Two Canadian university school high-performance athletes from Quebec have been named the Lois and Doug Mitchell Canadian University Sports Athletes of the Year on Monday. University of Laval sprinter Audrey Leduc of Gatineau, Quebec was named the USport Female Athlete of the Year, and University of Montreal Carabins quarterback Jonathan Senecal of Mirabel, Quebec was named the USport Male Athlete of the Year according to Donna Spencer of the Canadian Press. Leduc and Senecal were honoured at a ceremony in Calgary, Alberta.
Leduc was honoured for winning the gold medal in the women’s 60 metres at the 2024 USport Track and Field Championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba on March 7. Also this spring, Leduc set the Canadian records in the women’s 100 metres and 200 metres sprint races.
Senecal led the Carabins to a Vanier Cup title in 2023. He also won the Hec Crighton Trophy and was the Vanier Cup most valuable player. During the 2023 USport regular season, Senecal completed 160 of 230 passes for 2215 passing yards, with 15 touchdown passes and four interceptions. He also had 394 rushing yards and six touchdown runs.
In the Vanier Cup final, the Carabins defeated the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 16-9 in Kingston, Ontario. Senecal completed 16 of 26 passes for 171 passing yards, and 50 rushing yards and one touchdown run. He becomes the third player ever to win the Hec Crighton Trophy (the Canadian University Football most outstanding player in a season), and Ted Morris Memorial Trophy (the Vanier Cup most valuable player) in the same season. Senecal follows University of Calgary Dinos wide receiver Don Blair of Ottawa, Ontario (1995), and Laval University Rouge et Or wide receiver Kevin Mital of Longueuil, Quebec (2022).
