NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Ont. - The OUA Honour Awards saw two Golden Hawks receive major conference wide awards for the 2024-25 season. 

MEN'S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – TAYLOR ELGERSMA 

Former Golden Hawks quarterback Taylor Elgersma received the OUA Honour Award for male athlete of the year. This award is presented annually to two student-athletes who have stood out among their peers on the playing field.  

"Playing for Coach Faulds and Coach Galloway has really prepared me for my football career. My family has had a major impact on my life and supported me throughout this journey. I want to thank my teammates for being there with me every single step of the way. My success on the field wouldn't have happened without them," Elgersma said.  

"I also want to say a huge thank you to the rest of the OUA athletes. There's a lot of high-level athletes in our conference and being able to compete against them and alongside them is something that I'm super proud of." 

The two-time OUA MVP and 2024 Hec Crighton winner is the first Golden Hawk athlete to receive the honour since women's hockey netminder Liz Knox in 2009-10. He is only the second Laurier male student-athlete to win, the first being quarterback Bill Kubas in 1994-95. 

Coincidentally so, the years in which Elgersma and Kubas won were both their Hec Crighton years, and Kubas went on to win the U SPORTS, formerly CIS, men's athlete of the year. 

Since the OUA began presenting the award in 1992-93, Elgersma becomes the fifth Laurier athlete to win, joining Kubas, Knox, women's hockey's Cindy Eadie (2004-05), and dual-sport athlete for women's soccer and hockey Alison Goodman (2003-04). 

During Laurier football's 2024 regular season, Elgersma led both the OUA and U SPORTS in touchdowns (20), yards per game (330.4), pass efficiency (187.5), and total passing yards (2,643), breaking the program record he set the previous year.  

Elgersma is now automatically nominated for the U SPORTS athlete of the year award.  

MEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR – MICHAEL FAULDS 

Manager of football operations and head coach Michael Faulds received the OUA Honour Award for coach of the year. The award is presented annually to two coaches who have made outstanding contributions in coaching, all around student-athlete development, and have demonstrated a commitment to coach education and sport advancement.  

Faulds is a three-time David "Tuffy" Knight recipient (2016, 2023, 2024), and a two-time Frank Tindall Trophy winner (2016, 2024). This is Faulds' first time being named a league-wide coach of the year. 

Under Faulds in 2024, the Golden Hawks earned an 8-0 season, were crowned Yates Cup champions for the ninth time in program history, and won their first Uteck Bowl plus made their first Vanier Cup appearance since 2005.  

"I give a ton of credit to our players who I have had the privilege of coaching. I always mention it's a staff award. All credit to Coach Van Moerkerke,Coach Galloway, and the rest of our staff," said Faulds. 

"I really like deflecting that because it's crazy that it's an individual award because we are such a great coaching staff altogether. Thank you to the OUA for the recognition and we are honoured to accept that." 

He etches his name beside Laurier swimming coach Dean Boles, who won the award in 1999-2000, to become the second Golden Hawks winner since the OUA started presenting the award in 1998-99, and is just the third football coach to win.  

Faulds and Elgersma have also made history in another way.  

They become the seventh athlete-coach duo from the same school and the same program to win both athlete and coach of the year.  

"It's really neat, and I've just been privileged and honoured to coach him. Taylor has worked hard and earned everything he's gotten, so it's nice that we've had this success together." 

This is also the second time both recipients are from the same school's football program, the first being McMaster's Kojo Aidoo and legendary coach Greg Marshall in 2000-01.  

"Football is only a three-month season, but we work 365-days for it. I'm happy, on behalf of the coaching fraternity, to have this award go to a football program again." 

Faulds is now automatically nominated for the U SPORTS coach of the year award.