Excalibur athletes honoured at Trent awards ceremony
The Trent Excalibur introduced new awards for athlete of the year and rookie of the year at their 55th awards ceremony last Thursday night.
The marquee award remains the Arthur Cup, which honours athletes who combine sportsmanship, leadership and participation.
This year’s recipients during a banquet at the Trent Athletics Centre were Jocelyn Whent (women’s lacrosse) and Grayson Tucker (men’s rugby).
Whent, a kinesiology student, has had an outstanding career as an Excalibur athlete. During her four seasons with women’s lacrosse, she earned two OUA gold medals, a silver and a bronze. As a key part in the team’s strong offence, she contributed significantly to their success in OUA championships.
As a senior, Whent acted as a mentor for incoming members, demonstrating leadership and grit on the field. Off the field, she has been a member of the 1EX Council for two years, helping organize varsity events for fellow athletes, according to an Excalibur news release.
She has been a dedicated staff member with the Athletics Department during her time at Trent, holding positions like varsity event staff, game day lead, Excalibur camp counsellor and most recently varsity student administrator.
Tucker, a student of environmental and resource science studies, has been an integral member of the Excalibur varsity program since his first season. With a positive presence on the pitch that was made obvious early in his career at Trent, he was voted onto the team’s leadership in his second season.
After that, he was named the team’s most valuable forward for three consecutive years, received the Coach’s Award and the men’s rugby Garth Vader Award.
Tucker was named team captain in his fourth and fifth seasons, and OUA second-team all-star in 2022. As both a teammate and a captain, he demonstrated heart, commitment and passion on and off the pitch.
Tucker also volunteers as a coach for the U18 Pagans boys’ rugby team, and volunteers at Excalibur recruitment days and open houses for the men’s rugby team.
A strong advocate for men’s health, Grayson has raised over $4,000 for the Movember Fund Charity over his five years at Trent and is actively involved as a volunteer at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School with its suicide prevention awareness events.
The Gary Wolff Leadership Award was presented to Jacey Mabee (women’s rowing) and Daniel Austin (men’s volleyball), in recognition of their courage, determination and leadership in sport.
Mabee, a biomedical sciences student, is a respected leader in the rowing program. Her teammates note she can always be trusted to give her all, during practice and at race time.
She carries her dedication and commitment away from the water, acting as president of the Trent University Rowing Club, and overseeing all inner workings of the club.
She was an integral part of organizing fundraisers for the team like the Head of the Trent Regatta beer garden, as well as fundraisers for local charities including a car wash for the Alzheimer Society, a fire truck pull for the Alzheimer Society and a Movember fundraiser.
Austin has been an active leader on and off the court during his five years as an Excalibur athlete. As the captain of the men’s volleyball team for the past three seasons, he helped introduce a new culture to the team, giving Trent a very positive reputation of respect and decorum in the league.
He works in admissions at Trent, providing tours and helping incoming students with inquiries about Trent.
As a member of the 1EX Council, Austin has taken the lead on outreach programs, engaging local schools often running elementary and high school tournaments.
Rianna Rogers (women’s rugby) and Holden Lowes (men’s lacrosse) were the 2023-24 Community Betterment Award recipients.
Rogers has been deeply involved in multiple initiatives at Trent and in the Peterborough Community during her time as an Excalibur student-athlete.
She has been serving as an assistant coach at Crestwood Secondary School and with the U18 Peterborough Pagans.
She dedicates significant time to teaching youth through rugby, notably with the Play Like a Girl program.
Additionally, she engages in various community service projects, including volunteering at the YES Shelter and the Lakefield Animal Welfare Society, organizing clothing drives and contributing to the 1EX Council’s efforts to organize events for varsity student-athletes.
Lowes is a fifth-year master’s student who has made an incredible impact on the men’s lacrosse program and the Peterborough community during his time at Trent.
He is studying cardiopulmonary exercise testing in heart failure patients to determine its predictive value for patient prognosis and eligibility for advanced therapies such as heart transplants.
In his spare time, Lowes maximizes his community involvement by working for Community Care, volunteering at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre and also volunteers at and sits on the board at the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre. He is a member of the Trent Graduate Student Association and sits on the Trent University Research Ethics Board.
The inaugural recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award were Tyler McDonald (women’s lacrosse) and Leo Frans (men’s soccer).
McDonald had an exceptional rookie season with the women’s lacrosse program. The midfielder led the team with an astounding seven goals in the OUA bronze-medal game. She was named an OUA allstar and was the OUA rookie of the year.
Frans was an instant offensive threat in his first season with the Excalibur. Frans was second in the OUA for rookie scoring with a team-leading seven goals, earning him OUA second-team all-star in his first season with the Excalibur. His offensive mindset and ability to find the back of the net has been a huge asset to the Excalibur.
The inaugural recipients of athlete of the year were Kieran Gerow (women’s lacrosse) and Curtis Conley (men’s lacrosse)
Gerow, a goalie, was the last line of defence, and the team had complete confidence in her. She was a calming presence, making big saves in big moments. She was a strong leader on the field and helped elevate the players around her.
Rogers helped lead her team to an OUA bronze medal. She was also named OUA defensive player of the year and an OUA all-star.
Conley is a four-time Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA) defender of the year, four-time CUFLA all-Canadian, four-year team captain, Baggataway Cup national champion and All-Baggataway Cup team member. He helped to compile a 40-6 record during his time at Trent.
This past season, Conley played through a chronic injury but was the cornerstone of Trent’s defence, earning the school a tying spot on top of the East Division during regular-season play.
He suffered a season-ending injury toward the end of the campaign and was not able to play at the Baggataway Cup. Throughout his time with the Excalibur, Conley has solidified himself with one of the most successful athletic careers at Trent University.
Nathan McFadden, director of Athletics & Recreation, thanked outgoing Trent president and vicechancellor Dr. Leo Groarke for his support of Trent Athletics.
“Throughout his tenure, president Groarke has been a champion for Excalibur student-athletes. His vision and dedication have been instrumental in fostering a culture of excellence, sportsmanship and inclusivity that defines our Trent Excalibur community,” stated McFadden.
McFadden also mentioned a generous donation to the Excalibur Fund in support of varsity athletics by Trent board chair Debra Cooper Burger. The unspecified gift was matched by Groarke and Dr. Cathy Bruce, president-designate and current vice president of Research & Innovation at Trent.
“This collaborative effort between the university’s top leadership members exemplifies their dedication and commitment to enriching the student-athlete experience and fostering a culture of success and excellence,” said McFadden.