NEWS: Major Award Finalists Announced for Competitive Sport Clubs
Varsity Athletics will celebrate the 2021-2022 achievements by the Gee-Gees Competitive Sport Clubs with a banquet on Thursday, April 7 at Infinity Convention Centre, including the presentation of annual awards.
The Gee-Gees are proud to introduce the finalists for the major awards for the Competitive Sport Clubs for 2021-2022, each in alphabetical order within their categories. Winners will be announced on April 7, in addition to the recipients of the True Sport Award, and the team MVPs.
Athlete of the Year:
On the women's side there are three finalists: Rachel Jackson (golf), Arianne Lévesque (softball), Shilo Rousseau (Nordic ski)
Rachel Jackson, a fourth-year human kinetics student, was a member of the Gee-Gees bronze-medal winning team at the OUA Championships. She lead the team with a fourth place finish individually at the OUA event and was a top five finisher all season.
Shilo Rousseau, a third-year biology student, represented Canada at the Junior World Biathlon Championships after winning three individual events at the Canadian National Biathlon Championships. With the Gee-Gees, her results helped uOttawa place second overall at the Canadian Colleges and Universities National Championships.
Arianne Lévesque, a third-year criminology student, was named the OIWFA league's Top Hitter, sporting a .545 batting average in the regular season and a .595 on base percentage, along with four home runs. Also an exceptional defender at shortstop, Lévesque was a crucial part of the team's second consecutive OIWFA silver medal win.
For the men's teams, there are three finalists: Mathew Gaerke (volleyball), Cédric Hupé-Pageau (badminton), and Evan Symons (baseball)
Mathew Gaerke, a fifth-year finance student, is the graduating captain of the men's volleyball team. His consistency and positivity make him an excellent leader, while his .333 hitting percentage and 1.33 aces per set show his impact on the court.
Cédric Hupé-Pageau, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student, was named an OUA All-Star this season after his strong performance in both singles and doubles at the OUA Championships. His efforts helped the Gee-Gees to a fourth place finish overall. Nationally, Hupé-Pageau is ranked twelfth in Canada for men's singles.
Evan Symons, a fourth-year human kinetics student, posted one of the best offensive seasons in team history. He broke team records for batting average, hits, and doubles in the regular season and continued to perform in the playoffs where he led all batters in hits and doubles. Symons also won a championship in the Western Canadian Baseball League in 2021.
Award of Merit – Outstanding combination of Academics and Athletics:
The finalists for the Award of Merit from the women's teams are: Sierra Dobie (ringette), Kaitlyn Flear (softball), Bridie Hamilton (equestrian), and Zoe Pekos (Nordic ski).
Sierra Dobie is an assistant captain for the Gee-Gees and a leader of the defence. A third-year student in Psychology and Linguistics, she earned an Academic Merit Award for 2020-21 and is continuing to excel in 2021-22. Dobie is also a community advisor in residence, fostering a strong sense of belonging.
Kaitlyn Flear is a leader on and off the field for the softball team, starting every game in centre field and serving as lead-off hitter and the team's stolen base leader. A fourth-year student, Flear is completing her undergraduate thesis in biology and is presenting research at the Canadian Society of Zoology. Flear, who also coaches with the Napanee Express, was the Award of Merit winner in 2019-20.
Bridie Hamilton was co-captain of the equestrian team this season and was a True Sport Award recipient in 2020-21. After leading the team in points scored in her rookie season, Bridie continued to build her impact on the program's development. Academically, she graduated summa cum laude with an Honours BA majoring in Ethics & Political Philosophy, minoring in Communication following the fall term and has now begun a Master's in Bio/Tech Ethics and Science Policy at Duke University.
Zoe Pekos was a key member of the OUA gold medal-winning relay team and added a sixth place finish in the individual freestyle. A member of Canada's national development team in biathlon, Pekos is a strong contributor to the Nordic team's Ski Through School initiative which aims to reduce the dropout of women in sport between high school and university. A third-year biology student, Pekos maintained a 10.0 GPA in 2020-21.
The finalists for the Award of Merit from the men's teams are: Evan Coolidge (lacrosse), Michael Kanter (baseball), Jeremy Leigh (Nordic ski), and Julian Rogers (volleyball).
Evan Coolidge was a key leader for the lacrosse team this season and was selected as an All-Canadian at defence. A two-time Academic Merit Award recipient, Coolidge is in his second year of his Bachelor's of Education after graduating with an Honours BA in Human Kinetics. He is active as a volunteer coach in the lacrosse community, as well as coaching hockey and track and field in schools.
Michael Kanter was the baseball team president this season and has overseen many team projects while also leading the team's pitching staff on the field. An International Development and Globalization student, Kanter is also vice president of the uOttawa debate society and was selected to represent the university at the Debate World University Championships, and sits on the board of directors for the Toronto Foundation for Youth in Politics.
Jeremy Leigh is a second-year mechanical engineering student and member of the New Brunswick Cross Country Ski Provincial Team. A recipient of the Schulich Leaders Scholarship, Leigh received the Academic Merit Award for 2020-21 with a 10.0 GPA. A past Canada Games competitor in cross country and biathlon, he also competed in swimming.
Julian Rogers is the volleyball team's president and co-captain. A two-time Academic Merit Award recipient, Rogers is a fourth year economics student who models hard work and diligence for his teammates.
Gee-Gees Leadership and Initiative Award:
This award recognizes those who stand out as leaders within their club in terms of team management and administration, as well as their overall contribution to the student-experience of competitive sports clubs student-athletes. The finalists this year are: An Duong (Nordic ski), Caitlin Huss (equestrian), Alex St-Laurent (dance), Vanessa Tinlin (softball).
An Duong is a key member of the Nordic team executive and the women's team assistant captain. Her contributions have made an impact on both the organizational success of the program and the team spirit and welcoming atmosphere. A third-year Health Sciences student, she helps coordinate the team's Ski Through School initiative which promotes girls and women staying in sport, and the Stair Challenge team fundraising event.
Caitlin Huss was co-captain of the equestrian team this year and worked tirelessly to provide opportunities for her teammates. The fourth-year criminology student leant her organizational skills to a pre-season clinic including building a curriculum, and setting up on-campus training in the High Performance Centre, as well as Fall and Winter semester scrimmages and a team recognition dinner. Her ability to connect with her peers and lead team bonding was also extremely important to her club.
Alex St-Laurent is a co-captain of the dance team and oversees all aspects of the team. An understanding yet assertive leader who knows how to inspire her teammates, the third-year human kinetics student is pushing the team to achieve excellence. Her choreography work was awarded the adjudicator's choice award at the University Dance Challenge.
Vanessa Tinlin is the president of the softball team and played a key role in organizing all team activities. The fourth-year Faculty of Health Sciences student successfully planned the team's participation in the CCSA National Championships in Kelowna, BC and is a leader on the team in every possible way.
For a list of historical Gee-Gees Annual Award winners, please visit this page.