Windsor Lancer standouts Gustavo Siqueira and Isabella Goveia were awarded the Olympic and Banner Shields as the University of Windsor Athletes of the Year at the Windsor Lancers annual Evening of Excellence at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts on Wednesday, April 1.
 
OLYMPIC SHIELD - GUSTAVO SIQUEIRA (Volleyball)
It was a sensational senior year on the court for Gustavo Siqueira as he elevated his game to another level to solidify his place as one of the top hitters in the entire country.
 
Named an OUA first-team all-star, Siqueira ranked third in the OUA and fifth in U SPORTS with 3.63 kills per set, while also finishing fifth in the OUA in hitting percentage. He consistently provided offensive firepower for the Lancers as they finished the season with an all-time best 18-2 record and a berth in their second consecutive Forsyth Cup.
 
At home for the U SPORTS Men's Volleyball Championship, Siqueira had a massive weekend, putting up 40 kills across three matches. He was named a U SPORTS tournament all-star, the first in program history as the Lancers earned their best-ever national tournament finish.
 
BANNER SHIELD - ISABELLA GOVEIA (Track & Field)
It was a truly an incredible year for Isabella Goveia as she established herself as one of the premier distance runners in the country.
 
At the OUA provincial championships, she captured a gold medal, two silvers, and a bronze in what was an incredible individual performance. At the U SPORTS Track & Field Championships, she took it to another level, as she won two national gold medals and two bronze medals, and was a key contributor to the Lancer women's national bronze medal finish.
 
Goveia etched her name in the Lancer history books this year as she broke two all-time school records in the 600m and 1000m.
 
She broke the 1000m school record twice, which was previously held by Lancer great Melissa Bishop, first breaking the record at the Can Am Invitational and then breaking her own record again at the U SPORTS championships.

DEMARCO AWARDS
The DeMarco Awards, presented annually to the top female and male students that best combine academic achievement with athletic prowess, went to Ethan John from football and Kali Grootenboer from the women's basketball team.

Grootenboer had a tremendous impact on the Lancers first-place finish in the OUA West division, as she was one of the few players in Canada to a double-double this season, averaging 16.1 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, including a double-double streak of 12 games. She was named an OUA first-team all-star. Her 55.2% field goal percentage was the best mark in the OUA and third in U SPORTS. She supports her teammates, ensures that deadlines are met, and demonstrates a strong work ethic and accountability. Her personality brings energy, warmth, and positivity to the team every day, creating an environment for teammates of all ages to thrive and feel comfortable in.

 John was named an OUA second-team all-star while leading the Lancers in tackles and special teams tackles, ranking fourth in the OUA. He is the heartbeat of the Lancer defence, having led the team in tackles for three consecutive seasons. He has cemented himself as a premier defensive player in the league. Off the field, John is a three-time academic All-Canadian, earning a 95% average in Honours Social Science. He demonstrates discipline, focus, and commitment to his studies. His character and work ethics allows him to excel both in the classroom and on the field.

EDDI CHITTARO FEMALE ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR - SYDNEY PATTISON (CROSS COUNTRY)
Pattison has been a crucial part of the women's cross country team since joining on the staff. This season, the women's cross country team improved from seventh to second place at the OUA Championships under her guidance. This silver medal is the fourth in program history. She trained three OUA all-stars and a U SPORTS All-Canadian. She has stepped in as assistant coach and also recruits local athletes, runs the team social media, and also coaches track and field.

EDDI CHITTARO MALE ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR - JIMMY EL-TURK (VOLLEYBALL)
El-Turk has been instrumental in getting the men's volleyball team to the Forsyth Cup and the national stage in back-to-back seasons. He led the work on team blocking and defence, which were a massive difference-maker to allow the Lancers to level up their play and cement themselves as a top-tier team in U SPORTS. The blue and gold led the OUA with 2.20 total blocks per set this season, and their 10.44 digs per set were fifth in the province. Six top recruits for next season were signed with the help of Jimmy, who has been key to the team's recruiting efforts, scouting, and relationship building.

GINO FRACAS COACH OF THE YEAR - KEVIN HAMLIN (MEN'S HOCKEY)
Lancer men's hockey had a tremendous season under Coach Hamlin, as he led his team to a first-place finish in the OUA West Division, an OUA silver medal and fourth place at the U SPORTS Championship.
 
In the regular season, the Blue and Gold finished with an 18-7-3 record, clinching first place in the OUA West division and a top 10 ranking in Canada. The Lancers swept their way past Guelph and TMU in the playoffs en route to hosting the Queen's Cup for the second time in four years.
 
At nationals, the Lancers beat Mount Royal in the quarterfinals to earn their first national semifinal berth in the current tournament format. The team would end up with a fourth-place finish in Canada this season.
 
FEMALE CAPTAIN'S TROPHY - JOELLE OLLA (CROSS COUNTRY)
Olla took a major step forward this season to propel the cross country team to an OUA silver medal, and ranking as high as fifth nationally during the season. She was also named an OUA all-star in a season that included sixth place individually at Notre Dame for a first-place team finish and fourth place at McMaster. Her team-first approach helped other Lancers elevate their performances. Away from the course, she organized volunteer opportunities in the community including the Thrill on the Hill high school race, Run 519 charity run, and the Terry Fox memorial run. Joelle has had a major impact on the team culture that will continue far beyond her time with the blue and gold.

MALE CAPTAIN'S TROPHY - MATT MCNAMARA (HOCKEY)
The captain of the men's hockey team, McNamara is an academic All-Canadian and his leads many of the Lancer off-ice initiatives. He is the team's community liaison, which includes delivering the Lancers Against Bullying program to elementary schools across Windsor-Essex County. His impact expands far beyond the local community, as he also played a role in the team's partnership with Indigenous communities in Western Canada to help rebuild homes following the 2022 fires and floods. On the ice, McNamara scored seven goals and added 14 assists for 21 points in all 28 regular season games, leading the Lancers to a first-place finish in the OUA West division. Despite playing heavy minutes against top competition, Matt recorded only 12 penalty minutes, maintaining exceptional discipline. He had three points in five OUA playoff games and one point at nationals.
 
ROOKIES OF THE YEAR
Lerissa Stevenson (women's hockey) made an immediate impact to the Lancer lineup as she was named the OUA West Rookie of the Year. Playing in all 26 games this season, she had 14 points with four goals and ten assists, which ranked fourth on the team and most among rookies, and came in clutch with two game-winning goals. Her ability to excel in all situations allowed her to put up the most points by any OUA West division rookie. Stevenson finished the season on the first line after working her way up the lineup and saw time on both the power play, penalty kill, and in overtime.

Colton Smith (men's hockey) had a tremendous rookie season, being named the OUA West division Rookie of the Year and the U SPORTS Clare Drake Award for co-rookie of the year in men's hockey. He scored 21 goals this season, tying for first in the OUA and third in the nation. His 29 points tied for third on the Lancers, and he added five points in five OUA playoff games. His offensive contributions to the Lancers helped the team earn an OUA silver medal and fourth-place finish at U SPORTS, the program's second-highest finish ever.

SUPER SOPHOMORE AWARDS
The Super Sophomore awards were presented to Ella Heredi from track & field, and Tristen Miscia from track & field.

Heredi qualified for U SPORTS in her second season with the track and field team and was a major contributor to the OUA and U SPORTS gold medal-winning 4x800m relay team. She was named an OUA all-star and U SPORTS All-Canadian. She earned a spot in the Lancer all-time top-10 in the 600m, 1000m, and 4x800m. Individually, she placed 5th at OUA in the 600m and 11th at U SPORTS. As part of the 4x800m team, their national gold-medal winning race saw them finish just .01 seconds off the school record.

Miscia followed up a strong rookie season with a fantastic sophomore campaign, winning the heptathlon at the OUA Championships and earning silver at U SPORTS, breaking the Lancer record in the event at nationals with a score of 5281 points, which also ranked fourth all-time on the national stage. He also PB'ed in four of the seven heptathlon events en route to setting this record.
 
"A" AWARDS
Justin Kelly-Boxe & Marian Doll

RICHARD PEDDIE AWARD 
Sandra Ondracka

MORIARTY ACADEMIC TEAM OF THE YEAR
Women's Volleyball

IG CUP 
Men's Hockey

TEAM MVPs
Baseball - Justin Kelly-Boxe
Men's Basketball - Luke Grace
Women's Basketball - Kali Grootenboer
Men's Cross Country - Jacob Fitzpatrick
Women's Cross Country - Samara Quanz
Men's Curling - Codie Harris
Women's Curling - Leah Reid
Football - Brady Lidster
Men's Golf - Alek Mauro
Women's Golf - Ella Harris
Men's Hockey - Keegan McMullen
Women's Hockey - Keana McKibbin
Men's Soccer - Nico Fontecha
Women's Soccer - Izzy Barrette
Softball - Emma Hanley
Men's Track & Field - AJ Stanat & Noah Costa
Women's Track & Field - Isabella Goveia
Men's Volleyball - Markus Law-Heese
Women's Volleyball - Aliah Admans