Kwabena-Nana Gyimah and Ben Maracle earn OUA Major Awards as conference announces All-Stars

Kwabena-Nana Gyimah and Ben Maracle led the way for the Garnet and Grey as OUA Major Award winners for 2024 as the conference announced its All-Stars and award honourees on Thursday. In total, eight members of the Gee-Gees were recognized by the conference.

Kwabena-Nana Gyimah is the recipient of the 2024 OUA Champions of EDI Award. Gyimah is a fourth-year Marketing student in his third year of eligibility. From his first season in 2021 he has been an impactful member of the Gee-Gees community, and he now holds a well-established leadership role supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion in multiple forums. 

Co-President of the uOttawa Black Student-Athlete Advocacy Council (BSAAC), Gyimah has been a driving force behind the annual Black Excellence Gala, fundraising efforts for the BIPOC Student-Athlete Scholarship, the Level Up community program, BSAAC Connect, and the first ever Ottawa Black Grad.

The Hamilton, Ont., product is also working as a member of Ottawa's Black Coalition and has visited Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre and acted as a mentor for the young men in the community as part of the Brotherhood Mentoring Program.

Ben Maracle was named the OUA Russ Jackson Award winner, recognizing his combination of academic achievement, football performance, and devoted citizenship. A two-time Academic All-Canadian, Maracle started a Master's program in Experimental Psychology in fall of 2024 after graduating with a joint Bachelor's degree in Indigenous Studies and Psychology in spring of 2024.

Maracle, who totalled 511 passing yards and two passing touchdowns in a 2024 season which featured more injuries for the veteran quarterback, has built an off-field resume of community involvement which now sees him involved with four different organizations each year, including  the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, Akwesasne Mohawk Reserve, the Toronto Argonauts, and the Ottawa RedBlacks. 

Maracle's involvement is a result of his desire to provide Indigenous kids with the opportunity to see themselves in higher level sports and he has worked to ensure that the camps he works with place a high value on the inclusion of cultural teachings so that the kids can see that their culture is important and respected by the CFL teams.

Five Gee-Gees were named to the OUA All-Star teams, led by running back Charles Asselin who was named a First Team All-Star. Asselin was second in OUA with an average of 101.1 rushing yards per game in his third season. He recorded eight rushing touchdowns, also second in the league, and led the league in total carries (138) and total yards (809). His 809 yard total ranks fifth in the Gee-Gees team record book.

Helping Asselin into the record book was offensive tackle Tristan Fortin, who was named to the OUA Second Team of All-Stars for the second time in his career. Free safety Kevin Victome becomes a three-time All-Star and is joined on the Second Team by his defensive teammates in the backfield Patrick Cumberbatch and Denny Ferdinand.

Victome had a career-high 3.9 tackles per game in his fifth season and added a forced fumble, two pass breakups, a blocked kick, and an interception. Ferdinand and Cumberbatch, both third-year players, each had two interceptions to tie for the team lead, and both are first-time OUA All-Stars. Cumberbatch also recorded six pass breakups which tied for third in OUA.

Receiver Romeo Lussier was selected to the All-Rookie team after collecting 199 receiving yards in six games played, ranking third on the Garnet and Grey in total yards. An environmental studies student from Gatineau, Que., Lussier tied for the team lead with two touchdowns via the pass.