Runner Anneliese Rubie and swimmer Hayley White shared the 2013 Female Blue of the Year award, while runner Nicholas Hough collected the Male award at the annual presentation dinner in the Great Hall on Friday night.
Competition for the Alison Hattersley Trophy for the Female Blue of the Year was extremely competitive, with Rubie and White heading a tough field.
Rubie, a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science student, is ranked No.2 in Australia in the 400m. She was pre-selected for the 2013 World Championships in Moscow and the 2013 World Universiade in Kazan, Russia, but was unable to compete due to injury.
She is the Australian University Games champion at 800m, 400m hurdles, medley relay, 4 x 400m relay and 4 x 100m relay and is also the NSW champion at both 200m and 400m.
White is studying for a Bachelor of Education (Secondary: Human Movement and Health Education). She finished 5th in the 100m backstroke at the 2013 World University Games held in Kazan Russia.
White also competed at the Australian Swimming Championships in April, finishing 3rd in the 200m backstroke and 5th in the 100m and 50m backstroke events.
Hough, who is studying for Bachelor of Information Technology/Bachelor of Laws degrees and is a member of the SUSF Elite Athlete Program (EAP) Scholarship holder, had a week he’ll long remember.
As well as being named the 2013 Male Blue of the Year, he was also claimed the the University of Sydney Academic Excellence award at the 2013 NSW Institute of Sport Awards held at the Australian Turf Club on Thursday night.
Hough was placed on the 2012 Undergraduate High Honour Roll – reserved for students who achieve an average mark of a high distinction – before earning a high distinction average for the subjects he studied in 2013.
He held off an impressive list of finalists to win the Academic Excellence award, including fellow SUSF EAP scholarship holders Angela Ballard (Wheelchair Track and Road), James Nipperess (Track and Field), Nina Khoury (Hockey – Women) and Lavinia Chrystal (Winter Sports).
On the sporting front, he was a member of the Australian 4x100m team at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.
He was also a semi-finalist in 100m and 200m at the 2013 World Universiade in Kazan, Russia. Hough is ranked No.2 in the 200m in Australia and is also the Australian University Games 100m Champion.
As a Sydney University Athletics Club representative, he won one gold, three silver and one bronze medal on the track and field circuit, including silver at the 2013 Melbourne Track Classic.
The awards were presented by the Chancellor of the University of Sydney, Belinda Hutchinson AM, who also presented 26 athletes with the Blues and four club officials/volunteers with Golds.
The 2013 Blues include:
Eliza Barton (Athletics)
Thomas Boidin (Rugby)
Keelan Bridge (Swimming)
Aaron Carbury (American Football)
Carmel Dimarco (Soccer)
India Evans (Rowing)
Tom Fernon (Boxing)
Harry Foxton (Boat)
Hannah Gibbs (Athletics)
Christina Grun (Athletics)
Ruby Hackett (Athletics)
Nicholas Hough (Athletics)
Gregory Jeloudev (Rugby)
Jin Su Jung (Athletics)
Alasdair King (Rugby)
Peter Kosher (Boat)
Thomas McClintock (Boat)
Brendan Micallef (Swimming)
Maree Patikas (Soccer)
Anneliese Rubie (Athletics)
Erica Schultz (Volleyball)
Benjamin Scott (Boat)
Meegan Shepherd (Soccer)
Emma Thomas (Rowing)
Hayley White (Swimming)
James Willan (Rugby)
The 2013 Golds include:
Christopher Barton (Volleyball)
Angus Jackson (Rugby)
Dennis Moffatt (Boxing)
George Plellis (Boxing)
Photos from the evening can be viewed by clicking here.