Lancer standouts Madelyn Eybergen and Markus Law-Heese were awarded the Banner and Olympic Shields as the University of Windsor Athletes of the Year at the Windsor Lancers annual Evening of Excellence on Wednesday at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts.
 
It was a remarkable year on the track and course for Eybergen as she excelled in both cross country and track & field. As a former high jumper, her transition to distance running has been remarkable and full of accomplishments.
 
In cross country, Madelyn won the OUA Championship gold medal to earn first-team all-star status. At the U SPORTS Championships, she earned a bronze medal and first-team all-Canadian status. She also won a few meets throughout the regular season and made an immediate impact on the Lancer cross country team.
 
For track & field, she was an OUA first-team all-star for winning gold in the women's 3000m at the OUA Championships in Windsor and a U SPORTS first-team all-Canadian for taking the gold in the 3000m at the U SPORTS National Championships. Madelyn also won the bronze medal at U SPORTS in the 1500m as well as many other accolades throughout the regular season.
 
On the men's side, it was an incredible year for Markus Law-Heese on the volleyball court. His leadership and prowess on the offensive and defensive side of the sport helped lead the Lancers to a silver medal in the OUA and a sixth-place finish in the country.
 
Law-Heese was named OUA Player of the Year, an OUA first-team all-star, and a U SPORTS first-team all-Canadian.
 
Averaging 9.6 assists per set, 2.15 digs per set, a total of 17 service aces, and 720 assists during the regular season, Markus had an impressive year with his statistics in the top 10 in the province in many categories.
 
The DeMarco Awards, presented annually to the top female and male students that best combine academic achievement with athletic prowess, went to Mandy Brunet from women's track & field and Ben Tilson from men's track & field.
 
The Eddi Chittaro Assistant Coach of the Year award went to Tina Sharman from track & field and Will Alexander from men's volleyball, while the University of Windsor Gino Fracas Coach of the Year Award was presented to James Gravelle from men's volleyball.
 
It was truly a season to remember on the field for head coach James Gravelle and his men's volleyball program as he helped guide the Lancers to their first nationals match win ever. Gravelle was also named OUA Coach of the Year for the second time in the past three years.
 
Coach Gravelle's strong leadership and guidance got the best out of his Lancer squad this season, as he led them to a 18-2 conference record, a top 10 ranking in Canada, a second-place overall finish in the OUA, and a sixth-place overall finish in the country.
 
The Captain's Trophy, awarded to a male and female captain who demonstrate outstanding leadership both on and off the field while also making a significant contribution to the overall success of their team, went to Maggie Peterson from women's hockey, and Jarrod Smith from golf.
 
The female rookie of the year award went to Jayde Melhuish-McGahan from softball, while Tristan Miscia from track & field won the male rookie of the year. Both recipients had outstanding rookie campaigns.
 
The Super Sophomore awards were presented to Danika Scharff from women's volleyball, Mikayla May from track & field, Ty Toews from men's hockey, and Ahmad Taylor from football.
 
The "A" Award, marking major contributions to Lancer Athletics, went to Barry Amlin. This year's Richard Peddie Award was presented to Dr. Robert Gordon, while the Moriarty academic team of the year was the women's track & field team, and the IG Cup was awarded to the women's volleyball team.