Lois and Doug Mitchell U Sports Athletes of the Year Awards

Last updated
Lois and Doug Mitchell Awards
Lieutenant Governor Athletic Awards Logo.png
League U Sports
SponsorMakadiff Sports
First awarded1993 to Diane Scott and Andy Cameron
Most recent2024 to Audrey Leduc and Jonathan Sénécal
Website usports.ca/en/awards/athletes-of-the-year

The Lois and Doug Mitchell U Sports Athletes of the Year Awards, formerly known as the Lieutenant Governor Athletic Awards, Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG) Awards, and Howard, Mackie Awards, are given annually to top male and female athletes in Canadian universities that are members of U Sports. Each of the 56 member schools nominate a female and male athlete of the year which are further narrowed down to representatives from each of the four athletics conference of U Sports (Atlantic University Sport, Canada West Universities Athletic Association, Ontario University Athletics, and Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec). [1] The eight nominees each receive a commemorative durilium ring and the two winners receive $10,000 post-graduate scholarships and are awarded the Doug and Lois Mitchell Trophy. [1] [2] The nominees must have participated in their sport for at least two years and cannot win the award more than once. [1]

Contents

History

The awards were founded in 1993 by Douglas Mitchell who wanted to provide more recognition for Canadian university athletes. [3] They were initially named after Mitchell's law firm Howard, Mackie in Calgary, Alberta. After a merger of law firms in 2000, the awards were renamed the BLG Awards after the new law firm Borden Ladner Gervais. [1] The awards were further rebranded as the Lieutenant Governor Athletic Awards in 2019 while continuing to be championed by Mitchell and his wife, Lois Mitchell, the 18th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. [4] The women's winner was awarded the Jim Thompson Trophy as of 2003 and the men's winner was awarded the Doug Mitchell Trophy as of 2009. [1] Starting in 2020, both winners are awarded Doug & Lois Mitchell Trophies while the Jim Thompson Trophy is now given to a distinguished alumni beginning in 2021. [1] The awards were rebranded again in 2021 as the Lois and Doug Mitchell U Sports Athletes of the Year Awards. [5]

List of past winners

YearFemaleMale
AthleteSportSchoolAthleteSportSchool
1992-93 [1] Diane Scott Volleyball University of Winnipeg Andy Cameron Volleyball University of Calgary
1993-94 [1] Sandra Carroll Basketball University of Winnipeg Tim Tindale Football University of Western Ontario
1994-95 [1] Linda Thyer Track and field McGill University Bill Kubas Football Wilfrid Laurier University
1995-96 [1] Justine Ellison Basketball University of Toronto Don Blair Football University of Calgary
1996-97 [1] Terri-Lee Johannesson Basketball University of Manitoba Curtis Myden Swimming University of Calgary
1997-98 [1] Foy Williams Track and field University of Toronto Titus Channer Basketball McMaster University
1998-99 [1] Corinne Swirsky Ice hockey Concordia University Alexandre Marchand Track and field Université de Sherbrooke
1999-2000 [1] Jenny Cartmell Volleyball University of Alberta Michael Potts Soccer University of Western Ontario
2000-01 [1] Leighann Doan-Reimer Basketball University of Calgary Kojo Aidoo Football McMaster University
2001-02 [1] Elizabeth Warden Swimming University of Toronto Brian Johns Swimming University of British Columbia
2002-03 [1] [6] Kim St. Pierre Ice hockey McGill University Ryan McKenzie Track and field University of Windsor
2003-04 [1] Joanna Niemczewska Volleyball University of Calgary Adam Ens Volleyball University of Saskatchewan
2004-05 [1] Adrienne Power Track and field Dalhousie University Jesse Lumsden Football McMaster University
2005-06 [1] Marylène Laplante Volleyball Université Laval Osvaldo Jeanty Basketball Carleton University
2006-07 [1] Jessica Zelinka Track and field University of Calgary Josh Howatson Volleyball Trinity Western University
2007-08 [1] Laetitia Tchoualack Volleyball University of Montreal Rob Hennigar Ice hockey University of New Brunswick
2008-09 [1] Annamay Pierse Swimming University of British Columbia Joel Schumaland Volleyball University of Alberta
2009-10 [1] Liz Cordonier Volleyball University of British Columbia Erik Glavic Football University of Calgary
2010-11 [1] Jessica Clemençon Basketball University of Windsor Tyson Hinz Basketball Carleton University
2011-12 [1] Ann-Sophie Bettez Ice hockey McGill University Marc-André Dorion Ice hockey McGill University
2012-13 [1] Shanice Marcelle Volleyball University of British Columbia Kyle Quinlan Football McMaster University
2013-14 [1] Justine Colley Basketball Saint Mary's University Philip Scrubb Basketball Carleton University
2014-15 [1] Korissa Williams Basketball University of Windsor Ross Proudfoot Cross country
Track and field
Guelph University
2015-16 [1] [7] Kylie Masse Swimming University of Toronto Andrew Buckley Football University of Calgary
2016-17 [1] [8] Arielle Roy-Petitclerc Soccer Université Laval Philippe Maillet Ice hockey University of New Brunswick
2017-18 [1] Marie-Alex Bélanger Volleyball University of Montreal Kadre Gray Basketball Laurentian University
2018-19 [1] Kiera Van Ryk Volleyball University of British Columbia Mathieu Betts Football Université Laval
2019-20 [1] [2] Kelsey Wog Swimming University of Manitoba Aboubacar Sissoko Soccer University of Montreal
2021-22 [1] [9] Sophie de Goede Rugby
Basketball
Queen's University Tre Ford Football
Track and field
University of Waterloo
2022-23 [1] Sarah Gates Basketball McMaster University Gabriel Mastromatteo Swimming University of Toronto
2023-24 [1] [10] Audrey Leduc Track and field Université Laval Jonathan Sénécal Football Université de Montréal

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References

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  2. 1 2 "Montreal's Sissoko, Manitoba's Wog capture 2020 Lieutenant Governor Athletic Awards Presented by Makadiff Sports". U Sports. June 25, 2020.
  3. "Mitchell marvels at longevity of BLG awards". The Calgary Herald. April 30, 2017.
  4. "BLG Awards relaunch with a new vision as Lieutenant Governor Athletic Awards". U Sports. April 18, 2019.
  5. "U Sports unveils rebranded Athlete of the Year Program in partnership with The Honourable Lois and Doug Mitchell". U Sports. April 12, 2021.
  6. "Kim St-Pierre". Team Canada - Official 2018 Olympic Team Website. 2011-09-19. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  7. "Andrew Buckley caps off CIS career with BLG Award". Calgary Herald. 2016-05-03. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  8. "Laval's Arielle Roy-Petitclerc, UNB's Philippe Maillet named U Sports BLG Award winners". Montreal Gazette. 2017-05-02. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  9. "Waterloo's Ford, de Goede of Queen's capture 2022 Lois and Doug Mitchell U Sports Athletes of the Year Awards Presented by Makadiff Sports". U Sports. May 25, 2022.
  10. "Audrey Leduc and Jonathan Sénécal named 2023-24 U Sports Athletes of the Year". U Sports. June 10, 2024.