With the upcoming 2025-26 Brock Badgers Award Gala scheduled for Wednesday, March 25, Brock Sports & Recreation would like to recognize the six individuals who have been nominated for Female Athlete of the Year.
The Brock Athlete of the Year Award honors student-athletes who have demonstrated superior athletic performance with a significant impact that led their team to reach the highest competition results and outcomes, earning individual athletic awards and honors.
The Varsity Awards Gala will be held at the Parkway Conference Centre and is set to start at 6 p.m.
The nominees for Female Athlete of the Year (listed in alphabetical order) are as follows:
Emily Foest – Volleyball
Fifth-year outside hitter Emily Foest helped lead the Badgers to their first national medal in program history as they bested the Trinity Western Spartans in a thrilling 3-2 win (25-17, 24-26, 24-26, 25-18, 15-11) in the bronze medal game on March 15 in Langley, B.C.
The local Fonthill product helped her team finish the season with a 22-4 overall record, highlighted by their sixth consecutive Quigley Cup appearance and fourth Ontario University Athletics (OUA) title in program history after defeating the McMaster Marauders in four sets (25-20, 24-26, 25-23, 25-18) on March 6.
The Master of Science student notched 204 kills and 29 service aces in the regular season, placing her ninth in the province in both categories. Among all players in the OUA, the Foest ranked 10th in total points (242.5) and kills per set (2.91), earning her an OUA Second-Team All-Star selection to go alongside her First and Third team nods from the previous two years.
She concluded her Brock career as the program's all-time leader in kills (1,057) and points (1,234), having surpassed Sadie Dick, who previously held both records.
Emily Foest makes a pass against the Trinity Western Spartans in the U SPORTS bronze medal match on March 15 at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C. (Photo by Trinity Western)
Vanessa Keefe – Wrestling
Vanessa Keefe put together another stellar campaign for the Badgers, helping propel Brock to a third-place finish at the U SPORTS Championships at in Thunder Bay, Ont.
The fourth-year wrestler capped off her season with a gold medal in the 68-kilogram division without surrendering a single point over the weekend. The Oyster Bed Bridge, P.E.I. product broke through with her first ever gold at nationals, previously capturing bronze in 2023 and silver in 2024 and 2025.
At the OUA Championships, the Kinesiology major also claimed her fourth consecutive gold, going undefeated in the 68kg division as the Badgers won their 11th straight provincial title and 24th overall.
Vanessa Keefe prepares to grapple an opponent at the Guelph Open on Jan. 24. (Photo by Laurel Jarvis)
Tatum O'Connor – Swimming
Last year's Brock University Female Athlete of the Year, Tatum O'Connor, ascended once again in 2025-26, capturing four medals at the OUA Championships in Toronto and leading Brock to a team podium finish for the first time since 1988.
The third-year swimmer received an OUA Award of Distinction, given to swimmers who have medalled in three separate years at the provincial championships. The Dundas, Ont., product secured gold medals in the 50-metre and 100-metre backstroke events with times of 27 seconds and 660 milliseconds and 59 seconds and 920 milliseconds. In the relay events, she placed third in the 4x50m freestyle relay with a time of 1:42.20 and second in the 4x50m medley relay (1:53.29), breaking program records in both races.
At the U SPORTS Championships in Markham, Ont., the Social Sciences student placed fourth in the 100m backstroke (1:00.03) and sixth place in the 50m backstroke (27.49). Her time of 27.49 broke her previous school record of 27.65, which earned her a bronze medal at last year's national competition. O'Connor partnered with her teammates to capture eighth place in the 4x100m freestyle relay (3:46.45), setting a school record and eclipsing the previous mark of 3:52.25. Additionally, her 4x100m medley relay team placed sixth with a time of 4:10.31, which also broke a previous Brock record (4:13.22).
Tatum O'Connor competes at the OUA Championships on Feb. 19 at the Athletic Centre Varsity Pool in Toronto. (Photo by Seyran Mammadov)
Brooke Rempel – Rugby
Recognized as one of the country's best, third-year prop Brooke Rempel was named a U SPORTS Second-Team All-Canadian for the first time. The Kinesiology major helped lead the Badgers to their sixth consecutive OUA semifinal appearance, finishing with a 4-4 overall record.
Over the course of the regular season, the Ariss, Ont. product scored nine tries, which placed her second in the country among all front-row players. She also averaged over five broken tackles and line breaks, while delivering five tackles per game on the defensive side.
Rempel's impressive year culminated with recognition as an OUA First Team All-Star, marking the second time in three seasons she has received a provincial accolade.
Brooke Rempel carries the ball in an OUA semifinal matchup against the Guelph Gryphons on Oct. 17. (Photo by Laurel Jarvis)
Madalyn Weinert – Basketball
Madalyn Weinert, a four-time Female Athlete of the Year nominee, capped off her tremendous career with U SPORTS Player of the Year honours. For the third straight year, the Medical Sciences student was also named a U SPORTS First-Team All-Canadian, OUA Player of the Year and OUA First-Team All-Star, adding to a list of career accolades, which includes OUA Second-Team All-Star and OUA All-Rookie Team selections.
The fifth-year guard/forward led the country and province in total points (530), points per game (24.1) and field goals made (196) for the third consecutive regular season, while defensively, she placed first in U SPORTS in total rebounds (317) and rebounds per game (14.4) as well as fifth in total blocks (43). The local St. Catharines product recorded 22 double-doubles in 24 total games including regular season and playoffs, finishing with 19 consecutive to end her year.
Weinert ended her time at Brock as the program's all-time leader in total points (2,269), rebounds (1,223), field goals made (833), free throws made (514), total blocks (196), among others.
Her play and leadership helped lead the Badgers to the OUA quarterfinal round for the seventh straight year and a 15-9 overall record.
Madalyn Weinert prepares to shoot in an OUA first round matchup against the McMaster Marauders on Feb. 18 at Bob Davis Gymnasium. (Photo by Mackenzie Gerry)
Chloe Zaraska – Track & Field
Zaraska's first season with the Badgers was one to remember as she captured gold at the 2026 U SPORTS Track and Field Championships in Winnipeg, claiming the Brock's women's track and field program's first national medal.
The Toronto high jumper cleared 1.73m to secure co-first place in a tight battle with Lara Denbow of the Manitoba Bisons.
At the OUA Championships in Toronto, the fifth-year athlete successfully cleared 1.77m to gold, finishing a full 6cm ahead of the second-place finishers. Zaraska took home the first OUA gold medal for the women's track and field team since 2023, when Emily Good won the shot put event.
Chloe Zaraska jumps at the U SPORTS Championships on March 7 at the James Daly Fieldhouse in Winnipeg, Man. (Photo by Zachary Peters)
The Female Athlete of the Year award as well as the other major award winners will be announced at the 2025-26 Brock Badgers Awards Gala on Wednesday, March 25. The event can be seen online on YouTube starting at 6 p.m.
