By: John Humphrey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeshore News Reporter
Evan Schweyer of Lakeshore has won the 2024/2025 Windsor Essex County Secondary School Athletic Association (WECSSAA) Male Athlete of the Year. The 18-year-old was recognized at an award ceremony recently held at the Ciociaro Club in Windsor.
Others feted by WECSSAA for combining athletic ability with academic prowess were Munar Lopez, the male winner for small schools, while Schweyer won for large schools. The Holy Names Knights’ Jane Pozzi won the female award for large schools and Vista Academy Vortex’s Kaitlyn Pepper claimed the female award for small schools.
Schweyer, who just graduated from Ste. Anne Secondary School and who will be attending St. Clair College in the fall, participated in high school sports throughout his four years of secondary study, but it was perhaps his final year where he stood out the most on the playing fields and other surfaces.
“After winning the school award, I was told by a teacher that I had been nominated for the WECCSAA award,” he said. “I was excited and honoured to be up for that award and I found out that I had won it two days before the ceremony,”
And Schweyer’s participation in sports during his graduating year at Ste. Anne’s was literally a non-stop affair, which perhaps made his winning of awards even more impressive.
“I started out the year in volleyball and was named an all-star in that sport and then I moved onto basketball and then I finished out the year by playing baseball,” he said.” I was named as a first-team all star in baseball too.”
And Schweyer’s 2025 baseball-playing exploits continue this summer. In addition to helping the Saints win the bronze medal at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association (OFSSA) final four in London, he was playing in the playoffs with the Windsor Selects Under 18 team. He is also scheduled to start practising with the St. Clair Saints next month in preparation for his first season at his new school.
Incredibly enough, Schweyer also participated in track and field during his final year of sports and study at Ste Anne’s. He has had at least one familiar teammate on all the teams he has played on during the most recent school year as twin brother, Aaron, has also played with him not only this year, but in years past. Evan, coincidentally, is one minute older than his sibling.
Evan admitted that while it has been challenging sometimes juggling his high school studies and high school sports in addition to sports that he has participated in outside of school, he has also become adept at time management and prioritizing out of necessity.
“It has been hard at times because most teams practices every day after school and then I might have to go home and then back out to play with a travel team before getting my school homework done,” he claimed. “I played pretty much the same amount of sports in Grade 12 that I did for years in high school, but sometimes I did take a day or two off from practising so I could focus on my academics.”
“My education has always been important to me.” Evan added.
And while his own high school days may be beyond him, that did not stop Schweyer from offering advice regarding taking part in sports to anyone who is already in secondary school or about to start.
“I would encourage every kid going to high school to participate in school sports too,” he offered. “You make so many new friends while becoming a better athlete and you get to go to other schools too, sometimes in other cities.
“High school sports have been a great experience for myself for years,” he added.
Evan Schweyer will be starting his post-secondary school studies at St. Clair College in Business Management Marketing this fall. He will be playing an infield position for the Saints while brother Aaron will be patrolling the outfield for the reigning four-time champs from St. Clair.
Be the first to comment