Sixty-nine student-athletes took to the stage this afternoon to be honoured by parents, coaches, academic mentors and staff at Dalhousie’s 15th annual Academic All-Canadian Luncheon, celebrating their successes on and off the field of play.
A record total of 100 Dalhousie varsity athletes achieved Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Academic All-Canadian status during the 2012-13 school year. To qualify as an Academic All-Canadian, student-athletes must maintain an average of at least 80 per cent over the academic year while competing in a varsity sport. Hard work, dedication, sacrifice and support are crucial in these students’ lives.
The event's host, Vice-President Academic and Provost Carolyn Watters, praised the athletes before calling them all onto the stage to be recognized. “Congratulations to everyone. We celebrate you today, and we are all inspired by your accomplishments.”
“The Academic All-Canadian Luncheon is a really great way of congratulating all the student-athletes who work so hard throughout the year to balance their athletics and their academics,” says four-time academic all-Canadian Taryn McKenna.
A goalkeeper with the women’s soccer team, McKenna is a Religious Studies and Music student who volunteers as a youth soccer coach. She also works as the marketing assistant for Dal’s Student Life Street Team and has spent a number of years as the mascot during varsity games.
It takes a village
In addition to honouring the student-athletes, the luncheon also applauds the individuals who’ve helped the student-athletes achieve their goals: their academic mentors. Honourees were given the opportunity to invite a faculty member to the reception, someone who had been vital to their success as student-athletes.
“This event is so important not only to our athletes but to the department as well,” says Director of Varsity Athletics Karen Moore. “It’s a way to bridge the gap between the athletic and academic worlds at Dalhousie. The students look forward to this event each year.
"Since the inception of this event, the number of Academic All-Canadians continues to increase and I believe the luncheon has done a lot to raise the awareness of the prestige of being an Academic All-Canadian. Many of our student-athletes set their goals to earn this honour right from day one of their university experience. Ultimately, it emphasizes the main reason they are all here at Dalhousie."
Budgetary challenges had put the event in jeopardy this year until Dr. Terry Worthen, a graduate of Dalhousie’s dental school, stepped up to sponsor the event.
“We’re very thankful to Dr. Worthen for his support this year,” said Moore. “The athletes would have been terribly disappointed if we weren’t able to have the luncheon this year.”
“I don’t think many people realize how much effort and time goes into being a student-athlete,” added McKenna. “So it’s really nice that Dal goes above and beyond to recognize their academic all-Canadians. It’s a fantastic event for everyone in attendance and a great opportunity not just for the students to hear about the successes of their teammates and classmates, but also for the parents and academic mentors to get together and celebrate their student-athlete’s achievements. It’s an event that I look forward to every year.”
Dalhousie's Academic All-Canadians - 2012-13
Architecture and Planning
Marlee Powers, Volleyball
Alix Tier, Cross Country/T&F
Arts and Social Sciences
Brendan Gemmell, Cross Country/T&F
Scott Holgrem, Volleyball
Symon Jory-Stevens-Guille, Track & Field
Taryn McKenna, Soccer
Bruce Russell, Cross Country/T&F
Jeremy Ryant, Swimming
Michael Weersink, Track & Field
Dentistry
Nabil Moussa, Track & Field
Bobby Nadeau, Hockey
Engineering
Logan Baillie, Volleyball
Mathieu Boudreau, Hockey
Michelle Campbell, Swimming
Emmalina Corriveau, Swimming
Hilary Sears, Volleyball
Nicholas Taylor, Swimming
Nicolas Wood, Cross Country/T&F
Graduate Studies
Russ Brownell, Hockey
Elizabeth MacDonald, Track & Field
Audrey Prayal-Brown, Swimming
Stephanie Sobey, Track & Field
Holly Van Gestel, Cross Country
Health Professions
Pascal Amyot, Hockey
Mati Barrett, Hockey
Matthew Bartley, Track & Field
Joel Bergman, Cross Country
Elise Bilodeau, Soccer
Sangmuk Choi, Soccer
Colin Flysak, Swimming
Isabelle Germain, Hockey
Benoit Gervais, Hockey
James Gillis, Track & Field
Jenna Goobie, Soccer
Sascha Hamilton-Miller, Track & Field
Bianca Jakisa, Soccer
Emma Landry, Soccer
Lauren Landry, Soccer
Allison Lerette, Track & Field
Vanessa Linton, Cross Country/T&F
Ben MacAskill, Hockey
Sarah MacNeil, Hockey
Kristy McGregor-Bales, Soccer
Isaac Norman, Track & Field
Brett Plouffe, Hockey
William Sandeson, Track & Field
Jessica Shannon, Track & Field
Andie Vanderlaan, Soccer
Simon Watts, Track & Field
Leanne Wiese, Swimming
Daniel Yetman, Track & Field
Management
Daniel Bartek, Hockey
Sarah Currie, Cross Country/T&F
Jacob Johnston, Hockey
Brad McConnell, Hockey
Nathan Rogers, Soccer
Devon Stedman, Basketball
Courtney Thompson, Basketball
Tarah-Lynn Truant, Volleyball
Joseph Ur, Swimming
Daphne Wallace, Soccer
Megan Willox, Soccer
Costadinos Zafiris, Hockey
Science
Matthew Baker, Track & Field
Cassandra Banfield, Hockey
Meagan Bernier, Swimminig
Joanna Blodgett, Soccer
Nigel Champion, Swimming
Ellen Chappell, Cross Country/T&F
Laurel Charlesworth, Hockey
Ashley Chisholm, Cross Country
Nathan Comeau, Track & Field
Stephanie Crewe, Soccer
Paige Crowell, Swimming
Abby Czenze, Volleyball
Alex Dempsey, Volleyball
Ainsley Fraser, Swimming
Hannah Gonzales, Basketball
Julia Gow, Swimming
Mohab Hassib, Soccer
Glenn Lassaline, Volleyball
Ainsley MacIntyre, Basketball
Rebecca Haworth, Track & Field
Rhea Hurnik, Swimming
Mary Claire Lynch, Swimming
Robert McCulloch, Volleyball/T&F
Robert McEwan, Hockey
Sarah McVey, Hockey
Kit Moran, Swimming
Michaela Nichols, Swimming
Beth O’Reilly, Soccer
Petra Rafuse, Volleyball
Gemma Regan, Swimming
Jason Ross, Soccer
Ashley Salvador, Soccer
Rachel Shin, Swimming
Derek Sonnichsen, Swimming
Anna von Maltzahn, Basketball/Cross Country
Cody Watson, Track & Field
Katherine Webster, Swimming