York University track & field team members Pierce Lepage and Brittany Crew were honoured by U SPORTS on Thursday for their outstanding seasons by being named the 2019 U SPORTS field athletes of the year.
 
The two award winners will lead the Lions into the national championships this week, with Lepage competing in the high jump, long jump and 60m hurdles events and Crew competing in the weight throw and shot put events. The championship meet takes place at the University of Manitoba from March 7-9.
 
Lepage is currently competing in his first season with the Lions. He had an outstanding performance at the OUA Track and Field championships, bringing home three gold medals on home turf for York. He started his weekend on Day 1 of the championships by smashing the competition in the 60m hurdles, winning in a time of 7.96 seconds. Shortly after that feat he won another gold in the long jump, as he out leaped his nearest competitor by 31 cm with a 7.51m jump.
 
The versatile Lepage then completed his trio of gold medals on Day 2 of the competition with a first-place finish in the high jump, clearing the bar at 2.01 m for the win. He also competed in the shot put on Day 2 and finished in sixth-place with a throw of 13.49m.
 
Lepage is competing in his first year with the Lions track & field team, but is a well-accomplished athlete internationally, winning the silver medal in the decathlon at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He hails from Toronto, Ont., and is studying Interdisciplinary Social Science.
 
 "In his first year on the team, Pierce Lepage has shown to be a dynamic athlete, winning OUA gold for men's long jump, 60m hurdles and men's high jump," said Lions head coach Raymond Rudder. "Pierce, who is the 2018 Commonwealth Games decathlete silver medalist and is currently ranked among the best decathletes in the world, was also named Hec Phillips OUA Outstanding Performer, OUA Athlete of the Week and York Male Athlete of the week this year. He leads by example and his international experience, 2016 Décaster bronze medalist and the 2017 Canadian Track and Field Championships/Pan Am Cup gold medallist, are very much reflected in his dominant performances this season."
 
Crew is one of the most decorated athletes in the history of the Lions women's track & field team. She has won a total of four U SPORTS gold medals, one silver medal and one team bronze medal as well as seven OUA gold medals during her time with the Lions. She has been named the U SPORTS field events most valuable performer twice and OUA field events most valuable performer three times and won the Wendy Jerome OUA Outstanding Performer trophy for the first time this year.  She was also named the York female athlete of the year for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
 
Crew, who is from East York, Ont., competed in the shot put at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games where she finished in 18^th place and won a bronze medal in shot put at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She returned to the Lions this season after spending two years away from university competition and is graduating this year with a degree in kinesiology and health science.
 
"Brittany is the most decorated athlete male or female athlete at York University. Not only is she a 2016 Olympian, she also placed sixth at the 2017 World Championships and won the gold medal at the 2017 World University Championships," said Rudder. "She is also the indoor (18.20m) and outdoor (18.60m) Canadian record holder for shot put, she holds the school records for both shot put and weight throw. Brittany, who has won seven OUA golds and four U SPORTS golds thus far, also holds the OUA record in her events and the U SPORTS record for shot put. We are grateful Brittany was able to return for her final year at York after competing and dominating the international scene for two years."
 
Award Winners
 
Male Athlete of the Year – Track: Austin Cole, University of Alberta
Female Athlete of the Year – Track: Julianne Labach, University of Saskatchewan
Male Athlete of the Year – Field: Pierce Lepage, York University
Female Athlete of the Year – Field: Brittany Crew, York University
Male Rookie of the Year: Matthew MacNeill, University of Guelph
Female Rookie of the Year: Joely Welburn, University of Regina
Male Student-Athlete Community Service Award: Spencer Allen, University of Alberta
Female Student-Athlete Community Service Award: Shaelyn Laurie, Western University