellness Academy • Lead for women’s soccer team in the Adopt-a-Lion Christmas program in December • Missions trip to Ethiopia in 2016 with Athletes in Action to run soccer programs for kids and will be a full-time coach for AIA summer camps this summer
• Assistant captain • Twice ranked among the team’s top five in scoring • Earned academic all-Canadian honours while transitioning into nursing program • Member of York Sport Council • Lead Lions volunteer with H.E.R.O.S. Hockey • Key contributor to Lions winning back-to-back Roar Cups in 2015 and 2016
LIONS LEGACY AWARDS
YORK LIONS
The top male and female student-athletes from this group, as selected by the awards committee, will be presented with Athletics & Recreation’s top graduating awards. The male winner will receive the Outstanding Male Graduate Award and the female winner will receive the Bryce M. Taylor Award.
AMY LOCKE HOCKEY
MUAD ISSA CROSS COUNTRY / TRACK & FIELD
• Team captain • Top five in team scoring in all four years • 3-time academic all-Canadian • PAWS mentor • Member of York Sport Council • Recipient of Steve Dranitsaris Leadership Award • Volunteered at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation School and H.E.R.O.S. Hockey • Research student at Toronto General Hospital in the renal physiology lab
• Made the team as a walk-on • Represented York at OUA championships in cross country and track and field • CIS team champion in 2014 and bronze medallist in 2013 • OUA bronze medallist in 4x800m relay in 2014 • Co-president of York Sport Council • PAWS mentor in training • Photographer for Lions home games and helped and assisted at numerous home games in various capacities
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49TH ANNUAL VARSITY BANQUET
CHARLES SAUNDERCOOK
The Charles Saundercook Memorial Trophy is presented to a student-athlete within the varsity athletics program who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, enthusiasm for life, and the consideration for others.
MATT ARNONE SOCCER
SHAUNEY FISCHER BASKETBALL
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• OUA West second-team all-star in final season • Came to York as a forward with little playing time and then made a position change to defence and became a regular starter • Scored game-winning goal in overtime in national quarter-finals as part of 2014 title run • Named team captain in 2015 • During career, won three OUA championships and two national titles • Growing up, struggled with challenging family circumstances that resulted in parents getting divorced • Outlet was always to play soccer, signed youth contract with Toronto FC Academy • Very close with older brother, who passed away in a car accident in 2010 • Shortly after, was released from the Academy and quit soccer for six months until coming to York • Started Jason’s Wish, a charity event that honours his older brother with proceeds going to Sunnybrook Hospital
• Team captain • Student recruitment ambassador for York, working in the recruitment office and giving tours to all potential students, not just athletes • Earned prestigious entrance scholarship and received returning AFA award four times • Overcame concussion in offseason before fourth year and started all regular season games • Overcame hand injury in offseason before final year and set new career highs in scoring and rebounding - 1st on the team in scoring and 2nd in rebounding • Led a young team through a coaching change in her fourth year and helped the team return to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons in her final year
MEMORIAL TROPHY NOUR GHONEIM SOCCER
EMERSON MORASSUTTI FOOTBALL
YORK LIONS • U SPORTS player of the year and 2-time OUA West most valuable player • 3-time U SPORTS first-team all-Canadian and 4-time OUA West first-team all-star • U SPORTS and OUA rookie of the year • Came to York to stay close to home after sister was hospitalized – Gave up scholarship to play in NCAA • Growing up, struggled with challenging family circumstances that resulted in parents getting divorced • Selected for the national program as a teenager thanks to her immense talent • Diagnosed with a learning disability while in university but is on track to graduate with degree in psychology • Despite battling multiple mental health problems, is known as one of the most positive Lions in our community
• Started 21 games over first three seasons at linebacker • Season ending knee injury in fourth year which caused him to miss all of fifth season • Came back in sixth year to play final season • Began training camp low on the depth chart after the recruitment of some talented linebackers, but worked his way up during training camp and started all eight games • Had a career year in tackles, leading the Lions and ranking 10th in the OUA – Number of total tackles was double his previous career high • Recipient of the Tom Arnott Yeoman of the Year Award for Hard Work and Character in 2012 and a Warrior Award in 2016
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49TH ANNUAL VARSITY BANQUET
FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Given to a female student-athlete in her first year of eligibility who has exhibited outstanding athletic skill, character and fair play in her sport and has contributed to the success of the team
TAYLOR DAVISON
• OUA all-rookie team • 3rd in team scoring and 1st among rookies (9 points in 22 games) • 12th in OUA scoring by blueliners • 3rd in OUA in power play goals by defenders
HOCKEY
MEGAN MACLEOD
• OUA all-rookie team • Played in 15 games and started 4 at forward • 4th in team scoring and rebounding • Helped Lions reach playoffs for first time since 2014
BASKETBALL
CLAUDIA POLUGA TENNIS
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• OUA first-team all-star • Undefeated in singles and doubles playing out of the second spot at the OUA championships • OUA team silver medallist • Won singles and doubles matches playing out of the second spot in the regular season • York athlete of the week
MALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
YORK LIONS
Given to a male student-athlete in his first year of eligibility who has exhibited outstanding athletic skill, character and fair play in his sport and has contributed to the success of the team.
CRISTIAN CAVALLINI SOCCER
SHADY EL-NAHAS WRESTLING
ROSSINI SANDJONGDJABOME
• OUA West rookie of the year • OUA West first-team all-star • 3rd in OUA scoring (11 goals in 16 games), 1st among all rookies and on the team • Lions went undefeated in regular season and finished 1st in OUA West • Won OUA silver medal and finished 6th at U SPORTS championships • York athlete of the week
• Went 23-1 in regular season with 19 pins • Bronze medallist at international Guelph Open event • Gold medallist at Concordia, McMaster and York regular-season events • Missed OUA championships while competing in international judo events in France and Belgium • Gold medallist at Ontario junior and senior championships • Wrestling team was nationally ranked for first time since varsity return • York athlete of the week
• OUA all-rookie team • 6th in OUA and 1st among rookies in sacks • 9th in OUA and 1st among rookies in tackles for loss • 42nd in OUA and 4th among rookies in total tackles • Started all 8 regular-season games on defensive line • York football rookie of the year
FOOTBALL
MACK SHIELDS HOCKEY
• U SPORTS second-team all-Canadian • U SPORTS all-rookie team • OUA West rookie of the year • OUA West first-team all-star • OUA West all-rookie team • Named player of the game in the U SPORTS quarter-finals after shutting out Saskatchewan in regulation in 1-0 overtime loss • 1st in OUA in goals against average (1.78) • 2nd in OUA in save percentage (.930) and wins (13) • Appeared in 20 games and started 18 in net • Started all eight OUA playoff games, posting 7-1 record and leading the Lions to their first Queen’s Cup championship since 2004 • York athlete of the week
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49TH ANNUAL VARSITY BANQUET
COACH OF THE YEAR
Given to a head coach who has demonstrated leadership, earned the respect of both athletes and coaches in setting high expectations which have led to significant improvement and/or accomplishments over the past season for their program.
CHRIS DENNIS MEN’S HOCKEY
ZEESHAN MINHAS FIELD HOCKEY
MICHAEL WAHBI MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
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• OUA West coach of the year – Second year in a row • Led Lions to 7-1 playoff record, and first Queen’s Cup title and berth at U SPORTS championships since 2004 • Led Lions to 18-6-4 record and second place in OUA West Division • Team had best defence in OUA with only 2 goals per game allowed
• U SPORTS coach of the year – First from York field hockey since 1999 • OUA coach of the year • Led Lions to 7-2-3 regular season record and third place in OUA standings – Best finish since 2010 • Lions were most improved team in the OUA with 2 more wins and 7 more points, and scored 12 more goals and allowed 13 fewer than last year
• OUA coach of the year – First from York men’s volleyball since 1998 • Led Lions to 15-3 regular season record and 1st place in OUA East standings • Most wins by the team in a single season and first time finishing in 1st place since 2005 • Joined the Lions as head coach just before season started in September
MOST IMPROVED TEAM
YORK LIONS
Given to the team that has shown the greatest improvement over the previous season.
MEN’S HOCKEY • Won first Queen’s Cup title since 2004 – Also first playoff series win and U SPORTS championship berth in same time frame • Went 7-1 in playoffs compared to 1-2 and first-round exit last year • Finished with 18-6-4 record and 40 points, compared to 16-7-5 record and 37 points last year • 1st in goals against per game, compared to 5th last year
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL • Finished 1st in OUA East with 15-3 record, compared to 7th in OUA with 9-11 record last year • Most wins by the team in a single season • First time finishing in first place since 2005 • Won 10 more sets and lost 21 fewer than last year
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL • Finished 4th in OUA East with 10-9 record, compared to 6-13 last year • Qualified for playoffs for first time since 2014 • Eliminated in quarter-finals by eventual champion McMaster • Won 8 more sets and lost 11 fewer than last year
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49TH ANNUAL VARSITY BANQUET
AWARD WINNERS
U SPORTS AWARDS
OUA ALL-STARS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
FIRST-TEAM ALL-STARS
Jonathan Lao
Men’s Soccer
COACH OF THE YEAR Zeeshan Minhas
Field Hockey
FIRST-TEAM ALL-CANADIANS Alex Duncan-Thibault Nour Ghoneim Jonathan Lao Cassidy Nicholls Holly Pitters
Men’s Volleyball Women’s Soccer Men’s Soccer Field Hockey Women’s Track & Field
SECOND-TEAM ALL CANADIANS Nick Fyffe Daniel Gogarty Marilyn Grammenopoulos Tobi Owotomo Mack Shields Petra Woods
Men’s Track & Field Men’s Soccer Women’s Soccer Women’s Rugby Men’s Hockey Women’s Rugby
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM Mack Shields
Men’s Hockey
U SPORTS TOURNAMENT ALL-STAR Ryan Telfer
Men’s Soccer
Nikki Carnovale Cristian Cavallini Alex Duncan-Thibault Nick Fyffe Nour Ghoneim Daniel Gogarty Marilyn Grammenopoulos Dena Iezady Kiyani Johnson Dorrian Khouri Jonathan Lao Logan Mend Cassidy Nicholls Filip Obucina Tobi Owotomo Holly Pitters Claudia Poluga Derek Sheppard Mack Shields Mikhaela Slavin Rebecca Titus Celeste Witzell Petra Woods
Women’s Tennis Men’s Soccer Men’s Volleyball Men’s Track & Field Women’s Soccer Men’s Soccer Women’s Soccer Men’s Soccer Women’s Soccer Women’s Rugby Men’s Soccer Men’s Volleyball Field Hockey Men’s Tennis Women’s Rugby Women’s Track & Field Women’s Tennis Men’s Hockey Men’s Hockey Field Hockey Field Hockey Women’s Volleyball Women’s Rugby
SECOND-TEAM ALL-STARS Sam Adams Matt Arnone Kirsten Dillon Colton Hunchak Kayden Johnson Peyton Lozzi Tomika McIntosh Toure Nwakwesi Trevor Petersen Ryan Telfer
Men’s Track & Field Men’s Soccer Women’s Volleyball Football Men’s Track & Field Women’s Soccer Women’s Soccer Men’s Volleyball Men’s Hockey Men’s Soccer
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM ALL-STARS Rachel Adams Taylor Davison Skye King Megan MacLeod Rossini Sandjong-Djabome Mack Shields 18 2016-2017 Varsity Banquet
Women’s Volleyball Women’s Hockey Football Women’s Basketball Football Men’s Hockey
YORK LIONS
AWARD WINNERS OUA MAJOR AWARDS
YORK ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Adam Adeboboye Milan Beader Mikeisha Bobb Nikki Carnovale Cristian Cavallini Katrina Collins-Samuels Alex Duncan-Thibault (3) Mohab El-Nahas Shady El-Nahas Tre Eli Scott Feser Shauney Fischer (2) Nick Fyffe Nour Ghoneim Taylor Grant Brett Hunchak Dena Iezady Reid Jackman Steven Janes Kiyani Johnson Ravneet Kalkat Dorrian Khouri Jonathan Lao Amy Locke Erin Locke Logan Mend Melissa Monkhouse Christina Morelli Filip Obucina Tobi Owotomo Trevor Petersen Holly Pitters (3) Claudia Poluga Brandon Ramirez Ishanaa Seupersadsingh Mukonka Siakalenge Suraj Sharma Derek Sheppard Mack Shields Adrien Sparling Ryan Telfer Robert Thompson Rebecca Titus Celeste Witzell
Alex Duncan-Thibault Jonathan Lao Filip Obucina Derek Sheppard
Men’s Volleyball Men’s Soccer Men’s Tennis Men’s Hockey
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Cristian Cavallini Mack Shields
Men’s Soccer Men’s Hockey
COACH OF THE YEAR Chris Dennis Carmine Isacco Zeeshan Minhas Michael Wahbi
Men’s Hockey Men’s Soccer Field Hockey Men’s Volleyball
DEFENCEMAN OF THE YEAR Derek Sheppard
Men’s Hockey
STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE Alex Duncan-Thibault
Men’s Volleyball (Dale Iwanoczko Sportsman Award)
Petra Woods
Women’s Wrestling
CONFERENCE ATHLETES OF THE WEEK U SPORTS Brett Hunchak Brandon Ramirez
Football – Offensive Player Men’s Basketball
OUA Milan Beader Brett Hunchak (2) Nick Naylor Brandon Ramirez Derek Sheppard
Men’s Soccer Football – Offensive Player Football – Special Teams Men’s Basketball Men’s Hockey
Football Men’s Soccer Women’s Track & Field Women’s Tennis Men’s Soccer Women’s Basketball Men’s Volleyball Men’s Wrestling Men’s Wrestling Men’s Tennis Men’s Hockey Women’s Basketball Men’s Track & Field Women’s Soccer Women’s Soccer Football Men’s Soccer Men’s Hockey Men’s Hockey Women’s Soccer Field Hockey Women’s Rugby Men’s Soccer Women’s Hockey Women’s Hockey Men’s Volleyball Women’s Volleyball Women’s Soccer Men’s Tennis Women’s Rugby Men’s Hockey Women’s Track & Field Women’s Tennis Men’s Basketball Women’s Basketball Men’s Track & Field Men’s Cross Country Men’s Hockey Men’s Hockey Men’s Fencing Men’s Soccer Men’s Volleyball Field Hockey Women’s Volleyball
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49TH ANNUAL VARSITY BANQUET
ACADEMIC AWARDS
U SPORTS ACADEMIC ALL-CANADIANS (for 2015-16 Academic Year) Renata Bastos Gottgtroy Lauren Beaney Colleen Beesley Gehrig Carlse Joshua Ching Joseph Cicchillo Sarah Conway Charlene D’Mello Bobbi-Jo Cronk Spencer Dakin Kuiper Christina DeFranco Tegan Duncan Sean Ford Nicholas Fyffe Nicholas Geiser Callie Giaccone Marilyn Grammenopoulos Stefan Grujic Sheereen Harris Armanda Iuliano Brooke Jensen Justine Jones Sabah Kalim Caitlin Lee Erran Lee Megan Lee Amy Locke Erin Locke Malcolm Loukides Peyton Lozzi
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Women’s Hockey Women’s Rugby Women’s Soccer Men’s Basketball Men’s Track & Field Men’s Soccer Women’s Hockey Women’s Soccer Women’s Rugby Men’s Volleyball Field Hockey Women’s Hockey Football Men’s Track & Field Men’s Hockey Women’s Volleyball Women’s Soccer Men’s Basketball Women’s Track & Field Women’s Rugby Women’s Rugby Women’s Volleyball Women’s Volleyball Women’s Hockey Women’s Hockey Women’s Hockey Women’s Hockey Women’s Hockey Men’s Soccer Women’s Soccer
Victoria Muccilli Sydney McFaul Maxim Mikhaylov Eric Mokri Sandra Nagowska Donald Panos Avery Parker-Tomlinson Michelle Per Holly Pitters Mihkel Poldma Christopher Preece Connor Pritty Jonathan Raspanti Jade Robertson Steffei Samuel Sasha-Kay Seymour Daniel Sibley Anojan Sivalingam Amanda Spano Alexandria Town Chelsea Tucker Mitchell Van Teeling Colm Vance Colton Vannucci Shannon Wood
Women’s Soccer Field Hockey Men’s Wrestling Men’s Track & Field Women’s Basketball Football Women’s Rugby Field Hockey Women’s Track & Field Men’s Hockey Men’s Track & Field Football Men’s Track & Field Field Hockey Women’s Hockey Women’s Rugby Men’s Soccer Men’s Track & Field Women’s Soccer Women’s Wrestling Women’s Hockey Men’s Hockey Men’s Soccer Men’s Hockey Women’s Soccer
YORK LIONS
ACADEMIC AWARDS
OUA ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS (for 2015-16 Academic Year) Kevin Borsos Glen Katsnelson Julia Khalilova Filip Obucina
Men’s Tennis Men’s Tennis Women’s Tennis Men’s Tennis
In total, York had 59 U SPORTS all-Canadians and 19 OUA academic achievement award winners. These numbers include student-athletes on our club teams.
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49TH ANNUAL VARSITY BANQUET
BASKETBALL - YEAR IN REVIEW
MEN 2016-17 TEAM ROSTER Tobi Adelodun Hassan Adenola Nana Adu-Poku Michael Angenent Yaw Antwi-Boasiako Matthew Carating Gehrig Carlse Nidun Chandrakumar Jayden Frederick Ammar Hassan Jake Houzer George Ivens Yonathan Kristos Janath Kumar Gianmarco Luciani Brandon Ramirez Stefano Spagnuolo Julio Vazquez Nate Williams
WOMEN 2016-17 TEAM ROSTER Haley Bowie Katrina Collins-Samuels Shauney Fischer Nina Guzina Khara Keane Anastasia Lovatsis Megan MacLeod Taylor McAlpine Sandra Nagowska Taylor Ross Summer Sakaluk Ishanaa Seupersadsingh
The men’s basketball team went through a complete overhaul last off-season and the result this year was a 4-15 record that prevented the Lions from making the playoffs. Despite that, the young squad showed signs of promise throughout the year. Three of their four victories came against eventual playoff teams, including a three-point upset triumph over then-No. 10 nationallyranked McMaster on the road as well as a pair of wins over division
COACHING STAFF Head Coach Assistant Coaches Head Student Therapist Assistant Student Therapist
Tom Oliveri Gerard Carlse, Anthony Atletico, Menelik Fernandes Aleisha Wagner Sydney Hassoun
On the heels of head coach Erin McAleenan’s first recruiting class last summer, the Lions began their climb up the OUA standings and added two wins to their total from last year. They went 5-14 in the regular season, a record that was good enough to sneak into the playoffs on the final weekend of action, and they were eliminated in the first round by the nationallyranked and defending champion Ryerson Rams. Their regular season
included a three-game winning streak in late January, where the squad posted a trio of four-point wins over Brock, Laurentian and Nipissing, as well as victories over Western and Algoma earlier in the year. McAleenan’s first ever recruit, Megan MacLeod, showed why she was coveted by earning OUA allrookie team honours at the end of the season.
COACHING STAFF Head Coach Assistant Coaches Head Student Therapist Assistant Student Therapist
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rivals in Queen’s and Toronto. Late in the season, the Lions also nearly upset perennial powerhouse Ottawa, ultimately falling by one point to the No. 3-ranked team. Three of the team’s top five scorers are either rookies or sophomores, including second-year players Jayden Frederick and Brandon Ramirez, who both doubled their first-year scoring averages to rank among the OUA’s top 25.
Erin McAleenan Lexie Sananes, Elspeth Cheng, Sheldon White, Merv Maxwell Esteban Clavijo Babila Mohanarajan
YORK LIONS
CROSS COUNTRY - YEAR IN REVIEW MEN 2016 TEAM ROSTER Abdiaziz Ali Brandon Belan Muad Issa Colton LaFrance Suraj Sharma
The men’s cross country team finished in 12th place at the OUA championships. Fifth-year runner Suraj Sharma was the squad’s top finisher for the second year in a row, this time finishing in 45th place. His team-best result capped a strong season in which he recorded two top-five finishes, at the Don Mills
Open and Toronto Invitational, and was the first Lion to cross the finish line at each meet in which he competed. Rounding out the top three for the team at the OUA championships were Brandon Belan in 59th place and Abdiaziz Ali in 78th spot.
COACHING STAFF Head Coach Assistant Coach Head Student Therapist Assistant Student Therapist
WOMEN 2016 TEAM ROSTER Brittania Fusca Anna Green Amanda Hroncok Stephanie Papaiouannou Nina Sieh Shae Turner Vaishnavy Yogarajah
Colin Inglis Ryan Finn Rebecca Samek Elizabeth Sung
The women’s cross country team raced to a 14th-place result at the OUA championships this season. Their top finisher for the second year in a row was Nina Sieh, who crossed the line in 65th place. Vaishnavy Yogarajah and Anna Green both made their debuts at the OUA meet this season and
were second and third on the team, respectively, in 70th and 72nd positions. The two were also the top runners for the Lions in the regular season, finishing in the top 35 at the Toronto Invitational and the top 21 at the Don Mills Open.
COACHING STAFF Head Coach Assistant Coach Head Student Therapist Assistant Student Therapist
Colin Inglis Ryan Finn Rebecca Samek Elizabeth Sung
2016-2017 Varsity Banquet 23
49TH ANNUAL VARSITY BANQUET
FIELD HOCKEY & RUGBY - YEAR IN REVIEW
FIELD HOCKEY 2016 TEAM ROSTER Hailey Bakker Nicole Baldwin Shanella Fernando Shanelle Fernando Alycia Gray Jenna Hoult Ravneet Kalkat Michelle Kelly Natalie Maw Sydney McFaul Kyra McKinnon Rachel Modestino Cassidy Nicholls Michelle Per Sophie Restauro
Alexa Silva Mikhaela Slavin Morgan Surajram Rebecca Titus Madison Veeneman Sara Vollmerhausen Paige Warner
Guelph. The Lions entered the OUA championships as the third seeds but were upset in the quarter-finals by Waterloo and went on to finish in fifth place. The squad’s strong regular season earned head coach Zeeshan Minhas the U SPORTS coach of the year award, the first time a York bench boss has received the honour since 1999, and the team’s first all-Canadian in four seasons with defender Cassidy Nicholls’ selection.
COACHING STAFF Head Coach Assistant Coaches Team Manager Head Student Therapist Assistant Student Therapist
RUGBY 2016 TEAM ROSTER Tia Anderson-Hudson Rianne Barnes Catherine Belanger Brianna Berry Natalia Bonczek Lucy Boronka Hannah Cartier Bobbi-Jo Cronk Veronica Curcuruto Brittany Ediagbonya Tierra Escoffery Vanessa Ferrara Mariah Fontana Clarice Gillard Megean Gosselin Ally Govier Jasmine Hector Jessica Ho Armanda Iuliano Catherine Iuliano Janelle Jack Brooke Jensen
The field hockey team had its best regular season since 2010 this year, posting a 7-2-3 record that put them in third place in the OUA standings. The Lions were the most improved team in the conference, earning two more wins and seven more points than last season while also scoring 12 more goals and allowing 13 fewer than the previous year. Among their results were shutouts in every one of their wins and a pair of draws against perennial powerhouse
Dorrian Khouri Aly King Cheyenne Legerton Chanelle Lindegaard Isabelle Love Skylar Lund Katherine Markudis Jonelle Mars Hannah Marsala Kimberly Moon-Chong Natasha Naismith Tobi Owotomo Megan Pakulis Avery Parker Danica Pedrick Sasha Seymour Jodi Stewart Michela Stratton Lorissa Tsenis Charlotte West Petra Woods
24 2016-2017 Varsity Banquet
Zeeshan Minhas Shankar Premakanthan, Lisa McRae Chandler White Andy Chau Amanda Deluca
The women’s rugby team finished the regular season with a 3-2 record, a one-win improvement over last year that put them in third place in the OUA Russell Division standings. Under new head coach Jennifer Russell, they dominated two of their opponents, putting up 71-0 victories over Trent and Toronto as well as a 45-25 victory over Trent. They
were eliminated in the quarter-finals by nationally-ranked Queen’s but were honoured for their big regular season with three OUA all-stars in Dorrian Khouri, Tobi Owotomo and Petra Woods. Owotomo and Woods went on to earn U SPORTS all-Canadian honours, representing the first time in program history the Lions have had two all-Canadians in one year.
COACHING STAFF Head Coach Assistant Coaches Team Manager Head Student Therapist Assistant Student Therapists
Jenn Russell Brian Kelly, Ashley Rycroft Marty Alaimo Thomas Nicholls Juan Patarroyo, Mahyar Dibaji
FOOTBALL - YEAR IN REVIEW 2016 TEAM ROSTER
The football team continued to
YORK LIONS the previous season. The squad
take steps in the right direction finished with two receivers in the Airgama Abaya Eric Kimmerly this year and proved itself to be a OUA’s top 10 in Colton Hunchak Jordan Adams Skye King Adam Adeboboye Milan Klipina team on the rise in the OUA. The and Adam Adeboboye, and Jeffrey Adubofuor Chris Kolankowski Lions won two games this season quarterback Brett Hunchak ranked Steven Aichele Matt Krason in convincing fashion, defeating in the conference’s top five in Layton Aitken Jonathan Landry Waterloo 57-13 and Windsor 56-32, most major statistical categories. Jesse Amankwaa Malik Langston and had a chance to earn a postColton earned OUA all-star Daniel Amoako Enzo Lariccia season berth heading into the final honours for the first time, while Mohammed Animashawun Ian Lawrence game of the year. Their offence rookie defensive linemen Rossini Aaron Atwell Evan Lechlitner carried the team, putting up more Sandjong-Djabome and Skye King Cole Austen Dalton Lisso than 500 yards three times and were both named to the OUA allMehroze Azam Steven Longo averaging 65.7 more yards and rookie team. Preston Baird Yisaac Loulseged Matthew Becks Colin MacDonald 6.3 more points per game than Jahmari Bennett Harrison Mancuso Shakim Bennett Emerson Morassutti Brandon Bettencourt Chris Mote COACHING STAFF Luke Borsella Shak Najak Alexei Brazeau Nick Naylor Head Coach / Defensive Coordinator Warren Craney Isaiah Brown Emeka Okuma Associate Offensive Coordinator / Strength & Conditioning Kamau Peterson Nathaneal Cameron Timi Oladipo Assistant Head Coach / Linebackers Tom Norwell Pasquale Casale Jared Ott Assistant Coaches Zak Colangelo Emanuel Charest DJ Panos Garfield Nelson Quinn Charles Jamieson Pappas Jeffrey Chen Rees Paterson Ian Sinclair Devyn Chenier Ben Phelps Samir Chahine Brett Colangelo Ross Polito Russ Hoff Elijah Contrares Scott Powers Marcello Lio Alex Daley Matthew Prusin Nathaniel Griffith Dona Danhoundo Gautham Rajendra Roy Venier Anthony DiNardo Vincent Reale Chief Scout Barry Klimas Ryan Downie Jayden Reid Video Coordinator Aaron Wolski Ryan Dunaway Quinn Reilly Head Athletic Therapist James Gardiner Ryan Farr Stephen Reyes Head Student Therapist Alessia Sili Sean Ford Cody Ricottone Mitchell Fraser Joey Ricottone Student Therapists Scott Cuthbert D’Saun Greenaway Xavier Rogers Dave Razeghi Jackson Haime Michael Runowski Brandon Hatzes Jamian Rush Kadeem Hemmings Rossini Sandjong-Djabome Meeshak Hudak Alex Schwass Brett Hunchak Matthew Skoko Colton Hunchak Josh Small Khaliel James Andrew Smith Damian Jamieson Christopher Smith Jacob Janke Nikita Starchenko Reid Jeffs Kadeem Thomas Justin Johnson Stewart Van Der Made Kayden Johnson Nick Voci Sekou Kaba Najeeb Wahab Brinder Kaile Majeed Zabsonre Nikola Kalinic 2016-2017 Varsity Banquet 25
49TH ANNUAL VARSITY BANQUET
HOCKEY - YEAR IN REVIEW
MEN
The men’s hockey team had a season to remember in 2016-17. Two years after a last-place finish in the OUA 2016-17 TEAM ROSTER West standings, the Lions were Dexter Bricker Shayne Rover crowned Queen’s Cup champions Kyle Campbell Louis-Joseph Sawyer for the first time in 13 years with Nicolas Crescenzi Corey Scott a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Andrew Doyle Derek Sheppard Queen’s Gaels in front of a sold-out crowd at Canlan Ice Sports. The win Scott Feser Mack Shields capped a 7-1 playoff run in which Alex Fotinos Aaron Spivak they swept Lakehead and Guelph Nicholas Geiser Colton Vannucci before needing three games to take Jack Goranson Mitch VanTeeling out Windsor in the OUA West final. Connor Hale Nick Zottl The series victory over the Lancers Reid Jackman also gave the Lions a berth at the U Steven Janes SPORTS championships for the first Nathan Larson time since 2004, where they had Adam Logozzo their season come to an end in the Mitch Maraschiello quarter-finals with a heartbreaking Greg Milner 1-0 loss to Saskatchewan in Bryce Milson overtime. In the regular season,
Tyler Mort Daniel Nikandrov Trevor Petersen Stefano Pezzetta Mihkel Poldma
COACHING STAFF Head Coach Assistant Coaches Defensive Skills Consultant Head Student Therapists
WOMEN 2016-17 TEAM ROSTER Lauren Cavarzan Christina Chin Alex Copley Alyssa Davies Taylor Davison Lauren Dubie Tegan Duncan Jenna Gray Eva Hall Leah Hibbert Kayla Hosegood Rianna Langford Caitlin Lee Erran Lee
the Lions went 18-6-4 to finish in second place in the division and they spent six weeks in the national rankings, entering at No. 10 in Week 12 and peaking at No. 6. They had the conference’s best defence, with only two goals allowed per game, and benefitted from the strong play of rookie goaltender Mack Shields, who cleaned up at the end of the season with multiple OUA and U SPORTS awards. Defenceman Derek Sheppard was also impressive, leading all defencemen in the conference in scoring to earn OUA West most valuable player and top defenceman awards, while head coach Chris Dennis earned the OUA West coach of the year award for the second straight year.
Amy Locke Erin Locke Kelsey McHolm Jenna McNamara Sarah Power Avery Reeves Steffei Samuel Dana Somerville Cynthia St-Cyr Justine Treadwell Chelsea Tucker
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Chris Dennis Russ Herrington, Andreas Karlsson, Jesse Messier Joe D’Urzo Kristy Blair, Amanda Deluca, Sawyer Jubis-Hameluck
The women’s hockey team had a tough regular season and finished in 12th place in the OUA standings with a 4-2-14-4 record. They played a number of close games, losing four times past regulation including an overtime loss to eventual OUA champion Guelph and a double overtime defeat to fourth-place
Waterloo. Their two biggest wins of the year were by four goals each, with a 6-2 victory over UOIT and a 4-0 triumph over Laurier, on the season they defeated each of those teams twice as well as two wins over Ryerson. Rookie defender Taylor Davison earned OUA all-rookie team honours at the end of the season.
COACHING STAFF Head Coach Assistant Coaches Goaltending Coach Performance Coaches Head Student Therapist Assistant Student Therapist
Dan Church Jen Rawson, Steve Dempsey, Dino Caggiula, Stephanie Lockert, Jamie Joslin Rob Heholt Susan Hobson, Kiri Langford Christina Vassiliou Rebecca Titus
YORK LIONS
SOCCER - YEAR IN REVIEW MEN 2016 TEAM ROSTER Faisal Al-Hamdan Sebastian Amaya Sergiu Anton Matt Arnone Milan Beader Cristian Cavallini Joey Cicchillo Kyle Crichton Andrew D’Souza Antonio Damiano Andre Dyer Daniel Gogarty Daniel Gosciniak Pierre Grenier Dena Iezady Josh Kiselyov Steve Kloutsouniotis Johnson Lao Jonathan Lao Eddie Lay Joe Lepera
Adam Lofranco Malcolm Loukides Nick Lucchetto Omar Marzouk Daniel Maxwell Austin McGlashan Samuel Nnoruka Michael Palanisamy Juan Patarroyo Luca Perez Stefan Popovic Vlad Preobrazhensky Maurizio Ragone Hamzah Rizvi Daniel Sibley Francesco Sinopoli Ryan Telfer Matthew Trasente Gauthaman Vasanthakumar De Vante Walker
WOMEN 2016 TEAM ROSTER Magda Blakeson Samantha Caesar Angelica Cardarelli Martina Carotta Stephanie Caruso Melissa D’Angelo Charlene D’Mello Courtney Davis Nour Ghoneim Marilyn Grammenopoulos Taylor Grant Catherine Guevin Julia Iaquinta Kiyani Johnson Stephanie Lamanna Mia Laursen Peyton Lozzi Tomika McIntosh
Kristine Messinis Christina Morelli Athena Mpampas Farkhunda Muhtaj Ashley Nater Tamara Orlando Sia Papadopoulos Francesca Pedulla Dina Ricco Mika Richards Kristen Riquelme Kendra Saxton Amanda Spano Taylor Tsotsos Haley Walsh Bria Williams Jessie Wootton
The men’s soccer team has been the best team in the country in the last several years and they continued that domination in the regular season. The Lions went undefeated for the third time in five years with a 14-0-2 record and put together a remarkable run of success in which they lost only one contest in three seasons. They finished atop the OUA West for the 10th straight year and allowed the fewest goals in the division for the third consecutive season. The Lions were matched up against city rival Toronto in the semifinals for the third year in a row and qualified for their fourth straight national championship tournament with a 1-0 victory. Their magical
COACHING STAFF Head Coach Assistant Coaches Goalkeeper Coach Head Student Therapist Assistant Student Therapist
run came to an end in the OUA final with a loss to Guelph, but their silver-medal showing marked their seventh straight conference medal. The Lions faced a tough match-up in the U SPORTS quarter-finals and were defeated by eventual champion Alberta en route to a sixth-place finish. Midfielder Jonathan Lao was recognized as the national player of the year and was an all-Canadian along with defender Daniel Gogarty. They were also two of six Lions to earn OUA all-star honours, joining Dena Iezady, Cristian Cavallini, Matt Arnone and Ryan Telfer, while Cavallini was recognized as the OUA West rookie of the year and Carmine Isacco was named the OUA West coach of the year.
Carmine Isacco Hieu Quach, Luca Forno, Branko Majstorovic, Shane Lammie, Enzo Paez Gerald Pennant George Grammenopoulos Katerina Xindaris
The women’s soccer team went 11-2-3 in the regular season to finish in first place in the OUA West standings for the second year in a row. The Lions started the year with a six-game winning streak and earned the top spot thanks to a win over Western in the season finale. They were nationally ranked in each week of the season, peaking at a high of No. 3 in Week 4. Matched up against a tough Windsor team
in the quarter-finals, the Lions saw their season end early and in heartbreaking fashion with a penalty kicks loss. Nour Ghoneim led the country in scoring for the second year in a row and was named a U SPORTS all-Canadian for the third straight year, while Marilyn Grammenopoulos received national honours for the first time. They were both also OUA all-stars along with teammates Tomika McIntosh, Peyton Lozzi and Kiyani Johnson.
COACHING STAFF Head Coach Assistant Coaches Goalkeeper Coach Head Student Therapist Assistant Student Therapist
Carmine Isacco Paul DeAbreu, Alex Fogolin, Olivia Lukasewich, Shannon Wood Gerald Pennant Valerie Chuong Ali Qasam-Barlas 2016-2017 Varsity Banquet 27
49TH ANNUAL VARSITY BANQUET
TENNIS - YEAR IN REVIEW
MEN 2016 TEAM ROSTER Kevin Borsos Brandon Burke Masood Eisa-Beygi Tre Eli Nikola Janev Glen Katsnelson Filip Obucina Josh Paul Fernando Pirela Nathan Rahier Dylan Shanmugadhasan Pranav Yardi Georg Zoidl
WOMEN 2016 TEAM ROSTER Isabella Baston Nikki Carnovale Madeline DiNunzio Vanesa Ereqi Jelena Grkovic Randa Hassan Heather Hills Ana Janic Sara Krupica Eugenie Lim Ah Tock Claudia Poluga
The men’s tennis team went 1-5 in the regular season, with their lone victory coming over the Carleton Ravens. Seeded fifth for the OUA championships, the Lions avenged a 4-3 loss to Waterloo in the regular season with a thrilling 4-3 victory to advance to the medal round for the first time since 2012. They were
defeated by eventual champion Western in the semifinals and then by Montreal in the bronze-medal tie for a fourth-place finish. Filip Obucina played out of the top spot all season and went undefeated in singles to be named the OUA player of the year and an all-star.
COACHING STAFF Head Coach Assistant Coach
Chris Field Mark Furman
The women’s tennis team started the season by winning the Canadian University Tennis Championship for the second consecutive year in August and then carried that momentum into the regular season. They finished conference play with an undefeated record for the third straight season at 6-0 and went a sparkling 38-4 in matches won. The result was the top seed at the OUA championships, which earned them a first-round bye, and after eliminating
Waterloo in the semifinals they were forced to settle for the silver medal after losing a narrow 4-3 decision to host Western in the gold medal tie. The second-place finish was the second in a row for the Lions and marked the fourth straight year the team has won an OUA medal. The season ended with the Lions having two players among the six OUA allstars in Nikki Carnovale and Claudia Poluga.
COACHING STAFF Head Coach Assistant Coaches
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Chris Field Mark Furman, Valerie Ushanova
YORK LIONS
TRACK & FIELD - YEAR IN REVIEW MEN 2016-17 TEAM ROSTER Samuel Adams Emeka Agada Abdiaziz Ali Soman Baig Zeon Bass Brandon Belan Jhonathan Calderon Quinn Charles Joshua Ching Puwayi Chinoda Jason Clare Dereck Djan Kingboy Douglas Jr. Drew Erskine Matt Fouzie Nicholas Fyffe Demari Grant Mark Hutchinson Placide Ilunga
Muad Issa Xavier Jehovah Kayden Johnson David Kayode Colton LaFrance Kenzo Los Brock Martin Jordan Miller Nick Mills Ryan Mitra Daniele Orsini Duan Parchment Alec Pichelli Jalen Pidlubny Jonathan Raspanti Suraj Sharma Mukonka Siakalenge Anojan Sivalingam
It was a different look for the men’s track and field team this season as the squad featured a young roster that excelled more in the field than on the track. Despite many new faces, the Lions finished in fifth place at the OUA championships on the strength of three medals. Nick Fyffe defended his OUA title in the
COACHING STAFF Head Coach Assistant Coaches Head Athletic Therapist Head Student Therapist Assistant Student Therapists
WOMEN
Colin Inglis Raymond Rudder, Arye Rosenoer, Ryan Finn, Adam Kovacs, Colleen Dotson Kevin Montgomery Rebecca Samek Elizabeth Sung, Mahyar Dibaji
Like the men’s team, the women’s track and field team also boasted a young roster with many athletes 2016-17 TEAM ROSTER just beginning to make names for themselves at the conference level. Maria Basile Meaghan Kelly The veteran of the bunch, Holly Mikeisha Bobb Shania Payne Pitters, continued her impressive Kaitlin Brooks Holly Pitters career with her second straight Heniesha Christie Kyra Ridgewell OUA gold medal in the long jump Meira Dholakia Caroline Ritchie and twice setting a new York record Courtney Dwyer Monique Simon-Tucker in the event in the regular season, Brittany Ediagbonya Shae Turner breaking a record that had been
Tracey Edwards Bailey Francis Emily Goodwin Anna Green Miranda Hebert Sarah Hiscott Christy Ihunaegbo Stella Isaac
triple jump, while Kayden Johnson and Sam Adams won their first career OUA medals in the heptathlon and pole vault, respectively. All three also earned conference allstar honours and qualified for the U SPORTS championships, where Fyffe went on to win his first national medal with a silver in the triple jump.
Nicolette Witherspoon Vaishnavy Yogarajah COACHING STAFF Michelle Young Head Coach Assistant Coaches Head Athletic Therapist Head Student Therapist Assistant Student Therapists
set 32 years ago. She went on to finish her season as the U SPORTS champion in the event, winning her first medal and earning all-Canadian honours for the first time. Also at the OUA championships, the relay team of Mikeisha Bobb, Courtney Dwyer, Christy Ihunaegbo and Shania Payne won the bronze medal in the 4x200m relay to help the Lions finish in fifth place.
Colin Inglis Raymond Rudder, Arye Rosenoer, Ryan Finn, Adam Kovacs, Colleen Dotson Kevin Montgomery Rebecca Samek Elizabeth Sung, Mahyar Dibaji 2016-2017 Varsity Banquet 29
49TH ANNUAL VARSITY BANQUET
VOLLEYBALL - YEAR IN REVIEW
MEN 2016-17 TEAM ROSTER Patrick Andula Jade Cameron Spencer Dakin Kuiper Alex Duncan-Thibault Kirsten Duncan-Thibault Davis Gordon Aleksander Grzegorczyk Adam Harner Patrick Jensen Tim Jensen Owen Kerr Spencer Kingzett Logan Mend Jules Muhawe Toure Nwakwesi Amir Paknahad Andrew Shotbolt Robert Thompson
WOMEN 2016-17 TEAM ROSTER Rachel Adams Kayla Clennon Cadence Currie Mimi Demski Kirsten Dillon Carley Flemmer Justine Jones Sabah Kalim Tara Leithead Keeva MacLeod Melissa Monkhouse Jordan Neely Heather Setka Theresa Skubic Melissa Smillie Sarah Williams Celeste Witzell 30 2016-2017 Varsity Banquet
The men’s volleyball team had its best OUA regular season in 12 years. A coaching change before the season began saw Michael Wahbi take over the reins and he guided the squad to a 15-3 record to claim top spot in the OUA East Division for the first time since 2005. The Lions lost their first two matches of the season but then went on a run of 15 wins in 16 matches, with their only loss coming in five sets to nationally-ranked Ryerson. They closed the season with a 10-match
winning streak but fell victim to a red-hot Waterloo Warriors team in the quarter-finals and had their season end prematurely. The success was thanks in large part to team captain Alex Duncan-Thibault, who led the OUA in scoring en route to being named the OUA East player of the year and an all-star and U SPORTS all-Canadian. Teammates Logan Mend and Toure Nwakwesi also received all-star honours, while Wahbi was named the OUA coach of the year.
COACHING STAFF Interim Coach Assistant Coaches Head Student Therapist Assistant Student Therapist
Michael Wahbi Karim Khalil, John Luu Aaron English Kyle Frey
The women’s volleyball team made a big jump in its first year under new head coach John May, picking up four more wins to finish with a 10-9 record and qualify for the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. The Lions picked up steam down the stretch, ending the regular season with a three-game winning streak and capping the year with a thrilling five-set victory over No. 10 Western.
In the playoffs, they were defeated in straight sets by eventual champion McMaster in the quarter-finals. The Lions had three players earn conference awards, each for the first time in their careers. Celeste Witzell was named an OUA first-team allstar, Kirsten Dillon was named to the second team and Rachel Adams was an all-rookie team member.
COACHING STAFF Head Coach Assistant Coaches Head Student Therapist
John May Alix Krahn, Melissa Humana-Paredes Hollie Lau
YORK LIONS
WRESTLING - YEAR IN REVIEW MEN 2016-17 TEAM ROSTER Usman Aslam Amir Bagheri Zadeh Langari Fasahat Butt Marcus Chan Wassim El Rabie Mohab El-Nahas Shady El-Nahas Sebastian Galzote Jasman Gill Hermon Kidane Ali Koca Jonathan Molloy Sadat Sadozi Mustafa Shah Anton Smyrnov Michael Sturino Gurnek Tak Tyler Tate-Austin Kevin Vuong
WOMEN 2016-17 TEAM ROSTER Maddy Delle Donne Carol Huynh Kyla Mah Edurne Ortega-Mateos Danica Pedrick Wendy Roza Mecah Savory Gurleen Tak Alexandria Town Petra Woods
The men’s wrestling team was carried throughout the regular season by the El-Nahas brothers, Mohab and Shady. Shady was impressive in his debut year with the Lions, going 23-1 with 19 pins and winning gold medals at Concordia, McMaster and York events, while Mohab was the bronze medallist at Brock. Thanks in large part to their results, the Lions found themselves in the U SPORTS national rankings at No. 10 for four weeks,
representing the first time since the program returned to varsity status at York that they have been ranked. Unfortunately, both of them missed the OUA championships while competing internationally in judo, but the Lions still went on to finish in sixth place at the OUA championships. Gurnek Tak and Jasman Gill both reached medal bouts, ultimately finishing in fourth place.
COACHING STAFF Head Coach Assistant Coaches Head Student Therapist Assistant Student Therapist
Eamonn Dorgan Chris Kelman, Seiji Ishiguro Richard Fernandes Tobi Owotomo
The women’s wrestling team was without top athlete Alexandria Town throughout the year due to injury, but a young squad still came together to finish in fifth place at the OUA championships. Maddy Delle Donne won the bronze medal in the 82kg weight class, while
Danica Pedrick and Petra Woods both wrestled for a medal in their divisions before finishing in fourth place. Woods was honoured as the community service recipient, marking the fourth straight year the Lions have had an athlete earn the award.
COACHING STAFF Head Coach Assistant Coaches Head Student Therapist Assistant Student Therapist
Eamonn Dorgan Chris Kelman, Seiji Ishiguro Richard Fernandes Tobi Owotomo
2016-2017 Varsity Banquet 31
49TH ANNUAL VARSITY BANQUET
THANKS AND APPRECIATION
OUR SUPPORTERS
York University Athletics & Recreation would like to thank the many people who have supported the varsity athletics program during the 2016-17 season: The members of the Board of Governors and senior management of York University for their leadership, for the resources and excellent facilities they provide and for their ongoing involvement in various aspects of our program. Our sponsors, whose funds, products and gifts help us enhance our sport program, provide quality publications and promotions. Also our on-campus and local media partners, who have been instrumental in spreading the word about the accomplishments of our varsity teams. Those individuals who have donated or raised funds to support awards designated for York student-athletes. The University continues to seek out individual and corporate donors interested in supporting student awards and bursaries. Our many coaches and assistant coaches who generously give their time and energy on behalf of our student-athletes. Our student therapists and sport medicine team, the facility operations and marketing and event teams, campus student leaders and our many volunteers who assisted us throughout the year. You have all contributed to the success of our varsity athletics program!
OUR SPONSORS
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ATHLETICS & RECREATION
YORK LIONS
ADMINISTRATION
Jennifer Myers Duke Dickson Kathy Richmond Wayne Gordon Elli Abaei Lillian Chan Kelly Ferguson-Nippard Misi Ogunjimi
Executive Director, Athletics & Recreation Director, Business Development & Operations Finance & Administrative Officer Human Resources Advisor Finance Assistant Administrative Coordinator Payroll & Administrative Assistant Accounts Receivable Analyst
VARSITY
Gillian McCullough Bart Zemanek Martina Alaimo Geoff Carson Adam Douglas Alyson Fisher Nathaniel Griffith Stephanie Hamazy Katie Robinson
Associate Director, Athletics Manager, Varsity Athletics Varsity Athletics Representative Coordinator, Equipment Services Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Coordinator, Sport Information Equipment Services & Stadium Attendant Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach Coordinator, Athlete Services
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Tricia Wyles Mike Bianchi Mike Dahiroc Janelle Emanuel
Manager, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Game Day Operations Digital Media Assistant Coordinator, Promotion & Game Day Experience
FACILITY OPERATIONS
Meagan Heath Jonathan Cevallos Manny Troitino
Manager, Facility Operations Coordinator, Facility Operations Coordinator, Facility Operations
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Ron Carpentier Nicole Alexandre-Skrotzki Tyler Dongen Cassandra Russo Spencer Dawe, Nilan Perera, Linda Troitino
Manager, Business Development Facilities Secretary Client Service Coordinator Coordinator, Business Development Client Services Representatives
SPORTS MEDICINE TEAM
Cindy Hughes Tracy Meloche James Gardiner Jo Hurtubise Loriann Hynes Michael Boni Dr. Yuri Frenklah Angela Greco Dr. Ramzi Haddad Dr. Scott Howitt Dr. Karen Johnston Dr. Saul Marks Dr. Anthony Mascia Annette McClelland Darren Wharrie Debbie Wilkes Marcia Franklin, Kevin Montgomery Alison Macpherson, Lauren Sergio, Mazrah Fallah Dr. Hemen Shukla, Dr. Laura Cruz, Dr. John Ho Dr. Rick Zarnett, Dr. Jacqueline Auguste
Manager, Sport Injury Clinic Supervisor, Sport Injury Clinic Supervisor, Outdoor Sports Certified Athletic Therapist, Clinic Assistant Coordinator, Athletic Therapy Certificate Program Orthopedic Manual Physiotherapist Cardiologist Osteopath Team Dentist Sport Chiropractor Neurosurgeon Psychiatrist Radiologist Pedorthist Registered Massage Therapist Mental Health Certified Athletic Therapists Research Consultants Sport Medicine Physicians Orthopedic Surgeons
2016-2017 Varsity Banquet 33