Lafond and Fandio Named Athletes of the Year After Standout Year on the Court
The Laurentian Voyageurs gave out their annual awards on Tuesday evening. Basketball players Émilie Lafond and Brice Fandio were named the Female and Male Athlete of the Year, respectively. Runners Milena Kulik and Shiloh Sauve were named the Female Rookie of the Year and the Male Rookie of the Year, respectively. Head coach of the women's basketball team, Jason Hurley, was named the Voyageurs' Coach of the Year while Evan Boudreau Munro of the men's basketball team and Margot West of the Nordic ski team were each honoured with the Voyageur Award. Long time supporter, Jesse Winters, was recognized with the Special Voyageur Award.
Lafond, a fifth year Education student from Hanmer, ON, was dominant for the Voyageurs throughout the season. Playing over 30 minutes per game, Lafond finished in the top 10 in the OUA in blocks (31 – 7th) and free throws (105 – 4th) while finishing in the top 20 in the league in a number of statistical categories including points (339), points per game (15.4), rebounds (162), rebounds per game (7.4), field goals made (117), field goal percentage (41.3), and free throw percentage (76.6). It was also a season that saw Lafond eclipse the 1000 career point mark and 500 career rebound plateau. Her outstanding season earned a second consecutive all-star recognition when she was named to the OUA Second Team.
Fandio, a second year a Sociologie major from Marseille, FRA, led the Voyageurs this season. On top of his fifth best mark in the OUA of 19.6 points per game, Fandio finished with the third most assists (108), fifth most steals (41), fifth most free throws made (86) and led the league in free throw percentage (86.9%). He also finished in the top 10 in field goals (139), three pointers (48), and total points (412). Fandio was recognized for his strong play with an OUA Second Team all-star, following up last year's all-rookie team inclusion.
Milena Kulik, a Psychology major from Sudbury, ON, qualified for the OUA Championships in two individual events on the track, both in the 60m and 300m, and also ran the lead off leg in both the 4 X 200m and 4 X 400m events - assisting the Voyageurs in breaking the school record in the 4 X 400m.
Shiloh Sauve, a Nursing major from Sudbury, ON, was a consistent performer during his rookie cross country season and made the OUA cross country championship roster. Sauve excelled during the indoor track & field season where he qualified in two separate events for the OUA Championships (600m and 1000m) and also competed along with his teammates in both the 4 X 400m and 4 X 800m. He is the first Voyageur male to compete in four events at the OUA Championships since 2000.
Following a campaign that saw the women's basketball team achieve a six-win increase to finish with a 13-9 record, their first winning record in 16 years, and earn their first home playoff game in 17 years, longtime bench boss, Jason Hurley, was named the recipient of the Voyageurs' Coach of the Year award.
The Voyageur Award is a prestigious award presented to a graduating student-athlete(s) who has excelled in the classroom, made outstanding contributions to their sport, made outstanding contributions to the community, and have been an ambassador of Voyageur Athletics throughout their university career. This year, Evan Boudreau Munro and Margot West were the recipients of the Award.
Boudreau Munro has been a steady, consistent presence both on the court and off in his tenure in the blue and gold. On the court, the soon-to-be Health Promotion graduate battled through numerous injuries, suiting up for 42 games over his three years. In his time with the Voyageurs, he has helped to establish the relationship between the Voyageurs and the Greater Sudbury Basketball Association House League by coaching youth teams on a volunteer basis throughout different areas on both the girls and boys side. Additionally, Boudreau Munro participated in the OUA WE ARE ONE campaign representing Laurentian as a voice for unity, collaboration and togetherness through sport. During Welcome Week in 2023, his first days on Laurentian's campus, he displayed heroic conduct and remarkable teamwork by assisting in the rescue of a teammate who was struggling to tread water in the lake. Acting quickly and collaboratively with others, he helped save the individual from drowning and ensured their safe return to shore. He has also excelled in the classroom, being named an Academic All-Canadian three times while at Laurentian.
An instrumental member of the women's Nordic ski team since joining the team in the Fall of 2022, West was part of the contingent that achieved an aggregate silver medal for the women's team at the OUA Championships in 2023 and a bronze medal in 2024. The former Voyageurs Rookie of the Year saw her four years of dedication and hard work bear fruit at this year's OUA Championships, her last, earning a bronze medal in the free technique race. West has also excelled scholastically in her Mechanical Engineering program, earning Academic All-Conference status in two, soon to be three, years of her undergrad. In addition to leading the women's Nordic team as their captain, she has taught private ski lessons in Sudbury, participated in local fitness challenge events and is always willing to help with younger athletes at the local clubs both during race events and training.
The Special Voyageur Award is presented to someone outside of the immediate Voyageur family, who has made an outstanding contribution to Voyageurs Athletics. This year's recipient, Jesse Winters, has consistently contributed to the Voyageurs running programs to help push them to the next level.
For 50 years, Winters has spearheaded the Ramsey Tour Road Race event that now serves as one of the oldest road races in the country. The Ramsey Tour is a staple in the Sudbury Running Community and serves as the opening race in the Voyageurs varsity calendar each year. Proceeds from this event have provided over $200,000 in bursaries for varsity runners at both Laurentian University and Cambrian College, supporting countless student-athletes.
Team awards were also announced on Tuesday. Here are the recipients for the Pride and Tradition Award from the various teams, given to the student-athlete who is a strong contributor/leader to their team, in the classroom, and to their community.
Baseball: Ryan Lacasse
Men's Basketball: Favour Ugbah
Women's Basketball: Megan Axiak
Men's Cross-Country Running: Keon Wallingford
Women's Cross-Country Running: Valerie Vaillancourt
Men's Curling: Julian Mariotti
Women's Curling: Val Ouimet
Men's Golf: Jacob Lacko
Women's Golf: Vanessa Paterson
Men's Track & Field: Keon Wallingford
Women's Track & Field: Finlay Cuza, Alissa Diavolitsis, Milena Kulik, Lucia Salmaso
Men's Nordic Skiing: Jamie Brain
Women's Nordic Skiing: Margot West
Men's Soccer: Theo Vieira
Women's Soccer: Sophia Oommen
Student Therapist: Charlotte Fulop
Student Performance: Alec Tam
With the awards in the books, the 2025-26 Laurentian varsity season comes to an end. Congratulations to this year's award recipients.