CALGARY - Sarah Gates capped of her incredible career with the McMaster Marauders by being named a winner of the 2023 Lois and Doug Mitchell U SPORTS Athletes of the Year Awards.

Formerly known as the Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG) and Howard Mackie Awards, the Lois and Doug Mitchell U SPORTS Athletes of the Year Awards recognize Canada's top athletes competing in university athletics across U SPORTS.

Toronto Varsity Blues swimmer, Gabe Mastromatteo was named the other winner of the Lois and Doug Mitchell U SPORTS Athletes of the Year Awards.

""We are so proud of the eight nominees this year. They are exceptional student-athletes and citizens," said The Honourable Lois Mitchell. "Sarah and Gabe had outstanding seasons and are excellent recipients of the Lois and Doug Mitchell Awards."
 
Gates, who was also named the OUA Female Athlete of the Year and the Thérèse Quigley Female Athlete of the Year, was a standout on the Marauders women's basketball team this past season.

"On behalf of U SPORTS, I wish to congratulate Sarah and Gabe on being named the recipients of the Lois and Doug Mitchell Awards," said Pierre Arsenault, U SPORTS CEO. "We had an exceptional group of nominees this year, with seven Academic All-Canadians and five most outstanding athletes of the year winners in their respective sports. To be recognized like this is a wonderful accomplishment for Sarah and Gabe."

In March, Gates was named the U SPORTS Outstanding Women's Basketball Player of the Year and became just the second Marauder in history to bring home the Nan Copp Trophy.

Gates, who was also named the OUA Most Valuable Player in women's basketball, finished the 2022-23 season averaging 27.3 points per game, for a total of 600 points through 22 regular season games. The Newmarket local ranked first in the OUA in field goals made (210), three-pointers (63) and made free throws (117). The senior shot 48.3% from the field and 38.7% from 3-point range during her average of 30 minutes on the court each contest.

"It has been such a privilege and pleasure to coach and know Sarah over her time here at McMaster. Her ability not only to score but to influence the game in so many ways has been phenomenal," said Women's Basketball Head Coach, Theresa Burns. "Equally wonderful has been her growth as a person and a leader who has learned to use her voice to promote change, especially for female athletes. I'm just so very proud of her."

She completed her regular season career as McMaster's all-time leading scorer, with a total of 1,857 points that ranks third in OUA history. She also topped the program's record book with 18.2 points per game, and finished first in field goals (645), free throws (348) and three-point field goals (219).
 
"She's fearless. I've never known anyone that can catch the ball and know that they're going to score, but that's exactly what Sarah does. She knows her skill set and ability and never questions it," said Gates' teammate, Mia Spadafora. "She is an incredibly hard worker. You never see her taking little breaks at practice and she is always the one pushing people to their limit. Sarah is very determined and confident and that's why she excels." 

Gates took home the Lois Mitchell Trophy, presented annually to the female winner, and is the first McMaster Marauder to take home U SPORTS Female Athlete of the Year honours.