London, ON - The annual Mustangs Awards Celebration took place on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at Alumni Hall, celebrating the successes of the Western Mustangs teams, coaches and student athletes.
Over 750 individuals were in attendance for the awards night which started off with a reception, and ended with the presentation of Mustangs MVPs and major awards.
Graduating Rings and Bronze W recipients were also recognized.
KAREN DANYLCHUK AWARD
The Western Mustangs started off this year's #Mustangs Awards celebration by presenting the brand new Karen Danylchuk Award. This award is presented to a female senior student in any faculty of the university who is considered to have attained the highest achievement during a university career encompassing athletics, scholarship and university life.
Congratulations to this year's inaugural recipient of the 2025 Karen Danylchuk Award: AVARIE THOMAS - Women's Basketball and Women's Soccer.
She is a multi-time All-Canadian and Four-time OUA First Team All-Star. She is also a four year captain on the Women's Soccer team. On the basketball court, she is a fearless defender and can be found near the top of the team stats for steals each year.
Away from her sports, she is an elementary school volunteer with an career path towards teaching, she is a Volunteer and Mentor with minor soccer programs and advocate for literacry in youth through book drives for underprivileged youth.
Her coach says "Her reputation in basketball and soccer made her potentially the top dual sport athlete in the province."
Congratulations Avarie Thomas, the 2025 & Inaugural recipient of the Karen Danylchuk Award.
G. HOWARD FERGUSON AWARD
The G. Howard Ferguson Award was started at Western in 1932 and is presented to a senior student in any faculty of the University who is considered to have attained the highest achievement during a university career encompassing athletics, scholarship and college life.
Congratulations to this year's 2025 recipient of the G. Howard Ferguson Award: JACKSON FINDLAY – Mustangs Football.
Findlay has been an integral part of the Western Mustangs football team during his time at Western, and as a defensive back, he helped to lead the team to an OUA championship Yates Cup silver medal, three consecutive OUA championship Yates Cup victories, and three U SPORTS finals including one gold medal championship Vanier Cup, over the past four years. He has won numerous awards for his academic excellence and excellence on the field of play including a Bronze W, Football team MVP and Most Outstanding Defensive Player from Western in 2023-24, 1st Team OUA in 2023-24, U SPORTS 1st Team All-Canadian in 2023-24, and most recently 1st Team OUA, 2024 OUA Outstanding Stand-Up Defensive Player of the Year, winning the President's Trophy, and U SPORTS Top 8 Academic All-Canadian for 2024-25, a top national award.
MUSTANGS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Also new to the Mustangs awards lineup this year, the Western Mustangs have introduced a brand new award – ROOKIE OF THE YEAR.
The Western Mustangs Rookie of the Year Award will be presented annually to an outstanding male and outstanding female rookie student-athlete.
This year's nominees for Rookie of the Year – Male are: Kohl Kletke – Men's Rugby, Liam Drover-Mattinen – Men's Tennis, Banujan Kulainthiran – Men's Track & Field. Congratulations to all our nominees for impressive performances this season!
And the winner of 2025 Rookie of the Year – Male is: KOHL KLETKE – Men's Rugby.
Congratulations Kohl!
This year's nominees for Rookie of the Year – Female are: Zea Wetzlaughk – Women's Swimming, Emma Buntic – Women's Volleyball, Emma Goodstadt – Figure Skating. Congratulations to all our nominees for impressive performances this season!
And the winner of 2025 Rookie of the Year – Female is: ZEA WETZLAUGHK – Women's Swimming. Congratulations Zea!
DR. CLAUDE BROWN MEMORIAL TROPHY
The Dr. Claude Brown Memorial Trophy is awarded to the Western Mustangs male student athlete who made the most outstanding contribution to intercollegiate athletics during their career.
The nominees for this year's Dr. Claude Brown Memorial Trophy are: Kenneth West – Men's Track & Field, Jackson Findlay – Mustangs Football, and Jared Hendricks-Polack – Men's Track & Field. Congratulations to all our nominees for impressive performances this season!
The winner of this year's Dr. Claude Brown Memorial Trophy is KENNETH WEST – Track & Field.
Kenneth set Mustangs, OUA and U SPORTS records during his 2025 Track & Field season. He won a double gold in the long jump and triple jump at the OUA Championship, including setting an OUA record in the triple jump. And at the U SPORTS National Championship, he helped his team secure a 1
st place finish through a record setting jump. Congratulations Kenneth!
F.W.P. JONES TROPHY
The F.W.P. Jones Trophy is awarded to the
Western Mustangs female student athlete who made the most outstanding contribution to intercollegiate athletics during their career.
The nominees for the F.W.P Jones Trophy are: Favour Okpali – Women's Track & Field, Shona Branton – Women's Swimming, and Taya Keast – Women's Lacrosse. Congratulations to all our nominees for impressive performances this season!
The winner of this year's F.W.P. Jones Trophy is FAVOUR OKPALI - Women's Track & Field.
Congratulations Favour!
In an historic first, both the Mustangs Women's & Men's Track and Field team won their 2025 U SPORTS National Championships – and Favour helped to bring the Women's team to victory with a dominating performance in the U SPORTS National Championship 600m, finishing in 1:27.71 and winning the gold medal. Favour was also named U SPORTS Outstanding Track Athlete of the Season for 2025.
MUSTANGS ATHLETES OF THE YEAR AWARD
Western Mustangs Athlete of the Year is presented annually to a male and female student athlete who have achieved outstanding success representing Western at the provincial or national level in the season.
This year's 2025 male nominees for Athlete of the Year are: Kenneth West – Men's Track & Field, Treye Trotman – Men's Wrestling, Cade Smith – Men's Volleyball. Congratulations to all our nominees for impressive performances this season!
This year's winner of Male Athlete of the Year is KENNETH WEST – Men's Track & Field.
At the U SPORTS National Championship, Kenneth not only helped his team win a 1
st place finish by securing a gold in the triple jump, but his 16.24m put him in the national record books setting a U SPORTS record - he broke the decade old national record by 43cm as well as his own Western record and personal best by 82cm. Kenneth was also named U SPORTS Outstanding Field Athlete of the Season. Congratulations Kenneth!
This year's 2025 female nominees for Athlete of the Year are: Favour Okpali – Track & Field, Liv Sands – Track & Field, Vivian Ogor – Track & Field. Congratulations to all our nominees for impressive performances this season!
This year's winner of Female Athlete of the Year is FAVOUR OKPALI - Women's Track & Field.
Favour had a stellar season this year, winning the 600m and setting an OUA record at the OUA Championships where she helped lead the Mustangs to a first-place finish and she was named OUA Female Track Athlete of the Year. Favour then finished out her university career with a dominating performance in the U SPORTS National Championship helping to secure her team a 1
st place national finish. Congratulations Favour!
MUSTANGS PURPLE BLANKETS
Western Mustangs Purple Blankets are awarded based on both academic and athletic achievements, usually in a student athlete's graduating year. Recipients must have participated in athletics for a minimum of three years and must have earned a minimum of three first colours.
Congratulations to the 2024-25 recipients of the Western Mustangs Purple Blankets:
- HANNAH GRAY – Figure Skating
- MARCEL SCHEELE – Cross Country and Track & Field
- GAVIN ELDRIDGE - Wrestling
- SETH EDWARDS - Track & Field
- LUKAS GESKE - Wrestling
- JACKSON FINDLAY - Football
- ENNA SUE - Rowing
- SHONA BRANTON - Swimming
- KENNETH WEST - Track & Field
- DYLAN DEVERILL - Squash
- HALLEE KNELSEN – Cross Country and Track & Field
- TAYA KEAST – Women's Lacrosse and Track & Field
- KENDALL DETTLOFF - Wrestling
- STEVEN ZHANG - Fencing
- ERIKA JORDAN – Cross Country and Track & Field
Purple Blankets were presented to those student athletes who achieved superior distinction at the provincial or national level of competition as representatives of Western University.
Even with a short power outage intermission, it was a great night. Congratulations again to all the nominees, winners and incredible Mustangs student athletes who helped to make 2024-25 an incredible year.
