Men's Athlete of the Year Christian Zeppieri – Soccer	Complete List
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. The award also makes Zeppieri the first student-athlete in York's rich intercollegiate athletics history to win the men's athlete of the year award three times, only the second athlete ever to win an athlete of     the year award more than twice, and the first ever to do so consecutively.

 

Women's Athlete of the Year Kathryn Carlow – Field Hockey

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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. Carlow becomes the first field hockey player to win the women's athlete of the year award since Effie Petrou in 2010-11 and the 13th all-time.

         

Outstanding Men's Graduate Award Brandon Davies-Lyons – Football

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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 NDN Athletes Action, which, among other iniatives, runs a food drive to address 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.

Bryce M. Taylor Award Jewel Lew – Field Hockey

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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.

  

Charles Saundercook Memorial Trophy Abby Hicks – Women's Hockey

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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 Carmine Isacco – Men's Soccer

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Now a five-time winner of this award, Isacco led the Lions to their sixth national title, and fifth under his guidance, in 2025. York finished the regular season 9-1-2 and capped the year on a 10-game unbeaten streak to win its 18th consecutive division title under Isacco. Earning playoff victories over McMaster and Carleton, the Lions advanced to their 10th OUA championship in the last 11 seasons. Despite having to be content with a third straight silver medal, the Lions entered the U SPORTS championship and beat the AUS champion Dalhousie Tigers in the quarters before avenging their 2024 semi-final loss to the Montreal Carabins, the RSEQ champions, with a 2-0 win in a semi-final rematch to advance to the championship final, where they bested the Mount Royal Cougars by a 1-0 score on a penalty kick goal by men's athlete of the year Christian Zeppieri to win a snowy showdown and capture national gold for the first time since winning it all on home turf in 2015.

 

Men's Rookie of the Year Marco Sciortino – Soccer

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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.

 

Women's Rookie of the Year Ella Ciesielski – Field Hockey

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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.

 

Director's Award of Excellence Eric Ginzburg – Men's Swimming	Complete List
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.

 

Director's Award of Excellence Sophia Nong – Badminton

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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.

 

Most Valuable Players (as chosen by each team)

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 and Field – Brandon Choumbe Yami Women's Track and Field – Alexandra Quaidoo Men's Volleyball – Jasraj Nijjar Women's Volleyball – Alexis Miller Men's Wrestling – Samuel Awonuga Women's Wrestling – Mina Stewart

 

Sport Council Award Jewel Lew – Field Hockey

Complete List

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 in 2024-25, is the fourth member of the field hockey team to win it in as many years, and the sixth overall.

Most Improved Team Men's Volleyball

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Guided 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.

 

Spirit Cup  Sam Keane – Women's Hockey Superfan

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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.

 

Student Athletic Therapist of the Year Victoria Trapani – Women's Hockey

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Trapani is a member of the Lions women's soccer team and a kinesiology and health science student in the athletic therapy certificate program. She worked hands-on with varsity athletes both in the clinic and on the ice this season as one of two men's hockey student therapists. Through her placement at the York Sport Injury Clinic and her role supporting York Lions athletics, she has demonstrated exceptional care, professionalism, and commitment to rehabilitation and performance.

 

Lions Legacy Award 2025-26 Recipients

Complete List

Lions Legacy Awards are presented annually to the graduating student-athletes who have, throughout the undergraduate years, made outstanding contributions to varsity sport at York University. Leadership, dedication, enthusiasm and participation in all aspects of varsity sport will be considered qualifications for this award. All recipients will be nominees for the Outstanding Male Graduate Award or the Bryce M. Taylor Award. Alexandra Quaidoo – Women's Track & Field / Women's Soccer Sara McLennan – Women's Hockey Kiara Leveridge – Women's Basketball Bianca Jack – Women's Soccer Quincy Johnson – Women's Volleyball Alex Dorling – Men's Volleyball Jamie Crawford – Men's Track & Field

York awards not presented in 2025-26:

DIA Roar For Change Award

Roar Cup