The Loyalist Lancers community came together on Wednesday, March 25 for a milestone evening, celebrating the accomplishments, spirit, and resilience of varsity student‑athletes during the 2025–2026 season. The event marked the final Athletics Banquet to be held in the original Lancerdome before the opening of a new facility, closing decades of history with a night of recognition and pride.
College President & CEO Mark Kirkpatrick, Senior Vice-President Sandra Dupret, and Director of Athletics & Recreation Cristy Latham joined athletes, coaches, and supporters to honour this year’s award recipients from seven varsity programs.
Student‑athletes were recognized for outstanding performance, leadership, and dedication through both team awards and long‑standing awards of excellence, reflecting the depth of talent and character across the Lancers community.
Team Award Winners
Women’s Soccer
MVP: Emily Mealing (Cobourg, ON)
Coaches’ Award: Jetayah Casselman (Trenton, ON)
Leadership Award: Kaite Hazlewood (Trenton, ON)
Women’s Rugby Sevens
MVP: Faith Ayres (Belleville, ON)
Coaches’ Award: Madi Reid (Stirling, ON) & Holly McMaster (Belleville, ON)
Leadership Award: Mayan Mackinnon (Trenton, ON)
Cross Country
Men’s MVP: Michael Griepsma (Lindsay, ON)
Leadership Award: Mustafa Alali (Idib, Syria)
Women’s Basketball
MVP: Grace Callahan (Corbyville, ON) & Kayley Lemaire (Sudbury, ON)
Coaches’ Award: Dana Zashi Ventenilla (Mississauga, ON) & Nina Anderson (New Liskeard, ON)
Leadership Award: Gwen Forrester (Scarborough, ON) & Ayana Tomlinson (Ajax, ON)
Women’s Volleyball
MVP: Charles Cudmore (Ottawa, ON)
Coaches’ Award: Fayth Bender (Tavistock, ON)
Leadership Award: Taylor Baker (Napanee, ON)
Men’s Basketball
MVP – Bruce Collins Award: Romain McCalla (Durham, ON)
Jaden White Award: Jalen Carter Julien (Scarborough, ON)
Leadership Award: Romeo Kigenza (Whitby, ON) & Kobe Tablate (Scarborough, ON)
Men’s Volleyball
MVP: Jacob Diefenbach (Maleny, AUS)
Coaches’ Award: Simon Canon (Toronto, ON)
Leadership Award: Tobi Archibald (Aylesford, NS)
Record‑Breaking Academic Success
Lancer student‑athletes achieved the highest combined GPA in program history—79.96%.
Additional academic highlights included:
Twenty-six students earning a 90%+ average
Sixty students receiving Dean’s List and OCAA All‑Academic honours
Four varsity teams surpassing the 80% Academic Award of Excellence benchmark, led by Women’s Soccer at an impressive 86.96%
Excellence Award Recipients:
These long‑standing awards honour individuals who embody the values, history, and spirit of Loyalist athletics:
Andrée Mathurin Scott Award – Emily French
Bob Young Award – Michael Griepsma (Cross Country)
Larry Cook Award – Madi Reid (Women’s Rugby 7s)
Dave Butler Award – Evan Westerman (Men’s Volleyball)
Greg Gavin Award – Taylor Baker (Women’s Volleyball)
Peter Williams Award – Emily Mealing (Women’s Soccer)
Jim Buck Award – Tobi Archibald (Men’s Volleyball)
Rookies of the Year:
The Lancers honoured three first‑year standouts for their immediate impact:
Sophie Vanni (Hamilton, ON) – Overall OCAA Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Year; East Rookie of the Year; East Division Second Team All‑Star; All‑Rookie Team
Tai Ajose (Mississauga, ON) – Men’s Basketball East Division Rookie of the Year; All‑Rookie Team
Jacob Diefenbach (Maleny, AUS)– Men’s Volleyball East Division All‑Rookie; Second Team All‑Star; team leader in kills and total points
Athletes of the Year:
Two exceptional student‑athletes earned the program’s highest competitive honour:
Grace Callahan – Women’s Basketball
A defining force in the OCAA, Callahan earned:
OCAA East Division First Team All‑Star
East Division Defensive Player of the Year
East Player of the Year
CCAA All‑Canadian
Averaging 15.6 points, seven rebounds, and setting new Lancer records for steals and assists, her performance in the bronze medal game—20 points, six rebounds, three assists, five steals—highlighted a historic season.
Romain McCalla – Men’s Basketball
One of the conference’s most elite scorers, McCalla’s accolades include East Division First Team All‑Star, East Division Scoring Champion, and OCAA Scoring Champion.
He set the Lancer single-season points record with 461 points on the season after an unbelievable 53-point performance in his final regular season game.
Together, these Athletes of the Year represent excellence, leadership, and the unwavering spirit of the Loyalist Lancers.
This banquet marked the final chapter in the original Lancerdome—a venue that has shaped countless athletes and memories. As the Lancers look ahead to a new home, the legacy of this season stands as a testament to the strength, pride, and progress of Loyalist College athletics.
Additional details are available here.
