For the second year in a row, Co-Female Athletes of the Year headlined the Niagara College Athletic Banquet this year as Julia Markle (St. George, ON) and Tessa Vahrmeyer (St. Catharines, ON) were honoured with the top award this season. They are joined by Gerrit Oldejans (Dundas, ON), a 5th year player in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA), as Male Athlete of the Year to round out the top athletic awards for the 2025-2026 season. Student athletes and staff celebrated this year's accomplishments with 167 awards being handed out, at the Stone Mill Ballroom on Friday, April 10th.
The banquet is held to recognize top student athletes for their performance on the court, ice and field of play, and more importantly in the classroom. The night was also an opportunity to highlight the teams' success and recognize individual accomplishments from the 2025-2026 season.
Markle, the skip for the Knights women's curling team, Vahrmeyer, a forward on the Knights women's soccer team, and Oldejans, a forward on the Knights men's soccer team were honoured as the Niagara College Knights Co-Female and Male Athletes of the Year. Markle led the Knights women's curling team to a gold medal at the OCAA Curling Championships – her 2nd medal in as many years. She was named an OCAA Curling Championship MVP and is on track to receive multiple academic awards for the 2026 winter term. Vahrmeyer was named an OCAA West Division 1st Team All-Star, as well as a CCAA All-Canadian, as she took home the 2025-2026 OCAA West Division Scoring Champion title and is the current record holder for the Knights women's soccer team with 14 goals in a regular season. She was also awarded with an OCAA All-Academic award and a CCAA Academic All-Canadian award. Oldejans also took home the OCAA West Division Scoring Champion title and was recognized with an OCAA West Division 1st Team All-Star award, an OCAA All-Academic award, and a CCAA Academic All-Canadian award.
Aidan Luk (St. Catharines, Ontario), a second-year student-athlete and member of the Niagara College curling team, was selected as this year's Niagara College Knights Male Tournament Sport Player of the Year. Julia Markle (St. George, ON), also a second-year student-athlete and member of the Niagara College curling team, was selected as this year's Niagara College Knights Female Tournament Sport Player of the Year.
Joseph Buckley (Oshawa, Ontario), and Savannah Speck (Fonthill, Ontario), were honoured as the Niagara College Knights Male and Female Rookie Athletes of the Year across all sports. Buckley is a guard on the Knights men's basketball team, and Speck is a centre-back on the Knights women's soccer team.
Samantha Cormier (St. Catharines, Ontario), an integral part of the Knights women's volleyball team and RJ Martin (St. Mary's, Ontario), a dominant middle blocker on the Knights men's volleyball team were named Female and Male Leadership Award recipients across all sports.
Sam Guzak (Beaumont, Alberta), an outside hitter on the Knights men's volleyball team was recognized for academic excellence as the top Male Scholastic Award recipient. While Charlize Trudell (Belle River, Ontario) an outside hitter on the Knights women's volleyball team is the recipient of the top Female Scholastic Award in recognition of the top academic GPA across all sports for a Niagara College student athlete.
A total of 167 individual awards were presented at this year's banquet.
Chris Poulouski, head coach of the OCAA gold medalist women's curling team was the recipient of the Ralph Nero Memorial Award – for coaching excellence and outstanding contributions to student recruitment and retention.
Samson Balogun, Niagara Knights team manager for the men's basketball team, was the recipient of the Luciano Berardocco Memorial Award. This award recognizes his outstanding contribution to intercollegiate athletics in the 2025 – 2026 season.
Abbey Gooder, Niagara Knights women's volleyball student-athlete, was the recipient of the Ray Sarkis Award. This award is given to individuals who exude passion, commitment and community-mindedness.
Tessa Vahrmeyer, a 2nd year forward on the Knights women's soccer team was recognized as this year's only CCAA All-Canadian. This award is presented to an individual who has displayed exceptional athletic performance and is being recognized as one of the best players in their sport within the OCAA.
The recipients of the CCAA Academic All-Canadian Awards are:
Women's Soccer: Cienna Toromoreno
Women's Soccer: Tessa Vahrmeyer
Men's Soccer: Gerrit Oldejans
Men's Volleyball: Noah Trembly
The recipients of the OCAA All-Academic Awards are:
Men's Basketball: Fisher Jackson, Kadin Moore, Lado Laku, Noah Li, and Carter Bown.
Women's Basketball: Alia Omar-Bujak, Lexxus Bell, Keira Teske, Hanna Kirchner, and Ebony Horton.
Golf: Hazel Templeman and Aidan McVey.
Men's Soccer: Matthew Bogusat, David Figueroa, Kyle Hannon, Anthony Hendriks, Jacob Lambert, Kylar Lampman, Gerrit Oldejans, Noah Vogel, Michael DiMaurizio, Kyle Giovannini, and Narada Gibbs-Burke.
Women's Soccer: Siera Warkentin, Cerrina Toromoreno, Cienna Toromoreno, Tessa Vahrmeyer, Molly Devereux, Sarah Haist, Hannah Truant, Isabella Brassard, Alyson Thivierge, Holly Bogusat, Grace Gray, Josee Severin, Mikaela Burke, Annaliesse Nichol, and Alina Buchanan.
Men's Volleyball: Cameron Moss, Jack Drummond, Riley Orr, Noah Trembly, Ryder Beauregard, Sam Pynn, and Sam Guzak.
Women's Volleyball: Jenna Main, Megan Patterson, Charlize Trudell, Lily Ireland, Émilie Dlouhy, Keira Virostek, Kyleigh Baxter, Samantha Cormier, and Amy Barlow.
The Niagara College 4th Year Recognition Award. Recognizing athletes who have given four years of dedication to their respective sport:
Women's Basketball: Lexxus Bell
Men's Soccer and Curling: William Mitchell
Men's Soccer: Kylar Lampman, Robert McMillan, and Noah Vogel
The Niagara College 5th Year Recognition Award. Recognizing athletes who have given five years of dedication to their respective sport:
Women's Volleyball: Abbey Gooder
Team-by-Team Leadership Award. This award is in recognition of outstanding commitment, dedication, and leadership on and off the court/ice/field of play:
Men's Basketball: Noah Li
Women's Basketball: Aisja Strachan
Golf: Luke Townsley
Men's Soccer: Noah Vogel
Women's Soccer: Aneisha Gobbels
Men's Volleyball: RJ Martin
Women Volleyball: Samantha Cormier
Curling: Cassandra Barnard
Team-by-Team Scholastic Award. This award is in recognition of the top academic GPA for a Niagara College student athlete.
Men's Basketball: Noah Li
Women's Basketball: Alia Omar-Bujak
Golf: Hazel Templeman
Men's Soccer Noah Vogel
Women's Soccer: Sarah Haist and Grace Gray
Men's Volleyball: Sam Guzak
Women's Volleyball: Charlize Trudell
Curling: Emma Riches
Team-by-Team Rookie Athlete of the Year
Men's Basketball: Joseph Buckley
Women's Basketball: Emma Venditelli
Golf: Spencer Main
Men's Soccer: Anthony Hendriks
Women's Soccer: Savannah Speck
Men's Volleyball: Sam Guzak
Women's Volleyball: Amy Barlow
Curling: Gavin Gaston
Team-by-Team Most Valuable Player
Men's Basketball: Joseph Buckley
Women's Basketball: Lyric Shallow
Golf: Aidan McVey
Men's Soccer: Gerrit Oldejans and Ferdinand Lokole
Women's Soccer: Tessa Vahrmeyer
Men's Volleyball: Jack Drummond
Women's Volleyball: Abbey Gooder
Curling: Julia Markle
Male and Female Athletes of the Year
Female Athlete of the Year
Julia Markle (St. George, Ontario) and Tessa Vahrmeyer (St. Catharines, Ontario) were honoured as Co-Female Athletes of the Year for the 2025-2026 season. Both having phenomenal seasons in their respective sports, sharing this prestigious award was the only decision that made sense to be able to honour both student-athletes.
Markle, a 2nd year skip, led the Knights women's curling team to a gold medal at the OCAA Curling Championships, winning her second OCAA curling medal in as many years. She is on track to receive multiple academic awards for the 2026 winter term and was named OCAA Curling Championship MVP. She spearheaded her team's run at the CCAA Curling National Championships in Regina, Saskatchewan, where the team would finish tied for 4th place and ultimately miss out on the playoffs in a tiebreaker.
Vahrmeyer, a 2nd year forward with the Knights women's soccer team, had an incredible season that culminated with a notch in the record books as she now takes over the regular season scoring record for the Knights with 14 goals. She started in all 12 of her team's games this season and had five multi-goal games. Finishing tied for 1st in the OCAA West Division, she caps off her season with a CCAA All-Canadian award, a CCAA Academic All-Canadian award, an OCAA West Division 1st Team All-Star award, an OCAA All-Academic award, and an OCAA West Division Scoring Champion title.
Male Athlete of the Year
Gerrit Oldejans (Dundas, Ontario) is a 5th year forward who has spent his last two seasons with the Niagara Knights. An individual who consistently demonstrates outstanding dedication, leadership, and perseverance, Oldejans always pushed his limits, supported his teammates, and represented the Knights with pride and sportsmanship. This year, he brought home the OCAA West Division Scoring Champion title, as well as being recognized as an OCAA 1st Team All-Star, an OCAA All-Academic award winner, and a CCAA Academic All-Canadian. Setting himself apart through his hard work and passion for sport and academic excellence, Oldejans has set the standard for what it means to be a well-rounded student-athlete.
Male and Female Rookie Athlete of the Year – Across All Sports
Female Rookie Athlete of the Year
Savannah Speck (Fonthill, Ontario) made her presence known from day one of training camp, as she competed and pushed everyone around her to improve. Speck was a stable presence for the Knights, as she anchored a defensive unit that opponents had a difficult time navigating. Her and the team allowed only five goals on the season; Speck was a key contributor in the Knights earning the OCAA West Division Best Defensive Team award. Even though the scoresheet doesn't show the impact that she made on the field, it did not go unnoticed by coaches and players throughout the OCAA as Speck was named to the OCAA West Division 2nd Team All-Star Team, the OCAA West Division All-Rookie Team, and was the OCAA West Division Rookie of the Year.
Male Rookie Athlete of the Year
Joseph Buckley (Oshawa, Ontario) made an immediate impact in his first season as a Knight – demonstrating exceptional dedication, extraordinary work ethic, and composure beyond his years. As a rookie, Buckley quickly became a reliable contributor as he finished the season in the top 10 of several OCAA statistical categories. Accumulating 316 points in his first season, Buckley finished in 7th place across the OCAA in total points – adding in finishing 9th in points per game with 17.6, 4th in 3-pointers made with 51, 3rd in free throw percentage with 86%, 9th in steals with 40, and 9th in minutes per game averaging 31.1. Playing in his first OCAA playoff game against the Durham Lords, Buckley was able to muster up 14 points, 7 rebounds, 6 steals and was perfect from the charity stripe. Seeing all these stats, it is quite clear why Buckley was named to the OCAA West Division 2nd Team All-Star Team and the OCAA West Division All-Rookie Team. To top things off, Buckley not only won the OCAA West Division Rookie of the Year award, but he was also named the Overall OCAA Rookie of the Year for men's basketball.
Male and Female Top Leadership Award – Across All Sports
Female Top Leadership Award
Samantha Cormier (St. Catharines, Ontario) showed tremendous leadership and commitment to the team this past season, even after sustaining a season-ending injury in January. With a leadership style rooted in selflessness, kindness, and courage – Cormier is consistently seeking feedback, embracing challenges, and willingly making herself uncomfortable as long as it benefits the team. Leading with intention, purpose and clarity as she challenged her teammates to become better versions of themselves, on and off the court, Cormier was a pillar within Niagara College as she was a proud member of the women's volleyball leadership team and was a part of the Niagara College Board of Governors.
Male Top Leadership Award
RJ Martin (St. Mary's, Ontario) was a key member of the men's volleyball team throughout the season and made tremendous strides in their growth as a leader. Holding himself to high standards and owning up to his mistakes, Martin also welcomes feedback, adapts when challenged, and isn't afraid to speak up – whether it be fellow athletes or coaches. Not only does he help his teammates by leading player only meetings and being a sounding board, Martin is a cornerstone the community as he helped facilitate and organize the team's attendance at the Central Community Church "Trunk-or-Treat" event where members of the team were able to connect with over 3000 parents and children.
Male and Female Top Scholastic Award – Across All Sports
Female Top Scholastic Award
Charlize Trudell (Belle River, ON), an outside hitter for the Knights' volleyball team showed extreme dedication to her studies this year, while also performing on the court. Finishing with a 99% GPA in the Child and Youth Care program, Trudell was the recipient of the Female Top Scholastic award.
Male Top Scholastic Award
Sam Guzak (Beaumont, AB), an opposite for the Knights' volleyball team demonstrated exceptional committment to his studies this year, while also performing on the court. Finishing with a 96% GPA in the Civil Engineering program, Guzak was the recipient of the Male Top Scholastic award.
Male Tournament Sport Player of the Year
Aidan Luk (St. Catharines, Ontario), a member of the curling team, came out of his shell during his tenure as a Knight and stepped up when the dynamic of his team changed and they needed a leader. Luk is someone who went out of his way to work with his coach to improve his knowledge of the sport and change his typical playing position. Playing a pivotal role in his team's success with his incredible determination and shot-making abilities, Luk was able to consistently stay composed on the ice and showcase his dedication and love for the sport.
Female Tournament Sport Player of the Year
Julia Markle (St. George, Ontario), a member of the curling team, is dedicated to her craft in ways that some can only dream of. An incredibly talented athlete and even better team player, Markle has shown her team what it takes to compete in a Knights uniform. Constantly demonstrating her ability to rise to the occasion in high-pressure situations all season long – none more so than in the OCAA Curling Championship game, where she won gold with two exceptional hits on rocks half and three-quarters buried on the button.
