OTTAWA – Canadian Interuniversity Sport proudly announced Friday October 26th the student-athletes honoured as Top Eight Academic All-Canadians for the 2011-2012 season.
Every year, a growing number of CIS student-athletes are recognized as Academic All-Canadians, having maintained an average of 80 per cent or better over the academic year while competing for one – or more – of their university’s varsity teams.
In 2011-2012, a record 2,610 students achieved the prestigious status, eclipsing the previous mark of 2,398 set a year ago.
Five CIS universities had over 100 Academic All-Canadians last year, including Laval (126), Alberta (124), Western (118), Waterloo (113) and Queen’s (102). Rounding out the national top 10 were Manitoba (98), Calgary (95), Dalhousie (95), McGill (85) and Saskatchewan (81).
Among these outstanding individuals, one female and one male student-athlete from each of the four CIS regional associations are selected annually as Top Eight Academic All-Canadians.
The 2011-2012 recipients from Atlantic University Sport are ice hockey player Miranda McMillan (mathematics) and track and field athlete Nathan Musoke (mathematics & physics), both from Dalhousie.
Representing the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec are Laval rugby player Marie-Pier Pinault-Reid (medicine) and McGill ice hockey player Marc-André Dorion (physical and health education).
The winners from Ontario University Athletics are Windsor track and field star Nicole Sassine (kinesiology and education), as well as Toronto soccer player Darragh McGee (doctorate of philosophy).
From the Canada West Universities Athletic Association, this year’s recipients are ice hockey players Hayley Wickenheiser from Calgary (kinesiology) and Kyle Ross from Saskatchewan (law).
Dorion, Wickenheiser and Ross are all honoured for the second time. Dorion and Wickenheiser were members of the select group a year ago, while Ross had received the distinction for the first time in 2008-2009 while studying at the University of Regina.
“We are extremely proud of the high number of student-athletes who achieve CIS Academic All-Canadian status across the country. It speaks volumes about the quality of our students, coaches, support staff and Canadian universities,” said CIS president Leo MacPherson. “The Top Eight recipients represent the cream of the crop, and to be selected among over 10,000 of their peers is an exceptional accomplishment they should be proud of.”
(Source: Michel Bélanger CIS Manager Communications & Media Relations)
