At the Warriors Athletics Banquet, the women’s basketball team won Team of the Year, while head coach Jessica Roque was awarded the Imprint Coach of the Year award. Track and Field stars, Hannah Blair and Immanuel Onyemah, took home both Athletes of the Year trophies.
In her second competitive season as head coach of women’s basketball, Roque beat out competitors curling coach Bridget Arnold, fencing head coach Paul Godin, and head coach of Nordic Skiing Lauren Denstedt to win Coach of the Year. The award honours a coach whose expertise and guidance helps their team excel throughout the season.
This year, the Warriors women’s basketball team achieved a 17-5 regular season and placed first in the OUA West — the best finish in the program’s history. The team also reached the OUA semifinals for the first time since 1986.
In honour of Roque, who couldn’t attend the ceremony, graduating player Meghan Sharp spoke about Roque’s incredible leadership and her role in developing her players both on and off the court.
The women’s basketball team also won Team of the Year.
Meanwhile, Track and Field swept the Athletes of the Year awards.
Blair won the 2023 Marsden Trophy for female athlete of the year for their second year straight, thanks to an exceptional season that included five gold medals at OUA meets and two national medals at the U SPORTS Championship. Blair was also named a U SPORTS second-team all-Canadian and an OUA first-team all-star this year.
Onyemah won the 2023 Totzke Trophy for male athlete of the year. This season, Onyemah was an OUA first-team all-star and U SPORTS second-team all-Canadian. Onyemah’s season featured a gold medal in the 60 meter OUA race and a national silver medal at the U SPORTS Championship, where he achieved his lifetime best time of 6.67 seconds.
WUSA Male Rookie of the Year was awarded to soccer player James Arango, while hockey player Kara Mark won WUSA Female Rookie of the Year.
