OUA celebrates achievements in marketing with 2023-24 CHAMP Awards
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. – Ontario University Athletics (OUA) hosted the 2023-24 Honour Awards Banquet on Wednesday, May 15th, featuring the 11 CHAMP Awards, celebrating and honouring achievements in marketing and promotions.
Best League Championship – Queen’s Gaels, Wilson Cup
One of the most talked about moments of the year came as part of one of the top events from the season – the Wilson Cup Men’s Basketball Championship, hosted by the Queen’s Gaels.
In early March, the Gaels and Brock Badgers went head-to-head for the Wilson Cup in front of a sold out crowd of 2,000+ students and community members at the Queen’s Athletics & Recreation Centre. The event sparked an electric atmosphere from tip-off until Cole Syllas’ highlight reel buzzer-beater at the end of the game that secured the hosts their first OUA men’s basketball title in nearly 70 years. The ensuing court rush and viral video was the cherry on top of an incredible championship event.
In total, content from the game received over one million views on Gaels social media channels and was amplified across multiple media channels including TSN, Sportsnet, theScore, CBC, and was even mentioned on a Toronto Raptors broadcast.
Best Open Championship – Brock Badgers, Swimming
This year’s Best Open Championship made a splash as part of the winter Banner Season slate.
The 2023-24 OUA Swimming Championships, hosted by the Brock Badgers, was a top-notch experience for the student-athletes and their families, featuring 10 OUA teams, over 20 volunteers, 50 officials, and around 400 student-athletes across the three days of competition.
The host Badgers made a splash by housing their own website with event information, the event program, and links to recaps. From a sports information side, results and recaps from each day were sent to the teams within 90 minutes of the final race, while team and medal photos were captured, organized, and made available in a timely manner as well.
Photo of the Year – Greg Kolz, Ottawa Gee-Gees
Greg Kolz, a photographer with the Ottawa Gee-Gees, captured one of the most iconic moments of the 2023-24 OUA season from one of the most iconic rivalries in university sport.
To set the stage for the photo, Ottawa kicker Campbell Fair booted his team to victory in amazing fashion at the 2023 Panda Game, splitting the uprights from 55-yards out with no time on the clock to give the Gee-Gees the win over rival Carleton in front of a sold-out TD Place crowd. With fans pouring onto the field and teammates propping Fair up in celebratory fashion, he triumphantly points to the sky as a mass of Garnet and Grey faithful surround him.
And this year’s top photo from Kolz truly captured the emotion, the energy, the support, and the entirety of that special moment on the gridiron.
Best Video Feature – Windsor Lancers, Maggie Mitani: Skating Through Adversity
Amongst the many impressive and in-depth features was one by the Windsor Lancers, which has earned this year’s Best Video Feature nod.
Imagine being 20 years old, away from home for the first time – in another province, no less – and you find a lump in your neck. Nothing can be scarier for a young student-athlete. This is what happened to Maggie Mitani, and unfortunately the lump proved to be cancerous.
This award-winning feature, produced by Connor Sykes, tells Maggie's story and how she beat cancer, her trials and tribulations therein, and how she came back to play a full season with the Lancer women's hockey team in 2023-24.
More than just the successful metrics the video sparked on social media and the local media attention it garnered, it brought a student-athlete’s story to life to share with the community.
Outstanding Promotional Video – Toronto Varsity Blues, Men’s Basketball Hype Reel
This year’s outstanding promotional video clocks in at just 30 seconds, but utilizes several exciting edits and a professional level of skill to evoke the excitement of attending a Varsity Blues Men’s Basketball game at Goldring Centre.
Produced by Brennen Suni, the men’s basketball hype reel was released on the morning of February 24th as a final push for ticket sales to the team’s quarterfinal that evening versus Ontario Tech.
The promo video garnered some major social media numbers across Instagram and TikTok, received great comment feedback, and assisted in pushing attendance for the team’s home quarterfinal playoff game to over 1,000 people.
Best Webcast Production – Guelph Gryphons, GryphVision
Putting together a quality webcast week in and week out is no small feat.
The Guelph Gryphons, now a three-time CHAMP Award winner, operate with almost all student staff. They continue to cement themselves as one of the top webcasts in the country, thanks to considerations like dedicated pre- and post-game shows for football broadcasts, a replay system for all sporting events, sideline reporters, multi-cam feeds, and so much more.
Among their over 100 live streams in a season, GryphVision’s latest efforts also featured the OUA Men’s Rugby Championship, as well as the U SPORTS Wrestling Championships, which included a major technical feat of three simultaneous streams to both U SPORTS and CBC Gem.
Best Webcast Announcer – Bill Miklas, Queen’s Gaels
This year’s recipient of the Best Webcast Announcer award, presented to an OUA.tv broadcaster who best captures the sporting event to provide an enjoyable viewing experience for spectators, has a rich history with their school and the athletics.
Bill Miklas consistently exceeds expectations, delivering a top-notch webcast across his 40 Queen’s Gaels games called across football, volleyball, and basketball. He set himself apart thanks to his unwavering dedication, exceptional skills on the microphone, and deep understanding of the games.
His crowning moment from the year was his unforgettable call of Cole Syllas’ Wilson Cup, winning buzzer-beater, “It’s hero time, Cole. GOT IT. It’s a MIRCALE by the local boy. A court storm in Kingston. And for the first time since 1956-57, the Gaels are GOLDEN in Men’s Basketball”.
Best Social Media Account – Windsor Lancers Instagram (@windsorlancers)
As part of its most successful and engaging season ever, the Windsor Lancers Instagram account grew leaps and bounds in 2023-24, helping it to be named the Best Social Media Account for this season.
Gaining almost 1,100 followers in just six months, they shared behind-the-scenes videos, built narratives and special features, showcased the excitement of sport through the perspective of their student-athletes, and pulled back the curtain for their followers.
This mix of content and consistent display of creativity ultimately sparked an overall increase of 230% and a total reach of over 180,000 accounts.
Best Theme Night – McMaster Marauders, Black History Month Basketball Games
From concept to execution, the host of the Best Theme Night delivers a memorable experience for all and this year’s recipient, the McMaster Marauders, checked those boxes and more.
On February 16th, the McMaster Marauders took on the Lakehead Thunderwolves, but the importance of the night was so much more important than any matchup or final score. The Marauders teamed up with the McMaster Black Student-Athlete Council (BSAC) and Xeist Sports to develop a custom Black History inspired jersey that featured traditional African art elements and pan-African colours.
At halftime, a youth basketball team played with participants from equity-deserving communities, a vendor showcased Black-owned businesses, and special cultural food offerings were available at concessions. And to top it all off, both the Black anthem and Canadian National anthem were performed.
Best Mascot – King Warrior, Waterloo Warriors
While a supportive fan base is one way to inject some fun into a varsity event, another means is with a lovable team mascot and the 2023-24 Best Mascot is Waterloo’s King Warrior.
The award-winning feline has been making friends on campus for over 10 years, and the King of the Jungle is no stranger to a crown. A very active member on the Waterloo campus, in the community and with fans, King Warrior is always handing out high fives, posing for photos, and hyping up crowds. He is also a consistent presence in the broader Waterloo area, fostering a positive experience through interactions with students, children, and the overall community.
Additionally, the lovable lion made history by hosting the first-ever mascot basketball game during the Fantastic Alumni Day event, which attracted over 1,000 fans.
Best Fan Support Group – Laurentian Voyageurs, Pot Bangers
When you mix a strong student fan base, a town rich in sports culture and a passionate group of alumni - you get one of the strongest fan bases in Canada.
Presented to a school’s fan base that consistently demonstrated their support, allegiance, and passion in various ways for their varsity program both on and beyond campus, this year’s Best Fan Support Group is the Laurentian Voyageurs Pot Bangers.
This group has been passionate and enthusiastic for their Voyageurs, supporting them through every single home game with their boisterous cheers and musicality. This noise-making crew has been banging together pots, pans, and cooking utensils for at least the last 30 years, much to the chagrin of their team’s opposition, who are often forced to shift their timeouts to the middle of the court to avoid the noise.