Olympian Nicola Tuthill named UCD Sportsperson of the Year
16 May 2025
Olympic hammer thrower Nicola Tuthill with the Dr Tony O’Neill Sportsperson of the Year Award during the UCD AUC Sports Awards 2025 Credit: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Olympian Nicola Tuthill has been named UCD’s ‘Sportsperson of the Year’ for 2025, receiving the award in recognition of her record-breaking contributions to Irish athletics.
A rising star in Irish field events, the Ad Astra Elite Sport Scholar has enjoyed a stellar season, becoming Ireland’s first ever gold medal winner at the European Throwing Cup in March.
She made her Olympic debut in the hammer at the 2024 Paris Games, where she narrowly miss out on a bronze finish, and is only the third female Irish thrower to become an Olympian.
The 21-year-old-year Science student was previously named Field Athlete of the Year at the 2024 National Athletics Awards, as well as University Athlete of the Year in 2023.
Named the winner of the ‘Dr Tony O’Neill Sportsperson of the Year’ at the 2025 UCD Athletic Union Council (AUC) Sports Awards, the Cork native was among 530 students and sportspersons across 25 clubs at University College Dublin honoured for their achievements this year.
UCD Athletics Club captains Anna Lalor, Dylan King and Juliet Kose with the Elite Club of the Year Award, and UCD President Professor Orla Feely Credit: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Several other special awards were presented during the evening, including the ‘Elite Club of the Year’ which was received by the UCD Athletics Club following their impressive success over the last year at national and international level.
The UCD American Football Club took home the ‘Elite Team of the Year’ award following their win of the Shamrock Bowl XXXVI.
The 2025 UCD AUC Sports Awards winners:
- Dr Tony O'Neill Sportsperson of the Year - Nicola Tuthill
- Elite Club of the Year - UCD Athletics
- Elite Team of the Year - Shamrock Bowl XXXVI Team, UCD American Football
- Varsity Club of the Year - UCD Mountaineering
- Varsity Team of the Year - Varsity 1sts Team, UCD Men's Basketball
- Dr Padraic Conway Memorial Medal - Cathal Murphy, UCD GAA
- David O'Connor Memorial Medal - Dervila O'Brien, UCD Ladies' Boat
- Gerry Horkan Club Administrator of the Year - Joseph 'Joey' Albert
- Graduate of the Year - David Somers, UCD Men's Boat
- Club Inclusion Award - UCD Trampoline
- Volunteer Coach of the Year - Ciarán Brennan, UCD Taekwan-do
- Club Event of the Year - Alumni Regatta Event, UCD Sailing
The UCD AUC Sports Awards is an annual event that recognises excellence in student sport at the University, and the 2025 Awards were held at the Astra Hall in the UCD Student Centre.
The ceremony was attended by (opens in a new window)UCD President Professor Orla Feely, who praised the students for their achievements.
“This evening, the University celebrates not only the outstanding sporting achievements of our students but also the enthusiastic participation of nearly 11,500 members in our sports clubs.”
“Your energy and commitment help make our campus a vibrant, inclusive, and welcoming place—fostering a genuine sense of community and belonging,” she added.
UCD Men’s Basketball Varsity 1st Team captain Thomas Reynold, team coach Adam Drummond with the Varsity Team of the Year award, and UCD President Professor Orla Feely Credit: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Other winners on the night included the Varsity 1sts Men’s Basketball - named ‘Varsity Team of the Year’ following a perfect season – and the UCD Mountaineering Club, awarded “Varsity Club of the Year”.
The 'David O’Connor Memorial Medal' was presented to Ladies’ Boat Captain Dervila O’Brien, and the 'Dr. Padraic Conway Memorial Medal' was presented to Cathal Murphy.
The ‘Gerry Horkan Club Administrator of the Year’ Award was presented to Joseph Albert of the Mountaineering Club.
Rower and Novice Squad Head Coach David Somers was named 'Graduate of the Year', while Ciarán Brennan received the inaugural ‘Volunteer Coach of the Year’ Award in recognition of his work with the UCD Taekwan-do Club.
The (opens in a new window)UCD Trampoline Club received the ‘Club Inclusion’ Award for the second year in a row, and UCD Sailing Club won the ‘Club Event of the Year’ Award for their annual Alumni Regatta Event.
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
