The University of Toronto honoured 322 student-athletes at the 14th annual academic excellence breakfast on Wednesday, December 3 at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
Professor Gretchen Kerr, dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, as well as Professor Ashley Stirling, vice-dean of programs at KPE, and Dalton Myers, director of interuniversity and high performance sport were in attendance to honour this year's academic excellence recipients.
The annual ceremony honoured student-athletes, who while competing as a Varsity Blue, earned an 80 percent average or higher in all courses they were enrolled in during the 2024-25 academic year. Each recipient received a pin: enamel for first-time winners, bronze for second, silver for third, gold for fourth and a diamond pin for anyone earning the award five or more times during their intercollegiate career.
A trio of Varsity Blues in women's hockey player Julia Blais-Savoie, women's lacrosse forward Mary Frost and men's track and field athlete Eric Che received a double diamond pin, representing the sixth time they have received the result. In total, 10 U of T student-athletes across nine different Varsity Blues teams received a diamond pin at this year's event.
The Blues also honoured four University of Toronto top scholar student-athletes who were adjudged to have excelled both academically and athletically during the 2024-25 academic year: women's cross country and track & field standout Julia Agostinelli and men's hockey player Mark Cooper were celebrated as the U SPORTS top scholar athletes, while Blues baseball graduate Owen Taylor and women's water polo goalie Hana Truchla earned the Ontario top scholar athlete awards.
"Since starting my master’s in physical therapy at U of T, I have only grown to love my sport more," said Agostinelli. "The 2024–2025 season was one filled with transitions for me and the U of T track community has been a great support. In many ways, being a part of this team feels like I have come full circle because the athletes and coaching staff’s values echo those instilled in me as a young athlete."
The 322 student-athletes represent nearly 37 per cent of the total Varsity Blues population across the three University of Toronto campuses, marking a seven per cent increase from the 2023-24 season. The Varsity Blues women's track and field team had 20 honourees, while women's rugby totaled 17, and both the U of T men's hockey team and men's track and field team had 16, apiece.