High fives were shared and plenty of hoots and cheers were heard on April 11th at U of T’s annual athletic banquet. More than 500 students gathered to celebrate a year of hard work, Blues camaraderie and athletic excellence.

The most anticipated awards of the evening — Female and Male Athletes of the Year —  went to Cailie O’Hara for her skills on the field hockey pitch, and Marco Monaco for his prowess in the pool.

A fourth-year Arts and Science student, O’Hara dominated both provincial and national competitions this season. She was one of the country’s top scorers, with 23 goals in just 14 games. O’Hara was named the 2008 OUA and CIS MVP and was a first team all-star and a first team all-Canadian.  The Blues’ 2008 OUA silver medal win was due in many ways to O’Hara’s skills, which also proved critical in securing top spot in the CIS championships. A nationally-carded athlete (see “Investing in Athletes” on page 26), O’Hara competed on Canada’s field hockey team at the 2007 Senior Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  “Cailie is blessed with international speed that allows her to eliminate defenders at will,” says Blues field hockey head coach John De Souza. “She is a team player and spearheaded us toward having such a standout year.”

Joining O’Hara in the spotlight is Male Athlete of the Year Marco Monaco. A three-year Blues swimming veteran and record-holder, Monaco has received OUA all-star accolades several times and is a CIS all-Canadian. He won five gold medals and one silver at this year’s OUA championships, and took home one gold and two silvers at CIS championships.  This season Monaco shattered a 19-year Varsity Blues record [name of event to come]. “Marco is great success story both in and out of the water,” says coach Byron MacDonald. “He’s one of our team’s hardest workers. It’s good for him to get his day in the spotlight.” The newly-minted 2008 Male Athlete of the Year is a Swim Ontario card holder and has also been carded by the Quest for Gold program(see page 26).

The Clara Benson Honour Award, another of the evening’s more prestigious prizes, was given to track captain and team officiator Liane Heale. This season, Heale garnered a CIS silver medal as well as two OUA gold medals. Heale’s talents in the classroom have been rewarded with  the Alumni Scholarship (2004, 2005), the T-Holder Academic Excellence award (2006) and the Hector Phillips Scholarship (2004, 2005). She was also named a 2006 U of T Scholar and will be graduating with high honours. In addition to her athletic and academic achievements, Heale has served  as a Varsity Board member, a student co-chair of the Female Athlete Triad Coalition and a volunteer at community charity organizations.

The fourth major award of the year – the highly coveted George M. Biggs Trophy – went to  Mike Goncalves. Committed to the Blues football team for past five years, Goncalves has served as team captain and won the 2007-08 Maynard Captain’s Award. He was also a 2007 finalist for the prestigious CIS Russ Jackson Award. Goncalves was selected to the 2006 CFL Evaluation Camp and was drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as a result. His many community outreach activities include volunteering for the United Way and Central Neighbourhood House, tutoring elementary school children through  Prime Mentors of Canada,. raising awareness and funds for the Huntington’s Society of Toronto, and coaching the Brampton Bulldogs OVFL senior football team.