Twice every school year, the Fulcrum gives out Cavalry Awards for the best Gee-Gee that varsity athletics have to offer. Here are this semester’s winners:
Coach of the Year:
Photo: Marta Kierkus.
Andy Sparks was a driving force in the women’s basketball team’s successes this season. The University of Ottawa graduate led the Garnet and Grey to a 17-2 regular season, to place first overall in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and earn a berth in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national championships. It was a spectacular season for the Gees, whose progress was only hampered by a string of unfortunate injuries to several key players. Sparks brought Ottawa to the CIS national championship tournament in his first season in 2007-08, after inheriting a team that went 3-19 the previous season. The Ottawa native has led the program to five CIS national championship appearances and four OUA Final appearances, while collecting one CIS bronze, one OUA gold, three OUA silver, and one OUA bronze medal. In 2015-16, Sparks was named the OUA Coach of the Year for the fourth time.
—David Agbaire
Male Most Valuable Player:
Photo: Marta Kierkus.
In his fifth season with the Gee-Gees men’s basketball team, point guard Mike L’Africain ascended to another level, proving his elite status in the nation. The fiery guard slashed opposing offences throughout the team’s second semester, including two landmark wins over eventual national champion Carleton Ravens. L’Africain led the team scoring 20 points and dishing out five assists per game throughout the season. His play earned him the Mike Moser Memorial Trophy, awarded to the top player in the nation, which was only the second time it’s ever been won by a Gee-Gees player. L’Africain will also leave the U of O as the school’s all-time leader in assists.
—Spencer Murdock
Female Most Valuable Player:
Photo: Courtesy of Mundo Sports Images.
Devyani Biswal was undoubtedly the female MVP of the year, as she had an incredible season for the Gee-Gees Track and Field team. Biswal, fourth-year financial math and economics student, finished first and captured the Gee-Gees’ first-ever CIS medal in the women’s 60m hurdles, all while making history in the process. In her fourth season with the Gees, she claimed a gold medal in both the OUA and CIS finals. She ended up saving her best for last, smashing the school record with a personal best time of 8.40 seconds in her final run of the season. For her stellar season, she was awarded a host of personal accolades, namely a place on the CIS All-Canadian team, OUA All-Star team, the Gee-Gees Track & Field MVP, and the U of O Female Athlete of the Year.
—David Agbaire
Best Moment:
Photo: Marta Kierkus.
With 33 seconds left in the Gee-Gees women’s hockey team’s playoff series against the McGill Martlets, Mélodie Bouchard scored a massive goal. Although the goal didn’t turn the series for the Gees, it did however show that they wouldn’t go down without a fight. The exhilarating overtime-inducing goal over the third-ranked team in the nation summarized the team’s entire season in one moment. Constantly being the thorn in the side of elite teams, year-by-year, the Gees are catapulting themselves into contention for a national title. Bouchard’s goal proved that after 2015-16, the team may not be as far away from the top as some might think.
—Spencer Murdock
Fan Favourite:
Photo: Marta Kierkus.
For the first time since 2007, the Gee-Gees men’s basketball team were the victors of the Capital Hoops Classic. With the rivalry of Ottawa vs. Carleton, any time the teams play it’s bound to be a big deal. With over 10,000 in attendance, the overpowering of the Ravens resulted in the first time Gee-Gees fans could storm the court at the Canadian Tire Centre in nearly 10 years. The melange of students and players on the floor after the game was a rewarding moment for those that painstakingly sat through the same celebration for the Ravens fans in years prior.
—Spencer Murdock
