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, 113 student-athletes were recognized for achieving an 80 percent average in their academic studies during the 2024-25 season, the most the department has recognized in its history.
Of the 113 student-athletes honoured, 68 were recognized as U SPORTS Academic All-Canadians while 45 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 2024-25 season.
The total number represents over 50 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.
"This celebration is a true testament of what it means to be a student-athlete at UBCO and I was honoured to celebrate with them today," commented Dale Mullings, Associate Vice President, Students. "As student-athletes representing a Top 40 institution globally, they continue to excel in both the classroom and on the playing field. This is demonstrated by our record number of academic award winners representing over 50 percent of our student-athlete population, as well as our teams' championship success on the playing field last year. I am so proud of their hard work and the pride they take in representing our campus."
During the event, the Heat also announced their nominees for consideration for the U SPORTS Top 8 Academic All-Canadian recognition.
Thys Weststrate from the men's volleyball team and
Lauren McNeil from women's cross country will go forward as the school's representatives for Canada West selection. In addition, McNeil was also presented with her U SPORTS Championship ring which she received for winning gold at the 2024 U SPORTS Cross Country Championships in Kelowna.
The reception was hosted by Mullings 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 during the event while both Mullings and Cormack presented each student-athlete in attendance with their Academic All-Canadian or Heat Scholar certificate.
Others in attendance included Wayne Broughton, Associate Dean, Students in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, Donna Senese, the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Students in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Diana Carter, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies with the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, Tanya Forneris, Dean Pro-tem with the Faculty of Health and Social Development, and Gina Whittaker, Undergraduate Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Teaching in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences.
2024-25 Academic All-Canadians/Heat Scholars by Sport
Basketball (M)
Gavin Ashworth,
Jonathan Haughton,
Imoudu Ibrahim,
Elan Kimpton-Cuellar,
Jalen Shirley,
David Usuomon
Basketball (W)
Temi Aina,
Ryley Bullock,
Kelsey Falk,
Stef Hart,
Kiana Kaczur,
Melanie Kardos-Mitchell,
Tennyson McCarthy,
Abby Smith,
Tsuki Tsuzuki,
Ella Watkins,
Aiko Williams
Cross Country (M)
Isaac Baker,
Christopher Crowe,
Ezra Ganske,
Joel Geake,
Caleb Graham, Charlie Kanuka,
Kyle Porter,
Lucas Robertson,
Samuel Rochet,
Aidan Small,
Joel Worman
Cross Country (W)
Chyvonne Borsa,
Tori Bouck,
Tessa Coyle,
Madelyn Kaban,
Lauren McNeil,
Lys Milne,
Nora Prince,
Kristen Smith,
Sharanya Vijayaraghavan,
Ella Wigmore,
Abigail Yakemchuk
Golf (M)
Carl Arndt,
Kevin Lee,
Andrew Rouble
Golf (W)
Julia Alexander-Carew,
Bess Chan,
Emily Cornwall,
Eva Hogue,
Lauren Nedo,
Symone Ripley
Rugby (M)
Ethan Cummings,
Bryant Delaney,
Jairen Dhaliwal,
Nathan Holmes,
Christopher Jeannotte,
Derek Lee,
Evan Vodarek,
Jef Vreys,
Jacob Watmough
Soccer (M)
Colin Birtwistle,
Matteo Clarke,
Dario Fedele,
Mattias Ferraro,
Alex Sol,
Aidan Young
Soccer (W)
Medea Chiba,
Sophia Clarke,
Ciana Dawydiuk-Clozza,
Sophia Eiley,
Talia Gagnon,
Eleni Georgacacos,
Annika Gross,
Simran Heir,
Ainsley Kirk,
Sydney Kolodziej,
Sofia Lafuente,
Maya Letellier,
Nina Louis,
Jaidyn McGrath,
Megan Sun,
Abigail Taneda,
Annabelle Walker
Softball (W)
Lauryn Dirks,
Bella Green,
Sidney Johnston,
Taylor McRae,
Emma Pepin
Volleyball (M)
Jonathan Attwell,
James Helfrick,
Sam Jablonski,
Jonas Kleiner,
Peter Labun,
Kyle Robertson,
Stephen Searcy,
Maxim Storozhuk,
Jonah Sutherns,
Jack Taylor,
Zach van Geel,
Thys Weststrate,
Lucas Woelders
Volleyball (W)
Calista Cencig,
Brooklyn Domeij,
Kylan Finseth,
Natalie Funk,
Sarah Hall,
Tessa Ivans,
Korey Jenkins,
Marija Josipovic,
Alina Koskie,
Sydney Matthews,
Amaya Perry,
Ali Rathlef,
Rachel Rosser,
Faith Solecki,
Olivia Tymkiw