Outstanding Male Graduate Award Kaleb Dahlgren, Hockey

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The personification of positivity, Dahlgren has left an indelible mark on the York community in his three years as a Lion. He has been a very engaged member of the York Sport Council throughout his career and was part of BIVSAA this year, as well as previously serving as a regular volunteer at Hockey HEROS skates and the Shoreham school clinics. He is a Type 1 diabetic and set up his own foundation called Dahlgren's Diabeauties to connect with children who have Type 1 diabetes, running annual events for his foundation while at York. He has also helped other schools within the OUA host diabetes awareness events and is a Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) ambassador. Dahlgren never got to step on the ice in a game due to a lack of medical clearance, but he remained an active participant in all team activities and took on a leadership role in recruiting future Lions. He has also excelled in the classroom, earning U SPORTS academic all-Canadian honours in each of his years while completing his degree in commerce.

     

Bryce M. Taylor Award Monique Simon-Tucker, Track & Field

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A track and field team captain, Simon-Tucker led in multiple different ways throughout her five-year career with the Lions. She has medalled in multiple events on the track, taking home silver in the 60m and the bronze as a member of the 4x200m relay team. She was also an OUA second-team all-star in 2019-20 and has competed at two national championships. Away from the track, Simon-Tucker is heavily involved as a proponent for BIPOC rights. She is the co-founder and co-president of BIVSAA, is a member of the executive team for the York Sport Council, serves as the community navigator coordinator for the York University social work student's association, and is a program developer for One Kenton Place. She also previously travelled to the Dominican Republic to build houses and teach English to primary school students. She will graduate with her degree in social work.

 

Lions Legacy Awards Kaleb Dahlgren (Hockey), Teni Odetoyinbo (Soccer), Lauren Dubie (Hockey), Monique Simon-Tucker (Track & Field)	Complete List

 

Charles Saundercook Memorial Trophy Kaleb Dahlgren, Men's Hockey

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A Type 1 diabetic from the age of four, Dahlgren has needed perseverance his entire life to remain in the game he loves. Then, he became a survivor of one of the most infamous disasters in Canadian history, the Humboldt Broncos bus accident. He spent three years here at York while recovering from a severe brain injury that prevented him from receiving medical clearance to play, but is still an active member of the men's hockey team. He has worked hard to overcome the physical, emotional, and mental challenges that have come with surviving a traumatic incident and will graduate as a three-time U SPORTS academic all-Canadian with a degree in commerce. He recently completed a memoir, Crossroads, that has been nationally published and has received critical acclaim.

   

Sport Council Award Lauren Dubie (Women's Hockey) and Lauren Walter (Women's Rugby)	Complete List

 

BIVSAA Roar for Change Award Teni Odetoyinbo (Women's Soccer) and Monique Simon-Tucker (Women's Track & Field)

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Creating BIVSAA took tremendous planning and execution and Odetoyinbo and Simon-Tucker were both extremely dedicated and diligent in their efforts to bring the alliance to life. Among their many accomplishments this year, they organized a Black Speaker Series to give Black leaders a space to speak to community members, and a Black Spotlight Series to enable the Athletics & Recreation Department to feature the impressive achievements of prominent Black Lions student-athletes and coaches. They have also been involved in a number of other department initiatives.

 

Roar Cup Women's Hockey	Complete List
Top 3: Women's Hockey, Field Hockey, Women's Volleyball

 

Student Athletic Therapist of the Year Skyler Moss

 

Spirit Cup Sam Eyles-Frayne, Emerson Morassutti and Mike Larocque (Strength & Conditioning Coaches)

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With the transition to Zoom workouts, Eyles-Frayne, Morassutti and Larocque had to adapt their training methods to be compatible with online webchat platforms and direct the athletes effectively while managing the rigours of Zoom fatigue. This included delivering equipment to athletes at home so they could continue working out, running regular Zoom sessions for many of the teams and creating a number of workout videos for athletes to reference from home. Through it all, they kept the sessions challenging but fun and have worked hard to keep our Lions student-athletes engaged, no easy feat when they have been spread out across the country. They also had to refine their methods for outdoor training when the pandemic restrictions allowed it for a short time last summer, but have largely operated online with continuous facility shutdowns in the City of Toronto. The extra work from this year benefitted Lions student-athletes heavily – it restored their purpose during turbulent times, and kept them physically ready for what will come next. Our Lions coaches and student-athletes are very grateful for their efforts under the most difficult of circumstances.

 

York awards not presented in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic:

Male Athlete of the Year

Female Athlete of the Year

Coach of the Year

Male Rookie of the Year

Female Rookie of the Year

Most Improved Team