Grassick, Elgersma win Lois and Doug Mitchell Awards as U Sports peak athletes

University of Saskatchewan basketball participant Gage Grassick and Wilfrid Laurier University quarterback Taylor Elgersma had been named the 2024-25 U Sports Athletes of the Year.

U Sports introduced the winners of the Lois and Doug Mitchell Award at an awards program Monday.

Grassick, from Prince Albert, Sask., received the Lois Mitchell award after she led the Huskies to a countrywide name.

She averaged 20.7 issues in line with recreation and received MVP honours on the U Sports Final 8 match, scoring 35 issues in Saskatchewan’s 85-66 win over protecting champion Carleton within the ultimate.

Elgersma, from Waterloo, Ont., led the Doug Mitchell Award after he led U Sports in passing yards (3,554), passing yards in line with recreation (323.1), and passing touchdowns (28) this season.

He led Laurier to the Vanier Cup ultimate, profitable MVP on the Yates Cup and offensive MVP of the Uteck Bowl convention championship alongside the way in which.

The different feminine recreation finalists have been Cape Breton football participant Alliyah Rowe of Kitchener, Ont.; Laval runner Marie-Frédérique Poulin of La Pocatière, Que.; and Western runner Favour Okpali of Toronto.

The different male nominees have been St. Francis Xavier basketball participant DJ Jackson of Mississauga, Ont.; Laval runner Philippe Morneau-Cartier of Quebec City and Calgary basketball participant Nate Petrone.

“We are so proud of the eight nominees this year. They are exceptional student-athletes and citizens,” Lois Mitchell, chair of the Canadian Athletic Foundation Board of Trustees, mentioned in a remark. 

“Gage and Taylor had outstanding seasons, demonstrating their adaptability to any condition they have faced on the field of competition and in the classroom. They are excellent recipients of the Lois and Doug Mitchell Awards.”

Elgersma was once drafted 18th general within the CFL draft by means of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and signed with the Green Bay Packers of the NFL as an undrafted unfastened agent.

He is making an attempt to crack the Green Bay Packers’ lineup, realizing the historical past of Canadian pivots seeking to safe jobs within the U.S.

“The way I’m going to do it, I’m hoping, is to focus on developing, focus on learning from these coaches, and getting better every single day,” Elgersma mentioned following Monday’s awards rite.

“I want to put myself in position to have a long career not only here (in Green Bay) or on the other side of the border, or wherever I end up landing. Right now I’m signed in Green Bay and my goal is to make this team and stick around here as long as I possibly can. I’m trying to be very process-oriented right now.”

Elgersma mentioned his paintings ethic and resolution have helped him prevail in any respect ranges so that you can open the doorways of even larger alternatives.

“So it’s back to working hard and trying to become a better version of myself.”

He mentioned he’d love to style his recreation after L.A. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.

“I love the way he plays with an edge and toughness, and he leads his guys tremendously. He also throws the ball at an extremely high level. Those are all qualities I’d love to have and work toward.”

Grassick is hoping to in the future pursue a profession within the WNBA “even if it’s just on a practice roster” and mentioned taking part in for Canada on the Olympics could be a “real dream come true.”

She believes that ladies’s recreation and ladies’s basketball are making nice positive factors, and taking out stigmas alongside the way in which.

“You can be a woman and a great athlete, and you can be from Canada and play pro basketball with the best of them. All it takes is heart and hard work. The women’s game, thanks to the WNBA and U Sports is getting better all the time, and much more popular. Canada West, in particular, is loaded with talent.”

Grassick — additionally awarded with USask’s Mary Ethel Cartwright Trophy as maximum exceptional feminine athlete — will spend yet another 12 months on the U of S honing her hoop talents and finishing her pharmacy lessons after which center of attention on turning into a precious level guard for a top-calibre staff.