Sheridan athletes and coaches gathered on Thursday, April 3rd, for the 56th Annual Varsity Banquet to celebrate a season of victories, dedication, and teamwork.
The event, held at the Oakville Conference Centre, celebrated the achievements of athletes across all varsity sports, recognized coaches, and honoured retiring Athletic Director Jim Flack.
Sheridan’s President and Vice Chancellor, Janet Morrison, opened the event with a message to student-athletes.
“On behalf of everyone at Sheridan, we are so proud of you,” said Morrison. “You carry the double blue, you carry Sheridan.”
Following Morrison’s opening remarks, Provost and Vice President Academic Mary Vaughan took to the stage to present the OCAA All-Academic Excellence Awards.
After that, Varsity Letter Awards were handed out to athletes who earned a number of varsity points as Bruins. Each recipient took home a chenille letter S.
Guests then enjoyed dinner and dessert before the evening’s major awards were presented.
Following dinner, attendees watched a Bruins highlight reel produced by Sheridan’s marketing team. The Sheridan Sun then presented the ‘Most Newsworthy Athlete’ award.
This year, the award went to two athletes who made headlines on and off the field: women’s soccer midfielder Jessica Jagdeo, and men’s basketball shooting guard Jeziyah Excell-Johnson.
Jessica Jagdeo (left) and Jeziyah Excell-Johnson (right) posing with their “Most Newsworthy Athlete award. (Brighid Mahood/Sheridan Sun)
Sheridan Sun award winner Jessica Jagdeo expressed what winning this award signifies to her.
“It’s a visual representation and recognition of all the hard work that I’ve put in over the summer and it paying off. Being recognized for my accomplishments, it just means a lot to me” said Jagdeo.
Awards were then presented for Coach of the Year, Athletes of the Year, Rob Til Student Citizenship Awards. Team of the Year and the Jim Flack Double-Blue Scholar award.
Previously known as the Double-Blue Scholar, the award was renamed the ‘Jim Flack Double-Blue Scholar’ award in honour of the retiring Athletic Director.
Flack has been the Bruins Athletic Director for 25 years and has been the Men’s basketball coach for 32 years.
Although he is now ready to end this chapter in his life, he shares how proud he is of the athletic teams and his excitement for the future.
“I’m very, very proud of what our team did during my tenure. I didn’t do it, the team did it. I think we’re in a very strong position to continue with this culture moving forward,” said Flack.
Jim Flack Sheridan College’s Men’s basketball coach is retiring as the Bruins Athletic Director. (Brighid Mahood/Sheridan Sun)
Study, compete, graduate and succeed is a motto created by Flack and one that Sheridan implements in all their athletes, and proudly stands by.
“Ialso love working at Sheridan because they understood the vision of academia being just as important as the athletic part of it,” said Flack.
The Bruins Men’s basketball coach and athletic director retiree has also made significant contributions when it comes to student academics.
Flack founded the Sheridan’s Sky Blue Endowment Fund, a yearly scholarship awarded to deserving athletes who are full time students.
Sheridan is excited for the future of the athletic program and we look forward to seeing all the great upcoming accomplishments our star players will achieve.