Finalists Announced for Gee-Gees Varsity Annual Awards
The 2022-2023 Gee-Gees Varsity season included many highlights and milestones and the teams will gather to celebrate on Friday, March 31 at the annual banquet, including the presentation of annual awards.
The Gee-Gees are proud to introduce the finalists for the major awards for the Varsity and Varsity Club teams for 2022-2023, each in alphabetical order within their categories. Winners will be announced on March 31 in addition to the recipients of the True Sport Award, Career Achievement Award, and the team MVPs.
TOP 8 NOMINEES FOR ATHLETES OF THE YEAR:
Aurélie Dubuc (hockey) – Dubuc set a career high with nine regular season wins and ranked second in the RSEQ in save percentage with a career-best .926 mark. Dubuc, a fourth-year human kinetics major from Trois-Rivières, Que., was a member of Canada's gold medal-winning team at the FISU World University Games, recording a 34-save win against USA.
Ketsia Kamba (rugby) – Kamba was named a Second Team All-Canadian and RSEQ First Team All-Star at lock after scoring eight tries in the regular season to rank third in RSEQ. The third-year Communications and Sociology student from Burlington scored two tries in the RSEQ playoffs and five more at the national championship tournament where she was named a tournament all-star as Ottawa captured the national bronze medal.
Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu (basketball) – returning for her fifth year in Garnet and Grey, Lefebvre-Okankwu was named a Second Team All-Canadian and an OUA First Team All-Star. She led the OUA and ranked second in U SPORTS with a field goal percentage of 57.5, and was top ten in the OUA in both scoring, 16.1 points, and rebounds, 8.1, per game.
Cassandra Provost (soccer) – in her second year of OUA play, Provost set a Gee-Gees team record for goals, 18, and points in the regular season and was the U SPORTS national goal scoring leader. The accounting student from Acton Vale, Que., was named the U SPORTS National Player of the Year, First Team All-Canadian, and OUA First Team All-Star and was the MVP of the national quarterfinal match, helping the OUA champions win national bronze.
Hugo Lemesle (swimming) – Lemesle stepped onto the U SPORTS podium for the second straight season, winning a silver medal in the 50 metre breaststroke and a bronze in the 200 breaststroke at nationals. At the RSEQ level the second-year finance student won a total of six medals including four gold, and was one of just two men's swimmers across the conference to win six medals. He established new team records in four events at nationals.
Guillaume Pépin (basketball) – Pépin set a career high in scoring with 15.9 points per game to lead the Gee-Gees this season and was named a U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian. The fourth-year marketing student from Montréal was named an OUA All-Star for the third time in his career and Pépin was instrumental in the team's OUA Championship victory, scoring a game-high 19 points.
James Peter (football) – A senior linebacker, Peter was the OUA leader in tackles with 7.3 per game, which also ranked tied for third in U SPORTS. The human kinetics student was named a U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian in addition to OUA First Team All-Star and was the Gee-Gees leader in tackles for the second straight season, helping to bring the team to the OUA semifinals.
Thomas Sénéchal-Becker (track and field) – The 2023 U SPORTS gold medallist in high jump, Sénéchal-Becker took over the Gee-Gees high jump records this season as a second-year. He first broke the record on February 10 now owns the seven best jumps in Gee-Gees history. He established the current team record of 2.17m at the OUA championships, where he earned the conference silver medal.
TOP 8 NOMINEES FOR PRESIDENT'S AWARDS:
Katerine Delev (soccer) – Delev completed her five years in Garnet and Grey this season as an OUA Champion for the second time and a U SPORTS bronze medallist. Now in her first year of a Bachelor's of Education degree, Delev was named on OUA First Team All-Star, a U SPORTS tournament all-star, and was the most valuable player in the national bronze medal match.
Claire Gallagher (rugby) – a fourth-year Health Sciences student, Gallagher was named a U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian as she led the Gee-Gees in points scored this season. A three-time Academic All-Canadian from Caledon, Ont., Gallagher was also named a U SPORTS tournament all-star and was the most valuable player in the national quarterfinal win.
Viki Harkness (hockey) – in her first season with the Garnet and Grey, Harkness made an impact on and off the ice. An assistant captain, she contributed four goals and seven assists to the Gee-Gees best-ever 16 win regular season. Harkness, from Berwick, Ont., is in her first year of a Bachelor's of Education degree.
Natsuki Szczokin (basketball) – a fourth-year criminology student from Barrie, Ont., Szczokin ranked second in the OUA in assists per game this season and was named an OUA Third Team All-Star. She also ranked seventh in the conference in three-point shooting and was second on the nationally ranked Gee-Gees in scoring with 11.5 points per game.
Jérôme Gravel (hockey) – a third year Droit Civil student, Gravel is a shut-down defenceman who played in every situation for the Gee-Gees, in particular going up against opponents' top lines. He notched one goal assist before a season-ending injury in November. Gravel, who hails from Chambord, Que., was an Academic All-Canadian in 2021-22.
Cole Newton (basketball) – a fourth-year Health Sciences student and two-time Academic All-Canadian, Newton was the Gee-Gees second leading scorer this season with 12.4 points per game. Playing over thirty minutes per game, the Fergus, Ont., product ranked sixth in the conference in minutes.
Daniel Oladejo (football) – a fourth-year management student, Oladejo was named an OUA Second Team All-Star in 2022 after leading the Gee-Gees in receiving yards and total receptions. A two-time Academic All-Canadian from Ottawa, Oladejo recorded three touchdowns to tie for the team lead.
Allen Zheng (swimming) – a fourth-year health sciences student, Zheng was a key contributor to the men's swimming team's national bronze medal. He recorded a fourth place finish while setting a team record in the 50m freestyle and added another team record in the 400m freestyle relay. At the RSEQ championships, Zheng was a five-time medallist including gold in two events. The Stittsville, Ont., product is a two-time Academic All-Canadian.
TOP 8 NOMINEES FOR ROOKIES OF THE YEAR:
Olivia Allen (soccer) – named a U SPORTS All-Rookie Team member, Allen recorded six goals and one assist for the Gee-Gees during the OUA regular season. A biomedical science student from Holland Landing, Ont., Allen also scored the game-winning goal for uOttawa in the gold medal match at the FISU Americas tournament.
Béatrice Bilodeau (hockey) – a member of the RSEQ All-Rookie Team, Bilodeau scored four goals and four assists during the regular season. The human kinetics student from Sainte-Marie, Que., played in all 25 regular season games and led the Gee-Gees rookies in points.
Mercedes Cole (rugby) – Cole was named the RSEQ Rookie of the Year for women's rugby after scoring eight tries in the regular season, ranking third in the conference. A psychology student from Ajax, Ont., Cole started five regular season games at wing and also started the conference semifinal.
Nicole Hildebrand (volleyball) – Hildebrand led the Gee-Gees in blocks per set and hitting percentage this season, making an impact from the middle. Overall, she averaged 1.5 points per set and recorded a total of 32 blocks in 56 sets played. Hildebrand is a human kinetics student from Steinbach, Man.
Charles Asselin (football) – an OUA All-Rookie Team member, Asselin led the Gee-Gees in return yards this season and was second on the team in all-purpose yards. The Economics and Public Policy student from Cantley, Que., ranked fifth in OUA in average yards for both punt returns and kickoff returns.
Jacques-Mélaine Guemeta (basketball) – an OUA All-Rookie Team member, Guemeta ranked sixth on the Gee-Gees in minutes per game, third on the team in three-point percentage, and tied first on the team in free-throw percentage. The civil engineering student from Douala, Cameroon averaged 7.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.
Grayson Ladd (hockey) – providing solid defensive play throughout the season, Ladd was a presence on the Gee-Gees blueline. He tied for third among Gee-Gees defencemen with three goals and six assists in 22 regular season games played, with only six penalty minutes. Ladd is an interdisciplinary studies student from Kent Bridge, Ont.
TOP 4 NOMINEES FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARD:
Portia Cooper (volleyball) – a Student-Athlete Council team representative, Cooper also volunteers with the Ottawa Food Bank, both as an ambassador and as a Community Harvest worker. She has experience as a respite worker providing care and companionship to an individual with developmental disabilities and has also worked as a resident care aide in a nursing home.
Trinity Esprit (soccer) – An event coordinator with the Black Student-Athletes Advocacy Council, Esprit has also been a uOttawa Wellness Ambassador and has organized community service projects at local community centres. She has experience as a daycare worker and as a coach with Moredale Soccer Club, and has instilled a snse of social responsibility in her teammates.
Ngozi Mosindi (rugby) – Mosindi was the recipient of the RSEQ Leadership and Community Engagement Award for women's rugby in 2023, recognizing her work in the community. A member of the Gee-Gees Task Force for Equity and Diversity, Mosindi helped to organize workshops for grade 12 leadership students, planned and executed development sessions with the rugby team at Heritage College, and hosted a three-part Black Women in Sport Speaker series. Since the season she has been active in supporting the Gee-Gees Rugby Academy. She also provides support for incoming recruits and rookie team members.
Daniel Oladejo (football) – A member of the Black Student-Athletes Advocacy Council since its inception in 2020, Oladejo was co-president this season and enhanced the council's reach by creating the Black with BSAAC podcast. Oladejo has also been a member of the uOttawa Sports Business Club, and held the role of student mentor. A member of the football team's leadership committee, he has also volunteered with The Big Give Ottawa.