With the COVID-19 pandemic causing closures across the country, the Annual Mustangs Athletic Gala was one of many year-end Mustangs events to be cancelled. However, to maintain the spirit of celebrating Western’s extensive list of talented student-athletes, the month of April was designated as the ‘Mustangs Season of Celebration.’
Each day in April, Western Mustangs Athletics featured athlete and team awards on its official social media channels (which would normally be done during the Annual Gala). This year’s major award winners included …
Male Athlete of the Year
The Mustangs’ Male Athlete of the Year Award is presented annually to a male student athlete who has achieved outstanding success representing Western at the provincial and/or national level in the current Intercollegiate season. This year that athlete was Swimming All-Star Sebastian Paulins.
From being named OUA Male Swimmer of the Year to winning the 2020 Dr. Jeno Tihanyi IM Excellence Award after earning gold in the men’s 400m IM medley, Paulins was well-deserving of this year’s title. His season even included breaking a 14-year-old OUA record by 0.5 seconds on his way to clinching gold in the men’s 1500m freestyle event. Paulins totaled four individual gold medals and one silver in the 400m relay.
Female Athlete of the Year
The Female Athlete of the Year Award is presented annually to a female student athlete who has achieved outstanding success representing Western at the provincial and/or national level in the current Intercollegiate season. This year’s winner was Track & Field and Cross Country all-star Kate Current.
Kate’s season was one to remember with a silver medal in the women’s 1500m run at the U Sports Track & Field Championship, a pair of gold medals at the OUA Championship, and the Dr. Wendy Jerome Trophy for being an Outstanding Female Performer. At the U Sports National Championship for Cross Country, Kate finished 5th overall in a field of 156 runners and walked away with the title of First Team All-Canadian while earning her spot on the Canadian roster for the 2020 FISU World University Championship.
F.W.P. Jones Trophy
The F.W.P. Jones Trophy is presented to the Western female student athlete who, in the opinion of the Selection Committee, has made the greatest contribution to Intercollegiate Athletics within the University. This year’s winner was April Clark of the Mustangs Women’s Hockey team.
April was named a 2nd team OUA All-star in 2017-18 & 2019-20, a 1st team All-Canadian in 2018-19, and the OUA player of the year and forward of the year in 2018-19. She captained the Mustangs women’s hockey team this year and was the 2018-19 Female Athlete of the Year.
Dr. Claude Brown Memorial Trophy
The Dr. Claude Brown Memorial Trophy is presented to the Western male student athlete who, in the opinion of the Selection Committee, has made the greatest contribution to Intercollegiate Athletics within the University. This year’s winner was Mustangs quarterback Chris Merchant.
Merchant concluded his career at Western in 2019 by winning the U SPORTS Hec Crighton Award as the most outstanding player in the country. He completed his Mustangs career with a regular season record of 31-0 (and 40-3 including playoffs). Merchant was MVP of the Vanier Cup and Uteck Bowl in 2017, and MVP of the Yates Cup and Mitchell Bowl in 2018.
Submitted by the Western Mustangs
