U SPORTS unveils 2024 Lois and Doug Mitchell Award Nominees

U SPORTS announced the eight finalists for the Lois and Doug Mitchell U SPORTS Athlete of the Year Awards on Thursday, in anticipation of the annual award ceremony, set for June 10 in Calgary.

The finalists for the U SPORTS Female Athlete of the Year are basketball player Jayda Veinot of UNB, sprinter Audrey Leduc of Laval, volleyball player Sara Rohr of Brock and Katalin Tolnai, who plays soccer at UBC.

Meanwhile, the 2024 nominees for U SPORTS Male Athlete of the Year are hockey player Austen Keating of UNB, football player Jonathan Sénécal of Montréal, Guelph runner Max Davies and Isaac Heslinga, who plays volleyball for Alberta.

"As we mark the 31st annual Athlete of the Year Awards, we celebrate not only the exceptional athletic achievements of our nominees but also their dedication and leadership both on and off the field of endeavour,” said The Hon. Lois Mitchell, “These Awards continue to highlight the remarkable talent and commitment found within our U SPORTS universities. This year's finalists exemplify the highest standards of excellence and I know they will inspire us all. I congratulate each of them and look forward to seeing them in Calgary."

The awards are championed once again by Mitchell, continuing the legacy started by her late husband, Doug. A UBC Thunderbird football alumnus, Doug Mitchell founded the Awards in 1993 (then as the Howard, Mackie Awards, later the BLG Awards and the Lieutenant-Governor Awards) to increase the profile and support of Canadian university student-athletes. Mitchell, the namesake for the annual Mitchell Bowl football game, continued his involvement up until his passing in 2022. The two also co-founded the Mitchell Family U SPORTS Alumni of the Year Awards in 2021 to highlight university sports graduates' contributions to their alma mater.

The nominees also benefit from leadership training sessions by Patrick Lor, who co-founded iStockphoto, was an entrepreneur-in-residence at Inovia Capital, and a managing partner at 500 Startups Canada. In 2019, Lor received the University of Calgary’s Big Ideas, Bold Leaders alumni award and was also selected for the U of C’s 2021-2023 Jarislowsky Fellowship.

Each of the 57 U SPORTS universities selects a female and male athlete of the year, from which one finalist of each gender is chosen to represent the Atlantic, Canada West, Ontario and Quebec conferences. These eight nominees are considered for the U SPORTS Male and Female Athletes of the Year based on their athletic accomplishments, outstanding sportsmanship and demonstrated leadership. The winners will be determined by a vote of the Canadian Athletic Foundation.

Full profiles of each nominee will follow over the next two weeks. The 2023 awards were won by swimmer Gabe Mastromatteo of Toronto and basketball player Sarah Gates from McMaster. For the all-time Lois and Doug Mitchell Award nominees and winners, click here.

NOMINEES AT A GLANCE: