Pattison & Kohn named Lancer Athletes of the Year
Lancer standouts Sydney Pattison and Mason Kohn were awarded the Banner and Olympic Shields as the University of Windsor Athletes of the Year.
It was an incredible year for Mason as he re-established himself as one of the premier men’s hockey players in the country.
The Hollywood, Florida native registered 20 points in 16 games to finish sixth overall in the OUA in scoring. His strong two-way play and his ability to play a complete 200-foot game for the Lancers helped his squad to finish first in the OUA Western conference this year.
The Law school student’s outstanding play was recognized across the OUA and across the country as he was named the OUA West MVP as well as a U SPORTS all-Canadian.
It was an unbelievable senior year for Sydney. After transferring to the University of Windsor for Teacher’s College at the start of the pandemic, she made a smooth transition onto the Lancer cross country and track & field teams and made a big impact across the OUA.
She got her track and field season off to a bang as she broke the Lancer all-time record in the women’s mile before being named the female athlete of the meet at the Team Challenge meet after capturing two gold medals and a silver.
At the OUA track & field championships, Sydney was named an OUA all-star as she captured an OUA silver medal in the women’s 3000 metres and a bronze medal in the 1500 metres. At the national championships, she followed that up with two bronze medals in the women’s 1000m and 1500m.
In her short time with the blue and gold, Sydney made her way into the Lancer all-time top ten and is now ranked No. 2 overall in the 1500 metres and 3000 metres, and No. 3 in the women’s 1000 metres.
The DeMarco Awards, presented annually to the top female and male students that best combine academic achievement with athletic prowess, went to Dami Alalade from men’s volleyball, and to Brooke Davis from the women’s volleyball team on the women’s side.
The Eddi Chittaro Assistant Coach of the Year award went to Randy Beardy from football, while the University of Windsor Gino Fracas Coach of the Year Award was presented to Kevin Hamlin from the men’s hockey team.
It was an impressive season on the ice for Coach Hamlin and his Lancer hockey program as he helped guide the men’s hockey team to one of their best regular season finishes in program history.
Coach Hamlin’s squad finished a top the OUA Western conference with a 12-3-1 record to earn the top overall seed in the playoffs. In addition to finishing first in the OUA Western conference, the team reached the number #7 spot in the U SPORTS national rankings. The blue and gold also boasted the west division MVP as well as the defensive player of the year.
The Captain's Trophy, awarded to a male and female captain who demonstrate outstanding leadership both on and off the field while also making a significant contribution to the overall success of their team, went to Thomas Kennedy from men’s basketball, Jade Samping from women’s soccer, and Jillian Holland-Penney from fastpitch.
The female rookie of the year award went to Samara Quanz from cross country/track & field, while Demir Tagani from football and Ben Tilson from track & field won the male rookie of the year. All three recipients had outstanding rookie campaigns.
The Super Sophomore awards were presented to women’s hockey standout Maggi DeWolf-Russ, and Steven Abrams from men’s volleyball on the men’s side.
The “A” Award, marking major contributions to Lancer Athletics, went to the Laura Strathdee and Amber Robinet of the COVID Response and Stabilization Team, and to the University of Windsor’s Centre for Research (CORe). This year’s Richard Peddie Award was presented to Sandra Aversa, while the Moriarty academic team of the year presented to the women’s volleyball team.
Winning is achievable in many ways
By David Grossman for Ontario University Athletics
There is life after coaching.
Just ask Mike Havey.
For him, it has happened twice – once in Alberta and later in Ontario.
Havey got hooked on the game of basketball many years ago and would adapt, with experience, opportunity, and knowledge, from a player to a coach and then to an outstanding sports administrator. There was also a time when his aspirations, maybe because he was a fan (and still is) of the Boston Celtics, included coaching at the professional level.
A native of Arnprior, a community about an hour from the Canadian capital, Havey went on to study at the University of Ottawa. He also found time to play some hoops for the university's varsity team, the Gee-Gees, where he described his role as a journeyman player, a contributor. Those are his words, not mine.
Having earned a Bachelors' degree in Physical Education, and later adding a Masters in both Phys Ed and Administration, Havey knew he had the knowledge and the credentials to tackle challenges of something bigger.
It was after some voluntary coaching with the university basketball program and working with Sport Canada on a special project in advance of the 1988 Olympics, that Havey had the urge to look for something more arduous and maybe grandiose.
At age 27, Havey landed his first paid coaching gig.
He responded to an opening for a coach at Medicine Hat College, an accredited educational institution of under 10,000 students and a member of the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association. Havey would go on to earn the respect from advisors and the governing body and would later add the paramount responsibilities of being an Athletic Director to his portfolio.
Then came 1991.
It was a year when Havey was looking for something more elaborate. That year, the Chicago Bulls won the National Basketball Association (NBA) championship. Duke had earned bragging rights as the top hoops team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Havey, with assistance from contacts, had heard about an opportunity to coach basketball at the University of Windsor.
Havey would go on to be that guy.
A golden opportunity was there, in the automotive capital of Canada. For him, the engine he needed to get going, was on the hardwood. Yet, with 13 years as head coach, the Lancers would reach the post season just twice.
"I started to get frustrated, after many years with basketball, and I knew there had to be a change," said Havey. "There are a lot of lessons you learn in sport – and not everything is a championship banner."
"For me, it was also about helping students learn to develop their skills and interest in various sports. To make sure they were doing well on the academic side and knowing there was a life after university – just as there was for me, after coaching."
Havey would transition to a different kind of coach – one that would also assume the role of the university's Associate Director of Athletics in 2004. For the next nine years, he would add a gamut of responsibilities and focus on ways to give students a memorable experience outside the academic classroom.
Opening its doors as the Roman Catholic Assumption College in 1857, the school would change in 1962 from a historic Roman Catholic university to a non-denominational provincial university.
In 2014, Havey would also see changes. This time, with former Athletic Director Gord Grace leaving to become Chief Marketing Officer with Canadian Interuniversity Sport (rebranded to USports in 2016), it was Havey who would again assume the role of Athletic Director. This time with the University of Windsor.
"I had to keep the spark going, and while I enjoyed watching our students and coaches compete, this job also had to take on the role of telling people they can no longer be involved," he said. "There were times when I needed to get involved in disciplinary situations. It can hurt, it's not easy and sometimes painful. There are times, when you have to manage change, for the betterment of people and the program."
Three decades after walking into the U of Windsor (make that an incredible 31 years to be more precise) and Havey is leaving. This time, he can look forward to reminiscing about the many challenging times throughout a superb and admirable career that is not always measured in wins, losses, and championship hardware.
Many great moments were in the gym, the pool, ice rink, and on the field at an educational institution – one that he's often referred to as his home away from home.
But the time has come for Havey to make another move. This time, it's about retirement ,having accomplished a great deal as the boss of a department that has raised the spotlight on athletes, coaches, volunteers, alumni and the community-at-large.
For him, memories include 2014 – a year when the Lancers were the talk of the town having won the Canadian championship in women's basketball and track and field as well as Ontario's Queen's Cup in men's hockey. Then, in 2019, Havey would expand athletics staff to include new fulltime paid coaches in four sports.
As he departs, one of his greatest projects was rolling out a massive $73 million improvement to athletic facilities that includes the Toldo Lancer Centre, a massive revamping that involved in financial cooperation from students, administration, and the community.
Talk with Havey, and he'll share some interesting stories about his education, life as an athlete, and that important work experience.
Clearly, what resonates is his passion for working in the world of amateur sport. Loaded with energy, wisdom, and inspiration, Havey is appreciative of building a respectful working relationship with staff.
"It was always about looking for ways to add something special for students in the areas of athletics and recreation," said Havey. "I knew they would eventually leave with a great education, but I wanted them to have had an opportunity to ease some of the stress with studies with an assortment of activities that suited their interests."
Havey knows that being an Athletic Director can also be a challenging business.
"The formula for success comes down to a combination of factors," said Havey. "You need top notch facilities, great coaching and a staff who are focussed, patient and determined to create an atmosphere that benefits students. Sure, we want to win, too. We have to remember that winning is achievable in many ways."
Stephanie White named Director of Athletics
White joins the Windsor Lancers from Western University, where she was the Director of Sport for the past two years.
The Department of Athletics is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephanie White as the new Director of Athletics at the University of Windsor. The appointment is effective Monday, May 30th.
“I am excited for the opportunity to join the University of Windsor and Lancer Athletics,” said White. “Based on the passion of the student-athletes, coaches, staff and the Windsor-Essex community, I know we can build something special. The goal is to create a program that boasts an exceptional student-athlete experience, complimented by the new Toldo Lancer Centre, building a program that will develop the next champions in sport, in the classroom and in the community.”
White joins the Lancers from Western University, where she spent the past two years as the Director of Sport. With the Mustangs, White played a key role providing leadership and management for Western’s 46 sports programs, while directing and overseeing the development, implementation and monitoring of activities aimed at enhancing the student-athletes academic and athletic experience.
Prior to her time at Western, White was the Director, High Performance Sports, Recreation & Physical Literacy at Vancouver Island University. She was responsible for enhancing the impact of high-performance sports while driving student recruitment, wellness, engagement, community well-being, and institutional effectiveness. White also acted as spokesperson for the department and oversaw the VIU Athletics & Recreation brand by developing customer service expectations, enhancing the student experience, and managing alumni relations, sponsorships, philanthropic initiatives and cultivating long-term relationships with community partners.
“Stephanie is a champion for positive student-athlete experiences, performance excellence and for promoting a culture of belonging,” said Dr. Linda Rohr, Dean of the Faculty of Human Kinetics. “With considerable leadership experience within U SPORTS and other high performance programs, including Hockey Canada, Stephanie recognizes the commitment needed for sport excellence and is well prepared to lead our Lancer programs.”
Outside of university sport, White has an extensive background coaching women’s hockey for over 20 years, that includes experience at the international level with Hockey Canada. She has represented the red and white on numerous occasions and has captured both a gold and silver medal at the IIHF World Championships.
She also currently sits on the OUA women in sport committee, the U SPORTS STSC women’s hockey committee, while also serving as the chair on the Hockey Canada female policy committee and a member of the BC Hockey board of directors.
“I am confident Stephanie will be a strong advocate for our students, staff, coaches, alumni and our local community,” continued Rohr. “I look forward to working with Stephanie and all ARS and campus partners as we strive to position the blue and gold for continued growth and success.”
A native of Toronto, ON, White has family connections in the Windsor-Essex community and is looking forward to moving to the region. “I am eager to join the Lancer family, and I want to thank President Gordon, Dean Rohr, and the search committee for their support as the next director of athletics,” White said. “I want to thank Mike Havey for his work leading the Lancer athletic department and I respectfully take the baton from him to carry the Lancer program forward.”
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, Ont., Canada
N9B 3P4
