Incoming track and field student-athlete to compete in Tokyo Paralympics

Charlotte Bolton paralymics
Charlotte Bolton

Charlotte Bolton, an incoming York University student-athlete, will join the Lions this September after competing with Team Canada’s Paralympic track and field team in the F41 shot put and discus events. The Paralympics begin on Aug. 23.

Bolton, 18, is currently a key member of the Canadian squad who qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games after posting impressive qualifying results this past summer at events in Montreal. She holds three Canadian records in the F41 throwing events – shot put (9.05 metres), javelin (20.33 metres) and discus (26.02 metres).

A photo of student-athlete Charlotte Bolton
Student-athlete Charlotte Bolton

“To watch Charlotte work her way onto the [Canadian Paralympic] team was amazing,” said Lions track and field head coach Raymond Rudder. “She kept getting better as we approached the selection deadline, and was determined to make the team. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this young, hard-working athlete.”

Originally, Bolton’s goal was to qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, but the one-year postponement of the Tokyo games allowed her to hone her skillset for an extra year, which proved to be the difference. In just one calendar year, her personal best in the shot put increased by over two full metres – from 7.04 metres to the aforementioned Canadian record of 9.05 metres.

Bolton and her teammates will all be medal threats once the games get underway – all 16 of the Canadian Paralympic athletes are ranked at least top eight in the world for their respective events.

Bolton is one of 55 up-and-coming Canadian athletes to receive a 2021 Fuelling Athletes and Coaching Excellence Program grant selected by Petro-Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Coaching Association of Canada.

Bolton’s connection to York doesn’t start when she begins her journey as a Lion this fall – Richard Parkinson, a former York track and field coaching staff member, will be the throws coach overseeing Bolton during the Paralympics.

York-affiliated athletes post impressive results, including bronze medal, at Tokyo 2020

Eleven athletes with connections to York University took part in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, and brought York Lions pride to the world stage of excellence in sport. York undergraduate student Katie Vincent earned a bronze medal for Canada with her partner Laurence Vincent-Lapointe in the Canoe Sprint, contributing to the nation’s final medal count of 24 (seven gold, six silver and 11 bronze).

Eleven athletes with affiliations to York University competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Competing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were:

Jason Ho-Shue (Badminton), a Canadian badminton player and a student in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.
Results: Men’s Doubles – Rank: 9; lost games in the group play stage; didn’t advance to next round

Katie Vincent (Canoe-Kayak), an undergraduate student in York’s Faculty of Health and a canoe-kayak sprint athlete.
Results: Canoe Sprint – Women’s Canoe Single 200m – Finished eighth in the final with a time of 47.834
Canoe Sprint – Women’s Canoe Double 500m – Bronze medal with a finish time of 1:59.041

Brandie Wilkerson (Beach Volleyball), who attended York until 2014 and starred for the women’s volleyball team during her time with the Lions.
Results: Rank: 5 (eliminated by Latvia in quarterfinal)

Melissa Humana-Paredes (Beach Volleyball), a York alumna who previously played for four years for the Lions.
Results: Rank: 5 (eliminated by Australia in the quarterfinal after going undefeated for every round prior)

Shady El Nahas (Judo), a York alumnus who competed as a wrestler at York in 2017.
Results: Men – 100 kg – Rank: 5; made it through to the contest for the bronze medal and lost to Portugal

Brittany Crew (Shot Put), a decorated former Lion with multiple medal-winning performances at international competition and recently earned a slew of impressive awards for York at the national stage.
Results: Athletics – Women’s Shot Put – Finished; no rank

Pierce Lepage (Decathlon), a runner who graduated from York University in 2019 with a degree in interdisciplinary social science.
Results: Athletics – Men’s Decathlon – Rank: 5

Bismark Boateng (Track & Field), who competed in track at York after transferring from Ryerson where he initially competed in soccer.
Results: Athletics – Men’s 100m – Finished eighth in Round 1 heat with a time of 10.47; did not advance
Athletics – Men’s 4 x 100m Relay – Finished; no rank

Khamica Bingham (Track & Field), a 2020 humanities graduate and highly decorated track and field competitor.
Results: Athletics – Women’s 100m – Placed fifth in semi-final heat with a time of 11.22; did not advance to final

Arthur Szwarc (Indoor Volleyball), who was a Lion for two seasons, earning accolades in both years for men’s volleyball.
Results: Rank: 8 (eliminated by Russian Olympic Committee in quarterfinal)

Syed Muhammad Haseeb Tariq (Swimming), a York University graduate from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies and former member of the York University Lions competitive swim team.
Results: Men’s 100m Freestyle – Placed sixth in his heat with a time of 53.81; did not advance

Other notable York affiliations

Two York-affiliated athletic therapists also joined the Canadian Olympic team. Alumna Andrea Prieur, a certified athletic therapist, was part of the Health Services team and alumna Natalie Ghobrial was with the women’s softball team as their athletic therapist.

Two York graduates were heard on the broadcasts during events: Lance Winn, who graduated from York with a political science degree in 1991, called the play-by-play for the softball tournament on CBC, where Canada earned a bronze medal; and Andi Petrillo, an English and mass communications graduate, who split time with the legendary Scott Russell as studio host for the main CBC coverage.

Behind the scenes, Anne-Marie Thuss was a member of the women’s basketball team’s staff as team manager. Her squad finished the round robin with a 1-2 record and did not advance to the quarterfinal due to point differential. Thuss competed with the Lions in the 1980s.

Tait McKenzie Fitness Centre opens to students July 19

York University’s Tait McKenzie Fitness Centre will reopen on Monday, July 19 to students only.

Pre-registration is required and is open now, and bookings can be made five days in advance. Click here to register for a time slot.

Tait McKenzie re-opening July 19 to studentsTait McKenzie has put the following protocols in place to ensure physical distancing and safe areas to work out:

  • The Fitness Centre will have six 60-minute sessions (9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.) with a 30-minute cleaning period in between.
  • Capacity will be 30 people during each session.
  • Some equipment has been removed to free up space.
  • There will be marked zones for physical distancing within the fitness area.
  • Machines and exercise areas have been separated to ensure physical distancing.
  • All machines are positioned in a safe way.
  • Attendees will be able to use most of the equipment available.

All dates are subject to change based on restrictions and conditions from the government of Ontario or York University.

For more information on the limited reopening, visit reconline.yorkulions.ca/booking or yorkulions.ca/covid.

York Lion Alexandria Town earns silver for Canada at Pan-American Wrestling Championships

Alexandria Town (second from left) took home a silver for Canada in the 57kg weight class at the 2021 Pan-American Championships in Guatemala
Alexandria Town (second from left) took home a silver for Canada in the 57kg weight class at the 2021 Pan-American Championships in Guatemala

In an impressive showing, returning York University Lions wrestler Alexandria Town took home some hardware for Canada on the international stage recently. The native of Scarborough, Ont., walked away with the silver medal in the 57-kilogram weight class at the 2021 Pan-American Championships in Guatemala.

Alexandria Town (second from left) took home a silver for Canada in the 57kg weight class at the 2021 Pan-American Championships in Guatemala
Alexandria Town (second from left) took home a silver for Canada in the 57-kilogram weight class at the 2021 Pan-American Championships in Guatemala

Donning the maple leaf on her chest, Town produced exceptional results at the tournament. She went 2-1 in the opening rounds of the tournament to qualify for the semifinal, where she earned a victory via technical fall over her American opponent Cameron Guerin.

In the final, Giullia Rodrigues Penalber De Oliveira pinned Town to earn gold. The Brazilian was the only wrestler to beat Town in the tournament’s competition.

Town, who will pursue a teaching degree at York this fall, is no stranger to representing Canada on the international stage. She has achieved notoriety as a prominent senior wrestler internationally, earning multiple medals at events around the globe. The highlight of her achievements was winning Canada’s first-ever gold medal at the U23 world championships in Romania in 2018. She also finished 12th at her first senior world championships and was third at the Canadian Olympic trials in 2019.

Town is looking to lead a Lions women’s wrestling program that is poised to make a splash in the coming years.

The Lions were nationally ranked for most of the 2019-20 season and had an impressive showing at the year-end championships, as Bailey Agard and Brea Rodgers won OUA silver medals and then Agard went on to claim a bronze at the U SPORTS championships while Rodgers was named the OUA’s rookie of the year. The addition of Town strengthens the team and positions the Lions as contenders for next season.

Travel to York’s EcoCampus in Costa Rica during virtual journey beginning June 1

Travel through the Americas to York University’s Eco-Campus in Las Nubes, Costa Rica, during an exciting virtual journey.

Join Athletics & Recreation and the York University community on a virtual trip from the Keele Campus to the University’s EcoCampus beginning June 1. Take part in the adventure individually or with a group (group members will join individually and indicate during registration that they are part of a group). poster for the York2York virtual eventStarting June 1, each participant will be able to input their activity and contribute to the goal of reaching York’s EcoCampus in Las Nubes, Costa Rica. Participants can aim to reach the destination within three months by performing various types of physical activity:

  • walking
  • running
  • hiking
  • biking
  • rollerblading
  • swimming
  • exercise classes
  • anything you can track on an app or in your head

What makes this event great? Students, staff and faculty can be active in any way they want, while seeing different parts of the world as they track their progress. This program also features:

  • free Lions-branded prizes;
  • a social support page;
  • tips provided by industry professionals; and more.

Registration is free and there are 100 participant spaces available. Those interested can register here today.

Questions about the event should be directed to Alicia Koebel at koebela@yorku.ca.

For staff and faculty who would like to register as a group, please register independently.  During the registration process, participants will be asked whether they would like to register with a group and what department they are with.

Quartet of Lions selected for 2021 East-West Bowl roster

Four members of the York University Lions football team were selected to the 2021 East-West Bowl roster announced by U SPORTS and the Canadian Football League (CFL): Kwadwo Boahen, Dawson Davis, Matt Dean and Dante Mastrogiuseppe
Four members of the York University Lions football team were selected to the 2021 East-West Bowl roster announced by U SPORTS and the Canadian Football League (CFL): Kwadwo Boahen, Dawson Davis, Matt Dean and Dante Mastrogiuseppe

Four members of the York University Lions football team were selected to the 2021 East-West Bowl roster announced by U SPORTS and the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Representing the Lions on the West roster are defensive lineman Kwadwo Boahen, linebackers Dawson Davis and Matt Dean, and kicker Dante Mastrogiuseppe.

Four members of the York University Lions football team were selected to the 2021 East-West Bowl roster announced by U SPORTS and the Canadian Football League (CFL): Kwadwo Boahen, Dawson Davis, Matt Dean and Dante Mastrogiuseppe
Four members of the York University Lions football team were selected to the 2021 East-West Bowl roster announced by U SPORTS and the Canadian Football League: Matt Dean, Kwadwo Boahen, Dante Mastrogiuseppe and Dawson Davis

The roster recognitions celebrate the next generation of top Canadian football prospects, with 110 U SPORTS-eligible standouts identified for the 2022 CFL Draft, following completion of the 2021 Draft on May 4.

Boahen is a six-foot-three, 260-pound lineman from Calgary, who has been with the Lions for three seasons. In his debut season, he earned a place on the OUA all-rookie team and was named the squad’s Jeff Johnson Rookie of the Year. In his second year, he started all eight games and finished sixth on the Lions in total tackles while also recording a forced fumble.

Davis played his first season with the Lions in 2017 and appeared in seven games as a rookie. The six-foot-one, 230-pound Abbotsford, B.C., native took the following season off but returned even better in 2019, starting all eight games and ranking fifth on the team in total tackles.

Fellow linebacker Dean is six foot two, 196 pounds and from Oshawa, Ont. He was an OUA all-rookie team member along with Boahen in 2018 and had one of the team’s highlights of the year that season, blocking a game-winning field goal attempt by Waterloo to preserve a 34-32 victory. The following season he tied for third on the team in total tackles, led the team in tackles for loss and had three sacks.

Rounding out the quartet is Mastrogiuseppe, a six-foot-one, 190-pound London, Ont., native who has been the team’s starting punter and placekicker since he first joined the team in 2017. He played in all 16 games over his first two seasons and in 2018 he ranked fourth overall in the OUA in punting average, a mark that was also a York school record.

For the next year, players from both squads will vie for coveted spots on the CFL Scouting Bureau Top 20 Prospects List – published in the fall, winter and spring – before showcasing their skills through virtual or in-person regional and national combines in advance of the draft this time next year.

Alexandria Town returns to Lions, set to lead women’s wrestling program

Lions logo
York U Lions

The most decorated female wrestler in York University history will compete for the Lions again this fall as Alexandria Town resumes her varsity career after a three-year hiatus.

Alexandria Town
Alexandria Town

Town previously graduated from York with a degree in kinesiology and health science and has spent the past three seasons competing internationally for Canada, winning multiple medals at events around the globe. The highlight of her achievements was winning Canada’s first-ever gold medal at the U23 world championships in Romania in 2018. She also finished 12th at her first senior world championships and was third at the Canadian Olympic trials in 2019.

She has now turned her focus back to her education and her Lions career. She will be in teacher’s college at York while looking to lead a Lions women’s wrestling program that is poised to make a splash in the coming years.

The Lions were nationally ranked for most of the 2019-20 season and had an impressive showing at the year-end championships as Bailey Agard and Brea Rodgers won OUA silver medals and then Agard went on to claim a bronze at the U SPORTS championships while Rodgers was named the OUA’s rookie of the year. The addition of Town strengthens the team and positions the Lions as contenders for next season.

In her three years competing for the Lions (2016-18), Town became York’s first women’s wrestling all-star and all-Canadian. She won three OUA medals (two silvers and one bronze) and two U SPORTS medals (one silver and one bronze) and will set her sights on reaching the top of the podium in her remaining time with the Lions.

She was also an extremely engaged student-athlete and was honoured for her contributions with a prestigious Lions Legacy Award at the conclusion of the 2017-18 school year.

Lions football player Luther Hakunavanhu drafted by CFL

Luther Hakunavanhu
Luther Hakunavanhu

A member of the York University Lions football team saw his professional athlete dreams come true on Tuesday night when Luther Hakunavanhu heard his name called in the 2021 Canadian Football League (CFL) Draft.

Hakunavanhu
Luther Hakunavanhu

Hakunavanhu, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound receiver from Edmonton, Alta., will head back to his home province after the Calgary Stampeders selected him in the fifth round, with the 44th overall pick. He blossomed into a top target for the team’s quarterbacks throughout his career. He joined the Lions in 2017 and played in all 16 games over his two most recent seasons, including starting all eight in 2019. That year, he led the Lions in receiving yards (470) and touchdowns (three) and was second in total receptions (29). He registered 69 catches for 951 yards and six touchdowns during his time with the Lions.

Known for his tremendous athleticism, Hakunavanhu also starred on special teams and in 2019, recorded eight total tackles.

It marks the fourth straight year the Lions have had a player drafted into the CFL and a total of eight players selected in that stretch.

NHL coach Ted Nolan to speak on barriers for Indigenous coaches, athletes

An image of a man's hands holding a card that says "Join us!"

To continue the conversation on breaking barriers for BIPOC individuals, a decorated veteran of the sports industry with an Indigenous background, former NHL coach Ted Nolan, will deliver an online webinar in conjunction with the Black and Indigenous Varsity Student-Athlete Alliance (BIVSAA), the Indigenous Students’ Association at York (ISAY) and the Centre for Aboriginal Student Services (CASS).

His event, titled Barriers for Indigenous Coaches & Athletes, will take place April 27 at 12 p.m. on Zoom.

Ted Nolan
Ted Nolan

Nolan, a native of Garden River First Nation, Ont., has engaged in a long and successful career at the top of high-performance athletics, with stops as a coach with the Buffalo Sabres, the New York Islanders, and the Latvian national men’s ice hockey team at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. But Nolan’s endeavours have not come without barriers due to the colour of his skin.

The third-youngest of 12 children, in a house lacking electricity and plumbing, Nolan learned resilience from his parents Stan and Rose. From his mother, he received pride in his heritage and that helped him become the strong man that he is today. He also learned to follow his dreams, no matter how big or small.

Nolan grew up playing minor hockey in Sault Ste. Marie and left home at the age of 16 to play junior hockey in Kenora, Ont. After a brief stint in the Detroit Red Wings organization, which saw him raise the Calder Cup championship trophy with their minor league affiliate, Nolan was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He went on to have his career cut short by a serious back injury at the age of 26.

In his post-playing career, Nolan instantly found success in the junior hockey coaching world after returning to the Greyhounds to become the bench boss in 1998. He led Sault Ste. Marie to three straight OHL championship appearances and they won two of them in 1990-91 and 1991-92. From there, he earned a spot in the NHL, where he joined the Hartford Whalers bench for the 1993-94 season. Then, he earned his first NHL head coaching job in 1995 with Buffalo – a position he held for two years, winning one playoff round in 1996-97.

After winning another junior hockey title with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats in 2006, Nolan had two more stints behind a big-league bench later on in his career, spending 2006-08 with New York before returning to Buffalo from 2013-15. His final NHL coaching record, spanning 471 games in six seasons, was 187-227-19-38.

Nolan always says, “hockey is what I do, it is not who I am.” With his wife Sandra and two sons Brandon and Jordan, he dreams of Indigenous self-sufficiency and a day when First Nations will take their rightful place in Canada.

Since the beginning of Black History Month in February, BIVSAA has launched the Black Excellence Speaker Series to start and continue a conversation on how to empower the York community to speak for social justice. This event, with a prominent Indigenous community member, allows the expansion of this conversation to include perspectives from other members of the BIPOC community.

Sign-ups for this event will make their home on the BIVSAA webpage. Anyone is able to register, and all members of the York community are invited to listen and learn about Nolan’s experiences.

Event details

Guest Speaker: Ted Nolan
Barriers for Indigenous Coaches & Athletes
April 27 at 12 p.m.
Meeting ID: 920 6980 2080 Passcode: 528420
Zoom Link

Varsity Athletics Banquets highlights York Lions student-athletes

York University Lions men's hockey player Kaleb Dahlgren and women's track and field athlete Monique Simon-Tucker were named York's top graduating student-athletes at the 53rd annual Varsity Athletics Banquet April 8, 2021
York University Lions men’s hockey player Kaleb Dahlgren and women’s track and field athlete Monique Simon-Tucker were named York’s top graduating student-athletes at the 53rd annual Varsity Athletics Banquet April 8, 2021

York University Lions men’s hockey player Kaleb Dahlgren and women’s track and field athlete Monique Simon-Tucker were named York’s top graduating student-athletes at the 53rd annual Varsity Athletics Banquet on Thursday night.

For the second straight year, the banquet took place online due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. With the absence of sport this season, only a handful of awards were presented; however, York Athletics honoured the tremendous accomplishments of some of the top student-athletes.

Dahlgren received the Outstanding Male Graduate Award, the first men’s hockey player to do so, while Simon-Tucker was named the recipient of the Bryce M. Taylor Award, the first track and field athlete since 2016 and the fifth overall.

Both were recognized for their outstanding contributions to varsity athletics over their careers at York and were also named recipients of Lions Legacy Awards earlier this week. Joining them as recipients of a Lions Legacy Award are women’s hockey player Lauren Dubie and women’s soccer player Teni Odetoyinbo.

Dahlgren was also named the recipient of the Charles Saundercook Memorial Trophy for exemplifying the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, enthusiasm for life and the consideration of others.

York University Lions men's hockey player Kaleb Dahlgren and women's track and field athlete Monique Simon-Tucker were named York's top graduating student-athletes at the 53rd annual Varsity Athletics Banquet April 8, 2021
York University Lions men’s hockey player Kaleb Dahlgren and women’s track and field athlete Monique Simon-Tucker were named York’s top graduating student-athletes

This year’s award recipients are:

Outstanding Male Graduate Award: Kaleb Dahlgren, hockey

The personification of positivity, Dahlgren has left an indelible mark on the York community in his three years as a Lion. He has been a very engaged member of the York Sport Council throughout his career and was part of BIVSAA this year, as well as previously serving as a regular volunteer at Hockey HEROS skates and the Shoreham school clinics. He is a Type 1 diabetic and set up his own foundation called Dahlgren’s Diabeauties to connect with children who have Type 1 diabetes, running annual events for his foundation while at York. He has also helped other schools within the OUA host diabetes awareness events and is a Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) ambassador. Dahlgren never got to step on the ice in a game due to a lack of medical clearance, but he remained an active participant in all team activities and took on a leadership role in recruiting future Lions. He has also excelled in the classroom, earning U SPORTS academic all-Canadian honours in each of his years while completing his degree in commerce.

Bryce M. Taylor Award: Monique Simon-Tucker, track and field

A track and field team captain, Simon-Tucker led in multiple different ways throughout her five-year career with the Lions. She has medalled in multiple events on the track, taking home silver in the 60m and the bronze as a member of the 4x200m relay team. She was also an OUA second-team all-star in 2019-20 and has competed at two national championships. Away from the track, Simon-Tucker is heavily involved as a proponent for BIPOC rights. She is the co-founder and co-president of BIVSAA, is a member of the executive team for the York Sport Council, serves as the community navigator coordinator for the York University social work student’s association, and is a program developer for One Kenton Place. She also previously travelled to the Dominican Republic to build houses and teach English to primary school students. She will graduate with her degree in social work.

Charles Saundercook Memorial Trophy: Kaleb Dahlgren, hockey

A Type 1 diabetic from the age of four, Dahlgren has needed perseverance his entire life to remain in the game he loves. Then, he became a survivor of one of the most infamous disasters in Canadian history, the Humboldt Broncos bus accident. He spent three years here at York while recovering from a severe brain injury that prevented him from receiving medical clearance to play, but is still an active member of the men’s hockey team. He has worked hard to overcome the physical, emotional, and mental challenges that have come with surviving a traumatic incident and will graduate as a three-time U SPORTS academic all-Canadian with a degree in commerce. He recently completed a memoir, Crossroads, that has been nationally published and has received critical acclaim.

Spirit Cup: Sam Eyles-FrayneEmerson Morassutti, Mike Larocque (strength and conditioning coaches)

BIVSAA Roar for Change Award: Teni Odetoyinbo, soccer; and, Monique Simon-Tucker, track and field

Sport Council Award: Lauren Dubie, hockey; and, Lauren Walter, rugby

Student Therapist of the Year: Skyler Moss

Roar Cup: Women’s Hockey Team