Conestoga's Athletics & Recreation recognized the college's top student-athletes at the annual Varsity Awards banquet on April 5.
Malachi Ramsay (left) and Yasmeen Smith (right) were named Athletes of the Year at the college’s annual Varsity Awards banquet.
Hosted at the Student Recreation Centre at the Kitchener - Doon campus, the event celebrated athletic leadership, including athletes, rookies, and scholars of the year; athletes of distinction; and most valuable players.
"The Varsity Awards banquet celebrated and recognized what was one of the most decorated varsity seasons in the history of Conestoga athletics," said Andrew Bates, associate director of Sports & Recreation at Conestoga. "We saw records broken; medals won; provincial and national players and coaches of the year; and many other accolades. The banquet was a true celebration and reflection of the season's individual and team accomplishments and full of school pride and contagious energy that we hope will inspire returning athletes to continue to raise the bar for all Condor student-athletes."
Michael Cole, Malachi Ramsay and Yasmeen Smith were named Athletes of the Year, which recognizes the highest level of performance on and off the field while exemplifying what it means to be a Conestoga varsity athlete in all aspects of the program.
Cole, a fourth-year Bachelor of Environmental Public Health student, was recognized for his impact on the Condors Rocket League and esports program. He was instrumental in the growth and success of his team by creating an environment of support that allowed the program to reach the fall and winter National Esports Collegiate Conference playoff seasons. Cole was also recognized with the Coaches Award for his team.
Ramsay, a fourth-year Bachelor of Community and Criminal Justice student, led the varsity program with respect, class and integrity as captain of the men's soccer team. Recognized as a leader and role model, Ramsay was named an Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Men's Soccer West Division First Team All-Star and OCAA bronze medalist. Ramsay was also recognized as the Most Valuable Player on his team.
Smith, a Broadcast Performance and Digital Media student, led the women's basketball team in steals, rebounds and scores, averaging a double-double in 10 out of 16 games. She led the OCAA in offensive rebounds and was named OCAA Women's Basketball Player of the Year, OCAA Women's Basketball Scoring Champion, and an OCAA Women's Basketball West Division First Team All-Star, as well as Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Women's Basketball Player of the Year, and CCAA Women's Basketball All-Canadian.
Congratulations to the 2022-2023 varsity season winners:
Athletes of the Year:
- Michael Cole, Rocket League (esport)
- Malachi Ramsay, men's soccer
- Yasmeen Smith, women's basketball
Athletes of Distinction:
- Olivia Bender, women's volleyball
- Alex Cruickshank, League of Legends (esport)
- Terell Lloyd, men's basketball
- Megan White, women's basketball
Rookies of the Year:
- Owen Covach, Rocket League (esport)
- Bianca Marchetti, women's volleyball
- Devika Santhosh Kumar, badminton
- Ladera Ujullu Obang, men's basketball
Athlete Scholar of the Year:
- Alex Cruickshank, League of Legends (esport)
- Mauricio Ezquer, cross country
- Beth Fleming, women's basketball
Scholastic Teams of the Year:
- Badminton
- League of Legends (esport)
- Women's basketball
Most Valuable Player:
- Owen Covach, Rocket League (esport)
- Dianne Deboer, cross country
- Walker Kalin, men's volleyball
- Saab Kohar, men's soccer (outdoor)
- Matthew Lopacinski, League of Legends (esport)
- Sophie Main, women's soccer (outdoor)
- Bianca Marchetti, women's volleyball
- Malachi Ramsay, men's soccer (indoor)
- Sophie Rebelo, women's soccer (indoor)
- Devika Santhosh Kumar, badminton
- Yasmeen Smith, women's basketball
- Morgan Stock, women's softball
- Timmy Tran, Valorant (esport)
- Ladera Ujullu Obang, men's basketball
Coaches Award:
- Alex Amaral, men's soccer (outdoor and indoor)
- Olivia Bender, women's volleyball
- Ashley Blazek, women's soccer (indoor)
- Michael Cole, Rocket League (esport)
- Ashley Coverdale, women's softball
- Ozay Davis, men's basketball
- Justin Estrela, League of Legends (esport)
- Mauricio Ezquer, cross country
- Summer Kohistani, women's soccer (outdoor)
- Justin Langevin, Valorant (esport)
- Jake Schuller, men's volleyball
- Darmesh Thumar, badminton
- Megan White, women's basketball
Coaches of the Year:
- Head Coach: Stuart Mackie, men's soccer
- Esport Head Coach: Will Rejante, Valorant (esport)
- Assistant Coach of the Year: Jamie Brackpool, soccer
Conestoga's Athletics & Recreation department offers programming and facilities designed to engage students and enhance health and wellness through varsity and extramural athletics, intramural sports, and fitness classes. The Student Recreation Centre at the Kitchener - Doon campus provides a full range of recreation and athletic services and houses a 35,000-square-foot fitness centre outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment. The new esports hub at the Waterloo campus opened in 2022 and supports a varsity student-athlete experience with teams ranging from sports-based to battle arena genres competing in various North American leagues.