The York University Lions football team handed out its major team awards on Thursday night at the program's 8th annual year-end awards gala.
 
The top award, the Frank Cosentino Team MVP Trophy, was awarded to full back / tight end Nikola Kalinic, who became the first Lions player in team history to be named to the OUA all-star team twice in one season.
 
The Toronto native was named an OUA first-team all-star for both offense and special teams in his fourth season with the Lions. He caught 14 passes for 145 yards on offence and was outstanding on special teams all season long making 7.5 tackles. Kalinic was a second-team all-star in 2017 and has been making waves on both sides of the border in the off-season, as he recently attended the CFL National Combine and is on the Washington Redskins draft board and visited the team twice to be evaluated.
 
Two Lions seniors, Malik Langston and Ian Lawrence, were awarded the York Lions Warrior Award, which is presented to a graduating player for his dedication and commitment to the football team and for embodying the characteristics of perseverance, honour, integrity and passion. Langston, who is graduating this year with a degree in kinesiology and health science, played 24 games as a defensive back in five seasons with the Lions and was an active member of the York varsity sports community throughout his career. Lawrence was an ironman for the Lions and played in all 40 games as a defensive back and linebacker throughout five-year career and ranks fourth all-time in career tackles with 140.5. He will graduate this year with a degree in environmental studies.
 
The Gridiron Scholar Award for Academic Excellence went to offensive lineman Malachi Adlam, who earned an 8.5 grade point average while studying communications studies last year. Adlam played in six games this season after red shirting in his rookie year was also awarded a York entrance scholarship and the Nobby Wirkowski Football Scholarship for the second consecutive year.
 
Defensive back Jacob Janke was the recipient of the Nobby Wirkowski Defensive MVP trophy after a dominant season for the Lions on defense. After missing most of the previous two seasons with an injury, Janke returned to play a full eight games and led the team with 47.5 tackles, which ranked ninth overall in the OUA. He also had three tackles for a loss and broke up three passes while proving he is one of the top defensive players in the OUA.  
 
On the other side of the ball, the Leonard Jean-Pierre W21 Offensive MVP award was given to receiver Colton Hunchak for the second straight season. Hunchak had a career-year where he was named an OUA second-team all-star and despite missing one game due to injury ranked fourth in the OUA with 58 receptions, eighth in receiving yards with 610 and tied for third in touchdown receptions with six. He also became the team's career leader in receptions with 162 so far in his four-year career.
 
Also handed out on Tuesday night were the Andre Durie Special Teams MVP trophy to full back Gautham Rajendra and the Mike Benevides Lineman of the Year Award to offensive lineman Rossini Sandjong-Djabome.
 
Rajendra, a fifth-year senior who is graduating this year with a degree in kinesiology and health science, played in seven games for the Lions and recorded four tackles on special teams and was crucial to York's special teams success. Sandjong-Djabome, meanwhile was named an OUA first-team all-star and led the Lions in several defensive categories this season, including sacks (4), tackles for a loss (9), and yards lost on a tackle (50). The third-year standout had 24 total tackles and broke up two passes on the season, and his four sacks were tied for seventh overall in the OUA.
 
The Jeff Johnson Rookie of the Year award was presented to defensive lineman Kwadwo Boahen. The Calgary native earned OUA all-rookie team honours while playing in seven games with the team before missing the final game of the season due to injury. On the season, Boahen recorded nine tackles and was credited with half a sack, which came against the number one-ranked Western Mustangs in Week 4.
 
A trio of Lions first-year players rounded out the award winners as The Tom Arnott Yeoman of the Year Award for Hard Work and Character went to running back D'Andre Clarke-Bastien, the Academic Grit Award for Study Hall Excellence was presented to receiver Lesean Betton, and the Iron Lion Award for the strongest pound-for-pound player on the team went to running back Bryan Deans.