GUELPH, ON – After a long season of sweat, pain, and both heartbreak and elation, the University of Guelph's athletes dressed up to receive well-deserved recognition for their efforts. A crowd of over 800 descended on the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre for the annual Gryphons Athletic Banquet, with every varsity team represented.

"This is a special night for Gryphon Athletics," said Athletics Director Scott McRoberts. "Our athletes fill us with pride throughout the season but to see all of them assembled in one room, surrounded by their coaches and team staff members, gives perspective on just how successful our program is. It's a family.

"Gryphon Athletics strives to be the standard for universities across this country. And this amazing event provides yet another example of how high we have set the bar."

The 2017-18 season was one to remember. A total of 103 Gryphons achieved OUA All-star status, with 11 individuals making OUA All-Rookie Teams. Eleven athletes and six coaches won OUA major awards, while 39 Gryphons were named All-Canadians, up 16 from last season.

In a year in which the storied Gryphon track and field program had its best season ever, it was only appropriate that two members of the OUA and U SPORTS champions were recognized as Female and Male Athletes of the Year. Fourth-year hurdler Sarah Hammond won the women's award, while fifth-year middle distance star Tommy Land was named the men's winner for the second year in a row.

Hammond, a fourth-year applied human nutrition student from Sault Ste Marie, had an incredible season, sweeping the gold medals in the 60m hurdles at the OUA and U SPORTS Championships. Her 8.18-second run at the OUAs was the fastest time in Canada this season by any hurdler at the collegiate or post-collegiate level. Sarah also won OUA silver in the 60m sprint event. She then equaled a U SPORTS record time of 8.20 in the hurdles at nationals, and narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in the 60m event.

"This was just a great way to cap off this season," said Hammond, who admitted she wanted to improve on a disappointing 2017. "It was a long year but I enjoyed every minute of it. To be able to win this award, with my teammates standing right behind me, was an amazing feeling."

Land surpassed those achievements in 2018, becoming just the fourth Gryphon ever to earn the award in consecutive seasons.

The Turkey Point, ON native and mechanical engineering student took three gold medals at this year's OUA Championships, winning the 600m and 1000m events, while also running on the first-place 4x400m relay team. Two weeks later, he went to the U SPORTS Championships for the final two races of his Gryphon career. And he did not disappoint. Land displayed his finishing kick in both the 600m and 1000m events to overtake opponents at the tape and sweep gold again. He was named both OUA and U SPORTS Track Athlete of the Year and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest, most competitive middle-distance runners in collegiate history.

"This being my last year, it really is the end and there are mixed emotions," said Land, who revealed he will now retire from running to start a work career. "It was a great year. It was the first time I went undefeated for an entire season. There were a couple close calls. It was just a whirlwind.

"Wins are wins but the people I met, my buddies, these guys will be at my wedding some day. They're beauties. I can't put into words how much I love them. That's the most important thing from these last five years, the friendships I've made."

Nordic skiing star Celeste Noble and two-sport athlete Scott Simmonds (men's hockey and rugby) were named the W.F. Mitchell Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year, awarded to graduating athletes who excel in their sport and demonstrate leadership and involvement in athletics at the University of Guelph. Noble is the true definition of a well-rounded student athlete. She overcame health issues in her early varsity years to emerge as the clear leader on the Gryphon Nordic team, showcasing her talent, work ethic, and ability to connect with people. The women's captain, and member of the Leadership Academy, had an incredible season in her final year of competition, leading the Gryphons to a team silver medal at the OUA Championships. She is a prominent figure on campus having co-founded Team Unbreakable – Guelph Chapter, a group dedicated to improving student mental health through running and fostering new friendships. Noble also played in or captained more than 10 intramural teams, all while meeting the rigorous demands as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student.

Over the last four memorable years, Simmonds has embodied precisely what it means to be a Gryphon. The Uxbridge, ON native is a rare two-sport athlete but what makes him unique is that his demanding rugby and hockey schedules overlap, meaning that he has competed on both the pitch and ice on the same day. Simmonds is a two-time captain of the Gryphon hockey team and respected for his skills, scoring 39 goals with 65 assists in a decorated career that includes a Queen's Cup, U SPORTS bronze medal & an OUA West First Team All-Star nod. He is also a centre on the rugby team and was a prominent figure on a side that won an OUA gold medal in 2016. Simmonds is a member of the Leadership Academy and an individual who inspires his teammates in both sports, while representing Gryphon Athletics with class in the both the classroom and the community.

The President's Trophy awarded to the Gryphons who best exemplify athletic and academic excellence went to Hammond and men's rugby player Jeremy Seed.

Hammond's success on the track was mirrored in the classroom as an Applied Human Nutrition student. She maintained an average of 90.6 percent in the winter semester of 2017 and even improved on that at the start of her historic fourth year with an average of 91.4 per cent in the fall. Hammond set that high standard despite the grueling year-round preparation required in track and field.

Seed's role on the powerhouse Gryphons has expanded throughout his four years and the centre had a memorable season on and off the pitch. He has established himself as an important defensive specialist and he was able to get some offensive glory by scoring a pair of tries in 2017. But the Nutraceutical Sciences student is an absolute superstar in the classroom. Seed's commitment to his studies was clear as he maintained an incredible academic average of 95.7 per cent in the 2017 winter semester and 96 per cent in the fall during the heart of the rugby season.

The future of Gryphon Athletics is bright and rookies Morgan Byng and Todd Winder are part of the reason why. Byng, a member of the OUA and U SPORTS champion track and field team, was named Dr. Mary Beverley-Burton Female Rookie of the Year. A first-year athlete must be special to feature prominently on the Gryphons track and field team. And Byng fit that criteria. The fast and powerful native of Alliston, ON worked hard to secure a spot on the Gryphon relay teams and she proved to be a worthy inclusion, helping the 4x200m set an OUA and school record in a gold-medal performance at the OUA Championships. Byng was on the same relay team that eclipsed the U of G record two weeks later for another gold at the U SPORTS Championships. She won individual OUA bronze in the 300m event and was on the 4x400m silver medal winners at nationals, while also being named OUA Rookie of the Year.

Winder made a statement on the Gryphon men's hockey team in his first season en route to being named the Scott Yanchus Male Rookie of the Year. Guelph led the OUA in goals thanks in part to a memorable debut from Winder. The Uxbridge, ON native and former Newmarket Hurricanes' player made the transition to OUA hockey look easy by establishing team highs in goals with 18 and points with 34 in 27 games played. Winder raised his game to another level in the postseason, scoring six goals and adding four assists in five games. The skilled Gryphon capped a memorable first year with OUA West Rookie of the Year honours.

One of the highlights of the night was the Gryphie of the Year award. In a season packed with amazing moments, the women's soccer team, which won the first OUA championship in program history, was recognized for "Hinch-lifts Gryphs to Victory." Second-year striker Victoria Hinchliffe scored twice in the OUA semi-final and slotted home the winning penalty kicks in both that match and the final against Western to help Guelph earn its first conference banner ever.

A complete list of award winners from the evening can be found below.

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Major Award Winners

Male Athlete of the Year: Tommy Land (Track and Field)
Female Athlete of the Year: Sarah Hammond (Track and Field)
"Gryphie" Moment of the Year: "Hinch-lifts Gryphs to Victory" – Women's Soccer
W.F. Mitchell Sportsman of the Year: Scott Simmonds (Men's Hockey and Men's Rugby)
W.F. Mitchell Sportswoman of the Year: Celeste Noble (Nordic Skiing)
President's Trophy (Male): Jeremy Seed (Men's Rugby)
President's Trophy (Female): Sarah Hammond (Track and Field)
Fred Ramprashad Award: Andrea Cimino (Women's Soccer)
Don Cameron Award (3-year M.I.P.): Job Reinhart (Men's Wrestling & Football)
Shirley Peterson Award (3-year M.I.P.): Emilie Nicholl (Women's Rugby)
Scott Yanchus Male Rookie of the Year: Todd Winder (Men's Hockey)
Dr. Mary Beverley-Burton Female Rookie of the Year: Morgan Byng (T&F)
Gunner Obrascovs Trainer of the Year: Alida Carlin (Women's Basketball/Men's Rugby)
Cathy Rowe Manager of the Year: Terry Pham (Men's Volleyball)
Dr. John T. Powell Award: Dave Neill (Women's Rugby)

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Team Award Winners

Baseball: M.V.P. – Sam Salemi
Basketball (M): Jack Tanner M.I.P. – Kieran Naus
Basketball (M): Bill Dimson Memorial M.V.P. – Daniel Dooley
Basketball (W): M.I.P. – Sarah Holmes
Basketball (W): M.V.P. – Burke Bechard
Cross Country (M): Rookie of the Year (Al Claremont Freshman Harrier Trophy) – Braydon Clarke
Cross Country (M): M.V.P. (Art Hackett Trophy) – Connor Black
Cross Country (W): Rookie of the Year – Sadie-Jane Hickson
Cross Country (W): M.V.P. (Vic Matthews Award) – Danielle Jossinet
Curling (W): M.V.P. – Jespyn Murphy
Curling (M): M.V.P. – David Jones
Field Hockey: M.I.P. – Lauren Dewar
Field Hockey: Laura Sharp M.V.P. – Rebecaa Plouffe
Figure Skating: M.V.P. – Jade Marrow
Football: Rookie of the Year – Sandor Mod
Football: M.V.P. (Donald Forster Trophy) – Gabe Ferraro
Football: Ted Wildman Trophy – Orion Edwards
Golf (M): David Fell M.V.P. - Marc-Anthony Manion
Golf (W): Grace Glofcheskie M.V.P. – Linnea Knutsson
Hockey (M): Rookie of the Year (Walter Rickard Memorial Award) – Todd Winder
Hockey (M): M.V.P. (Jack Pos Trophy) – Josh McFadden
Hockey (W): Rookie of the Year – Molly Crossman
Hockey (W): M.V.P. – Kaitlin Lowy
Lacrosse (M): M.V.P. – Hayden Walsh
Lacrosse (W): M.V.P. – Shayla Larson
Nordic Skiing (M): M.V.P. – Robert Simpson-Spook
Nordic Skiing (W): M.V.P. – Celeste Noble
Rowing (M): M.V.P. – Clayton White
Rowing (W): M.V.P. – Carly Kaitlyn Dennis
Rugby (M): Rookie of the Year (Robin Best Award) – John Sheridan
Rugby (M): M.V.P. (Ieuan Evans Rugger Award) – Marcello Wainwright
Rugby (W): Rookie of the Year – Adea Elliott
Rugby (W): M.V.P. – Julia Schell/Chole Runge
Soccer (M): M.I.P. – Ian Vidovich
Soccer (M): M.V.P. (Bill McAnuff Memorial) – Jace Kotsopoulos
Soccer (W): Rookie of the Year – Sayan Ladhani
Soccer (W): M.V.P. – Nicole Brown-Shaw
Swimming (M): M.I.P. – Peter Gras
Swimming (M): M.V.P. (C.M. Kinnear Memorial) – Phil Vranic
Swimming (W): M.I.P. – Angela Wilson
Swimming (W): M.V.P. – Samantha Anderson
Track & Field (M): Rookie Award – Mark Bujnowski
Track & Field (M): M.V.P. (Hamilton Olympic Club Award) – Tommy Land
Track & Field (W): Rookie Award – Morgan Byng
Track & Field (W): M.V.P. – Sarah Hammond
Volleyball (M): M.I.P. – Jakson Paterson
Volleyball (M): M.V.P. – Zach Newman
Volleyball (W): M.I.P. (Makala King Memorial) – Libby Donevan
Volleyball (W): M.V.P. – Alex Curran
Wrestling (M): M.I.P. – Job Reinhart
Wrestling (M): M.V.P. – Alexander Chaves
Wrestling (W): M.I.P. – Samantha Squires
Wrestling (W): M.V.P. – Gracelynn Doogan

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