Track and field standout Femi Akinduro and swimming star Aleksa Gold were named the 2022 T-Holders' men's and women's athletes of the year at the athletic awards celebration on Saturday (Apr. 9).
 
Second-year fencer Colin McCurdy and figure skater Chyna Hui earned the Frank Pindar men's and women's athlete of the year awards, which is given annually to athletes competing in a sport whose official season concludes with either an OUA or other university recognized championship event.

Pitcher Grant Shantz was honoured with the George M. Biggs Trophy award winer, while sprinter Fiona Huang won the Dr. Clara Benson Honour award, for their outstanding athletic achievement, scholarship and community service during their tenure at the University of Toronto.

In addition, the women's and men's rookie of the year awards went to volleyball outside hitter Julia Murmann and swimmer Jacob Gallant. 
 
T-Holders' Athletes of the Year
 
Femi Akinduro took home his third straight U SPORTS and OUA titles in the triple jump, earning first team all-Canadian and OUA first team all-star selections. Akinduro is the fourth track and field athlete to earn the award in the last six years, joining Ezana Debalkew, Rostam Turner and Sacha Smart.  

The Etobicoke, Ont., native set a meet and OUA record at the 2022 OUA championships with a triple jump of 15.58 m. That jump puts him second on the Varsity Blues all-time list. Additionally, the kinesiology major placed fourth in the high jump and sixth in the long jump at the provincial championships along with a fifth place finish at the national championships in Saint. John, N.B.

A global health and environmental studies major from Toronto, Ont., Aleksa Gold dominated the pool this past year. At the U SPORTS championships, Gold was named a first team all-Canadian after gold-medal winning performances in the 400 IM and 4x100m relay. She also earned silver medals in the 100m freestyle and 4x200m relay as well as a bronze in the 200m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 4x100m medley relay.
 
At the OUA championships, the third-year swimmer received a first team all-star as she earned three gold medals in the 200m freestyle, 400 IM and 400m freestyle relay. Gold also earned two silver medals in both the 100m and 200m backstroke. For her efforts at the provincial championships, she earned the Dr. Jeno Tihanyi award for individual medley excellence.  
 
Frank Pindar Athletes of the Year
 
Veteran figure skater Chyna Hui led the Varsity Blues figure skating team to their sixth provincial title. She earned gold medals during the event in the star 10 solo dance and star 8/9 similar dance helping the Blues to two of their five gold medals at the championship. The information studies major earned her second straight gold in the star 10 solo dance after capturing it in 2020.
 
Colin McCurdy earns the Frank Pindar men's athlete of the year award after an outstanding performance at the 2022 OUA championship. The sophomore won the George Tully trophy, which is presented to the male fencer who is most proficient in skill, style and sportsmanship at the provincial championship. McCurdy won a gold medal in the individual epee gold medal and got the final touch for the epee relay team as they won a gold medal in the team relay.
 
Clara Benson Honour Award & George M. Biggs Trophy

Grant Shantz has made an impact on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The relief pitcher held a 0.00 ERA in 10.1 innings of action during the 2021 season. Captaining the team this year, the fifth-year veteran won the Ace Bailey Leadership award in 2021 and was an assistant captain for the baseball team in 2019.

In the classroom, Shantz is the recipient of Brookfield Peter F. Bronfman scholarship for three straight years and was named a Bennetts Scholar in 2021-22 as well as an academic all-Canadian in 2019-2020. The kinesiology major helped co-found the Blues in Commerce group, connecting current, past and future Varsity Blues athletes in Rotman Commerce.

Fiona Huang is no stranger to being an ambassador and leader in the broader U of T community. The Hay River, N.W.T., product and captain of the track and field team is the chair and co-founder of the BIPOC Varsity Association, spearheading and guiding executive board members assess goals, directions, plans, strategies to combat systemic racism within intercollegiate athletic settings.
 
Huang is a student-athlete representative on the OUA Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Canadian Women and Sport and is a fund committee member for the latter organization.
 
In the classroom, the kinesiology major is a three-time academic all-Canadian and has received the KPE Alumni Leadership award (2021-22) and is a R. Tait Mackenzie Society inductee (2020-21).

Rookies of the Year
 
Julia Murmann made an exceptional impact on the Varsity Blues women's volleyball team, leading them to an OUA silver medal and a fifth place at the U SPORTS championship. The outside hitter was recognized nationally as she was named the U SPORTS rookie of the year, U SPORTS second team all-Canadian and U SPORTS all-rookie team member. At the OUA awards ceremony, Murmann was given the OUA East rookie of the year as well as being named to the OUA East first team all-star team and all-rookie team.
 
Statistically, the health studies major was up there with the best in the sport, leading all U SPORTS rookies in kills per set (3.44), as well as finishing third in points per set (3.8) and fourth in kills per set (3.44) in the OUA. Murmann led the team in total attempts, kills, kills per set, points and points per set.

Jacob Gallant made a huge splash in his first season as a Varsity Blues, earning a gold medal in the 400 IM at the U SPORTS championships, earning a first-team all-Canadian selection. At the provincial championships, Gallant set an OUA record in the 400 IM with a time of 4:13.74 and touched the wall first in both the 200m breaststroke and 200 IM.
 
For his two wins in the individual medleys, the Fredericton, N.B. product earned the Dr. Jeno Tihanyi Individual Medley Excellence award. The awards did not stop there for the arts and science major as he also won the OUA rookie of the year and OUA swimmer of the year awards. He also added a silver medal in the 4x800m as well as a first team OUA all-star selection to his growing list of accolades.

2021-22 Varsity Blues Major Award Winners
 
T-Holders' Athletes of the Year 
Presented annually to the male and female  student T-Holder - the U of T Athlete of the Year - for exhibiting the highest degree of excellence in athletics. 
Men's – Femi Akinduro (Track & Field)
Women's – Aleksa Gold (Swimming)
 
Frank Pindar Athletes of the Year
Presented annually to a male and female varsity athlete competing in a sport whose official season concludes with either an OUA or other university recognized championship event, who exhibits the highest degree of excellence while representing the University of Toronto at competitions during the team's intercollegiate schedule for the current academic year. 
Men's – Colin McCurdy (Fencing)
Women's – Chyna Hui (Figure Skating)

George M. Biggs Trophy 
Awarded to the graduating undergraduate male student-athlete who has contributed most to university athletics from the standpoint of leadership, sportsmanship and performance. 
Grant Shantz (Baseball)
 
Dr. Clara Benson Honour Award
Awarded to the graduating undergraduate female student-athlete who has contributed most to university athletics from the standpoint of leadership, sportsmanship and performance. 
Fiona Huang (Track & Field)
 
Rookies of the Year
Awarded to a male and female Varsity athlete in their first year of post-secondary eligibility that exhibit outstanding athletic performance. 
Men's– Jacob Gallant (Swimming)
Women's – Julia Murmann (Volleyball)