WECSSAA Athlete
of the year
Beginning in 1950 the Royal Arcanum Award was given each year to the outstanding high school male athlete in Windsor/Essex County.
In 1974, the Royal Arcanum began recognizing the top high school female athlete in Windsor.
In 2002, the high school athletic organizations in Windsor and Essex merged to become the Windsor Essex County Secondary Schools Athletic Association (WECSSAA). The award was revised and expanded with top male and female winners named in both large (AAA/AAAA) schools and small (A/AA) division schools.
Due to the Covid pandemic, no awards were presented in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
The Windsor -Essex County Sports Hall of Fame would like to thank the Royal Arcanum Society of Windsor for its many years of support and contribution to local high school sports.
Beginning in 2024 the recipients of the WECSSAA Athlete of the Year award are being sponsored by OJ Atogwe and Stephen Ademolu.
2024 WECSSAA ATHLETES OF THE YEAR RECIPIENTS
CAMERON BEALE
SANDWICH
DREZDON HOWE
BELLE RIVER
LILY MULDER
NORTH STAR
BROOKLYN WARD
SANDWICH
MALE RECIPIENTS
1949-50 - Max Karcz, Patterson
1950-51 - Harold Newton, Patterson
1951-52 - Harold Newton, Patterson
1952-53 - Ken Bottoms, Forster
1953-54 - Tom Grant, Patterson
1954-55 - Bob Miller, Walkerville
1955-56 - D. Pennington, Kennedy
1956-57 - L. Parent, Lowe
1957-58 - Richard Rau, Walkerville
1958-59 - Whit Tucker, Forster
1959-60 - Dick Dupuis, Assumption
1960-61 - Dick Dupuis, Assumption
1961-62 - Ted Collins, Patterson
1962-63 - Mario Baggio, Lowe
1963-64 - John Loaring Jr., Kennedy
1964-65 - Ron Zanin, Kennedy
1965-66 - Joe Cipparone, Walkerville
1966-67 - Rick Storey, Walkerville
1967-68 - Mike Urban, Kennedy
1968-69 - Phil Schmidt, Brennan
1969-70 - Tom Dufault, Lowe
1970-71 - Derek Doidge, Forster
1971-72 - Bob Hogan, Herman
1972-73 - David Roth, Kennedy
1973-74 - Bruce Walker, Assumption
1974-75 - Tom Arnott, Kennedy
1975-76 - Steve Zack, Herman
1976-77 - Craig Mallender, Massey
1977-78 - John Schmidt, Brennan
1978-79 - Vancho Cirovski, Lowe
1979-80 - Rob Dalley, Centennial
1980-81 - Tony Dennis, Centennial
1981-82 - Gino Castellan, Lowe
1982-83 - Jay Schroeder, Massey
1983-84 - Mario Tarantino, Riverside
1984-85 - Carlo Boniferro, Assumption
1985-86 - Henry Valentini, Brennan
1986-87 - Don Douglas, Massey
1987-88 - Joe Schembri, Brennan
1988-89 - Dwayne Brunet, Assumption
1989-90 - Jamie Pepper, Riverside
1990-91 - Andre Leonetti, Brennan
1991-92 - Matt Cruickshank, Forster
1992-93 - Matt Cruickshank, Foster
1993-94 - George Chibani, Catholic Central
1994-95 - John Naccarato, St. Joseph
1995-96 - Scott Russell, Brennan
1996-97 - Scott Russelll, Brennan
1997-98 - Dave Delduca, Assumption
1998-99 - O.J. Atogwe, Herman
1999-00 - O.J. Atogwe, Herman
2000-01 - Agostino DiPietro, Brennan
2001-02 - Jamie Adjetey-Nelson, St. Joseph AAA/AAAA
2001-02 - Dave Ouellette, General Amherst, A/AA schools
2002-03 - Jamie Adjetey-Nelson, St. Joseph AAA/AAAA
2002-03 - Mike Gyetvai, Sandwich (A/AA schools)
2003-04 - Abdun Aguer, Catholic Central, AAA/AAAA
2003-04 - Darryl McGhee, Harrow A/AA
2004-05 - Matt Morencie, Holy Names AAA/AAAA
2004-05 - Dave Binder, Essex A/AA
2005-06 - Tyrone Crawford, Catholic Central AAA/AAAA
2005-06 - Dave Binder, Essex A/AA
2006-07 - Tyrone Crawford, Catholic Central AAA/AAAA
2006-07 - Fayez Bazzi, Forster A/AA
2007-08 - Corey Harris, Brennan AAA/AAAA
2007-08 - Jason Schneider, General Amherst A/AA
2008-09 - Austin Kennedy, Massey AAA/AAAA
2008-09 - J.P. Malette Assumption A/AA
2009-10 – Daryl Smith, Massey AAA/AAAA
2009-10 - Arjen Colquhoun, Herman A/AA
2010-11 – Corey Bellemore, Riverside AAA/AAAA
2010-11 - Brandon McBride, Herman A/AA
2011-12 – Bellemore, Riv; McBride, Herman, A/AA
2012-13 – Andrew McKenzie, Holy Names AAA/AAAA
2012-13 - Justin Orton, Essex, A/AA
2013-14 – William Stadder, Massey, AAA/AAAA
2013-14 - Mitchell Gasparovic, Belle River A/AA
2014-15 – Isaiah Osborne, Kennedy AAA
2014-15 - Jeremy Orton, Essex A/AA
​2015-16 - Mitchell Zimmerman, St. Annes AAA
​2015-16 - Donald Mensah, Catholic Central A/AA
2016-17 - Kimani Bailey, Sandwich AAA
​2016-17 - Quentin Seguin, Herman A/AA
​2017-18 - Benjamin Diab, Villanova AAA
​2017-18 - Josh DiCarlo, General Amherst A/AA
2018-19 - Akot Aken, Kennedy AAA
2018-19 - Spencer Campeau, Essex A/AA
2022-23 - Kalman Chyz, Villanova AAA
2022-23 - Ciaran O'Connor, Lajeunesse A/AA
2023-24 - Cameron Beale, Sandwich AAA
2023-24 - Drezdon Howe, Belle River A/AA
FEMALE RECIPIENTS
1973-74 - Barb Benson, Walkerville
1974-75 - Deb Sukarukoff, Massey
1975-76 - Marg Lesperance, Brennan
1976-77 - Deb Cowgill, Herman
1977-78 - Patti Taylor, Walkerville
1978-79 - Judith Kennedy, Riverside
1979-80 - Jolayne Conlon, Riverside
1980-81 - Misty Thomas, Massey
1981-82 - Misty Thomas, Massey
1982-83 - Jennifer Blonde, Brennan
1983-84 - Joanne Rothery, Kennedy
1984-85 - Linda Lukis, Herman
1985-86 - Lisa Thyssen, Brennan
1986-87 - Mary Ellen Costea, Herman
1987-88 - Stephanie Blonde, Brennan
1988-89 - Kathy Drobitch, Assumption
​1988-89 - Denise Brett, Walkerville
1989-90 - Sheri Turnbull, Forster
1990-91 - Nana Kwabi, Brennan
1991-92 - Melinda Pierce, Forster
1992-93 - Marla Mollicone, Kennedy
1993-94 - Amie Lojewski, Brennan
1994-95 - Moi Chen, Assumption
1995-96 - Kathy Harris, Kennedy
1996-97 - Jen Langlois, Catholic Central
1997-98 - Andrea Bulat, Brennan
1998-99 - Erin Murphy, Holy Names
1999-00 - Erin Murphy, Holy Names
2000-01 -Kathy Banjavcic, St. Joseph
2001-02 - Jessie Plante, Brennan, (AAA/AAAA);
2001-02 - Nicky Brockman, Essex (A/AA)
2002-03 - Jessie Plante, Brennan (AAA/AAAA)
2002-03 - Shelby Aldous, Sandwich (A/AA)
2003-04 - Shelby Aldous, Sandwich (now AAA/AAAA)
2003-04 - Kanita Keskich, Belle River (A/AA)
2004-05 - Bethanie Wachna, Holy Names AAA/AAAA
2004-05 - Jessica Ewer, Amherst, (A/AA)
2005-06 - Bethanie Wachna, Holy Names AAA/AAAA
2005-06 - Jessica Ewer, Amherst (A/AA)
2006-07 - Brittany Hedderson, St. Anne (AAA/AAAA)
2006-07 - Kristy Chute, Amherst (A/AA)
2007-08 - Brittany Hedderson, St. Anne (AAA/AAAA)
2007-08 - Candace Garrod, Essex (A/AA)
2008-09 - Miah Langlois, Catholic Central AAA/AAAA
2008-09 - Danielle Gyemi, Walkerville A/AA
2009-10 - Jocelyn LaRocque, St. Anne AAA/AAAA
2009-10 - Kelsey Balkwill, Essex (A/AA)
2010-11 – Kim Moroun, Belle River (AAA/AAAA)
2010-11 - Christine Belcher (Amherst) A/AA
2011-12 – Alana Gyemi, St. Anne, (AAA, AAAA)
2011-12 - Caitlyn Longmuir, Kingsville, (A/AA)
2012-13 – Alana Gyemi, St. Anne, (AAA/AAAA)
2012-13 - Sophie Glanz (L’Essor), (A/AA)
2013-14 – Carly Steer, Holy Names, (AAA/AAAA)
2013-14 - Krystin Lawrence, Belle River (A/AA)
2014-15 - Layne Van Buskirk, Holy Names AAA
2014-15 - Jasmine Hurst, General Amherst A/AA
​2015-16 - Layne Van Buskirk, Holy Names, AAA
​2015-16 - Lucia McElwain, Essex, A/AA
2016-17 - Kristen Swiatoschik, Villanova AAA
2016-17 - Jada Jackson, Herman A/AA
2016-17 - Sydney Hrynew, Brennan A/AA
2017-18 - Kristen Swiatoschik, Villanova AAA
2017-18 - Kim Orton, Essex, A/AA
​2018-19 - Alessandra Pontoni, Sandwich AAA
2018-19 - Kim Orton, Essex A/AA
2022-23 - Leah Tate, Holy Names AAA
2022-23 - Lily Mulder, North Star A/AA
2023-24 - Brooklyn Ward, Sandwich AAA
2023-24 - Lily Mulder, North Star A/AA