Fanshawe Celebrates 2025-26 Varsity Season with Athletics Awards Ceremony
Fanshawe Athletics concluded the 2025-2026 varsity season with the Falcons’ year-end awards ceremony this evening. Jud McGowan from the men’s baseball team and Ashlyn Anderson from the women’s basketball team were honoured as Fanshawe’s Athletes of the Year.
(London, Ontario) – Fanshawe Athletics concluded the 2025-2026 varsity season with the Falcons' year-end awards ceremony this evening. Jud McGowan from the men's baseball team and Ashlyn Anderson from the women's basketball team were honoured as Fanshawe's Athletes of the Year.
Athlete of the Year: Jud McGowan
McGowan stepped into the Falcons lineup as a rookie this season, but no one would have guessed he was a first-year student-athlete based on the feats he accomplished. A natural-born leader with a knack for rising to the occasion, McGowan produced an elite slash line of a .383 batting average, .456 on-base percentage, and .700 slugging percentage, while leading the OCAA in runs batted in (21) and home runs (4). His standout season earned him a place on the OCAA All-Rookie Team as well as OCAA First Team All-Star honours. In the playoffs, McGowan continued to dominate and was named the OCAA Championship Most Valuable Player, leading the Falcons baseball team to its first provincial gold medal in program history. McGowan is a perfect example of commitment and talent on the field matching excellence in the classroom. Putting an emphasis on the student in student-athlete, he dedicates even more effort to his academics, as reflected in his 3.96 GPA in the Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Management) program.
Athlete of the Year: Ashlyn Anderson
Anderson was nothing short of dominant this season, lifting the Falcons women's basketball program to never-before-seen heights and establishing herself as one of the top collegiate basketball players in the country. She led the Falcons to a provincial gold medal and a national silver medal, securing the first national medal in program history. Anderson's calling card was her defence and rebounding, as she broke numerous Fanshawe single-season and single-game records while also leading the OCAA in both blocks per game (3.1) and rebounds per game (13.4). She was honoured as an OCAA West Division First Team All-Star, the West Division Defensive Player of the Year, and a CCAA All-Canadian for her dominant performance throughout league play. In the playoffs, Anderson elevated her game even further, earning OCAA Championship All-Star and CCAA First Team All-Star honours. Her signature performance came in the national semifinal, where she recorded 31 points, 26 rebounds, and 10 blocks in an overtime victory over host Dawson College. Not only is Anderson incredibly talented, but she also brings a team-first attitude and a deep respect for the game, her opponents, her teammates, and her coaches. An extremely coachable student-athlete, Anderson is dedicated to continuous growth, and her knowledge of the game continues to improve every day, reflecting her passion for both the sport and her team.
In addition to the Athletes of the Year awards, the following student-athletes were also major award recipients:
CCAA Academic All-Canadians – Miriam Wambulwa (Women's Soccer), Karyn TeBrake (Women's Basketball), Jayden Crowther (Men's Volleyball)
Coach of the Year – Brian Harvey (Baseball)
Les Zoltai Award – Karyn TeBrake (Women's Basketball)
Jim Matchett Memorial Scholarship – Brennan Roy (Cross Country)
Damian Warner Rookie of the Year – Jasmine Seager (Softball)
Damian Warner Rookie of the Year – Alex Leinweber (Cross Country)
Fowler Kennedy Varsity Award – Kelsey Lewis (Women's Volleyball)
Mike Lindsay Leadership Award – Claudia Braam
World Transplant Games Legacy Badminton Award – Ty Nguyen
Team Academic Challenge – Women's Basketball, GPA: 3.89
Team Awards
Women's Most Valuable Runner – Grace Boyce
Men's Most Valuable Runner – Noah Derganc
Women's Rookie of the Year – Allie Morden
Men's Rookie of the Year – Alex Leinweber
Golf:
Men's Most Valuable Player – John Van Bilsen
Men's Rookie of the Year – Cohen Adamson
Women's Most Valuable Player – Kailey Cromwell
Women's Rookie of the Year – Alexis Birch
Most Valuable Player – Lily Ryder
Rookie of the Year – Xenia Wittek-VanKoughnet
Women's Indoor Soccer:
Most Valuable Player – Sam Merritt
Rookie of the Year – Jamie Chansamone
Men's Outdoor Soccer:
Most Valuable Player – Isaac Olaiya
Rookie of the Year – Curtis Singh
Men's Indoor Soccer:
Most Valuable Player – Carlos Cabral
Rookie of the Year – Deseron MacLean
Softball:
Most Valuable Player – Kyle Dalrymple
Rookie of the Year – Jasmine Seager
Baseball:
Most Valuable Player – Marcus Normandin
Rookie of the Year – Jud McGowan
Badminton:
Women's Most Valuable Player – Nicole Kim
Men's Most Valuable Player – Arpitraj Sinha
Women's Rookie of the Year – Xinyu Niu
Men's Rookie of the Year – Suhail Muhammad
Women's Volleyball:
Most Valuable Player – Jaime Worsfold
Rookie of the Year – Simone Pinsonneault
Men's Volleyball:
Most Valuable Player - Jayden Crowther
Rookie of the Year – Andrew Smith
Women's Basketball:
Most Valuable Player – Sidney Deleary
Rookie of the Year – Isabella Bertucci
Men's Basketball:
Most Valuable Player – Brandon Bogart
Rookie of the Year – Zakai Davis
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