The StFX Department of Athletics honoured its 2019-20 U SPORTS Academic All-Canadians in a celebratory video. This year, there were 96 Academic All-Canadians, those student-athletes who have achieved an 80 per cent average or above while consuming a year of eligibility competing for a varsity team. The number tied the StFX all-time high of 96, also achieved in 2017-18.
With the ongoing COVID protocols the traditional format of holding an annual celebratory breakfast for the recipients and their invited faculty members was replaced with the virtual event, which can be viewed on the StFX Athletics YouTube channel by clicking here.
“Although we were unable to gather in person this year, this celebration of excellence in the classroom remains a major highlight of our year,” comments StFX Director of Athletics & Recreation Leo MacPherson.
“The opportunity to celebrate the synergies between academics and athletics is important to all of us. The ongoing support provided by our senior administration and our faculty members was also acknowledged and very much appreciated.”
Out of the possible 271 eligible student-athletes who consumed U SPORTS eligibility by participating on a varsity team at StFX during the 2019-20 season, 35 per cent achieved Academic All-Canadian status, including 37 male and 59 female student-athletes. The X-Women Cross Country Track team had the highest percentage of honourees from all StFX teams, with 67 per cent of their team’s members earning the distinction.
There were 46 first-time Academic All-Canadians, 23 student-athletes who received the honour for the second time in their career, and 19 who were three-time Academic All-Canadians. Eight student-athletes earned the distinction of being a U SPORTS Academic All-Canadians for four years, including Mackenzie Bell (rugby), Megan Graham (track & field), Paul MacLellan (cross country), Therese McCurdy (curling) and hockey athletes Marcus Cuomo, Matt Needham, Sam Studnicka and Mark Tremaine. All are recent 2020 graduates.
The Athletic Director’s awards for academic achievement, presented to the top StFX male and female academic student-athletes were Amy Graham from the X-Women hockey team who received the award for the third consecutive year, along with Jay Turnsek from the X-Men Football team.
The 2019-20 Academic All-Canadians will receive a certificate from U SPORTS along with a gift from the Department of Athletics.
The complete list of 2019-20 StFX Academic All-Canadians is as follows:
First Name, Last Name, Sport, Degree, Hometown
Mira Alexander Track & Field BA HK Truro, NS
Quinn Alexander Track & Field BA Truro, NS
Ethan Anderson Curling BSc N Kentville, NS
Kali Beaton Track & Field BSc HK Brookvillage, NS
Mackenzie Bell Rugby BASCH New Glasgow, NS
Melanie BeLong Soccer BSc Moncton, NB
Jacob Benoit Cross Country BSc HK Sweets Corner, NS
Isaac Bezanson Football BBA Prospect Bay, NS
Tehya Blake Soccer BA Orleans, ON
Meaghan Boatsmith Track & Field BSc HK Hamilton, ON
William Bower Hockey BBA Saint John, NB
Erin Brennan Track & Field BA HK Beechwood, NB
Kaya Brossard Hockey BBA North Vancouver, BC
Tanna Burke Cross Country BSc N Cole Harbour, NS
Carly Burrows Hockey BSc HK New Glasgow, NS
Jenna Burrows Soccer BSc N New Glasgow, NS
Santino Centorame Hockey BBA Mississauga, ON
Will Chapman Football BBA Halifax, NS
Samuel Charron Soccer BBA Ottawa, ON
Paige Chisholm Cross Country BSc N Port Williams, NS
Josephine Chisholm Hockey BSc HK Antigonish, NS
Benoit Cormier Football BSc Moncton, NB
Lane Cormier Hockey BSc AR Hopewell, NS
Olivia Crewe Track & Field BSc HK Ottawa, ON
Marcus Cuomo Hockey BA St Johns, NL
Findlay Day Cross Country BA PP&G Victoria, BC
Alanna Deakin Track & Field BEd Dubai, UAE
Aidan Doherty Cross Country BBA West Vancouver, BC
Kathleen Dolan Rugby BASCH Halifax, NS
Emerson Elliott Hockey BBA Aurora, ON
Hannah Ellis Rugby BSc HK Halifax, NS
Isaac Fagnan Football BBA Antigonish, NS
Danielle Franada Rugby BBA Grande Prairie, AB
Megan Frost Soccer BBA Ottawa, ON
Claudia Fulton Rugby Engineer Aylesford, NS
Christina Gentile Soccer BA Laval, QC
Brianna Gottschall Basketball BASCH Antigonish, NS
Amy Graham Hockey BSc HK Ottawa, ON
Megan Graham Track & Field BSc N Trenton, NS
Alexandra Hamilton Rugby BSc N Eastern Passage, NS
Madeline Harroun Rugby BBA Halifax, NS
Shyanne Hedges Soccer BSc HK Calgary, AB
Jane Hergett Cross Country BSc N Port Williams, NS
Alexander Hewish Soccer BBA Ottawa, ON
Anna Horner Rugby BSc HK Stouffville, ON
Zoe Johnston Cross Country BEd Pembroke, ON
Catherine Kennedy Soccer BA Antigonish, NS
Jack Kennedy Soccer BBA Antigonish, NS
Paige Knechtel Curling BASc H Beachburg, ON
Justin Laforest Hockey BSc HK Carleton Place, ON
Adam Laishram Hockey BSc HK Ashburn, ON
Samantha Lake Rugby BEd Windsor, NS
Sarah Lapensee Soccer BASCH Manotick, ON
Thomas LeGallais Basketball BA Cornwall, ON
Lauren Liem Cross Country BSc HK Bedford, NS
Cole MacDonald Hockey BBA Wetaskiwin, AB
Emma MacDougall Rugby BA Halifax, NS
Paul MacLellan Cross Country BBA Antigonish, NS
Justin Major Track & Field BASCH Nassau, BS
Carter Malyk Football BBA Calgary, AB
Jamie McCarron Basketball BEd New Glasgow, NS
Sarah McCarron Rugby BA HK Antigonish, NS
Therese McCurdy Curling BSc N Beaver Brook, NS
Cassidy McEwen Hockey BSc HK Lloydminster, AB
Jessica McPherson Rugby BSc HK Lower Sackville, NS
Talia Morin Soccer BBA Ottawa, ON
Matt Needham Hockey BBA Kamloops, BC
Devon Parris Football BA Kingston, ON
Hallie Pirie Rugby BSc HK Smiths Falls, ON
Thalia Puac Rugby BSc HN Mission, BC
Jordan Rao Soccer BASCH Calgary, AB
Joshua Read Soccer BA HK Corsham, UK
Grace Rheault Basketball BASCH Ottawa, ON
Ashley Robson Cross Country BSc N Dartmouth, NS
Paytan Ruiz Soccer BBA Pictou, NS
Julia Schmitt Hockey BSc Truro, NS
Lydia Schurman Hockey BSc Summerside, PE
Amanda Smith Soccer BSc HK Ottawa, ON
Alyssa Spridgeon Soccer BA Whitby, ON
Graydon Staples Cross Country BSc Shanty Bay, ON
Hannah Stoddart Soccer BA HK Lawrencetown, NS
Oliver Storseth Soccer BSc Antigonish, NS
Sam Studnicka Hockey BBA Windsor, ON
Madison Suart Rugby BSc HK Calgary, AB
Eric Sutton Track & Field BSc HK Peterborough, ON
Ellen Taggart Cross Country BEd Dartmouth, NS
Patti-Anne Tracey Hockey BBA Antigonish, NS
Mark Tremaine Hockey BEd Dartmouth, NS
Jay Turnsek Football BBA North Bay, ON
Riley Van den Heuvel Track & Field BEd Port Hood, NS
Alexis Verville Football BA Victoriaville, QC
Chloe Walker Cross Country BA PP&G Ottawa, ON
Carleigh Walters Rugby BSc HN Williams Lake, BC
William Warren Soccer BBA Windsor Jtn, NS
Bailey Wasdal Football BBA Calgary, AB
James White Basketball BSc HK Saint John, NB