SHIRLEY PETERSON AWARD - MOST IMPROVED WOMEN'S STUDENT-ATHLETE
2024-25 Shirley Peterson Award: Gabrielle Cole (Women’s Track and Field)
Gabby Cole, a third-year sprinter on the Gryphons women’s track and field team, is the recipient of the 2024-25 Shirley Peterson 3-Year Most Improved Award. The Ajax, Ontario native had a phenomenal indoor track season which culminated at the 2025 U SPORTS Track and Field Championships where she took home four medals. The Academic All-Canadian, majoring in culture and technology studies, won a silver medal in the women’s 60m, bronze in the 300m and a pair of gold medals as part of the 4x200m and 4x400m relay teams at nationals. Gabby also impressed at the OUA Championships, winning gold with the women’s 4x200m relay team, as well a silver medal in the 60m where she posted a time of 7.23 seconds to set a new school record. Cole helped her Gryphons women’s track and field team to a second place finish at provincials and nationals.
2023-24 Shirley Peterson Award: Christina Gomes (Women’s Soccer)
Christina Gomes, a third-year forward on the Gryphons women’s soccer team, is the recipient of the 2023-24 Shirley Peterson 3-Year Most Improved Award.
During the 2023 season, Christina earned U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian status, becoming just the 8th different University of Guelph women’s soccer player in program history to earn the title of First Team All-Canadian. She scored 5 goals in 11 regular season games, 3 of which were game-winning goals, while leading the Gryphons to an 8-2-2 regular season record. The psychology major from Bradford, Ontario was also named OUA West MVP for the 2023 season, becoming just the third player in program history to earn MVP honours at the conference level.
2022-23 Shirley Peterson Award: Hannah Tait (Women's Hockey)
Hannah Tait becomes the first women's hockey player since Kelly Gribbons in 2015-16 to be named the recipient of the Shirley Peterson most-improved award after an incredible season that saw her earn the first OUA All-Star nod of her career. As a rookie in the 2019-20 season Hannah produced 10 points in 24 games playing on the Gryphons fourth line and was named the team rookie of the year. In her second season, the Exeter, Ontario native made her way to the second line, scoring 12 points in 13 games of the shortened OUA season. This past season, Hannah was named team captain and played on the top-line, scoring 19 points while helping the Gryphons to an OUA semifinal appearance. The management economics and finance major also represented her country in January as a member of the gold-medal winning Team Canada FISU team.
2021-22 Shirley Peterson Award: Hanna Nicholl (Women's Rugby)
Hanna Nicholl becomes the second member of her family to be named the recipient of the Shirley Peterson most-improved award, following in the footsteps of her older sister, Emilie, who earned the award in 2017-18.
As a rookie in 2018, Hannah saw limited time on the field, but emerged as an impact player off the bench in 2019.
During the COVID-cancelled 2020 season, Hanna led by example with her work ethic, which paid off in 2021 when she was voted co-captain en route to helping lead the Gryphons to an OUA title.
The environmental sciences major earned U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian status following the 2021 season and has been identified on the long list by Rugby Canada for the women’s 15’s senior national team.
2019-20 Shirley Peterson Award: Sadie-Jane Hickson (Women's Cross Country | Track & Field)
Third-year bio-medical science major Sadie-Jane Hickson takes home the Shirley Peterson Award after a sensational 2019-20 season with the Gryphon cross country and track teams.
Hickson, a native of Oakwood, Ontario, made a total of three trips to the podium at nationals, contributing to a pair of gold medal-winning relay teams (women's 4x400m relay and 4x800m relay), as well as earning a U SPORTS silver medal in the women's 1000m.
Over the course of her three seasons as a member of the Gryphon track team, Hickson has improved her placing each year, both in cross country as well as on the track, and has now earned a total of five U SPORTS medals (four gold, one silver) as well as six OUA medals (four gold, one silver, one bronze) during her U of G track career.
2018-19 Shirley Peterson Award: Victoria Hinchliffe (Women's Soccer)
Victoria had two memorable seasons to start her Gryphon career, earning OUA West Rookie of the Year honours in her debut and then anchoring Guelph in a dream OUA championship run in year two. The local product raised her game to a new level in 2018. Victoria assumed an assistant captain role and was a catalyst in helping the side finish first in the OUA West, scoring a career-high 12 goals on the season, which ranked her third in the country. Five of those goals were match winners and she also assisted on another two game-winning goals. Those performances showed Victoria’s willingness to rise to the occasion, just like she did the previous season when scoring crucial goals in the playoffs to help win the program’s first conference banner. She was named a First-Team OUA All-Star, as well as a First-Team All-Canadian.
2017-18 Shirley Peterson Award Winner: Emilie Nicholl (Women's Rugby)
2016-17 Shirley Peterson Award Winner: Olivia Lane (Field Hockey)
During the 2016 Gryphons Field Hockey season, Olivia Lane became just the third player in school history to be named national Player of the Year after being named a co-recipient of the Liz Hoffman Award. Olivia finished the 2016 regular season as the OUA's leading scorer with 17 goals in 12 games en route to being named OUA MVP. During the OUA Championship Tournament, the Guelph native scored four goals in three games, including the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Western in the OUA Semifinals that secured the Gryphons a spot at nationals.
2015-16 Shirley Peterson Award Winner: Kelly Gribbons (Women's Hockey)
After being recruited out of Midget AA, Kelly Gribbons started her Gryphon career as a third line winger. As a sophomore, she stole the spotlight in the playoffs by scoring a pair of overtime winner.
In her third year, this past season she took yet another step forward by finishing second on the team in scoring with 23 points in 24 games and helped to lead the Gryphons to an OUA title.
Kelly was also voted by her teammates this season to be an assistant captain.
Return to Awards Archive
List of Shirley Peterson Award Winners
| Year |
Name |
Sport |
| 2024-25 |
Gabby Cole |
Women's Track and Field |
| 2023-24 |
Christina Gomes |
Women's Soccer |
| 2022-23 |
Hannah Tait |
Women's Hockey |
| 2021-22 |
Hanna Nicholl |
Women's Rugby |
| 2020-21 |
* COVID * |
|
| 2019-20 |
Sadie-Jane Hickson |
Women's Track and Field | Cross Country |
| 2018-19 |
Victoria Hinchliffe |
Women's Soccer |
| 2017-18 |
Emilie Nicholl |
Women's Rugby |
| 2016-17 |
Olivia Lane |
Field Hockey |
| 2015-16 |
Kelly Gribbons |
Hockey |
| 2014-15 |
Katrina Allison |
Women's Track and Field | Cross Country |
| 2013-14 |
Jessica Pinkerton |
Women's Hockey |
| 2012-13 |
Alisha Harricharan |
Women's Swimming |
| 2011-12 |
Julia Wallace |
Women's Track and Field |
| 2010-11 |
Brooke Lloyd |
Women's Volleyball |
| 2009-10 |
Chantique Payne |
Women's Swimming |
| 2008-09 |
Courtney Laurie |
Women's Track and Field | Cross Country |
| 2007-08 |
Kristine Wishart |
Field Hockey |
| 2006-07 |
Stephanie Jackson |
Women's Track and Field |
| 2005-06 |
Meaghan Wilton |
Women's Wrestling |
| 2004-05 |
Brae Anne McArthur |
Women's Track and Field |
| 2003-04 |
Lindsay Trimble |
Field Hockey | Women's Hockey |
| 2002-03 |
Stephanie McKenzie |
Women's Soccer |
| 2001-02 |
Katie Dixon |
Women's Swimming |
| 2000-01 |
Christine Zimmermann |
Women's Soccer |
| 1999-00 |
Amber Gibson |
Women's Soccer |
| 1998-99 |
Pat Marcello |
Women's Basketball |
| 1997-98 |
Nadine Devin |
Women's Track and Field | Cross Country |
| 1996-97 |
Trisha Bellchamber |
Women's Swimming |
| 1995-96 |
Hillary Stephenson |
Women's Swimming |
| 1994-95 |
Laurie Townshend |
Women's Basketball |
| 1993-92 |
Jennifer Hughey |
Field Hockey |
| 1992-93 |
Liz Esposito |
Field Hockey |
| 1991-92 |
Kathryn Grayston |
Women's Soccer |
| 1990-91 |
Kathy Wetmore |
Women's Swimming |
