London, ON - The Female Athlete of the Year Award is presented annually to a female student athlete who has achieved outstanding success representing Western at the provincial and/or national level in the current Intercollegiate season.

Nominees for the 2025-26 Female Athlete of the Year Award include:

• Shona Branton (Swimming, King's University College)
• Liv Sands (Track & Field, Social Science)
• Jonelle Clarke (Wrestling, School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies)

2025-26 Female Athlete of the Year: Jonelle Clarke (Wrestling, School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies)

Jonelle finished the year with an outstanding 27-2 record, medaling at every regular season tournament she entered and consistently establishing herself as one of the top wrestlers in the country.

At the OUA Championships, Jonelle delivered one of the most dominant performances of the entire event. She went 3-0, winning two matches by technical superiority and one by pin, while not giving up a single point. Her commanding performance earned her OUA Gold and the title of OUA Female Wrestler of the Year.

Jonelle carried that momentum onto the national stage at the U SPORTS Championships, She went a perfect 5-0, outscoring her opponents 52-5, with four victories by technical superiority. In the final, she delivered a dominant 12-1 victory to secure U SPORTS Gold and confirm her status as the best wrestler in Canada.

Click below for her reaction to the award, and a recap of her season.