HAMILTON, Ont. - While the 2020-21 competitive OUA and U SPORTS seasons were cancelled, the McMaster Marauders were busy making waves off the field of play and were recognized for their outstanding efforts Thursday at the 97th Marauder Student-Athlete Awards Show.

The awards show, which was moved online for the second straight year, was brought to living rooms around the world by current student-athletes and hosts for the evening Stacey Warner and Brandon Bernard. In the absence of athletic competition, the 97th edition focused on highlighting Marauder achievements in the classroom and in the community.

"Of course this is anything but a normal year" said university president Dr. David Farrar during his opening remarks. "I'm very proud of the way our student-athletes have stepped up this year in a number of different ways."

McMaster's Department of Athletics & Recreation has handed out five major awards, including the Joyce Wignall Award, the Les Prince Award, the Outstanding Female Graduate Award, the Dr. Ray Johnson Award, and the Director's Award, while also recognizing graduating Marauder student-athletes and fourth-year plaque award winners.

"Time and time again, our student-athletes have displayed outstanding resiliency and perseverance despite all the uncertainty presented by the pandemic" said Associate Director of Athletics, Mark Alfano.

"For some, your athletic careers may be coming to a close, but know this will always be your home, and you will always be Marauders" added Alfano.

The Marauders also recognized three varsity coaches for their years of service with Andy Duffield (women's water polo, 5 years), Grey Fairley (swimming, 5 years) and Ken Oda (fast pitch, 10 years) all reaching significant career milestones in the past year.

Click here to watch the full awards show

Outstanding Female Graduate Award

Briana Wice
Kinesiology - Women's Field Hockey

Briana Wice's optimistic spirit, ability to lead others and her commitment to the success of the women's field hockey program is both genuine and endearing. A three-year co-captain of the team, Briana's efforts will last far beyond her playing career as she had a significant impact in the team's entrance to the OUA. 

In March 2021, Wice helped lead the planning and execution of 'Women in Sports and Leadership', an online panel conversation aimed at creating gender equity, and served as a moderator.

Briana has spearheaded several fundraisers for her team including a "Women in Sports" t-shirt initiative. In addition to fundraising, she is currently working on an alumni networking platform to connect graduated field hockey athletes to current team members. As a soon to be alumnus, her vision is to build alumni relationships to help prepare her team for its first year in the OUA. 

Wice has been an active member of the McMaster Athletic community in many different capacities, and has served as the VLC co-president since the committee was created in the Fall of 2018. Briana was the volunteer coordinator at McMaster's Physical Activity Centre of Excellence, an exercise rehabilitation centre on campus for seniors, people with cancer, spinal cord injuries, cardiac conditions & multiple sclerosis, and works as a a McMaster Performance Student Strength and Conditioning Coach.

In her leadership role with the VLC, the committee has since doubled in size because of her efforts along with her co-president, Jessie Nairn. They were determined to ensure there was representation from every team on the committee. 

Finalists
Isabelle Lei - Swimming - Health Sciences
Jessie Nairn - Women's Volleyball - Commerce
Sabrina Schindel - Women's Lacrosse - Geography & Environmental Studies
Briana Wice - Field Hockey - Kinesiology

Dr. Ray Johnson Award

Kwasi Adu-Poku
Kinesiology - Men's Basketball

There are countless examples of how Kwasi has improved the McMaster Athletics community in the past five years, including being an active member with the McMaster Athletes Care outreach program, the Varsity Leadership Committee, as well as exemplary work as an athlete academic mentor, basketball camp counsellor and Joan Buddle Service Desk customer service representative. 

Kwasi has become a catalyst for change and has persistently pushed dialog & engaged the McMaster community by launching and hosting 'The Reach Series, a workshop series that promotes ways that help people find their self-worth.

His openness when speaking at a mental health panel for student-athletes in 2019 is an example of what sets himself apart. Discussing one's own mental health struggles is a challenge for anyone. Kwasi and his willingness to be vulnerable played a large role in the success of the event and created a safe space for all those that attended. 

Additionally, it was Kwasi's idea to include Black student groups on campus into the conversation that led to the Bridging the Gap: Black Student Leadership webinar. Bridging the Gap created more progressive dialogue and more public accountability for McMaster University as a whole. The event, which Kwasi also moderated, provided a platform for the general Black student population to feel heard and promoted a sense of connectedness between McMaster Athletics & the Black student community at McMaster.

Finalists
Kwasi Adu-Poku - Men's Basketball - Kinesiology
Jordan Pereira - Men's Volleyball - Commerce
Jakub Szott - Football - Commerce
 

Director's Award

Sabrina Schindel
Geography & Environmental Studies - Women's Lacrosse

A team captain and leader on the field, Sabrina Schindel has also dedicated a considerable amount of effort to several athletic department initiatives, and has worked with the Varsity Leadership Committee with the goal of fostering a culture of eliminating stigma surrounding mental illness. 

Sabrina's contributions also include her work with the VLC's Mental Health Week and McMaster Athletes Care (MAC). She served on the MAC Executive Committee as the Routes Youth Centre coordinator and implemented innovative ways to engage with youth virtually this year. Sabrina was part of the department's first Bell Let's Talk Initiative in 2019 as she was one of five student-athletes to share their own personal stories with mental health. Since then she has continued to use her voice in raising awareness and breaking down the stigma of student-athlete mental health – a lasting mark she will be leaving on the Athletic Department.
 
Sabrina has also demonstrated her commitment to lacrosse through her volunteer coaching activities with Mimico's girls lacrosse club. Last season's Les Prince Award recipient, an award presented to the student-athlete that best combines leadership with community service through participation in an outreach program, Schindel has been hugely involved in the Marauder community since her arrival on campus. A two-time OUA all-star athlete (first-team: 2018, second-team: 2017), she is a star goaltender on the lacrosse field. Her dedication to the conversation on mental health and physical activity among youth, has made her a star off the field as well.
 

Les Prince Award

Bennett Swan
History - Men's Volleyball

In the summer of 2020, Bennett worked directly with the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in launching the inaugural Digital Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month. This process taught him the importance of meticulous organization and advocacy. In November 2020, applying skills he learned over the summer and revamping the fundraising efforts, he challenged the men's volleyball team to participate in the Movember campaign and reach a new goal of raising $7,000 for men's health initiatives. Through Bennett's leadership the team raised a staggering $12,085. 

As Movember came to a close, Bennett began working on a second entrepreneurial project called 'Board in the House'. Through a small team of six, they crafted high-end DIY Wine and Cheese boards with all profits going to the Gifts of Light Foundation at CAMH. With only one month of production, they delivered more than 300 kits, amounting in over $5,000 in donations for Gifts of Light.

Bennett also played a leadership role in the conversation for gender equity at the annual 'Women in Sport and Leadership' panel discussion as a moderator.

Finalists
Brandon Bernard - Men's Basketball - Communications Studies
Tristan Lindo - Men's Basketball - Communications Studies
Payton Shank - Women's Rugby - Human Behaviour
Bennett Swan - Men's Volleyball - History

Joyce Wignall Award

Men's Volleyball
Throughout the pandemic, the men's volleyball team at McMaster has continued to serve as ambassadors for the University despite the challenges of remote learning and limited training & team building opportunities. The team raised more than $12,000 through the Movember Canada campaign in support of the Movember charity promoting men's mental and physical well being. 

Their tremendous effort propelled men's volleyball to the top of the donation list for participating Mcmaster teams, and more impressively was also good for second in all of U SPORTS. 

Players with the men's volleyball program volunteered their support for a number of department initiatives, including Bell Let's Talk day, the VLC's Mental Health Week, Think Pink, and International Women's Day.

Finalists
Baseball
Women's Basketball
Men's Volleyball