She’s going to need a bigger trophy case.
Miah-Marie Langlois received the Banner Shield as the University of Windsor’s top female athlete of the year at the Evening of Excellence banquet highlighting Lancer accomplishments, Wednesday at the St. Clair Centre of the Arts.
The women’s basketball star was a multiple winner on the evening, as was her male counterpart, Matt Walters of the cross country and track teams.
Langlois, a third-year guard, was named defensive player of the year by both Ontario University Athletics and Canadian Interuniversity Sport. She led Windsor to its second straight national championship and earned her second straight MVP designation at the title tournament.
Distance runner Walters, Olympic Shield winner as top male athlete of the year, proved a threat in two sports; he was named an all-Canadian in both cross country and track and field. He captured individual bronze medals at the provincial and national cross country championship meets and won two gold medals at the CIS track championships.
His performance earned him the Hec Phillips Trophy as the OUA meet MVP and CIS male track athlete of the year honours.
Steve Ferry of the men’s hockey team and Nicole Sassine of the women’s track and field team received the DeMarco Awards, presented annually to the top female and male students that best combine academic achievement with athletic prowess.
The Windsor Lancer Gino Fracas Coach of the Year Award went to football head coach Joe D’Amore. He led the Lancers to a regular-season record of 5-3, earning the Tuffy Knight award as the OUA football coach of the year. In the playoffs, his team dominated Ottawa in the OUA quarter-finals to advance to the Yates Cup semi-finals.
Rookie of the year awards went to Sarah Swain, a hurdler and pole vaulter, and hockey forward Evan Stibbard.
The evening featured the presentation of more than 100 awards, and ended on a high note with the showing of the annual “Blue and Gold” video, highlighting the Lancers’ great moments during the past season.