CALGARY (U SPORTS) – Audrey Leduc, a sprinter from Université Laval, and Jonathan Sénécal, a football player from the Université de Montréal, are the Lois and Doug Mitchell Award winners as the U SPORTS Female and Male Athletes of the Year for the 2023-24 season. The laureates were announced Monday night in Calgary as the awards program celebrated its 31st edition, dating back to the launch of the Howard Mackie Awards in 1993.
All eight nominees – one female and male athlete from each of the four U SPORTS conferences – received a commemorative gold ring from Baron, the exclusive supplier of commemorative jewellery for U SPORTS. Leduc and Sénécal were also presented with a trophy and a $5,000 scholarship to attend a Canadian university graduate school.
The winners were selected by the Canadian Athletic Foundation, a not-for-profit board established to administer the Awards and protect the integrity of the selection process.
“We are so proud of the eight nominees this year. They are exceptional student-athletes and citizens,” said The Hon. Lois Mitchell, chair of the foundation board of trustees. “Audrey and Jonathan had outstanding seasons, demonstrating their adaptability to any condition they have faced on the field of competition and in the classroom. They are excellent recipients of the Lois and Doug Mitchell Awards.”
“On behalf of U SPORTS, I wish to congratulate Audrey and Jonathan on winning the Lois and Doug Mitchell Awards,” said Pierre Arsenault, U SPORTS CEO. “We had an exceptional group of nominees this year, with many national champions and athletes of the year winners in their sports. To be recognized like this is a wonderful accomplishment for Audrey and Jonathan, and we wish Audrey the best as she pursues her Olympic dream this summer.”
Leduc, who hails from Gatineau, Que., and is in her fourth year of U SPORTS eligibility, took home the Lois Mitchell Trophy, presented annually to the female winner, and is the third athlete from Laval to take home the national award, following volleyball player Marylène Laplante in 2006 and soccer player Arielle Roy-Petitclerc in 2017.
Sénécal, who completed his third year of eligibility, returns home with the Doug Mitchell Trophy. The Mirabel, Que., product is the second male athlete from the U de M to win national athlete-of-the-year honours, following soccer player Aboubacar Sissoko in 2020.
This is the third time that Québec has swept the national honours, following 1999 (Corinne Swirsky of Concordia, Alexandre Marchand of Sherbrooke) and 2012 (Ann-Sophie Bettez and Marc-André Dorion, both of McGill).
The other female finalists were UNB basketballer Jayda Veinot of Port Williams, N.S.; Brock volleyballer Sara Rohr of Milton, Ont., and UBC soccer player Katalin Tolnai of Toronto.
The other male nominees were UNB hockey player Austen Keating of Puslinch, Ont.; Guelph runner Max Davies of Toronto; and Alberta volleyballer Isaac Heslinga of Orangeville, Ont.
About U SPORTS
U SPORTS is the national brand for university sports in Canada. Every year, over 15,500 student-athletes and 700 coaches vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. U SPORTS also provides high performance international opportunities at FISU Winter and Summer World University Games, World University Championships, University World Cups and various educational initiatives.
U SPORTS works in collaboration with 57 members and four conferences as well as the Canadian sport system and Corporate Canada on the growth and delivery of university sport to student-athletes across the country.
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John Bower
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jbower@usports.ca