Track and field was the big winner on Wednesday.

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Track and field was the big winner on Wednesday.

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The University of Windsor Lancers celebrated the 2024-25 season with the school’s annual Evening of Excellence at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts and track and field athletes claimed three of the four major awards.

Sprinter Ben Tilson won the DeMarco Award on the men’s side, which goes annually to the school’s top student-athlete, with jumper Mandy Brunet claiming the award on the women’s side.

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Meanwhile, distance runner Madelyn Eybergen, who also competed in cross country, won the Banner Shield as the outstanding female athlete of the year. On the men’s side, setter Markus Law-Heese, from the men’s volleyball team, claimed the Olympic Shield as the school’s outstanding male athlete.

The 23-year-old Eybergen came to the Lancers as a high jumper and then transitioned to distance running. In the fall, she captured the OUA women’s cross-country title and followed it by becoming the first Lancer to medal at the U Sports championship since 2015 with a bronze-medal finish.

Eybergen then followed that up with a gold-medal win in the women’s 3,000 metres and the OUA championships to help the Lancers to a bronze-medal performance in the team competition. She came back two weeks later to win the women’s 3,000 metres at the U Sports championship and turned a sixth-place finish at the OUA championships into a bronze medal at the national meet.

“The amount I’ve learned, every practice I’m learning something,” Eybergen said. “High jump is super technical and this you’re really training your energy system and learning race strategy.”

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The 21-year-old Law-Heese became the first setter since 2006-07 to be named OUA men’s volleyball’s player of the year and the third Lancer to win the award joining Pierce Johnson (2019-20) and Kyle Williamson (2010-11).

Law-Heese finished second in the OUA with 9.6 assists per set this season and finished eighth in the league with 2.15 digs per set. He also had 17 service aces while helping the Lancers reach the OUA final for the second time in three years and earn a second trip to the U Sports championship in three years.

“He has really grown and is someone that is driven to be the very best he can be,” Lancers’ head coach James Gravelle said of Law-Heese. “He works hard every single day at his craft. He really has exceeded expectations in his four years here and he has room to grow.”

A Sandwich Sabres high school product, Tilson scored a thrilling win in the men’s 600 metres at the OUA championship as he moved from third to track down the leader and claim gold by 6/100th of a second. He also anchored the 4×400-metre relay team to a gold-medal finish while helping the Lancers to a bronze medal in the team competition for the second year in a row. He added a silver medal in the 600 metres at the U Sports championship with the race decided by just 8/100ths of a second.

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Brunet made the most of her last season with the Lances before graduation. A Villanova Wildcats high school product, Brunet won the women’s triple jump at the OUA championship with a leap of 12.54 metres after winning silver the previous year. She repeated the gold-medal effort at the U Sports championships with a leap of 12.46 metres. 

“It definitely means a lot,” said Brunet, who won gold for the second time in three years. “It’s not an easy step to get back up, so I’m glad I took care of business “

Gravelle, who was named OUA coach of the year for the second time in three years, claimed the Gino Fracas coach of the year award for the Lancers.

Track and field’s Tristen Miscia was named male rookie of the year. After missing the podium by a single point  in the heptathlon at the OUA championship, Miscia returned to win gold at the U Sports championship with a total of 5,270 points, which was a 348-point improvement.

Softball pitcher/infielder Jayde Melhuish-McGahan won the award on the women’s side after helping the Lancers to a bronze medal at the Ontario University Softball championship, which was the team’s first medal in 10 years.

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The Super Sophomore award was shared on the men’s side by football’s Ahmad Taylor and hockey’s Ty Toews while the women’s side was shared by volleyball’s Danika Scharaff and track and field’s Mikayla May.

The Captain’s Trophy went to golf’s Jarrod Smith on the men’s side and hockey’s Maggie Peterson on the women’s side.

Track and field’s Tina Sharman and Will Alexander, from men’s volleyball, were named Eddi Chittaro assistant coach of the year winners.

Dr. Robert Gordon won the Richard Peddie Award for contributions to overall success of Lancer athletics. Barry Amlin claimed the A Award for work supporting Lancer athletics. The track and field team also claimed the Moriarty academic team of the year award while the women’s volleyball team won the IG Cup for combined academic, athletic and volunteer efforts.

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