Male Athlete of the Year Daniel Gleason, Track & Field	Complete List
Gleason capped his varsity career by reaching the top of the podium at both the conference and national championships, winning gold medals in the pole vault at both meets. He earned U SPORTS first-team all-Canadian and OUA first-team all-star honours for his efforts, and his 10 points scored helped the Lions win the OUA team bronze medal, their best result since 2015, and finish fourth in the country for the first time since 2016.

 

Female Athlete of the Year Teni Odetoyinbo, Soccer

Complete List

Odetoyinbo was the best player on the OUA’s best team, earning the West Division most valuable player award and then leading the Lions to the OUA championship, their first since 2009. She started all 14 games at centre back and was the anchor of a strong defensive unit that allowed only eight goals in the regular season. She earned U SPORTS first-team all-Canadian and OUA West first-team all-star honours as the Lions lost just once in the regular season and reach the national tournament for the first time in 10 years.

         

Outstanding Male Graduate Award Jacob Janke, Football

Complete List

Janke received one of the most prestigious U SPORTS awards this season when he won the Russ Jackson Award, given to the football player who best exemplifies the attributes of academic achievement, football skill and citizenship. On the field, the three-time team captain achieved OUA first-team all-star and U SPORTS second-team all-Canadian honours after a dominant season at free safety. Beyond the sidelines, he is a co-founder of Tiny Strides, a non-profit organization that he and three teammates launched to service underprivileged youth in the community. The grassroots organization offers financial assistance for registration fees and equipment, in addition to providing a mentorship program where he serves as a relatable role model for children. In the classroom, Janke will graduate with a degree in commerce and has already held three summer internships at the Bay Street firm Waypoint Investment Partners, where he has served as a public equity analyst. He was selected by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 2019 CFL Draft and will first chase his professional dreams before beginning a career in finance.

     

Bryce M. Taylor Award Tara Leithead, Volleyball

Complete List

Leithead is a tremendous Lions leader and involved in many aspects of varsity life at York. As the president of the York Sport Council, she has been instrumental in the organization and execution of many community service initiatives, including LeadHERS, Relay for Life and the Shoreham sport clinics, among others. She also planned the Lions 4 Lions events and the team’s Dig for a Cure fundraiser. Known as the “mother hen” of the women’s volleyball team, Leithead has been a key role player for the squad throughout her five years while playing three different positions. In the classroom, she is completing a double major in education and social work, both of which have required placements, most recently with the Toronto District School Board and the Children’s Aid Society, and she is a three-time academic all-Canadian. Leithead balances the heavy academic and athletic load with a part-time job at the front desk at Tait and as an assistant coach for a club volleyball team in Scarborough.

 

Lions Legacy Awards Jack Goranson (Hockey), Placide Ilunga (Track & Field), Jacob Janke (Football), Tara Leithead (Volleyball), Erin Locke (Hockey)	Complete List

 

Charles Saundercook Memorial Trophy Katrina Collins-Samuels, Women's Basketball

Complete List

Collins-Samuels has battled a myriad of injuries throughout her career but still managed to excel on the court, earning OUA all-rookie team honours in 2016 and the team MVP award in 2019. Her struggles began in high school, when she tore her ACL and medial and lateral meniscus in her final season and came to York as a student only, eventually joining the Lions the following year when she made the team as a walk-on. In the five years since, she had another knee injury that required surgery, developed an anterior hip impingement, had an emergency appendectomy and ultimately was diagnosed with arthritis in her knee that required a cortisone shot so she could play. Along the way, Collins-Samuels missed just seven total games and led a resurgence in the program as the Lions have now made the playoffs in four straight years. She will graduate this spring to become the first member of her family to receive a post-secondary degree.

 

Coach of the Year Dan Church, Women's Hockey

Complete List

Church led a massive resurgence for the Lions, guiding the team to third place in the OUA standings and a playoff berth for the first time in eight years. The squad finished second in the OUA in goals scored and fifth in goals allowed and went 4-1 in the OUA playoffs to win the silver medal, York’s best result since 1999. The result qualified the Lions for the U SPORTS championships for the first time in program history, where he was a tremendous leader in the face of heartbreak as the tournament was cancelled before the team played a game.

 

Male Rookie of the Year Jaxon Hume, Football / Track & Field	Complete List
Hume’s strong rookie campaign began on the gridiron, where he earned OUA all-rookie team honours after finishing second in kick-off return yardage and eighth in punt return yardage. In the winter he turned his attention to the track, where he competed at the OUA and U SPORTS championships and helped the Lions win a team bronze medal at the OUA meet and finish fourth at the national meet.

 

Female Rookie of the Year Brea Rodgers, Wresting	Complete List
Rodgers was named the OUA’s rookie of the year after winning the silver medal in her weight class at the conference championships, where her only loss came against a fifth-year veteran. She also earned OUA second-team all-star honours and went on to finish fourth at the U SPORTS championships while helping the Lions stay among the nation’s top 10 throughout the season.

 

Most Valuable Players (as chosen by each team)

Men's Basketball – Prince Kamunga Women's Basketball – Lauren Golding Cross Country – Carmen Krawczynski Gonzalez Field Hockey – Frankie St. Louis Football – Jacob Janke Men's Hockey – Scott Feser Women's Hockey – Taylor Davison Rugby – Michela Stratton Men's Soccer – Francesco Sinopoli Women's Soccer – Teni Odetoyinbo Men's Tennis – Tegbir Hara Women's Tennis – Claudia Poluga Men's Track and Field – Daniel Gleason Women's Track and Field – Zakiya Tavernier Men's Volleyball – Andrew Shotbolt Women's Volleyball – Sarah Williams Men's Wrestling – Paul Nguyen Women's Wrestling – Bailey Agard

 

Most Improved Team Women's Hockey

Complete List

The women’s hockey Lions had one of the most impressive turnarounds in York sport history. After seven straight seasons missing the playoffs, the Lions finished third in the OUA standings, won the OUA silver medal and qualified for the U SPORTS championship for the first time in program history. The Lions began the year with a 6-1 record and went on to finish the season with six more wins and 13 more points than the previous year. They went 4-1 in the OUA playoffs, sweeping their opponents in the first two rounds before a narrow loss in the final. Their appearance in the McCaw Cup championship game was the team’s first since 1999 and the squad was ranked among the national top 10 throughout the season, reaching as high as No. 6.

 

Sport Council Award Avery Reeves, Women's Hockey	Complete List
Reeves is a member of the Sport Council executive team and oversees the development and execution of Rising Stars and other community initiatives while also volunteering as much as possible for Lions for Lions events. She is also a forward on the Lions women’s hockey team and served as an alternate captain in each of the last two years.

 

Roar Cup Women's Hockey	Complete List
The women’s hockey team won the Roar Cup for the third straight year and the fifth time since the inception of the award in 2011. All teams accumulate points in four categories: community outreach, attendance at Lions events and athletic and academic achievements. This year, the women’s hockey team finished just ahead of the women’s volleyball team in a very close race.

 

Student Athletic Therapist of the Year Arshpreet Deol, Football / Women's Hockey

Deol worked with two Lions teams this season and showed a level of commitment that has surpassed many. He began with the football program and then transitioned to the women’s hockey team for the winter semester, stepping in for a classmate who could no longer continue. He is a very thorough student therapist with an excellent skill set for being so new to the profession. His time management is outstanding as well as his ability to take initiative when appropriate. He went above and beyond throughout the year and he is extremely hard-working and dedicated.

 

Spirit Cup Women's Hockey

Complete List

After a remarkable run through the OUA regular season and playoffs, the Lions headed to Charlottetown for their first U SPORTS championship appearance in program history but saw their season come to an abrupt end before they got to play a game after the tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19. Despite the devastating end, each player and coach handled the disappointment with the grace the team has become known for, and made all fans proud to support the program. Throughout the year, the team’s success on the ice and contributions away from it made them an easy team to cheer for.