Céline Frappier 

As soon as Varsity Blues women’s hockey forward Céline Frappier touched the ice this season, she took U of T by storm. The fifth-year master’s of education student finished this year’s Ontario University Athletics (OUA) season with 12 points and five goals, and was a central aspect of the Blues’ McCaw Cup winning season. 

Her accomplishments extend past the university level. On January 21, the forward helped Team Canada win a gold medal at the Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire University Games with two goals and three assists as the assistant captain. Her outstanding performance on the national stage was formative in our final decision to give her the award. 

Frappier’s résumé only gets better. She scored the game winner that crowned the Blues as OUA 19 time McCaw Cup champions, a fairytale ending to her storybook season. When the puck tucked into the net with 30 seconds left in the game, it almost made sense that Frappier would be the one to score. 

While Frappier isn’t returning to the women’s hockey team next year, hockey will remain an integral part of her life, either as a player or as a coach. 

“I think hockey will always have a special place in my heart… I think I’ve inserted myself as someone who knows the game pretty well and has international experience,” Frappier said in an interview with The Varsity. 

Frappier’s mantra is a quote from Christian D. Larson: “Believe in yourself and all that you are; know that there’s something inside you that’s greater than any obstacle.” It’s evident that Frappier believed in herself the whole way, and hopefully she continues to do so after her time at U of T. 

Gabe Mastromatteo 

Second-year commerce major Gabe Mastromatteo has proven to be a swimming sensation. This season, the Varsity Blues men’s swimming team claimed their 19th straight OUA title with 790.5 points and finished fourth with 783 points in the U SPORTS championships. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Mastromatteo was one of Team Canada’s best swimmers, breaking several records and winning multiple individual awards. 

For the second consecutive season, Mastromatteo won the OUA 100 metre breaststroke, along with breaking the OUA record for the 50 metre breaststroke of 27.60 seconds. At the OUA championships, Mastromatteo also secured podium finishes in the 200 metre breaststroke (silver), 50 metre butterfly (bronze), 200 metre freestyle relay (gold), and  400 metre medley relay (gold). His outstanding achievements at the competition were recognized, as he ultimately claimed the award for OUA male swimmer of the year. 

At the U SPORTS championships in Victoria, BC, Mastromatteo continued to shine. On the first day, he claimed the gold medal for the 50 metre breaststroke title and broke the U SPORTS record, finishing in 27.53 seconds. The next day, Mastromatteo broke another U SPORTS record, as he won his second consecutive 100 metre breaststroke title in 1:01.38. Elsewhere, Mastromatteo had a silver-medal finish in the 200 metre breaststroke and contributed to the Varsity Blues’ silver medal finish in the 400 metre medley relay. With this success, Mastromatteo was named a U SPORTS first team all-Canadian and claimed the award for the U SPORTS men’s swimmer of the year to finish off the 2022–2023 swimming season. 

To cap off an incredible year, on April 1, Mastromatteo was named the University of Toronto Varsity Blues Men’s T-Holders’ Athlete of the year.