Varsityblues.ca will highlight the nominees of U of T's major awards – male & female rookie of the year, Dr. Clara Benson honour award, George M. Biggs trophy, as well as the male & female Frank Pindar and T-Holders' athletes of the year - to be awarded at the 2018 intercollegiate athletic banquet on Thursday, April 5 at Chestnut Residence Ballroom.

The following Varsity Blues athletes were nominated by their coaches and chosen through the awards selection process as finalists for the Clara Benson award, given annually to the graduating female student-athlete who has contributed most to university athletics from the standpoint of academics, athletics, leadership and community service (in alpha order):

Sasha Gollish
Cross Country/Track & Field
Sasha Gollish has enjoyed an illustrious career as a Varsity Blue, but has also given back to the community. The 2017 U SPORTS cross country champion and 2015 U SPORTS female track athlete of the year has been a member of one OUA and two U SPORTS track and field championship teams as well as one U SPORTS cross country championship team. Off the track, she is on the organizing committee of the Morning Glory Cycling Club bike drive, while also serving as a safety volunteer for the Ontario Cycling Association. The U SPORTS academic all-Canadian is an MLSE LaunchPad volunteer and has helped with the Run Across Haiti clothing drive and boogali bikes Uganda clothing drive. Gollish also serves as an ambassador for Fast and Female, working on the empowerment of young women in sport. As a co-captain for the Varsity Blues, she has helped organize the track and field team's annual holiday food drive and shoe drive, and she also spearheaded a holiday charity gift drive with the engineering education students.

Melissa Holland
Lacrosse
Melissa Holland has been a captain of the Varsity Blues women's lacrosse team for three seasons. The 2015-16 OUA first team all-star helped the Blues to two bronze-medal finishes in her five seasons. She ranked second on the team with 31 goals in 2017. Holland organized and ran fundraising tournaments, took the lead on recruiting tours for the team and has sat on the Varsity Board for the past three seasons. In her spare time, Holland is the Mimico Mountaineers under 19 lacrosse head coach and is heavily involved with U of T's intramural lacrosse programs, both as a referee and coach. She also volunteers at Toronto General Hospital, helping patients in the lung transplant clinic and implementing exercise programs in the general surgery ward.

Christina Liao
Figure Skating
Christina Liao is a three-time OUA all-star, five-time OUA gold medalist and three-time OUA champion as a member of the Varsity Blues figure skating team. She has twice received the OUA academic achievement award and received a Dean's leadership award in 2016-17. Liao is a member of the Student Law Society, where she has served as the VP of social affairs. She is the student director of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, Ontario Chapter, and has also been involved with the peer mentorship program within the Faculty of Law. Liao served as a Faculty of Law orientation coordinator in 2016 and has also participated in intramural Frisbee and volleyball during her time at U of T.

Ana Miroslavic
Water Polo
A two-year team captain of the women's water polo team, Ana Miroslavic is the epitome of a Varsity Blues student-athlete. The 2016 NCWP all-star and 2017 NCWP championship MVP has been a member of five provincial championship teams. On top of that, she coordinates recruit visits, executes social and fundraising events for the team, manages the team's Instagram page and is the team's advocate for the Bell Let's Talk campaign. She has sat on the Varsity Board for two seasons and is an active participant in the Blues Buddy Up program. She has volunteered at Bishop Allen Academy and has coached both the Master's swimming club at Hart House and the Toronto Golden Jets.

Christine Mulligan
Soccer
To say that Christine Mulligan has been an active member of the community would be an understatement. The two-year team captain of the Varsity Blues women's soccer team has sat on the Varsity Board for the past three seasons, chairing the Athlete Ally sub committee this past year. She has volunteered on the senior student-athlete panel at the first-year orientation and at the National Soccer Coaching Conference. In her spare time, Mulligan is the head coach of the U10 Moordale girls soccer team and is a volunteer clinician with the Nutmeg soccer organization. She is a member of the City of Toronto Youth Nutritional Advisory Council, volunteering at Toronto Native Youth Centre. The three-time U SPORTS academic all-Canadian has received numerous academic scholarships and has helped the Blues women's soccer team to five straight OUA playoff berths.

Sabrina Ribau
Curling
A four-year veteran of the women's curling team, Sabrina Ribau has left a lasting impression on the Varsity Blues. Ribau became co-chair of the Varsity Board this season after two years of serving as an active member. She is a member of the Council of Athletics and Recreation and is also a member of the council's budget committee. Ribau was one of the first students to volunteer with the Blues Buddy Up program in 2015 and is still an active member today. She is the founder and chapter president of Team Up Against Concussions at U of T. Ribau has also been an instructor and coach for the Faculty of Pharmacy curling fun night for the past four seasons. As an athlete, she helped the Blues to an OUA bronze-medal finish in 2016-17.

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