SILVER T’S HONOURED AT 16TH ANNUAL PRESIDENT’S RECEPTION

The University of Toronto honoured 22 Varsity Blues student-athletes with their Silver T awards at the 16th annual President’s Reception on Tuesday, April 2 at Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.

U of T President Meric Gertler has carried on the annual event that his predecessor, David Naylor, started in 2006. The event recognizes the very best in athletic excellence at U of T, as well as acknowledges the hard work and dedication of staff, students and volunteers who make the Varsity Blues intercollegiate program possible.

The prestigious Silver T is awarded primarily to Bronze T holders in their graduating year for outstanding athletic performance.

President Gertler, as well as Professor Gretchen Kerr, Dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, Beth Ali, Executive Director of Athletics & Physical Activity and Mary Beth Challoner, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics & High Performance Sport were all on hand to make the presentations.
 
2023-24 Silver T Recipients
David Adeleye – Track & Field
A kinesiology major, Adeleye has shown progression each and every year since joining the Varsity Blues in 2020. The OUA all-star and U SPORTS All-Canadian has improved his time in his signature event, the 60m hurdle, in every championship he has attended, culminating in silver medals at both events this season.

Graeme Aylward – Swimming
A team captain with the Varsity Blues men’s swimming team, Aylward first became a student in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering in 2018. TSince then he has helped the Blues maintain a streak of provincial championships, has won both provincial and national medals individually, and he played an integral role in U of T winning the U SPORTS national championship title this season.

Callum Baker – Basketball
Joining the Varsity Blues basketball program in 2022, Baker has garnered a number of prestigious accolades in just a short time. The Faculty of Arts and Science at University College student is a two-time OUA all-star, a U SPORTS first team All-Canadian, and was named OUA Player of the Year this season.

Hannah Chown – Soccer
A humanities student at Victoria College, Chown has been a standout on the Varsity Blues since 2020. A defender on the women’s soccer team, she has helped the Blues reach the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, being named an OUA all-star three straight times.

Lily Chubaty – Swimming
A student in the Faculty of Physical Education and Kinesiology, Chubaty has been a member of the women’s swimming back-to-back-to-back U SPORTS national championship winning roster. With multiple medals won at the OUA and U SPORTS championships, she has garnered both OUA all-star and U SPORTS All-Canadian honours.

Patrick Conn – Water Polo
A Faculty of Arts and Science at University College student, Conn has played a key role for the men’s water polo team in the attacker position, helping U of T to the last four consecutive OUA championships. His individual achievements include being named the OUA Most Valuable Player after scoring seven goals in the 2022 provincial championship final.

Mahaylia Datars – Swimming
A Faculty of Arts and Science student, Datars has shown impressive progression through each and every year since joining the Varsity Blues in 2020. The New College student has earned both OUA all-star and U SPORTS All-Canadian honours in helping the Blues to multiple provincial and national championship banners. She was also recognized for her work outside the pool with the OUA and U SPORTS Community Service Award.

Erica Fryer – Hockey
Joining the Varsity Blues in 2018, Fryer has appeared in over 120 games with the women’s hockey team, earning 80 wins in net. The goaltender and kinesiology student aided the Blues to national and provincial silver medals this season, while also contributing to two OUA championship banners. She is a four-time OUA all-star and earned OUA Goalie of the Year and U SPORTS All-Canadian honours in 2021-22.

Diego Gonzalez-Delgado – Water Polo
A captain with the U of T men’s water polo team, Gonzalez-Delgado made his first appearance with the Varsity Blues in 2019. A human biology major at New College, he has helped the Blues maintain their dominance in the pool, contributing in four straight championship banners. During that stretch he was twice named OUA Championship MVP.

Aiden Grout – Track & Field
A member of the U of T track and field team since 2020, Grout is a geography student at St. Michael’s College. A perennial contender for medals in his three seasons of competition, he has earned OUA all-star and U SPORTS All-Canadian status in high jump, winning three OUA gold, one U SPORTS gold, and two U SPORTS silver.

Cameron Haigh – Fencing
Currently completing his MAster’s of Applied Science, Haigh has competed with the Varsity Blues men’s fencing team since 2017. He has been part of six consecutive OUA championship teams, while receiving OUA all-star honours twice.

Anna Hein – Swimming
An environmental studies student at New College, Hein first became a Varsity Blue in 2020. Along with the multiple OUA and U SPORTS championship banners during her tenure, she has also earned OUA all-star and U SPORTS All-Canadian status, claiming one national gold, two silver, and three bronze medals.

Raili Kary – Swimming
An engineering student, Kary first joined the Varsity Blues swimming team in 2020. The backstroke specialist has helped U of T maintain their dominance in OUA competition, while also winning three U SPORTS national championship banners. The OUA all-star and U SPORTS All-Canadian earned OUA rookie and swimmer of the year honours in 2022.

Niko Kekatos – Baseball
A member of the Varsity Blues baseball team since 2020, Kekatos has garnered numerous honours while completing studies as a kinesiology major. He has been a part of two OUA championship teams, including this past fall, and has been recognized as an OUA all-star and OUA hitter of the year.

Haley Klenk – Swimming
A health studies major, Klenk first joined the Blues in 2020. A New College student from BC, she has helped U of T win three U SPORTS national championships. Her individual achievements are highlighted by a four-podium performance in 2023 where she captured one gold, two silvers, and a bronze at the U SPORTS championship.

Colin McCurdy – Fencing
A standout on the Varsity Blues men’s fencing team since 2019, McCurdy has contributed to U of T winning the OUA championship in each of his four seasons of competition. The Faculty of Arts and Science at St. Michael’s College student has received the OUA’s George Tully Trophy and has twice won the OUA’s individual foil title, garnering OUA all-star status on multiple occasions.

Ainsley McMurray – Swimming
Currently completing her Master’s of Environmental Science, McMurray closes out an incredible Varsity Blues career which began in 2018. Along the way, she has set OUA records, won 12 individual OUA and five individual U SPORTS gold medals, and received 2024 OUA swimmer of the year honours. The four-time All-Canadian also won a bronze medal at the 2019 FISU Games in Naples and has been an integral member of five OUA and three national championship teams.

Julia Murmann – Volleyball
This Faculty of Arts and Science at University College student earned OUA and U SPORTS rookie of the year honours in 2022. Murmann is a three-time OUA first team all-star, a two-time U SPORTS All-Canadian, and is a member of the Canadian women’s volleyball national team.

Landan Rooney – Curling
From the University of Toronto Mississauga, Rooney has been a member of the Varsity Blues men’s curling team since 2021, earning OUA all-star honours on multiple occasions. Most recently, the history major received OUA second team all-star recognition as the Blues reached the Final Four at the OUA championship this season.

Max Tambling – Swimming
From the Faculty of Arts and Science and New College, Tambling first joined the Varsity Blues in 2019. During his tenure, U of T have claimed four OUA championships and this season won the U SPORTS national championship banner. Contributing during each and every championship run, he has garnered both OUA and U SPORTS medals.

Alexzandra Throndson – Track & Field
A pole vault specialist with the Varsity Blues track and field team since 2019, Throndson is completing her studies in life science. The New College student has qualified to compete at four U SPORTS national championships in the pole vault, winning national gold on two separate occasions, and has garnered both OUA all-star and U SPORTS All-Canadian honours.

Taylor Trussler – Hockey
Since becoming a Varsity Blue and a kinesiology student in 2018, Trussler has registered over 100 career points in 140 games played. She has led her teams to two OUA championships and three weeks ago a U SPORTS national silver medal. Individually, she has garnered OUA all-rookie and OUA all-star honours in her career.