National Men's Volleyball Player of the Year Isaac Heslinga and U SPORTS gold medal winning wrestler Vianne Rouleau were named the 2024/25 UofA Athletes of the Year, as Golden Bears & Pandas Athletics announced their major award winners on Monday night at the Myer Horowitz Theatre.

Heslinga becomes the third Golden Bear to win the Wilson Challenge Trophy in consecutive years, and first Bear in 75 to accomplish the feat. Rouleau is the second Pandas Wrestler to win the Bakewell Trophy, joining former teammate Aleah Nickel who won the award last year. Heslinga and Rouleau now move forward as Alberta's nominees for both the Canada West and U SPORTS Athlete of the Year awards. 

Pandas Rugby Centre Riley Reid and Bears hockey forward Sean Tschigerl were named the Rookies of the Year, with Pandas Volleyball alumnae and PVB Club Coach Tashie Macapagal given the R.G. Glassford Coaching Award. 

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2024/25 Golden Bears & Pandas Major Award Winners

Bakewell Trophy
Female Athlete of the Year

Vianne Rouleau – Pandas Wrestling
 
Putting forth arguably the best season by a Pandas Wrestler in program history, fourth-year Vianne Rouleau was awarded the Bakewell Trophy. 

Rouleau was an individual champion at both the Canada West and U SPORTS Championships, dominating the women's 72kg weight class. It marked her third-straight year earning a medal at nationals, which includes a silver in 2023, and gold in 2024. 

She was also awarded the Canada West Wrestler of the Year in Saskatoon, leading the Pandas to a team silver medal. Rouleau also earned gold at the Missouri Valley Open and Pronghorns Invitational. 

Before the varsity season started, she won silver at the U23 World Championship in Albania. 

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Wilson Challenge Trophy
Male Athlete of the Year

Isaac Heslinga – Golden Bears Volleyball
 
For just the fourth time in UofA history, there is a multiple-time Wilson Challenge Trophy winner. Heslinga, who also won the award in 2024, is joined by two-time winners Michael Asselstine (2013, 2016), Don MacIntosh (1952, 1954), Jim Macrae (1949, 1950), and Dave MacKay (1939, 1940). 

Heslinga also earned Canada West and U SPORTS Men's Volleyball Player of the Year Awards for the second-straight year. The fourth-year outside hitter becomes only the second player to ever win the U SPORTS MVP award in consecutive years, following Terry Danyluk of Alberta (1980, 1981). 

After producing one of the best seasons in program history last year, Heslinga almost unimaginably exceeded those totals in 2024/25. The Orangeville, Ontario product led Canada West and U SPORTS in kills (340), kills per set (4.60), points (385.5), and points per set (5.2).

His 4.60 kills per set are the fifth most by any Bear in a single season, and the most by any player since 1999. Arguably his most impressive stat is a stunning .373 attack percentage, as he committed just 78 errors on 703 attempts this season.

Heslinga also added 104 digs and 25 aces in 2024/25, becoming the Golden Bears all-time leader in aces with 105. He finishes his career second in UofA history with 1,172 kills, third with 1,369.5 points, and third with 3.7 kills per set.

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Female Rookie of the Year

Riley Reid – Pandas Rugby
 
Making an immediate impact in both the 15s and 7s seasons, first-year centre Riley Reid was named the 2025 UofA Female Rookie of the Year. 

Reid was named the Pandas Rugby 7s MVP and Pandas 15s Rookie of the Year. She appeared in 95% of the 15s minutes for the Pandas in the fall, before playing in all 7s games across three tournaments for the Pandas in the winter. 

She finished second on the Pandas with 24 points during the 7s season, 25th among all athletes in Canada West. She also participated in the Rugby Canada U18 West Camp in both 2023 and 2024. 

Reid is the third Pandas Rugby athlete to win female ROTY, and first since Courtney Holtkamp in 2018. 
 

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Male Rookie of the Year

Sean Tschigerl – Golden Bears Hockey

Leading Canada West in goals as a freshman, Sean Tschigerl was named the UofA Male Rookie of the Year. 

Tschigerl was both the Canada West and U SPORTS Men's Hockey Rookie of the Year this season. 

Tschigerl recorded a conference-best 20 goals, finishing second with 39 points in 26 games, the most of any rookie in Canada West. The former Calgary Hitmen star was remarkably consistent, recording a point in 22 of his 26 regular season games, adding 70 shots and a +29 rating.  

His 39 points were tied for sixth most in U SPORTS, as he was the only rookie in Canada West who was named a first team All-Star. Tschigerl was also named the WHL Graduate of the Month in October after recording 15 points in eight games. The forward's offensive flair has carried over from an impressive WHL tenure that saw him rack up 95 goals and 212 points over the course of six seasons with the Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes. 

Tschigerl is the 10th Golden Bears Hockey player to win this award, and second-straight after teammate Alex Thacker won in 2024. 
 

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Dr. R.G. Glassford Award for Coaching

Tashie Macapagal – Pandas Volleyball
 
Given annually to an assistant coach on one of the Golden Bears or Pandas teams, or a coach in the community that benefits Golden Bears and Pandas, Pandas Volleyball alunae and PVB Club Coach Tashie Macapagal was the winner of the Dr. R.G. Glassford Coaching Award.

Macapagal has been a Panda for nearly three decades; as a student-athlete, proud alumni, and junior coach. A former middle, she won four national titles in the late 1990's during the Pandas Volleyball dynasty era.

For the last decade, she has been a coach and executive with the Pandas Volleyball Club, one of the most prominent and successful junior clubs in Canada.

She has been key to the Pandas varsity program by coaching and developing several athletes who have become Pandas. Among her recent athletes coached include current Pandas Ronnie Dickson, Abby Guezen, Misha Hameed, Janelle Skinner, Laila Johnston, and multiple student-athletes now in the NCAA and at other U SPORTS schools.

She is also a member of the executive of the club and manages the club's finances, website and social media. She has also been a Team Alberta Coach for the last five years, and was an assistant coach for the NAIT Ooks this season.