Courtesy: McGill Athletics
MONTREAL — Loïc Courville-Fortin of Repentigny, Que., and Iris Tinmouth of Comox, BC, were named male and female athletes of the year, respectively, at the 48th annual McGill University varsity sports awards gala, held Tuesday at the Plaza Centre-Ville in downtown Montreal.
It was another remarkable showing for the championship-winning varsity swim program, which captured six of the 10 major trophies presented during the evening.
It marked the seventh consecutive year — and the 20th time in school history — that a member of the men’s swim team won the D. Stuart Forbes Trophy. On the women’s side, it was the seventh time a swimmer claimed the Gladys Bean Trophy. The awards recognize student-athletes who have brought the most credit to the university through their athletic achievements. Both were also named as their respective team’s most valuable players.
Tinmouth, who won gold and bronze medals at nationals, also received the Muriel Roscoe Award. Teammate Erik Linseisen of Burlington, Vt., earned the Richard Pound Award. These trophies are presented annually to graduating athletes for proficiency and leadership over their university careers.
Among the other major award winners, Emilia Diaz-Ruiz of Hamilton, Ont., received the Uldis Auders Memorial Trophy and was also named MVP of the basketball team. The trophy recognizes the top sophomore in any sport who combines academic excellence with athletic achievement. A chemical engineering student, Diaz-Ruiz earned Academic All-Canadian honors, was named to the President’s Student-Athlete Honor Roll and received the national Sylvia Sweeney Award for combining athletics with academics and community service.
The Dr. Mac Teskey Award, presented to an athlete who overcomes adversity while inspiring others, went to Redbirds hockey forward Mikisiw Awashish. An alternate captain, he coped with the loss of his father and won the OUA East Division’s Champion of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award. Beyond his on-ice contributions, the engineering senior helped organize a pre-season game between McGill and UQTR in his hometown of Mashteuiatsh, Que., an Innu community on the shores of Lac Saint-Jean, in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
McGill Rookie of the Year honors went to football running back Jerry Momo of Val-des-Monts, Que., and swimmer Rebecca McGrath of Pointe-Claire, Que. Momo led the league in rushing and earned conference all-star and All-Canadian honors. McGrath was named athlete of the meet four times in five league meets, won five gold medals at the conference championship and added a bronze at nationals, despite battling a migraine.
The Martlet Foundation Trophy, awarded to the varsity team of the year, went to the women’s swim program for the seventh time since 1986. The Martlets finished first among six schools at the RSEQ championship to claim a sixth consecutive conference title. The 26-athlete roster matched a team record with 19 qualifiers for the U SPORTS national championships in Markham, Ont., where they placed third among 21 teams. The squad produced 13 conference all-stars — including nine first-team selections — and one first-team All-Canadian. They set 10 short-course school records, swept all five league meets and earned six McGill athlete-of-the-week honors. They were guided by bench boss Peter Carpenter, who was named RSEQ coach of the year.
The artistic swim program received the Harry Griffiths Trophy for the sixth time since 1996, awarded to the top team outside U SPORTS jurisdiction. Under the direction of head coach Lindsay Duncan, the Martlets won all three meets, including the national championship in Quebec City. They swept all six events at nationals to finish first among 16 teams and capture the Canadian University Artistic Swimming League title — their 18th national crown. The program also raised $9,100 during the recent one-day McGill24 fundraiser.
The gala also recognized McGill’s 13 All-Canadians, 66 conference all-stars and four league championships during the 2025-26 season. A national title was won by the artistic swim team, while conference banners were captured in men’s and women’s swimming and women’s basketball.
Fourteen of McGill’s 26 varsity teams competed at a national championship this season, including women’s basketball; men’s baseball; men’s and women’s badminton and cross-country; men’s lacrosse; men’s and women’s swimming; women’s artistic swimming; men’s and women’s track and field; and men’s and women’s rows. The rowing team also marked its centennial year by hosting the national championship for the fifth time at the Olympic Basin on Île Notre-Dame.
The evening also featured the unveiling of MVP awards for all 26 varsity teams (see list below).
2025-26 MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARDS FOR McGILL’S 26 VARSITY TEAMS
| Team | MVP | HOMETOWN |
| Artistic Swimming (w) | Sonia Dunn | Ottawa, Ont. |
| Badminton (m) | Nicolas Germain | Laval, Que. |
| Badminton (w) | Evonne Henning | Okotoks, Alta. |
| Baseball (m) | Robby Glusker | New Rochelle, NY (USA) |
| Basketball (m) | Saransh Padhy | Stouffville, Ont. |
| Basketball (w) | Emilia Diaz-Ruiz | Hamilton, Ont. |
| Cross Country (m) | Sean Adams | State College, PA (USA) |
| Cross Country (w) | Sophie Courville | Montreal, Que. |
| Field Hockey (w) | Sara Prins | West Vancouver, BC |
| Football (m) | Éloa Latendresse-Regimbald | Montreal, Que. |
| Golf (m) | Camden Purboo | Oakville, Ont. |
| Golf (w) | Astoria Yen | Toronto, Ont. |
| Hockey (m) | Charles-Antoine Dumont | Lévis, Que. |
| Hockey (w) | Anika Cormier | St. Mary of Kent, NB |
| Lacrosse (m) | Rowan Birrell | North Vancouver, BC |
| Rowing (m) | Ayoub Sabri | Rabat (MOROCCO) |
| Rowing (w) | Maria Fletcher | Vancouver, BC |
| Rugby (m) | Ian McDowell | Dorval, Que. |
| Rugby (w) | Olivia Ford | Sudbury (UK) |
| Soccer (m) | Esteban Roy | Madrid (SPAIN) |
| Soccer (w) | Chloé Renaud | St. Hubert, Que. |
| Swimming (m) | Loïc Courville-Fortin | Repentigny, Que. |
| Swimming (w) | Iris Tinmouth | Comox, BC |
| Track & Field (m) | Samuel Hepworth | Montreal, Que. |
| Track & Field (w) | Julie Bortolato | Mountain View, CA (USA) |
| Volleyball (w) | Sophie Lancup | Sorel-Tracy, Que. |
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PROFILES FOR MAJOR INDIVIDUAL AWARD RECIPIENTS
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MAJOR D. STUART FORBES TROPHY
(Male Athlete of the Year)
Loïc Courville-Fortin , a second-year biochemistry student who will turn 22 this week, has been named McGill’s Male Athlete of the Year—for the second consecutive season—after a dominant campaign in the pool. The six-foot-one backstroke and medley specialist earned U SPORTS first-team All-Canadian status and was named the RSEQ athlete of the year. He won 21 of 22 races in conference competition and added five medals at the national championships, including gold in the 200-metre backstroke. Courville-Fortin also set five McGill and five RSEQ records and captured six medals at the provincial championship meet, highlighted by five gold.
GLADYS BEAN TROPHY
(Female Athlete of the Year)
Iris Tinmouth , a 21-year-old senior in microbiology and immunology, was named McGill’s female athlete of the year following an exceptional campaign in which she also received the Muriel Roscoe Award as the top graduating female athlete. A team captain and U SPORTS first-team all-Canadian, the five-foot-four distance specialist captured gold and bronze medals at the national championships after winning four gold at the RSEQ meet. Tinmouth broke three school records during the season and was also named team MVP, capping a decorated university career.
MURIEL V. ROSCOE AWARD
(Proficiency & Leadership in Athletics over McGill career; awarded to a female student-athlete in her final year)
Iris Tinmouth , who last month received the U SPORTS Student-Athlete Community Service Award for combining leadership with academic excellence and athletic success, served as McGill team captain. She was named to the Dean’s Honor List, earned Academic All-Canadian status and made the President’s Student-Athlete Honor Roll. Tinmouth has volunteered with the Student Accessibility Office and Special Olympics, and helped coordinate the swim team’s pancreatic cancer fundraiser. She also served as an ambassador for the team’s McGill24 fundraiser and was involved with McGill MEDLIFE, supporting global health initiatives for underserved communities.
RICHARD POUND AWARD
(Proficiency & Leadership in Athletics over McGill awarded to a male student-athlete in his final year)
Erik Linseisen , an alternate captain with the men’s swim team, is a 22-year-old from across the border in Burlington, Vt. He is a dual citizen, as his mother is from Newfoundland. A fifth-year senior majoring in civil engineering, he holds several scholarships, has earned Academic All-Canadian status and has been named to the President’s Student-Athlete Honor Roll. In the pool, the five-foot-10 breaststroke and sprint specialist holds the school records in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke and is part of two relay records. A five-time Quebec conference all-star, he was also a second-team U SPORTS All-Canadian. Over five seasons, he has competed in 23 RSEQ University Cup meets, winning 36 gold, 21 silver and 15 bronze medals. Last year, he received the RSEQ and U SPORTS Student-Athlete Community Service Award. This past season, he was named the recipient of a Jean Béliveau Athletic Award for leadership and a 1938 Champion Award, which recognizes students who have demonstrated high academic performance and have shown leadership in the McGill community through a significant contribution to student activities and organizations, including athletics.
ULDIS AUDERS MEMORIAL AWARD
(Top sophomore student-athlete)
Emilia Diaz-Ruiz became the first McGill player to receive the national Sylvia Sweeney Award for student-athlete community service since its inception in 1994. A 19-year-old native of Hamilton, Ont., Diaz-Ruiz earned second-team all-star honors in the Quebec conference and was named twice as McGill’s player of the game at nationals. The six-foot forward was McGill’s second-leading scorer and top rebounder, averaging 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. She recorded four double-doubles, including two against division-leading Laval. A chemical engineering sophomore, Diaz-Ruiz posted a 3.82 GPA (out of 4.0) as a freshman to earn Academic All-Canadian status and a place on the President’s Student-Athlete Honor Roll. In January 2026, she received the Prof. Dorothy Nichol Award. She has also earned multiple academic scholarships and has been active on campus through several student organizations, contributing to event coordination, outreach initiatives and student development programs.
MALE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
(Must be in first year of eligibility and no older than 21 as of Sept. 1)
Jerry Momo , a six-foot-one, 207-pound running back from Val-des-Monts, Que., led the Quebec conference in all-purpose yards with 959, averaging 137 per game. The physical education freshman, who turned 21 last month, was named the RSEQ offensive rookie of the year. He rushed 96 times for 833 yards in seven games, averaging 8.7 yards per carry and 119 yards per game, becoming the first McGill running back to lead the league in rushing since 2013. He tied for the league lead with seven touchdowns, including an 81-yard run. Momo finished fifth in conference scoring with 42 points, second among non-kickers, and reached the 100-yard rushing mark in five games. He also added 126 receiving yards on 11 catches.
FEMALE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
(Must be in first year of eligibility and no older than 21 as of Sept. 1)
Rebecca McGrath , a 19-year-old psychology freshman from Pointe-Claire, Que., was named female rookie of the year after a stellar debut season. The six-foot backstroke and freestyle specialist earned RSEQ rookie of the year and first-team all-star honors. She won five gold medals at the conference championship and added a bronze at nationals while being named athlete of the meet four times during the season. At the RSEQ championship in Sherbrooke, McGrath broke school and conference records in the 50-meter backstroke and added gold in the 100 backstroke, along with three relay victories. She also earned a silver in the 200 backstroke. At the national championships in Markham, Ont., she captured bronze in the 100 backstroke despite battling a migraine.
DR. MAC TESKEY AWARD
(Overcoming adversity through demonstrating courage & morality worthy of honorable mention)
Mikisiw Awashish received the OUA East Division’s Champion of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award for the second time in four years, recognizing his leadership within the Redbirds program and the broader community. A 24-year-old civil engineering senior from Mashteuiatsh, Que., he appeared in 25 regular-season games, recording 11 points, including five goals, while serving as an alternate captain. A reliable, defensive-minded center, he took just two minor penalties all season. While coping with the loss of his father, Awashish continued to lead both on and off the ice. He played a central role in organizing a pre-season game in his home Innu community on the shores of Lac Saint-Jean in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Working with McGill staff and community leaders, he helped coordinate a two-day visit that included youth practices, community events and an exhibition game against UQTR. The initiative provided local youth with exposure to university sport while reinforcing McGill’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
