Varsity Athletics | 3/27/2026 1:47:00 PM
After months of studying, training and competing, York Unviersity Lions student-athletes took centre stage at the 57th annual Varsity Athletics Banquet on Thursday night at Vaughan's Paradise Banquet Hall.
The night was headlined by history, as Lions men's soccer star Christian Zeppieri was named the men's athlete of the year, making him the first York student-athlete ever to win the award three times. Five others – Eve Spence, David Coulthard, Doug Wood, Mike Williams and David Richards-Kwok – won it twice.
The final award of the night went to Lions field hockey player Kathryn Carlow. An OUA all-star, U SPORTS all-Canadian and Field Hockey Canada U SPORTS Championship Tournament 11 member, the third-year Douro-Drummer, Ont., native takes home the award for the first time. She is the first field hockey player to win the award since Effie Petrou in 2010-11, and the 13th all-time.
A full breakdown of award winners is below:
Women's Athlete of the Year
Awarded to one woman who has exhibited outstanding athletic skill, character, and fair play in their sport, and, as a result, contributed to the success of their team.
Winner: Kathryn Carlow – Field Hockey
Carlow enjoyed a breakout season in 2025 helping to guide the Lions to their first national title in program history. She was named an OUA all-star and a U SPORTS all-Canadian after leading the OUA in goals with nine, nearly doubling her 2024 total of five. Carlow opened the season on fire, with six goals in her first four games including two two-goal games. In all, she had three multi-goal games, including a hat trick on Oct. 12 in a 5-0 win over the Queen's Gaels. In the postseason, Kathryn scored an insurance goal to solidify a 3-1 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues in the OUA final, claiming the title of championship MVP.as well as earning herself a spot on the U SPORTS Tournament 11.
Men's Athlete of the Year
Awarded to one woman who has exhibited outstanding athletic skill, character, and fair play in their sport, and, as a result, contributed to the success of their team.
Winner: Christian Zeppieri – Soccer
Zeppieri solidified his place in the OUA men's soccer history books in 2025, becoming the first player ever to win an MVP award in three consecutive seasons. He did so by scoring eight goals and adding four assists, both of which were third-most in the province, in only 10 games. Zeppieri was also named a first team all-Canadian for a second straight season after putting up the fourth-most points in the nation. It was at the U SPORTS championship where he shone the brightest, leading the tournament in goals with four en route to the U SPORTS Championship MVP. He scored in every game of the tournament, including the championship-winning tally on a penalty in the 115th minute, securing a 1-0 win over the Mount Royal Cougars and earning the program its sixth national title.
Women's Rookie of the Year
Honours the outstanding athletic achievements of a women's student-athlete competing in varsity athletics for the first time. The recipient must be compliant with U SPORTS / OUA rookie of the year sport-specific regulations and be in the first year of eligibility in university competition.
Winner: Ella Ciesielski – Field Hockey
Ciesielski took over the net and immediately proved her dominance as a rookie. She started each of York's 16 games this season between the regular season and playoffs and put up 13 shutouts. The Burlington, Ont., native was tied for the fewest goals allowed in the OUA with three, led the province in goals against average at 0.39. and finished third in the conference in save percentage at .700. She saved her best play for when it mattered most, putting up five clean sheets in York's six playoff games, including all four games at the 2025 Field Hockey Canada U SPORTS Invitational Championships, backstopping her team to its first ever national title. She is the second field hockey player in three years to win the award – joining teammate Juliet Redelaar in 2023-24 – and the fifth in program history.
Men's Rookie of the Year
Honours the outstanding athletic achievements of a men's student-athlete competing in varsity athletics for the first time. The recipient must be compliant with U SPORTS / OUA rookie of the year sport-specific regulations and be in the first year of eligibility in university competition.
Winner: Marco Sciortino – Soccer
Sciortino stepped into a key role in the front two thirds of the pitch for the Lions as a rookie, scoring five goals which was good for third on the team. His biggest game of the season came on Sept. 12 against the Windsor Lancers, when he buried a hat trick to help the Lions win that match by a score of 5-0. While showing an ability to put the ball in the back of the net, he also brought a strong playmaking ability to the Lions offence with four assists. Those nine points were good for third on the team and earned him he title of OUA West men's rookie of the year, making it the second straight year a Lion has won the award. He was also named to the U SPORTS all-rookie team, also making it the second consecutive year a Lion has cracked the national squad. Additionally, 2025-26 marks the second straight season a Lions men's soccer player reins in rookie of the year honours. after Luca Accettola did so last year, and makes Sciortino the sixth player in program history to win the award.
Bryce M. Taylor Award:
Presented to the graduating women's student-athlete who has, throughout her undergraduate years, made outstanding contributions to varsity athletics at York University. Leadership, dedication, enthusiasm, and participation in all aspects of varsity sport will be considered qualifications for this award.
Winner: Jewel Lew – Field Hockey
Lew has served on Sport Council each of the last three years, including as President in 2025-26. However, she has also made her mark in several other areas, including in the classroom and on the pitch. A kinesiology and health science student, she was a 2024-25 academic all-Canadian and was part of the Faculty of Health Dean's Honour Roll. Additionally, she served as a PAWS mentor while also being a member of the OUA's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, where she represents York student-athletes and promotes OUA-led campaigns across our campus. On the pitch, Lew was an OUA all-star this season and part of the Field Hockey Canada U SPORTS Tournament 11. She has earned an OUA medal in each of the last four seasons, including two golds in 2022 and 2025, a silver in 2023 and a bronze in 2024, as well as three national medals, a silver in 2022 and 2024, and a gold in 2025 as the Lions won their first national title in program history. She is the 12th field hockey player to win the Bryce M. Taylor, and third in the last four seasons.
Outstanding Men's Graduate Award
Presented to the men's graduating student-athlete who has, throughout his undergraduate years, made outstanding contributions to varsity athletics at York University. Leadership, dedication, enthusiasm, and participation in all aspects of varsity sport will be considered qualifications for this award.
Winner: Brandon Davies-Lyons – Football
Playing in 40 games over five years as a Lion and never missing a game in his OUA career, Davies-Lyons transitioned from his natural defensive line position to the offensive line midway through the 2024 season, showing his selflessness and team-first attitude. However, his biggest impacts came off the gridiron, where he founded the NDN Athletes in Action Food Drive, addressing food insecurity in Toronto's indigenous community. In addition to serving as the chair of Diversity in Action, York's BIPOC student-athlete committee, he has also worked with the Durham District School Board, his hometown board, to mentor at-risk youth. He is the second football player all-time to win the award, joining the brother of Lions head coach Dexter Janke, Jacob, who won the award in 2019-20.
Charles Saundercook Memorial Trophy
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
Winner: Abby Hicks – Women's Hockey
Hicks made an immense impact on the York community this season. While not a formal leader wearing a letter on her jersey, the pride of Trenton, Ont., led the way in many off-ice activities and initiatives. Chief among them was her creation and organization of the first ever "Elimination of Violence Against Women & Girls Game," for the Lions women's hockey team. She organized donations for North York Women's Shelter, hosted a podcast where she interviewed a York women's hockey alumna, Jamie Endrizzi-Faulks, who sits on the national Police Chiefs Council in the UK in the Violence against women department. Hicks also organized the development of posters to spread awareness for the event, coordinated social media posts, and partnered with the university's Centre for Sexual Violence Response Support and Education to make the game a key event as part of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. She is the second straight women's hockey player to win the award, following in the footsteps of teammate Sara McLennan in 2024-25, and the fourth since the award became gender-neutral in 2014-15.
Coach of the Year
Awarded to a coach who has demonstrated leadership, earned 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
Winner: Carmine Isacco – Men's Soccer
Now a five-time winner of this award, Isacco led the Lions to their sixth national title, and fifth under his guidance. York finished the season 9-1-2 and capped the year on a 10-game unbeaten streak to win its 18th consecutive division title under his leadership. Earning playoff victories over McMaster and Carleton, the Lions advanced to their 10th OUA championship in the last 11 seasons. For a third straight silver medal, the Lions entered the U SPORTS championship and beat the Dalhousie Tigers in the quarters before avenging a semi-final loss to the Montreal Carabins in 2024 with a 2-0 win to advance to the national final, where they bested the Mount Royal Cougars by a 1-0 score to capture national gold.
Spirit Cup
The Spirit Cup, which was donated by President Emerita, Dr. Lorna Marsden, is presented to the individual or group within York University that best exemplifies the spirit of York University and their involvement in sport.
Winner: Sam Keane – Lions Women's Hockey Superfan
As the former equipment manager for the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks women's hockey team, Keane was working a game at York against us when two of our Lions players held a door open for him – an act that changed the course of his life. As the York women's hockey de facto superfan, he has attended games on campus, while also travelling to road games in places such as his hometown of Oshawa, Waterloo and as far as Ottawa. He has built an unbreakable bond with the players, coaches and staff, and doing so with a spirit few can match.
Sport Council Award
The Sport Council Award is presented to a member of the York sport council that has made outstanding contributions to varsity athletics at York University. The recipient is someone who has shown leadership, dedication, enthusiasm, and participation in all aspects of the sport council.
Winner: Jewel Lew – Field Hockey
Lew caps off a tenure on the Council that saw her act as the Vice-President last season and the Community Outreach Executive in 2023-24, as well as being the Council's Field Hockey Team Representative. She has organized several events including the Lions partnership with Shoreham Elementary School through their lunch time clinics, the Relay for Life, raising money for the Canadian Cancer Society, and the Family for Family initiative through a collaboration with the Jane & Finch Community Centre. She follows in the trails of her sister Jade – who served as Sport Council President for two years from 2023-25 and won the award last season – is the fourth member of the field hockey team to win it in as many years, and the sixth overall.
Most Improved Team
This award is presented to the team that has demonstrated the greatest improvement over the previous year
Winner: Women's Basketball
Led by York Coach of the Year nominee Christa Eniojukan, the Lions women's basketball team started the season 5-2, their best start since 2007-08. They had a tremendous year of growth, with regular season victories over top teams in the province, including the TMU Bold, who came into that game as the Number 3 ranked team in the country. That victory handed the Bold their first loss of the season, halting an 11-game season-opening winning streak. The Lions also beat the Guelph Gryphons in the final home game of 2025, which led them into their first playoff win in seven years, a 66-55 win over the Laurentian Voyageurs in the opening round, and Eniojukan's first postseason victory as an OUA head coach. This is second time the Lions women's basketball team has won the award, and the first since 2005-06.
Director's Award of Excellence
The Director's Award of Excellence is awarded annually to a York University athlete(s) who demonstrate s outstanding athletic ability through exemplary accomplishment and commitment to sport.
Winner #1: Eric Ginzburg – Men's Swimming
Ginzburg once again took in lots of hardware in this his final season on the Lions swimming team. He won medals in all eight events he participated in over the OUA and U SPORTS championships, earning three golds at the provincial championships along with one silver before winning three silvers and a bronze at the U SPORTS championships earlier this month. His three OUA golds earned him the OUA men's swimmer of the year and an OUA all-star selection, as well as an OUA Award of Distinction, given to those who medal in three OUA championships. He broke three of his own York records at the national meet, setting new standards in the 100-meter butterfly, 50-meter butterfly and 100-meter freestyle.
Winner #2: Sopiha Nong – Badminton
Sophia rounded out her Lions career by winning the OUA women's MVP award for the first time and being named to her third OUA all-star team after the Lions finished fourth at the OUA badminton championships earlier this month. Sophia won eight of her 11 matches at the championships in three different disciplines, going 4-1 in singles, 1-0 in women's doubles and 3-2 in mixed doubles play. She competed in the first ever overtime match in OUA championship history during the quarter-final against McMaster, winning her singles match to give the Lions the deciding point and send them to the semi-finals.
2025-26 Team MVP's
Presented in recognition of individuals who have demonstrated leadership, competitive success, ethics, York spirit, and fair play.
Men's Basketball: Jeremiah Kwarteng
Women's Basketball: Kiara Leveridge
Men's Cross Country: Marco Volpi
Women's Cross Country: Anastasia Kirova
Field Hockey: Kathryn Carlow
Football: Keagan Hall
Men's Hockey: Harry Clark
Women's Hockey: Alexa Giantsopoulos
Women's Rugby: Mistura Are
Men's Soccer: Matthew Medeiros
Women's Soccer: Bianca Jack
Men's Tennis: Georg Zoidl
Women's Tennis: Palak Balsara
Men's Track & Field: Brandon Choumbe Yami
Women's Track & Field: Alexandra Quaidoo
Men's Volleyball: Jasraj Nijjar
Women's Volleyball: Alexis Miller
Men's Wrestling: Samuel Awonuga
Women's Wrestling: Mina Stewart
