Nate Petrone, Gabriela Cross named Calgary Dinos Athletes of the Year​on April 10, 2025 at 9:51 pm

National athletes of the year Gabriela Cross and Nate Petrone were named the 2024-25 University of Calgary Athletes of the Year to headline an outstanding night of celebration at the 57th annual Night of the Dino awards gala Wednesday in the Jack Simpson Gym. Read More

​National athletes of the year Gabriela Cross and Nate Petrone were named the 2024-25 University of Calgary Athletes of the Year to headline an outstanding night of celebration at the 57th annual Night of the Dino awards gala Wednesday in the Jack Simpson Gym. In addition to the Dr. Dennis Kadatz Athlete of the Year   

Gabriela Cross | Wrestling | 4th Year | Nursing | Port Coquitlam, B.C.

Cross and the Dinos women’s wrestling team delivered another dominant season in 2025. Unbeaten throughout the Canada West and U SPORTS Championships, Cross didn’t allow a single point from her opponents. She helped the Dinos defend their conference title by pinning her Alberta opponent in her only match of the championship. At nationals, Cross was even more impressive, securing a pin in her first matchup and then earning four tech falls to claim her second consecutive U SPORTS gold medal. After the championship, she was named the U SPORTS Women’s Outstanding Wrestler of the Year.

Nate Petrone | Basketball | 4 Year | Kinesiology | Calgary

No one in U SPORTS scored more points this season than Petrone. He was dominant every time out, averaging a Canada West-leading 24.2 points per game while shooting an impressive 56.8 per cent from the field as a guard. Petrone’s historic performance in the Canada West championship, where he scored 38 points on 15-of-21 shooting, led the Dinos to the title. A Canada West First Team All-Star and U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian, Petrone carried that momentum into the U SPORTS Final 8, where he received the Mike Moser Memorial Trophy as the country’s top player and led Calgary to a national silver medal.

BILL POPPLEWELL ROOKIES OF THE YEAR

The Rookie of the Year awards were created in 2000 and named after Bill Popplewell, a tireless supporter of the Dinos for over two decades as one of the athletic department’s longest-standing corporate partners.

Mackenzie Cayer | Wrestling | Nursing | Calgary

All season long, Cayer demonstrated that she was one of the top wrestlers in the country. The rookie earned Canada West Wrestler of the Week honours after a strong performance at the Golden Bear Invitational in January. When it mattered most at the Canada West Championships, she allowed just two points across three victories, ultimately claiming the gold medal. In the round robin at the national championships, Cayer won three bouts by pin and another by 10-0 tech fall. In the national gold medal match, she defeated the OUA champion with a 15-10 decision. Cayer was named U SPORTS Rookie of the Year for her outstanding performance.

Nicholas Duncan | Swimming | Kinesiology | Calgary

Duncan brought a unique skill set to the UCalgary waters, and his talent was evident on the podium. At the Canada West Championships, he medalled in individual medley, backstroke, butterfly events and the 800-metre freestyle relay, demonstrating his adaptability. At the U SPORTS Championships, Duncan claimed the national title in the 100-metre breaststroke and earned a bronze medal as part of the 400-metre medley relay team. His ability to score points in nearly any event proved crucial for the Dinos, helping them secure Canada West silver and U SPORTS bronze team finishes.

CALGARY BOOSTER CLUB SCHOLAR-ATHLETES

The Scholar-Athlete awards recognize outstanding achievement in academics and athletics, and each year four student-athletes are presented with $1,400 scholarships by the Calgary Booster Club.

Max Cook | Cross Country/Track & Field | 3rd Year | Science | Chestermere

Hannah Johnsen | Swimming | 4th Year | Kinesiology | Thunder Bay, Ont.

Adam Kydd | Hockey | 2nd Year | Haskayne School of Business | Regina

Mykena Walker | Soccer | 3rd Year | Cumming School of Medicine | Airdrie

SENATE STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD

The Senate Student-Athlete Community Leadership Award recognizes a student-athlete who shows strong community engagement by demonstrating direct community involvement. Representing the University of Calgary Senate’s vision of “Senate engaging community,” the recipient is a student-athlete in good academic standing with a significant commitment and involvement in engaging with and improving their community.

Willow Beyea | Rugby | 2nd Year | Arts | New Westminster, B.C.

The 2024 Canada West and U SPORTS Student-Athlete Community Service Award winner in women’s rugby, Beyea continues to be a shining example everywhere she goes. A leader on the field for the Dinos as a second-year prop, Beyea demonstrated her hard work and determination by returning to the field after a pair of successive knee injuries. Outside of her time with the Dinos, she volunteers with the Calgary Wheelchair Rugby Association, APAK (Adapted Physical Activity for Kids) and serves with both the Dinos women’s rugby mentorship program and as a coach for the Junior Dinos. Beyea created the Dinos R.A.P. (Recovering Athlete Peer Support) Program to create support and understanding for injured athletes.

CHARLESGLEN TOYOTA COACH OF THE YEAR

Dan Vanhooren | Men’s Basketball

It was a truly special season for Vanhooren. This past year was the 25th on the sidelines leading the Scarlet & Gold for Vanhooren, leading the Dinos to their sixth conference title during his tenure and the fourth in the last nine seasons. Vanhooren also etched his name in Dinos‘ history this year when he became the first University of Calgary head coach to ever amass 300 career regular-season wins. He also coached the Dinos to the U SPORTS National Championship game for the fourth time over the last decade, bringing home the silver medal. This award, which is sponsored by corporate partner Charlesglen Toyota, is voted on by all varsity head coaches.

CLUB STUDENT-ATHLETE AWARDS

The Club Student-Athlete Awards honour two outstanding student-athletes from the Dinos‘ competitive club programs for their all-around athletic, academic and community achievement over the course of the season.

CJ Sauve | Ringette | 4th Year | Zoology | Calgary

A captain each of the past two seasons, Sauve has been an exceptional leader for the Dinos ringette squad. She helped this year’s team to gold medals at both the National University Ringette Championships in December, as well as the Western Canadian Championships to close out the season in late March. Sauve also led the organization of the two major team fundraisers and gives back in various ways away from the Dinos, both on and off the ice. She is also a standout in the classroom, where she is studying zoology and plans to continue her education in veterinary medicine.

Alex Vukovic | Tennis | 3rd Year | Science | Calgary

Third-year Alex Vukovic continues to take big strides with the Dinos tennis program. The Calgary native, working toward his degree in the Faculty of Science, Vukovic achieved an ITF pro point at the M25 in Edmonton. A leader on this year’s team, he was also the champion of both singles and doubles at the UTR Tournament in Calgary and picked up an impressive win at the No. 1 singles spot against Santa Barbara’s top player back in January.

MARGARET SOUTHERN AWARD

The Margaret Southern Award honours outstanding service and support to athletics by a woman, named in honour of the first female instructor at UCalgary’s Faculty of Physical Education. Inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1992, Marg and her late husband Ron were the Calgary Booster Club Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year in 1986 and are well known as pioneers in the Calgary business and equestrian communities as the founders of ATCO and Spruce Meadows.

Dina Taher joined the Dinos in 2014 and has played an integral role as an academic coach for all Dinos‘ student-athletes. Taher has gone above and beyond her job description and has helped countless Dinos over the years with class scheduling, program applications, eligibility and coursework, just to name some of the outstanding work she has provided with the Dinos Grade Point Success program.

DR. LOU GOODWIN AWARD

Named for the first dean of physical education at UCalgary, the Dr. Lou Goodwin award honours a male who has provided outstanding service and support to the athletic department. ‘Dr. Lou’ served the city of Calgary, its school system, and its university for more than 45 years and was a founding member of what is now the Faculty of Kinesiology, serving as professor, department head, and dean from 1961 through 1978.

A man who regularly shuns the spotlight, Dave Lee, has been vital to the Dinos women’s rugby program since he came to the UCalgary campus. Lee has been an assistant with head coach Simon Chi for 15 years and has seen the Dinos program grow from its infancy all the way to claiming four conference banners from 2016-19. A humble leader who always does whatever needs to be done and puts the student-athletes first.

MURRAY FRASER AWARD

Murray Fraser was president of the University of Calgary from 1988 until his retirement in 1996. A dedicated supporter of the Dinos, Murray and his wife Anne were fixtures in the stands during his time as president, and he was a firm believer in student involvement in campus life and a total university education. The Murray Fraser Award is presented annually to students who go over and above in their roles with Dinos Athletics.

Elise Lacoste has become part of the staff for a vast number of Dinos teams since coming to campus two years ago. A mental performance coach working on her PhD at UCalgary, Lacoste has been a critical addition to the Dinos, where she works extensively with women’s soccer and curling. She provides individual player support and team support, allowing players to be comfortable in their own skin and be their best selves for the team through workshops and team bonding exercises. In her PhD research, Elise is creating a mental skills training program that will be rolled out to all Dinos teams in the near future.

Zach McClean started his PhD in 2022, focusing on how knee injuries impact athlete health and performance. He has committed countless hours to preseason baseline testing alone for more than 500 athletes over the past two seasons. McClean has been an instrumental member of the Dinos Athlete Integrated Sport Science Team (ASSIST), helping to implement new approaches to post-injury testing and rehabilitation. In addition to publishing three papers since starting his PhD and submitting three more, McClean also works in sports science with the Calgary Flames.

MEDWEST ATHLETIC THERAPY AWARDS

The MedWest scholarships reward two athletic therapy majors for their work each season — one for clinical and one for field. Each recipient receives a $1,400 scholarship. Melody Gregory is the recipient of the clinical award, while Denny Chau received the field award. Gregory spent the season with the football team, while Chau handled AT duties for men’s basketball.