2013-14

Week of Feb. 10
 
Dontae Richards-Kwok, Track & Field
Dontae Richards-Kwok claimed the George Gemer Award as most outstanding male athlete of the CIS championship after winning four individual gold medals and leading the Lions to the team banner, the program’s first in 30 years. The fifth-year sprinter won the 60m on Day 1 and the 300m on Day 2, then concluded the meet by running the opening leg of the 4x200m relay and the final leg of the 4x400m relay and claiming another two golds. He received his fifth gold of the weekend with the team title, helping to contribute 40 of the Lions' 103 points. Richards-Kwok is now the most decorated student-athlete in York history, finishing his five-year career with 14 CIS medals, 10 of them gold.

Khamica Bingham, Track & Field
Khamica Bingham was named the most outstanding female athlete of the CIS championship after winning three gold medals and setting a CIS record in Edmonton. The second-year sprinter opened the weekend by winning the 60m in a meet-record time of 7.26 seconds, and on Day 2 won the 300m in a time of 38.36. She concluded the meet by running the opening leg of the gold-medal winning 4x200m relay. Bingham helped contribute 30 of the team's 41 points as the Lions finished in ninth place.

Week of Feb. 24
Eric Brathwaite, Track & Field
Eric Brathwaite swept the throwing events at the OUA championships with a pair of gold medals in the weight throw and shot put. His personal-best distance of 19.57m in the weight throw was more than a metre-and-a-half better than any throw from the rest of the field, and all four of his throws that counted in the competition would have won him the gold medal. He also finished first in the shot put with a personal-best distance of 17.28m, and earned OUA first-team all-star honours in both events. Brathwaite is seeded No. 1 in the weight throw and No. 2 in the shot put in the CIS heading into the championships, and he contributed 20 points to the team’s overall total as the Lions finished in third place in the team standings.

Dontae Richards-Kwok, Track & Field
Dontae Richards-Kwok won two gold medals and tied a 31-year meet record at the OUA championships this past weekend. The fifth-year sprinter finished first in the 60m in a time of 6.66 seconds, which equaled the OUA mark by York’s Desai Williams in 1983. He also crossed the finish line in first place in the 300m in a time of 34.24, and ran the second leg of the Lions’ fourth-place finish in the 4x400m relay. Richards-Kwok, who now has 15 career OUA medals, is seeded No. 1 in the CIS in both events ahead of the championships, and he helped contribute 25 points to the team’s overall total as the Lions finished in third place in the team standings.

Khamica Bingham, Track & Field
Khamica Bingham won two gold medals and set a new OUA record at the championships this past weekend. The second-year sprinter finished first in the 60m in a blazing-fast time of 7.23 seconds, which was nearly two tenths faster than the mark she put up last year as a rookie, and more than three tenths faster than the silver medallist. She also ran the opening leg of the 4x200m relay team that won the gold medal in a time of 1:39.95, the fastest time in the CIS this season. Bingham, the reigning CIS champion in the 60m, is ranked No. 1 in the event heading into the championships.

Week of Feb. 17
Omar Thomas, Wrestling
Thomas won the bronze medal in the 90kg division at the OUA championships this past weekend to help the Lions finish in sixth place in the team standings. The second-year wrestler won the third-place match 4-1 over Zane Zondervan from the Guelph Gryphons. To qualify for the medal round, he went 1-1 in the round robin, with a victory over Joban Phulka from the McMaster Marauders and a loss to the Western Mustangs’ Riley Otto, who went on to win the silver medal. With the win, Thomas also qualified for the CIS championships and will represent the Lions in Fredericton in two weeks.

Week of Feb. 10
Nick Tufegdzich, Basketball
Nick Tufegdzich scored 48 points and added 25 rebounds and five blocks in two games against the nation’s top two teams this past weekend. The fourth-year forward had a monster game against the No. 2 nationally-ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday, scoring 36 points and adding 20 rebounds and three blocks. He was also solid against the top-ranked Ravens, scoring 12 points and adding five rebounds and two blocks. Tufegdzich is averaging 13.7 points and 10.6 rebounds this season, both career highs, and is one of only three players in the OUA averaging a double-double.

Kayla Pangos, Basketball
Kayla Pangos led the Lions with 17 points in their 60-51 upset victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday night. The fifth-year guard, who took to the floor after an emotional ceremony commemorating her five years with the program, shot 6-of-14 from the floor and also added one rebound and one steal. The previous night against Carleton, she was also the team’s leading scorer with 11 points, going 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, as well as adding three rebounds and one assist. Pangos is now averaging 7.3 points per game this season, the highest of her career.

Week of Feb. 3
Mike Lombardi, Hockey
Mike Lombardi scored two goals, including the game winner, and added two assists to lead the Lions to a thrilling 7-5 victory over the Ryerson Rams on Saturday afternoon. The fourth-year winger scored the team’s fifth goal at 14:14 of the third period to break a 4-4 deadlock, and scored again 26 seconds later to give the Lions a 6-4 lead they turned into the victory. He also assisted on York’s third goal that made it 3-2 early in the second, and added another assist on the 4-4 tying marker early in the third. Lombardi is second on the team and tied for 36th in the OUA with 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) this season.

Kayla Pangos, Basketball
Kayla Pangos scored 28 points and added nine rebounds and eight assists over two games to lead the Lions to a pair of victories over Laurentian and Algoma. On Friday night, the fifth-year guard led the Lions with 13 points and had five rebounds and five assists in a 67-54 win over the Voyageurs, and she was even better in a 60-36 win over the Thunderbirds the following day, scoring a game-high 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the floor and adding four rebounds and three assists. Pangos is fourth in team scoring with 6.6 points per game.

Week of Jan. 27
Dontae Richards-Kwok, Track & Field
Dontae Richards-Kwok won three gold medals and set a new fieldhouse record to lead the Lions to the overall team championship at the McGill Team Challenge this past weekend. The fifth-year sprinter ran a blazing 6.71-second 60m final to finish in top spot and break the previous fieldhouse mark of 6.73 seconds. He also won the gold medal in the 300m in a time of 33.90 seconds and ran the opening leg of the 4x200m relay that claimed the gold medal in a time of 1:27.55. Richards-Kwok, a nine-time CIS medallist, qualified for the CIS championships in each of the three events and contributed 30 points to the squad’s total as the Lions finished atop a field of 25 teams.

Michael Santini, Hockey
Michael Santini scored four goals and added one assist to lead the Lions to a pair of wins over Laurier and Guelph last week. In a 5-2 victory over the Gryphons on Saturday night, the second-year winger netted a hat trick, scoring the game-winning goal mid-way through the third period as well as the team’s second goal and an empty-netter, and added one assist for a four-point night. He also scored one goal in a 5-2 win over the Golden Hawks two nights earlier. Santini is now second on the team in goals (nine) and third overall in scoring (17 points).

Brittany Crew, Track & Field
Brittany Crew broke a 40-year school record and a 12-year meet record in the shot put to win the gold medal at the McGill Team Challenge this past weekend in Montreal. The second-year thrower, in her debut season with the Lions, recorded a distance of 15.27m on her fifth throw to win the event by more than one metre. The throw topped the 15.14m-mark Jane Haist put up in 1974, and also surpassed the previous meet record of 14.36m set in 2002. Crew also finished in fifth place in the weight throw (second among university competitors) and contributed 18 points to the team’s total, helping the Lions finish in second place in the team standings.

Week of Jan. 20
Daniel Tulloch, Basketball
Daniel Tulloch tallied 52 points and 16 rebounds in two games to lead the Lions to a 1-1 record against Algoma and Laurentian. In an 84-77 victory over the Thunderbirds on Friday night, the second-year forward led all players with 24 points, including 6-of-8 shooting from the floor, and also added six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal. He was even more dominant the following night in a narrow 86-85 loss to the Voyageurs, posting a double-double with 28 points and 10 rebounds and also adding three steals, one assist and one block. Tulloch is the team’s leading scorer and is ranked 10th in the OUA with an average of 17.3 points per game.

Llyandra Kerr, Basketball
Llyandra Kerr posted 26 points and 24 rebounds in two games to lead the Lions to a pair of victories over Algoma and Laurentian this past weekend. The third-year forward tallied 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting and added nine rebounds in a 67-43 win over the Thunderbirds on Friday night. The following day she was even more impressive, posting a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 15 rebounds in a thrilling 55-52 victory over the Voyageurs. Kerr is tied for 16th in the OUA with 6.6 rebounds per game and is third on the team with 7.9 points per game.

Week of Jan. 13
Ray Szeto, Volleyball
Ray Szeto tallied 48.5 points and 16 digs to lead the Lions to a pair of five-set victories over Ryerson and Toronto this past weekend. The fourth-year outside hitter was sensational against the Varsity Blues on Sunday, recording 25 kills, including seven each in the first and third sets, and adding six digs and an assisted block. He was also tremendous on Saturday against the Rams, posting 19 kills, three blocks and once service ace for 23 points, and adding 10 digs. Szeto is the OUA leader in scoring (4.93 points per set), kills (203) and kills per set (4.23), and he is also among the conference’s top 20 in service aces (seventh, with 14) and blocks (18th, with 19.5).

Nadia Qahwash, Basketball
Nadia Qahwash scored 24 points and added nine rebounds, five assists and seven steals to lead the Lions to a pair of wins over Toronto and Ryerson last weekend. The fifth-year guard led all players with 12 points and six steals in a 41-38 win over the Varsity Blues on Friday, and also added four rebounds and one assist. She was also strong in Saturday’s 58-48 victory over the Rams, tallying 12 points, five rebounds, a game-high four assists and one steal. Qahwash is the team’s leader with 11.1 points per game, good for 21st in the OUA.

Week of Jan. 6
 
Richard Iheadindu, Basketball
Richard Iheadindu scored a game-high 26 points to lead the Lions to a big 86-74 win over the Queen’s Gaels on the road this past weekend. The third-year guard connected on four three-pointers in the contest and also added two rebounds, three assists and three steals in 38 minutes of action. Iheadindu is averaging 16.4 points per game, good for ninth in the OUA and double his career average coming into this season.

Sheereen Harris, Track & Field
Sheereen Harris set two personal bests at the Sharon Anderson Memorial meet at the University of Toronto en route to a pair of top-four finishes in the 60m and 300m. The third-year sprinter won the bronze medal in the 300m in a time of 40.69, which also surpassed the OUA standard. She also finished in fourth place in the 60m with a time of 7.82 in the final, and ran a personal-best 7.76 in the heat. Harris, one of the team captains, also ran a 25.5 split in the 4x200m relay, the fastest on the team.

Week of Dec. 2
 
Greg Pierzchala, Wrestling
Ryan Ejim, Basketball
Ryan Ejim tallied 47 points and 15 rebounds over two games to lead the Lions to a 1-1 record against Brock and McMaster this weekend. In an 85-71 victory over the Badgers on Friday night, the third-year forward scored 20 points in just 19 minutes of action off the bench and also added eight rebounds, four steals and one block. The following night, he led all players with 27 points and added seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in a 78-72 loss to the Marauders. Ejim is eighth in OUA scoring (17.8 points per game) and seventh in rebounds (7.8 per game) despite averaging just 22.8 minutes per contest, the lowest total of any player in the OUA’s top 40.

Brittney Hopley, Volleyball
Brittney Hopley tallied 21.5 points over two matches to lead the Lions to a 1-1 record against Ottawa and McMaster this weekend. In a dominant three-set win over the Marauders on Sunday, the fourth-year middle tallied 11.5 points on seven kills, 3.5 blocks and one service ace, and also added two digs. She also had 10 points, on nine kills and one block, as well as four digs, in the squad’s narrow five-set loss to the Gee-Gees on Saturday. Hopley is ranked 17th in the OUA in scoring (3.20 points per set) and is also 10th in blocks per set (0.59).

Week of Nov. 18
 
Richard Iheadindu, Basketball
Richard Iheadindu scored 42 points and added eight rebounds and eight assists to lead the Lions to a pair of wins over Waterloo and Laurier this past weekend. The third-year guard, who played 74 of 80 total minutes over two games because of injuries to multiple starters, scored a team-high 22 points and added five rebounds and six assists in an 86-79 victory over the Warriors on Thursday night. Two days later, he put up 20 points, three rebounds and two assists in a 90-83 win over the Golden Hawks, including six straight free throws in the final minute to ice the game. Iheadindu is 10th in the OUA with 16.8 points per game, an average that is seven points better than his previous career high.

Brandie Wilkerson, Volleyball
Brandie Wilkerson scored 21 points and added seven digs to lead the Lions to a four-set win over the Nipissing Lakers on Saturday. The fourth-year outside hitter posted 17 kills, three solo blocks and one service ace in the win, extending York’s season-opening winning streak to eight. Wilkerson, a two-time CIS all-Canadian and a three-time OUA all-star, is currently second in the OUA in scoring and kills per game.

Week of Nov. 4
 
Casey D’Mello, Soccer
Casey D’Mello was named the player of the game in the Lions’ 1-0 victory over the previously-undefeated Ryerson Rams in the OUA championship final on Sunday. The fourth-year defender made several crucial defensive plays throughout the game to preserve the shutout, and also had multiple strong first passes that set up scoring opportunities. He was also a standout on the back end in the team’s 2-1 semifinal victory over the Carleton Ravens. Earlier in the week, D’Mello was named an OUA first-team all-star for the first time after starting 15 games at right back and scoring the first two goals of his career.

Melissa Humana-Paredes, Volleyball
Melissa Humana-Paredes posted game-highs of 12.5 points and 14 digs to lead the undefeated Lions to a lopsided three-set victory over the No. 8 nationally-ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees on Sunday afternoon. The fourth-year outside hitter recorded eight kills, three service aces and 1.5 blocks in the match to help the Lions overcome their fiercest rival in a rematch of last year’s OUA final. Humana-Paredes is currently in the OUA’s top 10 in digs (second with 4.5 per game) and scoring (eighth with 3.88 points per game), the only player in the conference to be among the leaders in both categories.

Week of Oct. 28
  Ray Szeto tallied 42 points and eight digs to lead the Lions to a pair of victories over Ryerson and Toronto last weekend. The fourth-year outside hitter was dominant in the squad’s five-set, come-from-behind upset win over the No. 9 nationally-ranked Rams, scoring 25 points on 20 kills, three blocks and two service aces. He was also strong in a four-set victory over the Varsity Blues, leading all players with 17 points on 12 kills, four blocks and one service ace. Szeto, a CIS first-team all-Canadian and OUA first-team all-star last year, is currently third in the OUA with 4.41 points per set.

Megan Lee, Hockey
Megan Lee stopped 37 of the 39 shots faced, and two of three in the shootout, to lead the Lions to a 3-2 upset victory over the No. 5 nationally-ranked Queen’s Gaels on Saturday night in Kingston. After making 20 saves on 22 shots through the first two periods, the third-year netminder stood tall when the game was on the line, stopping all 19 shots in the final frame and overtime to give the Lions a chance to win at the other end.


Week of Oct. 21
 
Mark-Anthony Kaye, Soccer
Mark-Anthony Kaye scored three goals in as many games to lead the Lions to three victories over UOIT, Windsor and Waterloo in the final week of the regular season. The second-year midfielder found the back of the net in the 13th minute for the first goal in a 4-1 victory over the Ridgebacks on Wednesday night, and he added two in the finale in Sunday’s 4-1 win over the Warriors. Kaye tallied six shots overall on the week, two in each contest, and finished the season ranked second in the OUA in scoring with 11 goals.

Kirsten Dillon, Volleyball
Kirsten Dillon tallied 92 assists in just two matches to lead the Lions to a pair of victories over Guelph and Waterloo on opening weekend. The second-year setter, making the first two starts of her career, recorded 39 assists and added 10 digs and one block in a straight sets victory over the Gryphons on Friday night. She was even better the following day, putting up 53 assists as well as eight digs and two service aces in a 3-1 win over the Warriors. Dillon is the early OUA leader with 13.14 assists per set, an average of three more per set than any other player in the conference.

Week of Oct. 14
  Week of Oct. 7
 
Tyler McGee, Hockey
Tyler McGee scored with six seconds left in overtime to give the Lions a 3-2 victory over the UOIT Ridgebacks in their season opener on Saturday night. The third-year centre took a pass from team captain Jesse Messier and fired the puck into the net just before the final whistle to give the Lions an important second point in the standings. He also earned an assist on the game’s first goal. McGee, who was fifth in team scoring last season, is one of five players with two points after opening weekend.

Lisa Stathopulos, Hockey
Lisa Stathopulos recorded three points in the Lions’ season-opening comeback victory over the Ryerson Rams on Saturday afternoon. The fourth-year forward scored on the power play midway through the third period to extend the Lions’ lead to 4-2, after they had fallen behind by a score of 2-0 after one period. She also put up two assists, one on the team’s first goal and another on the tying goal late in the second period. Stathopulos, the team’s scoring leader last year, is tied for third in OUA scoring after opening weekend.

Week of Sept. 30
 
Lorent Kryeziu, Tennis
Lorent Kryeziu was crucial to the Lions’ 5-2 victory over the McMaster Marauders on Saturday. The third-year player clinched the tie with a thrilling three-set singles victory, defeating Jake Morris 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 after being down by scores of 4-1 and 5-3 in the third set. He also secured the doubles point for the Lions, teaming with Dylan Shanmugadhasan to win 8-6 after the squads split the first two matches. The team win over the Marauders secured the Lions’ spot in the OUA team championships next weekend at Western University.

Zoe Smith, Rugby
Zoe Smith scored two tries to lead the Lions to a 48-12 victory over the Trent Excalibur on Friday night. The fourth-year winger got the team started by scoring her first try just four minutes into the contest, and she recorded her second in the second half that all but put the game away for the Lions. Throughout the game, she also made multiple big tackles on defence and had several steals, all while playing only 65 minutes before coming out of the game due to the lopsided score. Smith has scored four tries this season and is tied for 11th in the OUA with 20 points.

Week of Sept. 23
 
Myles Gibbon, Football
Myles Gibbon amassed 430 total yards and threw five touchdown passes to lead the Lions to a 50-34 victory over the Carleton Ravens on Saturday afternoon. The fifth-year quarterback was an efficient 21-28 for 368 passing yards and the five scoring majors in the air, and he also picked up another 62 yards on the ground on 13 carries. He completed passes to seven different receivers, did not throw an interception and was not sacked on the day. Gibbon is ranked fifth in the OUA, and first among quarterbacks, with 75.25 rushing yards per game and is also sixth in the conference with 230.75 passing yards per game.

Adeife Adekusibe, Soccer
Adeife Adekusibe scored two goals in two games to help the Lions to a 1-0-1 record this past weekend. In a 1-1 draw with the No. 9 Laurier Golden Hawks on Sunday afternoon, the second-year striker found the back of the net in injury time to give the Lions an important point in the OUA West standings. One day earlier, she scored the team’s second goal in the 35th minute in a 5-0 win over the Waterloo Warriors. Adekusibe has appeared in just three games and is tied for the team lead in scoring with two goals.

Week of Sept. 16
 
Errol Brooks, Football
Errol Brooks rushed for 193 yards on 20 carries, the highest single-game total in the OUA so far this year, in the Lions’ 41-27 loss to the No. 9 McMaster Marauders on Saturday. The first-year running back had several long runs: a 47-yard rush and a 16-yard run to set up the team’s first field goal, a 37-yard gain that set up the first touchdown and a 35-yard rush en route to the team’s second field goal. He also added 13 yards on one reception. Brooks’ average of 103 yards per game is the second-highest mark in the OUA and he is fifth overall in total rushing yards (309).

Sarah Fiorini, Soccer
Sarah Fiorini allowed one goal in two matches and made a game-saving stop against UOIT to lead the Lions to an unbeaten weekend. In the 89th minute of Sunday’s contest against the Ridgebacks, the fifth-year goalkeeper turned away a penalty strike to preserve a 1-1 draw that the Lions turned into a 2-1 win with an injury-time goal, their first victory of the season. She also earned a cleansheet in net on Friday night in a scoreless draw with the Marauders. Fiorini, a four-time OUA West all-star and CIS all-Canadian last season, has two shutouts this year and has made 16 saves in six games.

Week of Sept. 9
 
Myles Gibbon, Football
Myles Gibbon amassed 366 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns to lead the Lions to a 33-20 victory over the Laurier Golden Hawks on Saturday afternoon. The fifth-year quarterback went 14-for-28 for 211 yards and two touchdowns in the air, and also scrambled for 155 yards on 14 carries and scored one major on the ground. Gibbon’s 24-yard touchdown run gave the Lions their first lead of the game after going down by 15 early, and his rushing average of 104.5 yards per game is the best in the OUA.

Aisan Fazeli, Rugby
Aisan Fazeli was the player of the game on Sunday after leading the Lions to a dominating 38-0 victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues in their season opener. The fourth-year centre scored one try, York’s second of the game, 26 minutes into the first half on a long run. She also contributed a couple of other long runs on offence that set up other tries, and on defence contributed several big hits. Fazeli, who scored three tries last year, is tied for eighth in OUA scoring with five points.

Week of Sept. 3
 
Jonathan Lao, soccer
York midfielder Jonathan Lao scored four goals in two matches, including both game winners, as the Lions men’s soccer team began the 2013 season with a pair of victories over Windsor and Brock. In a season-opening 2-1 win over the Lancers, the rookie scored both Lions goals just six minutes apart, tying the contest in the 82^nd minute and then scoring the winner in the 88^th. Two days later, he netted the game’s first goal just six minutes in and added another in the 59^th minute as the Lions defeated the Badgers 8-0. After the first weekend of play, Lao leads the OUA in both goals (four) and shots (seven).