2009-10 YORK AWARD WINNERS

Male Athlete of the Year
Tyrone Halstead, Track & Field		Complete List
Tyrone Halstead - Male Athlete of the Year
Halstead, a third-year criminology student from Mississauga, Ont., won two medals at the CIS championships, a gold in the men’s 4 x 200-metre relay and a silver in the 60 metres and was named a CIS all-Canadian in both events. His time of 6.65 seconds in the 60 metres tied a York record. He also won two gold medals at the OUA championships in the same two events, setting a new meet record in the relay, to receive OUA all-star honours. Halstead helped the team finish fourth at the OUA championships and fifth at the CIS championships and won 10 medals overall this season.

Female Athlete of the Year
Heather Hamilton, Track & Field		Complete List
Heather Hamilton - Female Athlete of the Year
Hamilton won the gold medal in the pole vault at the CIS championships this season and was named a CIS first-team all-Canadian. Her winning jump of 4.23 metres set a new CIS meet record and was 23 centimetres higher than the silver medallist. The fourth-year business student from Mississauga, Ont., also won the OUA pole vault gold medal with another meet record jump of 4.20 metres and was named the OUA field events most valuable performer and an OUA first-team all-star. Earlier in the season, she set a new York record with a jump of 4.25 metres.

Charles Saundercook Memorial Trophy
Tyler Harrison, Hockey		Complete List

Tyler Harrison - Charles Saundercook award
Harrison capped off a remarkable five-year career as a member of the York Lions men’s hockey team with a 37-point season to finish among York’s all-time top 10 in goals, assists and points. The geography student from Whitby, Ont., spent four of his five seasons in a leadership role, including the last two as the team captain, and was an OUA West all-star in 2007. Playing for four different coaches in five seasons, he is described by head coach Jim Wells as the glue that kept the team together. Harrison finished his career in style, giving the Lions their first playoff victory since 2004 with an overtime winner against the nationally-ranked Lakehead Thunderwolves in the first round of the playoffs.

Bryce M. Taylor Award
Brittney Blount, Field Hockey		Complete List
Brittney Blount - Bryce M. Taylor award
Blount, the captain of the women’s field hockey team, is described by her coach as the heart and soul of the squad. The fifth-year goalkeeper proved to be one of the top netminders in the country over her career with the Lions, being named a CIS all-Canadian and an OUA all-star for the past two seasons. The sociology student from Ottawa backstopped the Lions to an OUA bronze medal in 2008 and qualified for the CIS championships that same year. She is also currently a member of the Canadian national field hockey team.

Male Rookie of the Year
Dejan Kravic		Complete List
Dejan Kravic - Male Rookie of the Year
Kravic, a kinesiology and health science student from London, Ont., was named to the OUA East all-rookie team and was a nominee for the CIS all-rookie team this season. He finished the year ranked first in the OUA and second in the CIS in blocks, as well as fourth in the OUA and fifth in the CIS in rebounds. Kravic averaged 13.2 points per game, second on the team, as the Lions won their final two games against Laurentian to qualify for the playoffs and then upset the Toronto Varsity Blues in the first round of the postseason. 

Female Rookie of the Year
Nicole Campbell, Soccer		Complete List
Nicole Campbell - Female Rookie of the Year
Campbell was the OUA West rookie of the year and named to the OUA West first all-star team this season as the Lions won the OUA championship on home turf at York Stadium in November. The health studies student from Scarborough, Ont., scored the lone goal in regulation in the Lions’ OUA quarter-final victory and assisted on the winning goal in the OUA semifinal win. She also scored one goal in the regular season.

Most Improved Team
Field Hockey		Complete List
Field Hockey - Most Improved Team
The women’s field hockey team upset the fourth-ranked Waterloo Warriors in the first round of the playoffs to qualify for the OUA semifinals this season after falling in the quarter-finals last year. One day later, the Lions nearly upset the Western Mustangs to win a bronze medal. In addition, they finished their season with a 6-5-3 record, up from 6-6-2 last year.
 
Spirit Cup Award
Steven Reading, Football		Complete List
Steven Reading - Spirit Cup
Reading, a third-year linebacker on the football team and also a team captain, was a tremendous supporter of many York Lions interuniversity teams this season. Week after week, he was found on the sidelines cheering hard for his fellow student-athletes, making numerous appearances at basketball and volleyball games. The Fenelon Falls, Ont., native also travelled to the University of Toronto to support the women’s soccer team at the CIS championships.
 
In addition to Reading, four other members of the football team were recognized for their passionate support of the York Lions this season: Nick Coutu (St. Catharines, Ont.), Matt Davis (Mississauga, Ont.), Tyler de Moel (St. Catharines, Ont.) and Justin Kowalewsky (Beaumont, Que.). 
 
Sport Council Award
Sara Vitelli, Field Hockey		Complete List
Vitelli, the president of the York University Sport Council, the heart and soul of the Sport Council this season. A kinesiology and health science student from Woodbridge, Ont., she spearheaded a review of the mandate and the constitution as the Council looks to focus on community outreach and creating a sense of Lions pride. Among her projects this year was organizing a sporting goods drive to donate equipment to Westview Secondary School.
 
Team Most Valuable PlayersComplete List
Women’s Badminton – DONNA HO
Men’s Badminton – KEVIN CHENG
Women’s Basketball – BRITTANY SZOCKYJ
Men’s Basketball – DAVID TYNDALE
Men’s Cross Country – DAVID ZYLBERBERG
Women’s Cross Country – KATHRYN PISTOR
Field Hockey – EFFIE PETROU
Football – STEVEN READING
Men’s Hockey – TYLER HARRISON
Women’s Hockey – KELSEY WEBSTER
Women’s Rugby – ASHLEY HOLLIGAN-MYTIL
Men’s Soccer – JAMAAL SMITH
Women’s Soccer – AMI OTAKI
Men’s Swimming – VIKTOR VERBLAC
Men’s Tennis – TOMOHIRO ONO
Women’s Tennis – PALOMA JIMENEZ
Men’s Track and Field – TYRONE HALSTEAD
Women’s Track and Field – HEATHER HAMILTON
Men’s Volleyball – REID HALL
Women’s Volleyball – SARAH SUTTON
Men’s Water Polo – JORDAN DUFFIELD
Women’s Water Polo – SARAH DUFFIELD