The University of Toronto honoured 225 student-athletes at the eighth annual academic excellence breakfast on Tuesday, November 21 at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
 
University of Toronto Vice-Provost of Students Sandy Welsh, Professor Ira Jacobs, Dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education as well as Beth Ali, Executive Director of Athletics & Physical Activity, were on hand to honour this year's recipients. Other guests, including coaches, faculty, staff and friends were also in attendance Tuesday morning. 
 
The ceremony honoured student-athletes, who while competing on a Varsity team, earned an 80% average or higher in all courses they were enrolled in during the 2016-17 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 this award five or more times during their intercollegiate career. Women's golf all-star Laura Upenieks received a double diamond pin, representing the sixth time she has achieved this result.
 
The Blues also honoured four University of Toronto top scholar athletes: Men's swimming standout Osvald Nitski and women's track and field Olympian Gabriela Stafford were celebrated as the U SPORTS top scholar athletes, while Blues baseball all-star Kyle Bowers and women's squash sensation Evelyn Moorhouse earned the OUA top scholar athlete awards.
 
A mechanical engineering major, Nitski was named a U SPORTS Top 8 academic all-Canadian two weeks ago. He earned OUA all-star honours in 2017, winning both the 400 and 1500 freestyle gold medals and went onto claim the 2017 U SPORTS 200 butterfly bronze medal.

Stafford, now a fourth-year psychology major, represented Canada at both the 2016 Olympic Games and the 2017 IAAF world championships in the 1500m. She won the U SPORTS gold medals in the 1500m and 3000m, helping U of T to their third consecutive national team title in 2017.
 
While completing his Master's of Teaching at OISE, Bowers was named a 2016 OUA first team all-star catcher after ranking second on the Blues with 20 hits and a .351 batting average.
 
A geology specialist, Moorhouse earned her fourth consecutive OUA all-star honour in 2017 and went onto lead the Varsity Blues to the Jesters league silver medal last season.
 
The 225 student-athletes represent 27% of the Varsity Blues population. The Varsity Blues mountain biking team had 14 honourees, while Blues figure skating, women's soccer and women's track & field teams had 11 honourees. 10 baseball and women's lacrosse players earned OUA academic achievement awards.

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