By Martin Cleary
University student/athletes are amazing individuals.
It’s hard enough to keep pace with the daily academic workload from September through April let alone strap on a commitment for a seasonal athletic assignment, which involves more time demands for training, practices, competitions and more than likely medical attention.
Then there are the student/athletes who take it one step farther by connecting themselves to their respective communities to offer their enthusiasm and dedication for a specific cause.
Student/athletes are incredibly organized and committed people, who get great satisfaction from not only studying an academic field that inspires them, but also represent their university in a varsity or club sport on the provincial and/or national level.
Some student/athletes will be the driving force behind championship seasons, which bring team and individual success. Some student/athletes understand not all teams or individuals rise to the top and welcome sports as a proper balance to their academic timetable and an important social outlet to develop friendships and character.
But when the regular season is over league officials will do their annual duty and determine individual award winners.
Here are a few award winners and all-stars from the OUA that have come across the desk of High Achievers to this point.
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BELLA GAUDET
OUA/U Sports women’s basketball, Tracy McLeod Award
Ottawa’s Bella Gaudet was the perfect double winner of the OUA and U Sports women’s basketball Tracy McLeod Award because of her all-out perseverance, determination and unwavering dedication to the game.
She battled through three rounds of injuries, surgeries and multiple rehab sessions during her six seasons with Queen’s University and, when she was playing, helped the Gaels to one U Sports national championship silver medal and two OUA silver medals.
Gaudet didn’t start her OUA women’s basketball career until her third year at Queen’s. The COVID-19 pandemic cancelled her first year and she suffered a plantar fascia injury in the first practice of her second season and dedicated the season to focusing on a rehabilitation program.
But in her third year, she started 14 of her 35 games, averaged more than 20 minutes of court time each game and was named to the OUA all-rookie team.
During that season, Gaudet also was dealing with chronic pain in her shooting elbow, which led to surgery and more rehab. She became a starter 10 games into her fourth season and her injury-free year helped Queen’s to an OUA silver medal and a fourth-place finish at U Sports nationals.
But her fifth season ended early because of an ACL tear, partial MCL and lateral meniscus tears and a bone contusion. Surgery was successful, but there were complications and more setbacks.
The 2025-26 season was the final year for the team captain and she showed consistency and accurate shooting in all 22 regular-season games. Queen’s finished first in the OUA East Division and Gaudet connected on for a school record 62 three-point shots. Gaudet averaged a career-high 10.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists a game while playing impactful defence.
“Over the past six years, Bella Gaudet has reshaped how our program views resiliency,” Claire Meadows, the Queen’s women’s basketball head coach, said in an OUA news release.
“Her steady march back to the court has shown our program that resiliency is not a triumphant sprint across a finish line, or in her case, another made three-pointer, but all the hard days before, stacked, when no one else is watching, again and again and again.”
BEATRICE BILODEAU
OUA East women’s hockey, Marion Hilliard Award
As captain of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees women’s hockey team, Beatrice Bilodeau counted a career-high nine goals in the 2025-26 season along with seven assists in her 26 regular-season games.
The second-year medical student played in every regular-season game during her four years with the Gee-Gees. That’s 102 consecutive games for the forward.
When she isn’t on the ice or in the classroom, Bilodeau enjoys directing her free time towards volunteerism. Since 2022, she has served as a crisis responder with Kids Help Phone.
For the past three years, she returns home to Sault Ste. Marie to help at the city’s Festival of Sports, which is aimed at encouraging participation in sports and physical activity. In 2021, she passed Hockey Canada’s Coach 1 and Coach 2 programs.
In 2024, Bilodeau supported the Gee-Gees’ alumni leadership program within Fillactive, which is a nation-wide initiative bringing together nearly 15,000 girls aged 12 to 17 to experience new physical activities.
Bilodeau also is using her interest in medical studies to volunteer in two other key areas. In 2024, she became a mentor with the Rural Outreach and Mentorship Initiative to provide one-on-one guidance for high school students in rural communities who are considering a career in medicine.
If you visit the CHSLD Ernest-Brisson in Gatineau, you may find Bilodeau assisting seniors, who live in the long-care program. Last year, she also joined multiple medical teams, including Festival Sportif and the Triathlon St-Noel.
MAXIME GRATTON
OUA men’s volleyball, Player of the Year
An outside hitter from Ottawa, Maxime Gratton used his game excellence and experience to help the University of Toronto Varsity Blues post an 18-2 regular season record in OUA men’s volleyball.
Gratton ranked No. 1 in the OUA for conference points at 340 and points per set at 4.5. In eight of his 19 matches, he recorded 20 or more points and concluded the year in fourth place for kills at 277 and second in kills per set at 3.64.
He also was a dominant force from the service line, smashing 37 aces, which put him second in the conference for aces per set at 0.49. In his best game in the 2025-26 season, Gratton delivered a season-high 24 kills and 26 points in a 3-2 win over the University of Western Mustangs in the Varsity Blues’ regular-season finale. He was an OUA first-team all-star this season.
A fifth-year developmental psychology and education student, Gratton spent his first four seasons at McMaster University, winning OUA rookie-of-the-year honours, being selected an all-star numerous times and helping the Marauders win three conference titles and one U Sports bronze medal at the national championship tournament.
ALY SAYDAM
Trent University men’s volleyball, Arthur Cup and Bonnie M. Patterson Award
A fourth-year setter with the Trent University Excalibur, Aly Saydam of Ottawa won two major awards at the school’s year-end athletic banquet – the Arthur Cup and the Bonnie M. Patterson Award.
Saydam was noted for not only his record-breaking efforts on the court, but also his leadership, commitment and community involvement, which earned him the Arthur Cup. He was consistently a key member of the team’s leadership group and mentored younger players through his all-around work ethic.
Away from volleyball, he was active in a number of areas around Trent – 1EX Leadership Council, the Kinesiology Society and Campus Recreation. He also took pride in making volleyball more popular on campus through “his positive presence and engagement with fans,” according to a Trent athletics news release.
Saydam became Trent’s all-time leader in assists and digs and surpassed 1,000 career assists. He also is a three-time U Sports Academic All-Canadian for his balance of and excellence in academics, athletics and leadership.
The Bonnie M. Patterson Award, which is named in honour of the former Trent president and vice-chancellor (1998-2009), also was presented to Saydam for his commitment, teamwork and community contribution.
“None of this would have been possible without my parents, teammates, coaches, professor, mentors and friends, who have supported me throughout my time at Trent,” Saydam wrote on his LinkedIn account.
“I am extremely grateful for the experiences, friendships and lessons that came from representing Trent over the past four years.”
THE ALL-STARS
· Outside hitter Audrey Odigie, Brampton, ON, University of Ottawa women’s volleyball, OUA first team and U Sports second team.
· Defender Maelle Laplante, Laval, PQ, University of Ottawa Gee-Gees women’s hockey, OUA first team.
· Goalkeeper Clara Genier, Saint-Georges-de-Beauce, PQ, University of Ottawa women’s hockey, OUA second team.
· Forward Gillian Warren, Sauble Beach, ON, University of Ottawa women’s hockey, OUA second team.
· Defenceman Alexis Daviault, Gatineau, University of Ottawa men’s hockey, OUA East all-rookie team, OUA East rookie of the year.
· Forward Max Grondin, Hearst, ON, University of Ottawa men’s hockey, OUA East second team.
· Forward Lucas Veilleux, Ottawa, University of Ottawa men’s hockey, OUA East all-rookie team.
· Forward Conor Frenette, Gatineau, University of Quebec at Trois Rivieres men’s hockey, OUA East first team, True Sport Award (East).
· Forward Nick McCarry, Calgary, Carleton University men’s hockey, OUA first team.
· Carleton University women’s nordic skiing – Helen McCulligh, Sophia Giangrande and Beth Marchant, all OUA all-stars.
· Carleton University men’s nordic skiing – Nathaniel Sneyd, Graeme Abbott, Kaeden Ward, Seamus Williams, Wes Robinson-Shaw and Noah Vanderzon, all OUA all-stars.
· University of Ottawa women’s nordic skiing – Bronwyn Williams, and Maude Molgat, both OUA all-stars.
· University of Ottawa men’s nordic skiing – Aidan Kirkham, OUA all-star.