Jessy Lacourse
Université Laval
Cross country / Track & Field (middle distance)
Quebec City, Que.
Fifth year
Educational Psychology (Master’s)
For a second consecutive season Jessy Lacourse, a fifth-year runner with the Laval Rouge et Or, is the 2022-23 RSEQ nominee for the U SPORTS Female Athlete of the Year Award.
In her fifth and final season with the Rouge et Or, Lacourse had another exceptional season in cross country and track & field.
First, Lacourse had a nearly perfect cross country season by winning her three races in Quebec, including the RSEQ championship, helping the Rouge et Or capture a second straight RSEQ banner. Then, in extreme conditions at the U SPORTS Championship in Halifax, she won the silver medal, while leading her team to their second straight national title, a first in Rouge et Or history. In five years with Laval, Lacourse won the U SPORTS championship three times and the conference championship four times.
Unsurprisingly, she was named RSEQ cross country athlete of the year as well as being a First Team All-Canadian.
“Jessy is an exceptional athlete who has distinguished herself by her fighting spirit and her ability to push the limit. Her career as a student-athlete is impressive. She has made great progress in sport, in addition to being an excellent student and a remarkable teammate. Her performances and attitude have greatly contributed to the success of the Rouge et Or cross country and track & field teams,” said Félix-Antoine Lapointe, the cross country head coach at Laval.
Lacourse’s domination continued during the track & field season, during which she set three program records, including two that are overall Quebec provincial records. First, she beat her own team record in the 1000m with a time of 2:41.93 at the John Thomas Terrier Classic in Boston at the end of January. Several days later, she established a new Quebec record in the mile at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston, with a time of 4:34.52. On the same day, she set a second Quebec record in the 1500m in a time of 4:14.18. In addition to these records, she also ran the 3000m in 9:10.02 at the beginning of December. Her times in the 1000m and 3000m were the best in Canada this season, while her 1500m time was ranked second.
After having won all her races at the RSEQ level during the season, she won three gold medals during the RSEQ Championship (1000m, 1500m, 3000m), leading Laval to a provincial team championship. She added the RSEQ Athlete of the Year award in track & field and won the U SPORTS Track Performer of the Season award.
After coming down with a tough virus during the U SPORTS Championship, Lacourse made the difficult decision to withdraw from the competition after giving everything she had in her two first races.
“Jessy is a hard-working athlete who does everything in her power to achieve her ambitious goals,” said Sylvain Cloutier, head track & field coach at Laval. “She is an example to follow for her teammates and a model for the next generation.”
Beyond her performances on the track, Lacourse also excels academically. The master’s student in educational psychology is a U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian.
McGill
