Celebrating exceptional athletes, organisers and contributors at the seventh annual University of Cambridge Sports Awards.
“Whether you’re a first-year discovering your sport for the first time or a seasoned Blue adding another chapter to your sporting story, today is your celebration”, Mark Brain, Director of Sport.
More than 250 student athletes gathered at the University Sports Centre on Monday, 22nd June 2026, for the seventh annual Cambridge University Sports Awards. Hosted by Director of Sport Mark Brian, the ceremony recognised athletic achievements, committee dedication, and student participation across Cambridge's diverse range of sporting activities.
Coming at the end of a season in which Cambridge placed 19th out of 165 institutions in the overall BUCS Points table, this was a prime opportunity to celebrate the 55 teams that made that achievement possible, and to highlight the individual contributions that made such a significant difference to the lives of Cambridge’s sporting students.
Guest speakers and award distributors included: Professor Bhaskar Vira (Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education); Dr Sam Lucy (Newnham); Dr Victoria Harvey (Murray Edwards); Dr Rita Monson (Churchill); Tads Ciecierski-Holmes (Former Blues Committee President); Alex Tunbridge and Godric Smith (Cambridge United); Girish Menon (Lucy Cavendish); and Dr Scott Annett (Robinson, CURUFC).
Special tributes
Special tribute was also made to two long-serving figures who have recently stepped down from their roles within the world of Cambridge Sport.
David Reynolds, who for 15 years has been a member of the Cambridge University Cricket Club committee and served as President for the last five of those. “While David’s primary fame lies in his prolific writing and broadcasting about 20th-century international history and the World Wars”, said Mark Brian in his introduction to the awards, “he also boasts a deep, lifelong passion for cricket. He has frequently written about the role of cricket in wartime, exploring how the sport served as a vital piece of social fabric and imperial identity during challenging periods in history. Despite Davids towering academic career, he famously joked in an interview with the Guardian newspaper about his true sporting ambitions was that ‘My only regret is that I never played cricket for England’. David, the club would like to thank you for your time, commitment, good humour and stewardship, and wish you well in your cricketing retirement!”
Professor Ian Wilson, who since 2013 has served as the Senior Treasurer of Cambridge University Hockey Club. “Ian has made an outstanding contribution to the club over more than a decade in the role,” said Mark Brian, “His commitment extends far beyond his careful stewardship of the club’s finances. He regularly umpires matches, supports teams at Wilberforce Road, officiates East Premier League fixtures, and has even been the minibus driver for the Men’s Blues. Ian is a constant presence at Varsity Matches—often after completing the Cambridge Half Marathon earlier that same day—and he has overseen four highly successful alumni dinners. He also established and continues to administer the Vann Club Bursary, providing vital financial support to CUHC players in need. Perhaps most significantly, Ian’s dedication is reflected in the guidance he has offered successive Junior Committees. Tasked with running a large, successful, historic club, these students have benefited enormously from his calm, thoughtful, and incisive advice, learning a great deal from his experience and unwavering support.”
Nominees and Award Winners
The shortlist slots for each of the nine awards were every bit as competitively contested as in previous years, and huge congratulations should go to everyone who made it that far, in addition to those who were named the eventual winners in each category.
Team of the Year: Winners
- Pythons, CU American Football Club: Allowed less than one touchdown per game during the regular season and forced at least three turnovers in most matches. Averaged 21.8 points per game, won the BUCS Division 2 Midlands League title, captured the BUCS Northern Conference Cup, and defeated the Oxford Lancers 26-12 in the Varsity Bowl.
Team of the Year: Shortlistees
- Competitions Team, CU Mountaineering Club: Won the London University Bouldering League title for the fourth consecutive year, winning all four rounds against 24 universities. The Women's team placed second at BUCS Nationals—the university's first BUCS podium in the sport—while the Men placed fifth out of 50. The club also won both the Men’s and Women's Varsity matches.
- Men’s Blues, CU Association Football Club: Following a summer tournament in China where they defeated the eventual winners, the team secured promotion back to Tier 1, highlighted by a 7-0 win against Nottingham. They defeated Oxford to earn back-to-back Varsity wins for the first time since 2014 and recorded their first Varsity clean sheet since 2016.
- Men’s Blues, CU Cricket Club: Defeated Oxford by eight wickets at Lord's (bowling them out for 106) and won the 50-Over Varsity match by six wickets at Arundel. The squad placed in the top six nationally out of over 200 teams in the top tier, defeating national champions Oxford Brookes, and completed a tour to Mumbai.
- Strange Blue Womxn’s, CU Ultimate Club: Placed first at Indoor Regionals, third at Indoor Nationals (Division 1), and won the Outdoor BUCS League. Training participation increased by 50% compared to the historical yearly average.
Newcomer of the Year: Winner
- Max Millstine (Queens’ College / CU Ice Hockey Club): Recorded the highest save percentage among UK university goaltenders. Named a league-wide International All-Star and was elected Co-President for the upcoming year.
Newcomer of the Year: Shortlistees
- Esmé Lawson (Christ’s College / CU Dance Competition Team): Placed second in ballet at the Leeds Competition. Helped the contemporary team win Varsity and two national competitions, including the Loughborough Competition, while competing with a broken foot. She is the co-captain elect for the 2026/27 season.
- Harry Weston (St Edmund’s College / CU Modern Pentathlon Club): From a rowing background, he learned four new pentathlon disciplines this season. Placed third at both BUCS and Varsity to earn a Full Blue score, and finished 10th nationally against German and GB squads. He also assisted with equipment maintenance, drove the team minibus, and managed group meals.
- India Rogers (Hughes Hall / CU Equestrian Club): Achieved two individual second-place finishes in pool matches, won individually at the BUCS Regional Finals, and met the Full Blues criteria during her first competitive season.
- Katy Wong (Pembroke College / CU Mountaineering Club): Won all four individual rounds of the London University Bouldering event to take the overall league title against 75 competitors, and won an individual bronze at BUCS Nationals. She also won the Hong Kong national lead trials to retain her spot on their national team.
College Team of the Year: Winners
- King’s College Tennis Club: Expanded from the fifth division in 2024 to multiple teams in 2026. The 1st team won the Division 1 title in Michaelmas and placed second in Lent, the 2nd team competed in Division 3, and the 3rd and 4th teams entered competitive play. Training sessions accommodated beginners through former BUCS players.
College Team of the Year: Shortlistees
- Christ’s College Association Football Club: Won all nine CUAFL Division 2 fixtures without trailing at any point in the season, earning promotion to Division 1 for the first time since 2014. The squad contained no university-level players. They also won the university social five-a-side league and ran weekly open training sessions.
- Magdalene Mixed Netball: Finished the year with a 13-0 undefeated streak. Won the Division 2 title in Michaelmas with an 8-0 record and a +100 goal difference. Defeated Magdalen College, Oxford for the first time in five years, and lost the Cuppers final 22-21 to Gonville & Caius.
- Sidney Magdalene Women’s Football: Re-established the joint-college program after a season of inactivity, recruiting 24 players, half of whom were new to the sport. Won the Cuppers Vase with a 20-player matchday squad, played a commemorative match in the snow for Sidney's 50 Years of Women celebration, and participated in the Oxford Sports Swap.
- St John’s College Ladies Netball: Contained only one university-level player, remained undefeated in league play, and won the Cuppers title by 10 goals in the final. Played and won one league match with five players against a full seven-player lineup.
Unsung Hero: Winner
- Anna Basford (Emmanuel College / CU Modern Pentathlon Club): Handled logistics, fencing and shooting coaching, transport, and the organization of four Varsity and BUCS events. She also secured a permanent obstacle rig at Emmanuel College for the new modern pentathlon format.
Unsung Hero: Shortlistees
- Aram Sarkissian (Trinity Hall / CU Association Football Club): Provided voluntary goalkeeper coaching for four years across multiple club squads. He balanced these weekday sessions for up to six keepers at a time while playing semi-professionally for a Step 4 football club in London.
- Aurelio Lencioni (Jesus College / CU Swimming and Water Polo Club): Stabilized the club's finances by securing alumni backing to lower membership fees. Managed transport, referee hiring, a Cuppers tournament, and the club's Speedo partnership.
- Bethan Workman (Girton College / CU Olympic Gymnastics Club): After breaking her arm in January, she attended all remaining training sessions to coach and refine competition routines, helping integrate new and returning gymnasts ahead of the Varsity match.
- George Clark (Girton College / CU Association Football Club): Serves as Media Officer. Managed the club's Instagram account, increasing traffic to 600,000 monthly views, including a single video reel with 150,000 views. Produced eight program cover designs for the Blues Varsity match.
Sports Club Personality of the Year: Winner
- Ela Deren (Churchill College / CU Dance Competition Team): Competed across four dance sub-teams. Managed the club's TikTok account, creating content that included a video reaching nearly 30,000 views, and brought her dog in custom team clothing as an official Varsity mascot.
Sports Club Personality of the Year: Shortlistees
- Brock Locnikar (Lucy Cavendish College / CU American Football Club): Participated in both competitive rugby matches and American football practices consecutively. Maintained high levels of social engagement and club humor across squads.
- Cosmo Calesini (Downing College / CU Taekwondo Club): Balanced medical studies to attend beginner and advanced training sessions. Managed coaching, filming, social media, and administrative logistics, and traveled to support non-competing athletes. Unanimously re-elected as President.
- Kit Bradshaw (Hughes Hall / CU Equestrian Team): Joined as a first-year and took on the role of Committee Social Secretary. Managed social events and athlete support during BUCS matches. The club qualified two teams for Nationals during her tenure.
- Raghav Misra (Magdalene College / CU Table Tennis Club): Served as Secretary and President. Organized exam-term lunches and social support initiatives. Attended BUCS competitions to support teammates while ill and managed training sessions.
Sports Person of the Year: Winner
- Freya Moody (Newnham College / CU Women’s Lacrosse Club): Captained CUWLC to the BUCS national quarter-finals, scoring over 60 goals across 10 games. At age 19, she earned her first senior international cap for Great Britain against the Netherlands and Germany. Coached youth athletes and helped lead the Centaurs Lacrosse Club to a European Championship while studying Biological Natural Sciences.
Sports Person of the Year: Shortlistees
- Aimi Weightman (Murray Edwards College / CU Hare and Hounds): Finished seventh at the Liverpool Cross Challenge (the European Cross Country Championship trial), becoming first reserve for the U23 GB team. Placed fourth in the A-race at the BUCS Championships and eighth at the ISU World University Cross Country Championships in Italy. Recorded a 1500m personal best of 4:22.18 following a long-term injury.
- Joseph Hee (Hughes Hall / CU Table Tennis Club): Served as Captain and top seed for two years. Entered the BUCS Individuals as the 31st seed and finished second overall nationally. Went undefeated across Varsity, the BUCS League, and the Conference Cup while providing free coaching to club members.
- Sannah Zaman (Homerton College / CU Cycling Club): Won an individual bronze medal at the BUCS Hill Climb. Won team silver at the BUCS Team Time Trial and placed fourth at the BUCS Track Team Pursuit. Competes internationally for O'Shea Red Chilli Bikes against world-tour professionals.
- Will Lowden (Fitzwilliam College / CU Cycling Club): Won the individual BUCS 25-mile time trial and placed fourth at the BUCS Hill Climb to secure team gold. Won the BUCS Team Time Trial and the U23 National Circuit Time Trial. Has accumulated over 50 individual BUCS points during his time at Cambridge.
Sports Club of the Year: Winner
- CU Cycling Club: Won the Open 10-Mile Time Trial, Open Team Time Trial, Open 25-Mile Time Trial, and the BUCS Hill Climb. Swept the Open Hill Climb, Open Road Bike, and Female Road Bike Varsity matches. Hosted open time trials, yielding a 48% annual growth rate in female participants.
Sports Club of the Year: Shortlistees
- CU Dance Competition Team: Won Varsity and finished as the highest-scoring university overall at the Leeds Competition. Received a perfect score from a contemporary judge at the Loughborough Competition. Members received professional industry job offers based on the performance.
- CU Karate Club: Celebrated its 50th anniversary by recruiting over 50 members and registering its largest BUCS squad in five years. Won silver and bronze medals at BUCS, secured its 19th Varsity win in 20 years, and hosted the International University Karate Meeting featuring 80 participants and 12 Japanese sensei.
- CU Equestrian Club: Placed in the top six nationally for both the Trophy and Championship Nationals. At Trophy Regionals, club riders secured the first, second, fourth, and sixth individual positions out of 12 competitors. At Championship Regionals, riders placed second, third, eighth, and ninth.
- CU Table Tennis Club: The Men's 1st team won the BUCS Conference Cup, the Women's 1st team reached the national semi-finals, and the Men's 2nd team finished second in their division. Created a Women's 2nd team and introduced a doubles format to expand the College League and Cuppers tournaments.
Sporting Moment of the Year: Winner
- Deniz Ozer (CU Association Football Club): Scored the only goal of the match within the opening five minutes of the Men's Blues Varsity game at Grange Road. The goal secured back-to-back Varsity titles and the team's first Varsity clean sheet since 2016.
Sporting Moment of the Year: Shortlistees
- Alex Ramsay (CU Basketball Club): Scored 16 points, including two fourth-quarter three-pointers, to overturn a 13-point deficit against Oxford. Made a final three-pointer in the closing seconds to secure a 70-68 victory.
- Greg Mak (CU American Football Club): Blocked a Lancaster punt in the endzone during the BUCS Conference Cup Final on Saturday, 9 May 2026. The play overturned a 2-0 deficit to lead 7-2, contributing to a 34-16 victory for the club's first BUCS cup win.
- Tom Allen (CU Rugby League): Scored a 15-meter try in the final seconds of the Varsity match with Cambridge trailing 20-18. The try secured the club’s first-ever away win in Oxford and a historic 1sts/2nds club double.
Outstanding Contribution to Cambridge Sport: Winners
- Anant Gupta (Fitzwilliam College / CU Badminton, Squash, and Table Tennis): Represented the university as a Varsity athlete for three consecutive years in both table tennis and squash. Served as Safety Officer and multi-time Club President, acting as an operational liaison with the University Sports Centre.
- Anna Hipkiss (Pembroke College / CU Association Football Club): Served as Social Secretary, 2nd team Captain, and Club President over three years. Focused on integration across age groups, organized the home Varsity match day at Grange Road, and coordinated newcomer welcome initiatives.
- Calvin Preston (Robinson College / CU Rugby League): Appointed a former Super League coach, increased player turnout, and oversaw an away Varsity win alongside the club's first 1sts/2nds double. Organized a match against CURUFC, established academy links with the London Broncos and Leeds Rhinos Foundation, and organized a club tour to Ghana. Note: Calvin was unable to attend the Awards, and as such we have pictured his teammates celebrating on his behalf below.
- Camilla Higgins (St Edmund’s College / CU Fencing Club): Served three years as Treasurer, correcting club deficits into a financial surplus. As Captain, she grew regular session attendance from 30 to 60 fencers, coordinated pre-season events, and provided team support at BUCS matches while qualifying as a medical doctor.
- Georgia Weeks (Downing College / CU Women’s Lacrosse Club): Spent six years on the Lacrosse Blues team. She captained the club, served as President, was elected Osprey's President, and represented Scotland at the U19 World Cup while completing her medicine degree. She also earned a university Blue in skiing.
And one last thing...
2026 Cambridge Sports Fair
The annual University of Cambridge Sports Fair will take place at the University Sports Centre on Monday, 5th October 2026, from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The afternoon will include sports demonstrations and club activities. More than half of the attending clubs accept absolute beginners.
Photography and images provided by Dik Ng. For any enquiries, or to request digital imagery or copies of the physical event programme, contact communications@sport.cam.ac.uk