CALGARY (U SPORTS) – Sarah Gates, a basketball player from McMaster University, and Gabriel Mastromatteo, a swimmer from the University of Toronto, are the Lois and Doug Mitchell Award winners as the U SPORTS Female and Male Athletes of the Year for the 2022-23 season.
The laureates were announced Wednesday night at the McDougall Centre in Calgary. The awards program celebrated its 30th edition at this year’s event, dating back to the launch of the Howard Mackie Awards in 1993.
All eight nominees – one female and male athlete from each of the four U SPORTS conferences - received a commemorative gold ring from Baron, the exclusive supplier of commemorative jewellery for U SPORTS. Gates and Mastromatteo were also presented with a trophy and a $5,000 scholarship to attend a Canadian university graduate school.
The winners were selected by the Canadian Athletic Foundation, a not-for-profit board established to administer the Awards and protect the integrity of the selection process.
“We are so proud of the eight nominees this year. They are exceptional student-athletes and citizens,” said The Hon. Lois Mitchell. “Sarah and Gabe had outstanding seasons and are excellent recipients of the Lois and Doug Mitchell Awards.”
“On behalf of U SPORTS, I wish to congratulate Sarah and Gabe on being named the recipients of the Lois and Doug Mitchell Awards,” said Pierre Arsenault, U SPORTS CEO. “We had an exceptional group of nominees this year, with seven Academic All-Canadians and five most outstanding athletes of the year winners in their respective sports. To be recognized like this is a wonderful accomplishment for Sarah and Gabe.”
Gates, who hails from Newmarket, Ont., and is in her fifth and final year of U SPORTS eligibility, took home the Lois Mitchell Trophy, presented annually to the female winner, and is the first McMaster Marauder to take home female athlete-of-the-year honours.
Sarah Gates, McMaster
Sarah Gates
McMaster University
Basketball (Guard)
Newmarket, Ont.
Fifth Year
Human Behaviour
Sarah Gates, a fifth-year guard for the McMaster Marauders women’s basketball team, is the 2022-23 OUA Female Athlete of the Year and the conference’s nominee for the 2022-23 U SPORTS Female Athlete of the Year award.
Gates won the 2023 Nan Copp Trophy as the U SPORTS women’s basketball player of the year after leading the nation in scoring with 27.3 points per game, leading her Marauders to the OUA’s top offensive ranking with 76.1 points scored per game.
She picked up U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian honours and was also named OUA Player of the Year and First Team All-Star. She ranked first in the OUA in field goals made (210), three-pointers (73) and free throws made (117). She shot 48.3 per cent from the field and 37.7 per cent from three-point range while averaging 30 minutes per game.
She finished her career as the leading scorer in McMaster program history, and her 1,857 points total is third on the OUA all-time list.
"She's fearless. I've never known anyone that can catch the ball and know that they're going to score, but that's exactly what Sarah does. She knows her skill set and ability and never questions it,” said Gates’ teammate Mia Spadafora, who is also a fifth-year guard. “She is an incredibly hard worker. You never see her taking little breaks at practice and she is always the one pushing people to their limit. Sarah is very determined and confident and that's why she excels."
Off the court, Gates was a significant presence in the McMaster community, serving as Chair of the Women’s Athletic Leadership Council and a member of the Varsity Leadership Council. She also spearheaded multiple charitable initiatives, including the annual Think Pink campaign.
“It has been such a privilege and pleasure to coach and know Sarah over her time here at McMaster,” said Marauders head coach Theresa Burns. “Her ability not only to score but to influence the game in so many ways has been phenomenal. Equally wonderful has been her growth as a person and as a leader who has learned to use her voice to promote change, especially for female athletes. I’m just so very proud of her."
Mastromatteo, who just completed his second year of U SPORTS eligibility, returns home with the Doug Mitchell Trophy. The Kenora, Ont., product is the first male athlete from U of T to win national athlete-of-the-year honours.
Gabriel Mastromatteo, Toronto
Gabriel Mastromatteo
University of Toronto
Swimmer
Kenora, Ont.
Second Year
Commerce
Gabriel Mastromatteo, a second-year swimmer with the Toronto Varsity Blues, is the 2022-23 OUA Male Athlete of the Year and their nominee for the 2022-23 U SPORTS Male Athlete of the Year award. He made a splash with every race he swam for the Varsity Blues this past season, earning an impressive collection of hardware along the way for the Toronto men’s swimming team, scooping up U SPORTS Male Swimmer of the Year, First Team All-Canadian, OUA Swimmer of the Year and First Team All-Star.
He began with a dominant showing at the 2023 OUA Swimming Championships that saw him reel in six medals across the three days of competition. His four golden outings there came via the 100m breaststroke, 4x50m freestyle relay, 4x100m medley relay, and the 50m breaststroke. His performance in the latter was good enough to set a new conference record, and he added on a silver (200m breaststroke) and bronze (50m butterfly).
The commerce major from Kenora, Ont. proceeded to the national stage in Victoria, and while the setting was different, the success was similar. He set a pair of U SPORTS records at the championship event, earning top spot and pace-breaking performances in the 50m and 100m breaststroke, respectively. He added silver medals in the 200m breaststroke and 4x100m medley relay.
The 2020 Olympian was an integral part of the Blues capturing their 19th consecutive OUA banner and a fourth-place finish at the U SPORTS Championships, and his 2022-23 season will undoubtedly go down as one of the most memorable for the decorated program thus far.
“Gabe is a world class swimmer and showed that with his two meet records at the national championships this season. One was actually a pool record too, which is impressive as the Commonwealth Games were held in this facility,” said Byron Macdonald, the head swimming coach at the University of Toronto. “But there are potholes in any adventure and Gabe hit a huge one last year with a heavy COVID hit that kept him out of serious training for several months. With that comes doubt and lots of challenges, so it's a strong support staff and personal drive that has gotten Gabe back to his previous form.”
This is the second straight year, and the fifth time overall, that OUA representatives have won both awards.
The other female finalists for this season were UNB hockey player Kendra Woodland of Kamloops, B.C.; Laval cross country and track & field runner Jessy Lacourse of Quebec City; and Mount Royal hockey player Tatum Amy of Birtle, Man.
The other male nominees were Saint Mary’s cross country and track & field runner Andrew Peverill of Lower Sackville, N.S.; McGill swimmer Pablo Collin of Marseille, France; and Alberta volleyball player Jordan Canham of Avonmore, Ont.
