WCSA Sports and Societies Awards celebrates student achievements

Photo of winners from Wolfson's Sport and Societies Awards

The event, organised by WCSA Sports and Societies Officer, Éireann Attridge, saw students from across the sporting and societies spectrum come together at a formal hall, followed by the presentation of awards.

The aim was to celebrate each and every student who has gone above and beyond to contribute to a culture of sports, arts, volunteering, participation and inclusion at Wolfson.

“I can’t express enough how fortunate we are within the College to have so many students working hard outside of the lecture theatre,” said Éireann, “not only sharing their talents but leading and supporting others to try something new or develop themselves.

There were seven categories in this inaugural Sports and Societies Awards, covering individual and group achievements in sport, societies, the arts, and significant contribution to College life.

The awards were presented by some of the WCSA team – Éireann, Cameron Few (WCSA President), Scott Wilson (Men & Non-binary Rep), and Simran Kaler (Gender Support Rep) – after which, many headed to the College Bar for Eurovision!

All those nominated received an award to acknowledge their achievements. Here are the winners and the nominees in all categories.

The winners

Sportsperson of the Year (University level)

Winner: Muireann Anna de H-Óra (Australian Rules Football)

Nominee: Jonathan Romic

This year, Muireann has taken on the role of Co-President of the University Australian Rules Football Club (CUARFC). This is alongside being one of the best players on the team, frequently being top scorer and getting voted as MVP in several games. She has started up an Australian Rules Football Society within college, with the aim of promoting the sport and its well-being effects to Wolfson students She also plays a variety of other sports within college, notably being a key member of the pool team, including winning some tight tie-breaker frames to secure victory for Wolfson.

Sportsperson of the Year (College Level)

Winner: Franklin Lo

Nominees: Brendan Ng Wee Hong (Volleyball), Callum Caldwell (Football, Rowing & Rugby), Carla Hardy (Rowing), Charles Norman (Rowing), Ye Haoran (Badminton & Table Tennis)

This year, Franklin has shown incredible leadership skills in the College basketball team, with a commitment to uplifting others and diversifying the skillset of the team. He was credited in his nomination for being one of the key reasons the team has won all their games this year.

Arts Award

Winner: Jessi Rogers

Nominees: Alex Lau (Photography), Jeff Feerick (Music), Lily Blundell (Music & Theatre), Mithiran Ravindran (Theatre)

Jessi was praised for her involvement in both the Wolfson music community and the University-wide theatre community. She was recognised for her performance in multiple musicals, but also for her incredible mentorship of younger performers. She is not only a great performer, but she really cares about championing the arts and the joy and healing it can bring to people. Her priority is always keeping performers happy and comfortable, making her a great leader in the community.

Sports Leadership Award

Winner: Vamsi Viraj (Badminton)

Nominees: Brendan Ng Wee Hong (Volleyball),Carlos Navia Canales (Tennis), Fanny Seizilles (Rowing), Min-Kyoo Kim (Rugby), Nancy Karreman (Rowing), William Oxley & Siddharth Venugopal & Jack Talboys (Football)

Alongside being an exceptional player for the badminton team, within the span of a term, Vamsi has revived the Badminton Society through organized regular trainings, carefully observing teammates’ performance, selecting and encouraging players, and finally leading the team to a momentous division win in the college league.

Society Leadership Award

Winners: Raquel Scarpa-Gebara, Annoa Abekah-Mensah, and Megan Coe (CB Mentoring)

Nominee: Mitali Gupta (WCSA Welfare)

Following their successful podcast, Shade in Cambridge, Raquel, Annoa, and Megan volunteered to be part of a charity called CB Mentoring, offering mentorship and school tutoring for Black and Asian young people in around Cambridge, recruiting and training other Wolfson students to become mentors.

Significant Contribution to College Life

Winner: Millie Race (Wolfson Student Garden & Choir)

Nominees: Blanche Gonzales de Lineras (WCSA Ents), Mitali Gupta (WCSA Welfare), Rob Steele-Browne (University Challenge & Wolfson College Quiz)

Millie is head of the student garden and works tirelessly to tend to the garden and enable other students to access and enjoy it. Millie is also a choral scholar for the choir and is an active member of the Music Society. She is always inviting new students to join or attend music events.

Society of the Year

Winner: Wolfson College Boat Club

Nominees: Wolfson Badminton Society, Wolfson College Tennis Team, University Challenge Team

After all boats qualified to row in this year’s Lent Bumps, Wolfson enjoyed a strong showing with the men’s first boat (M1), earning ‘super-blades’, and not a single crew was bumped. All in all, a great showing from all the crews, with more to come soon.