Varsity Blues swimming sensation Zack Chetrat and CIS field hockey championship MVP Kaelan Watson were named the 2011 T-Holders male and female athletes of the year during the University of Toronto’s annual athletic banquet awards ceremony on Friday, April 8 at Chestnut Residence.
The Blues also honoured men’s soccer co-captain Yannis Gianniotis as the George M. Biggs Trophy award winner, as well as 10-time OUA badminton all-star Melissa Hill as the recipient of the Dr. Clara Benson honour award for their outstanding athletic achievement, scholarship and community service during their time at the University of Toronto.
In addition, two first-year standouts took home the Varsity Blues inaugural male and female rookie of the year awards. OUA East men’s soccer and women’s basketball rookies of the year, Ezequiel Lubocki and Jill Stratton, were the first Blues to be honoured.
In only his third year of eligibility, Chetrat had an outstanding season with the Varsity Blues swim program, etching his name into the OUA record books multiple times and captaining the men’s team to their eighth consecutive OUA championship title. Chetrat broke three OUA records en route to four individual gold medals and led two relay teams to the top of the podium at the provincial meet.
He went on to become the national champion in both the 100m and 200m butterfly at the CIS championships, and added two bronze medals in the 1500m free and 4x200m freestyle relay. He helped guide Toronto to a fourth-place finish in the men’s national standings and earned CIS all-Canadian recognition for his efforts. Chetrat clinched a spot on the FISU games team and was a two-time OUA athlete of the week this season. He also garnered CIS athlete of the week honours after his dominant performance at the OUA championships.
Also in her third year of eligibility, Watson anchored the Varsity Blues field hockey team to its second CIS championship in the last four seasons. Third on the team in scoring during the regular season, Watson led the Blues to a second-place regular season finish and a conference silver medal.
The Richmond, B.C., native was named an OUA all-star as well as a CIS first team all-Canadian, but saved her best performance for the CIS championships, where she was the most dominant player on the pitch. She guided the Blues to their 11th McCrae Cup after a perfect 5-0 record, including a 2-1 victory over the defending champion UBC Thunderbirds. The physical education and health student was named a CIS tournament all-star, the CIS most valuable player of the tournament as well as the CIS athlete of the week.
Both Chetrat and Watson received a Jostens’ Lustrium ring, engraved with the Varsity T logo.
Throughout the last four seasons, Gianniotis has become one of the top central defenders in the CIS. He is a two-time OUA all-star and was recognized as a CIS first team all-Canadian in 2009. Twice voted the team’s most valuable player, Gianniotis was instrumental in guiding the Blues to two consecutive seasons atop the OUA East division standings. He captained the men to their first OUA title in eight seasons this past fall, as well as back-to-back fourth place finishes at the CIS championships in 2009 and 2010.
The Toronto native has been an instructor with Camp U of T’s soccer program over the last two summers and assisted with organizing high school tournaments and annual alumni games. A Master's in teaching student, Gianniotis is also very active in the men's soccer program's recruitment process.
A seasoned veteran on the Varsity Blues badminton team, Hill has taken home six team bronze medals and was named OUA’s most valuable player in 2006. She has also served as the assistant coach with the team since 2005 and recently coached the Team Ontario squad that won gold at the 2011 Canada Winter Games. Hill is a certified NCCP level III coach and participated in the women in coaching apprenticeship program from 2010-2011.
Off the court, Hill is a Ph.D. candidate in the medical biophysics field and is a consistent A+ student. She has published five peer-reviewed journals, two of which she first-authored, and has received numerous awards including Natural Science and Engineering Research Council graduate and postgraduate scholarships. Hill also represented the badminton team on the Varsity Board over the past four years.
Lubocki shined in his first season with the Varsity Blues men’s soccer team and was named the OUA East rookie of the year for his efforts. The midfielder has incredible technical ability and exceptional touch on the ball, enabling him to score four times during the regular season.
A former Canadian under-17 national team member, he was awarded the Tanenbaum athletic scholarship as the top recruit for the Blues and was integral in helping Toronto to a first-place finish in the East division, the team’s first OUA championship title since 2002, as well as a fourth-place finish at the CIS national championship. The international relations major was also recognized as a first-team OUA all-star after starting in all but one regular season game.
Also named the OUA East rookie of the year, Stratton was named to the CIS all-rookie team for her stellar performance during the year. She averaged 23 minutes of court time, scored close to nine points per game, while picking up an average of 4.7 boards on a nightly basis, in helping lead the Blues to an OUA bronze-medal finish.
The Etobicoke, Ont., native was 15th in the CIS with 55 steals in 22 games and earned player of the game honours after knocking down 17 points against the Western Mustangs in the CIS East Regional Round 1 final to clinch a berth in the national tournament.
2010-11 Varsity Blues Major Award Winners
T-Holders’ Association Athletic Award
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.
Male – Zack Chetrat (Swimming)
Female – Kaelan Watson (Field Hockey)
George M. Biggs Trophy
Awarded to the graduating male student-athlete who has contributed most to university athletics from the standpoint of leadership, sportsmanship and performance.
Yannis Gianniotis (Soccer)
Benson Honour Award
Awarded to the female student-athlete in her graduating year for outstanding ability in athletics and scholarship.
Melissa Hill (Badminton)
Rookie of the Year Award
Awarded to a male and female Varsity athlete in their first year of post-secondary eligibility that exhibit outstanding athletic performance.
Male – Ezequiel Lubocki (Soccer)
Female – Jill Stratton (Basketball)
