OTTAWA — Ottawa Lions athletes were front and centre at the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees’ annual awards banquet, held Tuesday evening at the National Arts Centre, as three members of the track and field program captured major honours.
Middle-distance standout Safwan El Mansari headlined the evening, earning Male Athlete of the Year honours following a breakthrough campaign that saw him emerge as one of the top talents in U SPORTS.
El Mansari’s season was highlighted by a pair of silver medals at the U SPORTS Championships last month. Individually, El Mansari set a school record of 1:18.12 over 600 metres en route to his national medal. The second-year Commerce/Law student also played a key role on the Gee-Gees’ 4×400-metre relay squad, powering the quartet to their first national medal in 13 years, contributing to an OUA championship record and a school-record run earlier in the season.
First-year student Sophie McIntyre was recognized as Female Rookie of the Year after an impressive debut campaign in the Garnet and Grey. A key contributor on the Gee-Gees’ relay teams, McIntyre quickly established herself as one of the program’s top long sprinters, posting the team’s fastest times in the 600 metres and earning a place in the OUA final. Her season-best performance of 1:34.31 ranks among the top 15 all-time in the program’s deepest event.
William Harris was awarded the prestigious President’s Award, presented annually to student-athletes who best combine academic and athletic excellence. Harris posted an outstanding 9.40 GPA in Translational and Molecular Medicine while playing a central role on the record setting 4×400-metre relay program.
Additional honours presented on the evening included cross country MVP awards for Zach Sikka and Zoe Gardiner, as well as track and field MVP recognition for El Mansari and Jessica Gyamfi.