KELOWNA, B.C. – The UBC Okanagan Department of Athletics and Recreation celebrated student-athlete academic excellence as they hosted their annual Academic All-Canadian/Heat Scholar breakfast on Tuesday in the UNC Ballroom on the UBCO campus.
In total, 108 student-athletes were recognized for achieving an 80 percent average in their academic studies during the 2023-24 season, the most the department has recognized in its history.
Of the 108 student-athletes honoured, 72 were recognized as U SPORTS Academic All-Canadians while 36 were celebrated as Heat Scholars. Heat Scholars are athletes who compete in a non-U SPORTS sport (golf, rugby and softball) or did not consume eligibility during the 2023-24 season.
The total number represents 47 percent of the student-athlete population at UBC Okanagan last year, demonstrating a strong commitment to academic excellence across the varsity and competitive sport program offerings.
"The work that our Heat student-athletes continue to put in both on and off the field of play continues to impress me to no end," said Tom Huisman, UBCO's Director of Athletics and Recreation. "The national average for student-athletes obtaining 80 percent or greater in their course load sits around 30 percent. Knowing that nearly 50 percent of our Heat student-athletes are hitting that mark, while attending a world Top 40 institution, makes this academic accomplishment that much more impressive."
The reception was hosted by Huisman with representation from departments and faculties across campus. Dr. Lesley Cormack, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UBC Okanagan, was in attendance and spoke to the student-athletes to begin the event while Dale Mullings, Associate Vice-President, Students, presented each student-athlete in attendance with their Academic All-Canadian or Heat Scholar certificate.
Others in attendance included Marie Tarrant, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Development, Scott Reid, Associate Dean of Students in the Faculty of Science, Tanya Forneris, Associate Director with the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, Jonathan Little, the Interim Director of the School of Heath and Exercise Sciences, Diana Carter, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies with the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, and Donna Senese, the Associate Dean of Students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
2023-24 Academic All-Canadians/Heat Scholars by Sport
Basketball (M)
Gavin Ashworth,
Jonathan Haughton,
Elan Kimpton-Cuellar,
Kaeden Skelton
Basketball (W)
Temi Aina,
Sofia Ainsa Lluch,
Reegan Bond,
Kelsey Falk,
Stefanie Hart,
Rachel Hettinga,
Jaeli Ibbetson,
Tennyson McCarthy,
Abby Smith
Cross Country (M)
Connor Baerg,
Christopher Crowe,
Joel Geake,
Caleb Graham,
Oliver Grenier,
Charlie Kanuka,
Owen Lloyd,
Joshua Milliken,
Kyle Porter,
Joel Worman
Cross Country (W)
Tori Bouck,
Felicity Hanson,
Kelsey Hanson,
Emma Kearns,
Julia Kuipers,
Brooke Lawlor,
Lys Milne,
Kristen Smith,
Esther Stuart,
Ella Wigmore,
Abigail Yakemchuk
Golf (M)
Jeremy Laverdiere,
Adrian Murray,
Max Regier
Golf (W)
Julia Alexander-Carew,
Bess Chan, Maria Llampallas Iturriría,
Lauren Nedo,
Symone Ripley,
Kayleigh Trowman
Rugby (M)
Mukhtar Abdsalami,
Ethan Cummings,
Jairen Dhaliwal,
Ben Ellis,
Nicholas Gray,
Andrew McFee,
Restum Shakiri,
Jef Vreys
Soccer (M)
Andrew Black,
Matteo Clarke,
Mattias Ferraro,
Harvey Holland,
Zack MacInnes,
Andrew Matsugu,
Jacobo Saenz Ramos,
Alex Sol,
Jacob Sol,
Jacob York
Soccer (W)
Sophie Campbell,
Sophia Clarke,
Ciana Dawydiuk-Clozza,
Talia Gagnon,
Eleni Georgacacos,
Annika Gross,
Ainsley Kirk,
Sydney Kolodziej,
Sofia Lafuente,
Nina Louis,
Sophia Pol,
Sonia Sarai,
Alyssa Scott,
Megan Sun,
Abigail Taneda,
Holly Tarves,
Olivia Vanderwater,
Annabelle Walker,
Amanda White,
Stefanie Young
Softball (W)
Bailey Burke,
Lauryn Dirks, Gabriella Gallé,
Brooke Hall-Eckes,
Taylor McRae,
Emma Pepin
Volleyball (M)
Teo Ardanaz,
James Helfrick,
Sam Jablonski,
Peter Labun, Rhees Moss,
Kyle Robertson,
Stephen Searcy,
Maxim Storozhuk,
Jonah Sutherns,
Jack Taylor,
Lucas Woelders
Volleyball (W)
Calista Cencig,
Abigail Dueck,
Natalie Funk,
Sarah Hall,
Tessa Ivans,
Korey Jenkins,
Sydney Matthews,
Amaya Perry,
Lexi Prefontaine,
Olivia Tymkiw
