Taylor Lawson
Sara Thomas
Shawna McFadyen
Allison Godley
Erica McAdam
Emma Duinker
Connor Cox
Alyssa Berry
Elizabeth Conrad
Edward McNally
Aimee Pritchett
Kathleen McIver
Jake Thomas
Jenna Hache
Shana Vidito
Paul Kurceba
Nicole Davidson
Sara Reid
Alana Murphy
Luke Fallwell
Michael Squires
Pamela Giordani
Devlin Gilmour Ford
Jonathan Hammond
Andrea Murphy
Mary Sutherland
Graeme Richardson
Adam McIllwraith
Deanna Schaper-Kotter
Jasmine Parent
Sarah Naugler
Cameron McGill
Erin Beazley
Stefanie Chapman
Michael Rostance
Ryan Graham
Andrea Lafleur
Wade Conrad
Zachary Deutsch
Margaret Curry
Angelina McOuat
Stuart Clow
ZZ Leighton

Clark is the third Acadia student-athlete nominated for the 20 year old CIS BLG Award. Prior to Clark, hockey' Duane Dennis was nominated in 1993 followed by basketball's Jan Trojanowski in 1998.

Ann-Sophie Bettez and Marc-André Dorion, both hockey players from McGill University, are the 2012 BLG Award winners as Canadian Interuniversity Sport female and male athletes of the year.
 
Official website: www.blg.com/blgawards
 
The recipients of the 20th annual BLG Awards were announced Monday night at the EPCOR Centre’s Jack Singer Concert Hall in Calgary. The awards show will premiere on TSN on Saturday, May 26, at 1:30 p.m. EDT.
 
All eight nominees – one female and one male from each of CIS’ four regional associations - received a commemorative gold ring, while Bettez and Dorion were also presented with a trophy and a $10,000 scholarship to attend a Canadian University graduate school.
 
The winners were selected by the Canadian Athletic Foundation, a not-for-profit Board established for the purpose of administering the BLG Awards and protecting the integrity of the selection process.
 
“On behalf of BLG and the Canadian Athletic Foundation trustees, I would like to congratulate Ann-Sophie Bettez and Marc-André Dorion, the winners of the 20th annual BLG Awards,” said Doug Mitchell, National Co-Chair of BLG. “The eight student-athletes who were nominated are all outstanding in their sport. I congratulate all the nominees for their great accomplishments.”
 
“Every year, all the nominees are so impressive and this year was no exception,” said Marg McGregor, chief executive officer of CIS. “CIS is very proud of all the finalists and we congratulate Ann-Sophie and Marc-André on winning these awards. I look forward to hearing great things about them in the years to come.”
 
A native of Sept-Iles, Que., Bettez took home the Jim Thompson Trophy, named after the late president of TSN and presented annually to the female BLG Award winner.
 
The other nominees were Tyson Beukeboom of Uxbridge, Ont., a rugby player from St. Francis Xavier University; Jacey Murphy of Alliston, Ont., a rugby player from the University of Guelph; and Robyn Pendleton of Victoria, a field hockey player from the University of British Columbia.
 
Dorion, who hails from St. Hubert, Que., received the Doug Mitchell Trophy, named in honour of the BLG Awards founder and Chair of the Canadian Athletic Foundation.
 
The other finalists were Andrew Clark of Brandon, Man., a hockey player from Acadia University; Kyle Quinlan of South Woodslee, Ont., a football player from McMaster University; and Ben Ball of Abbottsford, B.C., a volleyball player from Trinity Western University.
 
It marks the first time in history that the BLG Awards go to athletes from the same university, and the first time that two hockey players are honoured in the same year. The RSEQ regional association had swept the awards only once in the past, in 1999, when Concordia hockey player Corinne Swirsky and Sherbrooke track athlete Alexandre Marchand took home the trophies.
 
Dorion became the first-ever male winner from McGill, while two former Martlets, hockey player Kim St-Pierre (2003) and track and field star Linda Thyer (1995), had merited the Jim Thompson Trophy before Bettez.
 
Bettez was named CIS player of the year in women’s hockey this season after she finished second in RSEQ scoring with a 13-24-37 mark in 20 league games, before leading the Martlets to the Quebec conference title and a bronze medal at the CIS championship. The 5-foot-4 forward tallied 13 points, including six goals, in eight post-season contests.
 
A product of Dawson College, Bettez, who graduated last year with a bachelor of commerce degree and recently completed a public relations diploma, wrapped up one of the greatest careers in the history of CIS women’s hockey in 2011-12. A former CIS rookie of the year and a two-time conference scoring champion, she was selected an all-Canadian and a first-team RSEQ all-star each of her five campaigns, while helping McGill to five Quebec championships and as many CIS medals, including three national titles, one silver and one bronze. 
 
The 24-year-old is McGill’s all-time leader in goals (85), assists (87) and points (172) in 91 regular season matches and also owns the team’s overall records in all three categories with 148-175-323 in 196 career games. She has also enjoyed success on the international stage over the years. Back in 2009, she helped the Canadian under-22 squad capture gold at the MLP Nations Cup in Germany and then guided the national senior team to a silver-medal finish at the IIHF world championship in Finland. In 2011, she once again triumphed with the Maple Leaf jersey on her back, this time claiming gold with a group of CIS all-stars at the Winter Universiade in Turkey.
 
Dorion was named the top defenceman in CIS men’s hockey for the second time in three years and MVP of the OUA East Division after he led all CIS rearguards in scoring with a 7-32-39 mark in 28 league contests. The first blueliner in history to lead the Redmen in points, he then guided McGill to a third OUA banner in four seasons and its first-ever University Cup national title, earning all-tournament status at the CIS championship.
 
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior, who added 10 points in 10 playoff contests, excelled at both ends of the ice and was the cornerstone of a defensive unit that tied for first in the country during the regular schedule with only 62 goals allowed. Perhaps his most impressive statistic however was that he was assessed only four penalty minutes in 38 regular and post-season matches, a remarkable accomplishment for a defenceman.
 
Dorion, who graduated as the highest-scoring rearguard in school history with a 38-154-192 record in 174 games overall, ended his university career with three selections as a first-team all-Canadian. A veteran of five QMJHL seasons who received NHL tryouts with Dallas, Phoenix and Toronto over the years, he recently signed a two-year contract to play for EHC Linz, the reigning champions of the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, the top league in Austria.
 
The physical and health education student also excelled in the classroom at McGill. Last fall, he was honoured as a Top 8 Academic All-Canadian, out of over 10,000 CIS student-athletes.
 
BLG AWARD WINNERS:
 
2011-12: Ann-Sophie Bettez (McGill – hockey) / Marc-André Dorion (McGill - hockey)
2010-11: Jessica Clemençon (Windsor – basketball) / Tyson Hinz (Carleton – basketball)
2009-10: Liz Cordonier (UBC – volleyball) / Erik Glavic (Calgary – football)
2008-09: Annamay Pierse (UBC - swimming) / Joel Schmuland (Alberta - volleyball)
2007-08: Laetitia Tchoualack (Montreal - volleyball) / Rob Hennigar (UNB - hockey)
2006-07: Jessica Zelinka (Calgary - track & field) / Josh Howatson (Trinity Western - volleyball)
2005-06: Marylène Laplante (Laval - volleyball) / Osvaldo Jeanty (Carleton - basketball)
2004-05: Adrienne Power (Dalhousie - track & field) / Jesse Lumsden (McMaster - football)
2003-04: Joanna Niemczewska (Calgary - volleyball) / Adam Ens (Saskatchewan - volleyball)
2002-03: Kim St-Pierre (McGill - hockey) / Ryan McKenzie (Windsor - cross country & track)
2001-02: Elizabeth Warden (Toronto - swimming) / Brian Johns (UBC - swimming)
2000-01: Leighann Doan (Calgary - basketball) / Kojo Aidoo (McMaster - football)
1999-00: Jenny Cartmell (Alberta - volleyball) / Michael Potts (Western - soccer)
1998-99: Corinne Swirsky (Concordia - hockey) / Alexandre Marchand (Sherbrooke - track)
1997-98: Foy Williams (Toronto - track & field) / Titus Channer (McMaster - basketball)
1996-97: Terri-Lee Johannesson (Manitoba - basketball) / Curtis Myden (Calgary - swimming)
1995-96: Justine Ellison (Toronto - basketball) / Don Blair (Calgary - football)
1994-95: Linda Thyer (McGill - track & field) / Bill Kubas (Wilfrid Laurier - football)
1993-94: Sandra Carroll (Winnipeg - basketball) / Tim Tindale (Western - football)
1992-93: Diane Scott (Winnipeg - volleyball) / Andy Cameron (Calgary - volleyball)
 
About the BLG Awards
 
The BLG Awards were established in 1993 to recognize the top female and male athletes from universities affiliated with CIS. The Awards are based on athletic accomplishments, outstanding sportsmanship and leadership. Each of the 52 CIS schools selects one female and one male athlete of the year. From these nominees, one female and one male athlete are chosen within each of the four regional associations: Atlantic University Sport (AUS), Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA). To be eligible, a student-athlete must have competed in a CIS sport for a minimum of two years and cannot be a previous recipient of a BLG Award.
 
All nominees receive a commemorative gold ring and winners are presented with a trophy and a $10,000 scholarship to attend a Canadian university graduate school. Winners are selected by the Canadian Athletic Foundation, a not-for-profit board established for the purpose of administering the BLG Awards and protecting the integrity of the selection process. The CAF Board of Trustees consists of 21 members from five Canadian cities representing major corporations from across the country who are committed to ensuring that Canadian university athletes receive the recognition they deserve.

2011-2012 FEMALE BLG AWARD NOMINEES (Jim Thompson Trophy)

Atlantic University Sport (AUS)

Tyson Beukeboom
St. Francis Xavier University 
Sport: Rugby
Year of eligibility: 3
Academic program: Human Kinetics
Hometown: Uxbridge, Ont.

Tyson Beukeboom could have made it in any sport. Growing up, she excelled at basketball, volleyball, hockey and track and field. In high school, she picked up rugby, cross-country running and mountain biking. In her first season at StFX, in 2009-10, she suited up for the hockey and rugby teams, helping both reach the CIS championship.

It was in her second year in Antigonish, N.S., that Beukeboom chose to dedicate herself full-time to rugby. Something tells us it’s a decision she won’t regret.

Born in Edmonton, she moved to New York before her first birthday, then to Ontario at age 10. Playing rugby for the past seven years, Beukeboom quickly established herself as one of Canada’s top young talent in the sport. A former member of the under-17 and U19 Ontario provincial teams, she competed at the 2009 Nations Cup in England with the U20 Canadian squad. A team MVP in high school, she made a smooth transition to the university game and was voted Atlantic conference MVP and a CIS all-Canadian at the number 8 position each of the past two seasons. In three campaigns at StFX, the 21-year-old has led the X-Women to three AUS banners, a trio of CIS final appearances and a national title in 2010. 
  
“From the first day Tyson walked onto our campus, she has been the complete package,” StFX head coach Mike Cavanagh says about the human kinetics student, who led the AUS with 11 tries in six league games last fall, had three scores in an 82-5 non-conference rout of defending NCAA champion Army, and was named a CIS championship all-star. “Her knowledge and understanding of the game has made her an instant leader and go-to player.”

Who knows where Beukeboom got her athletic skills. It could be from her mother Sherri, a former high-performance track sprinter, or from her father Jeff, a four-time Stanley Cup winner in 14 NHL seasons. Her younger brother Brock, 20, was selected by Tampa Bay in the 2010 NHL Draft, while 14-year-old sibling Reid is a competitive swimmer. Her cousin Brett plays rugby at UVic and is shortlisted for the men’s national team.   

“Sports have really made me who I am. Being an athlete has instilled in me the traits of determination and ambition. My goal is to make the Canadian senior 15 and 7’s teams and I’m prepared to work hard to achieve it,” says Beukeboom, who was invited to the senior national 7’s squad ID camp in 2011.
 
Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ)

Ann-Sophie Bettez
McGill University
Sport: Hockey
Year of eligibility: 5
Academic program: Public Relations Diploma
Hometown: Sept-Iles, Que.

When he recruited Ann-Sophie Bettez out of Dawson College back in 2007, McGill head coach Peter Smith knew he was adding a special player to his roster for the next five seasons. But did he really know she was THAT good?

Bettez, a 5-foot-4 forward from Sept-Iles, Que., wrapped up her record-setting university career this winter with the highest individual honour in CIS women’s hockey, the Brodrick Trophy presented to the most outstanding player in the country. It was the latest of countless individual and team awards that the two-time conference MVP and scoring leader has received during her five campaigns with the Martlets, including CIS rookie of the year, five selections as a first-team Quebec all-star, five nods as a CIS all-Canadian (three on the first squad), five RSEQ championships and as many appearances at the CIS tournament, including three national titles, one silver and one bronze.

Prior to her arrival on the Montreal downtown campus, the Martlets had never claimed the CIS banner.

“She is a coach’s dream -- keeps it simple, plays an uncomplicated style of game and brings a great combination of skill and grit. She is the hardest workers on a team full of hard workers and I hold her work ethic up as the standard for the young players on our team to strive for,” says Smith, who served seven years with the national women’s program and was an assistant coach on the squad that won Olympic gold in 2010. “Her growth and development as a player, student and person has been incredible.”

In her fifth and final CIS season, Bettez, who graduated last year with a bachelor of commerce degree and his currently working towards a public relations diploma, finished second in RSEQ scoring with 37 points in 20 league games before adding 13 points in eight playoff contests. She is McGill’s all-time leader in goals (85), assists (87) and points (172) in 91 regular season matches and also owns the team’s overall records in all three categories with 148-175-323 in 196 career games.
   
The 24-year-old has also enjoyed success on the international stage over the years. Back in 2009, she helped the Canadian under-22 squad capture gold at the MLP Nations Cup in Germany and then guided the national senior team to a silver-medal finish at the IIHF world championship in Finland. In 2011, she once again triumphed with the Maple Leaf jersey on her back, this time claiming gold with a group of CIS all-stars at the Winter Universiade in Turkey.

Ontario University Athletics (OUA)

Jacey Murphy
University of Guelph
Sport: Rugby
Year of eligibility: 5
Academic program: Science (Organic Agriculture)
Hometown: Alliston, Ont.

To say that Jacey Murphy and the Guelph Gryphons dominated the 2011 CIS women’s rugby season would be a major understatement.

In her fifth and final university campaign, the 22-year-old number 8 player led the Ontario conference with 12 tries in five league games as the Gryphons outscored their opponents by a mind-boggling 453-8 margin. Guelph resumed its domination in the post-season, defeating six rivals by a combined 261-34 en route to its fourth consecutive OUA championship banner and the second CIS title in program history. The national champs were the highest-scoring and best defensive team in the country during their undefeated journey.

Murphy, a native of Alliston, Ont., saw her exceptional all-around play recognized by CIS coaches, who voted her as the most outstanding player in the country for the second straight year. She also earned all-Canadian status and was named a CIS championship all-star, receiving both honours for the third time. The science student helped the Gryphons reach the CIS podium in each of her five seasons with the team, including four bronze medals and last fall’s Monilex Trophy triumph.

“Jacey is an exceptional athlete. She is nothing less than a specimen of athleticism,” says Guelph head coach Colette McAuley. “She has been an offensive threat ever since she joined the Gryphons in 2007. Now, she is developing her leadership abilities and makes everyone around her better.”

Murphy has always made the most of those abilities. She has competed on the national and international rugby stage since the age of 16, often travelling overseas to play against the junior English and Welsh teams. Her most recent accomplishment is a selection to the national 7’s trial camp in preparation for the 2016 Olympic competition. 

“Athletics have always been a large part of my life and have helped me to become a more well-rounded individual,” says Murphy, a four-time OUA all-star whose father played football with the Gryphons and whose two older sisters suited up for Guelph’s lacrosse team. “Sports have taught me about leadership and how to work as a team. It has helped me become a goal oriented person and to strive to achieve these goals.”

In addition to rugby, the multi-talented Murphy also played basketball, volleyball, hockey and ball hockey all through high school.

Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA)

Robyn Pendleton
University of British Columbia
Sport: Field Hockey
Year of eligibility: 4
Academic program: Kinesiology
Hometown: Victoria, B.C.

Another year, another female BLG Award finalist for the UBC Thunderbirds.

Remarkably, Robyn Pendleton is the fourth T-Bird in as many years to be nominated for the Jim Thompson Trophy, presented to the women’s BLG Award winner. The all-star field hockey player follows in the footsteps of swimmer Annamay Pierse (2009 recipient) and volleyball players Liz Cordonier (2010 recipient) and Shanice Marcelle (2011).

It would have been hard for the Canada West selection committee to ignore Pendleton’s exploits during the last CIS season, when she returned to the UBC lineup after taking a one-year break from the university circuit to represent Canada at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India.

Because of several injuries to teammates, the kinesiology student was called on to play defence, midfield and forward during the regular schedule but still managed to score a team-leading six goals in 12 games - good for second place in the conference scoring race – helping UBC claim its ninth straight Canada West title. The Thunderbirds’ co-captain then netted a team-high four goals in five contests at the CIS championship – including two game-winners - to lead her troops to a record 13th McCrae Cup national title. 

For her efforts, Pendleton was named both CIS player of the year and MVP of the national championship. Those honours added to the impressive awards collection of the Victoria native, who started her university career at UVic in 2006, before transferring to UBC and suiting up for the T-Birds in 2008 and 2009. In four seasons, she has now claimed four CIS medals, including a pair of McCrae Cup titles, two CIS tournament-MVP awards and as many all-Canadian nods.

In addition to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Pendleton has competed for Canada at numerous international events over the years, including the 2005 Junior World Cup in Chile, a Chile-Argentina Tour with the senior national team in 2009, as well as the Senior World Cup qualifying tournament in San Diego in 2010. The 23-year-old is currently playing in her first professional season with Cercle Athlétique de Montrouge, France’s national champions in 2010.

“Robyn is highly determined and self motivated to be the best she can be. That is who she is,” says Hash Kanjee, who recently stepped down from his post as UBC head coach. “As her coach, I could always count on her to do the very best that she could in every game, for herself and for her teammates.”

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This season was highlighted by the women's basketball team capturing their first AUS championship since a Maritime title in 1951. The Axemen basketball team shocked university basketball fans with a championship game win over the CIS ranked #6 and first seeded StFX X-men. The football Axemen began the three title sweep in the fall with a convincing championship game win over the Saint Mary's Huskies after posting a 7-1 regular season record.

The Fred G. Kelly Awards evening was highlighted by the announced Male and Female Athletes of the Year.

Basketball's Emma Duinker (Cambridge, N.S.) was honoured for the second year in a row as the Jean Marsh Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year. Chosen by AUS tournament organizers as the Most Valuable Player of the AUS tournament, Duinker was the clear leader on a team that has achieved remarkable, record creating historical accomplishments this season.

Emma’s versatility – like her rise to become one of the best players in the AUS -- is subtle, and as much a tribute to incredible dedication and work ethic.  She is among the leaders in virtually every statistical category this past season and became Acadia's all-time scoring leader with 1328 career points over her five years with the Axewomen basketball team.

Named as an AUS first team All-Star and only the second women's basketball player to be honoured as a CIS All-Canadian, Emma led the Axewomen in scoring with a 16.7 points per game average, good enough for fifth overall in the AUS scoring race. Emma also led the Axewomen in rebounding and was fifth overall in the AUS with 7.6 rebounds per game average. Emma was also the Axewomen's top perimeter threat with a 43.6 field goal percentage from the three point field line and was second in the AUS in three point shots made with 51 in 20 games.

The Athenaeum Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year was a more difficult choice with two outstanding individuals who captured the top honour as the MVP of their respective sport, but it was Hockey's Andrew Clark (Brandon, Man.) who was chosen over football's Kyle Graves.

Clark, who was named the AUS and CIS men's hockey Most Valuable Player, capped his third season at Acadia with the AUHC scoring title.

Thanks to 15 goals and 24 assists for 39 points in 28 games, Clark edged UPEI’s Matt Carter by a single point in the conference race. Named an All-Canadian for the first time in his career, the five-foot-10, 180-pound forward tied for the league lead with four game-winning goals, led the conference with 129 shots and was an important part of Acadia’s power play and penalty kill units, scoring four times with the man advantage and twice shorthanded. He helped the Axemen finish second in the AUS in penalty killing and third in power play efficiency.

In three seasons of university hockey, the kinesiology student has amassed an impressive 99 points in 83 league contests. Prior to joining the Axemen, Clark spent four campaigns with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League, recording 40 goals and 78 points in 72 games in his final major junior season in 2008-09.

The recipients of the Outstanding First Year Athlete of the Year awards were Basketball's Sean Stoqua (Ottawa, Ont.) and Rugby's Deidre Rees (St. John's, Nfld.)

A dual sport athlete, Sean Stoqua excelled this season as a basketball Axeman. Having the unique distinction of winning two AUS Championships, the first with the football team and then followed by an AUS basketball championship, Sean became the starting point guard in the Axemen basketball team’s run for an AUS championship and their fourth appearance in the last six seasons at the CIS Final 8 Championship.

Essentially quarterbacking the offence on the Axemen basketball team, Stoqua finished fourth in team scoring with an 11.7 points per game average and led the AUS in three point shot percentage and was tenth overall in assists. For his first year efforts, Sean was named to the AUS All-Rookie team.

Rees, named the AUS women’s rugby conference Rookie of the Year, is an exceptionally talented rugby player who has unparalleled commitment to training and fitness and her physical preparation for games positioned her as a dominant force in our back-field.

Leading the Axewomen with 37 points that included seven trys and one conversion in six games, Deidre improved defensively as the season progressed, turning out to be a balanced and one of the most explosive players in the AUS.

The Roger Prentice Citizen Award honoured two Acadia students for their work beyond their sport. Soccer's Cathleen Bleakney (Port Williams, N.S.) and Basketball's Tom Filgiano (Markham, Ont.) both were AUS winners for Community Service in their respective sports.

With a perfect 4.0 Sessional GPA, Filgiano spends his time in the library, the classroom and as a Technical Assistant for Biomechanics, while maintaining an extensive community volunteer regime along with his leadership on the court as a start on and off this season.

A member of the Acadia Players Association and a volunteer with S.M.I.L.E. for the last two years, Filgiano is the first to donate his time to community, team and department initiatives including raising awareness and money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation; Swish for the Cure Charity basketball game; 'Movember'; and as a volunteer in the Wheels-2-Play Charity basketball game.

Tom also donated countless hours to various Acadia Minor Basketball clinics and has been a volunteer coach with the AMB. He recently also joined several key Acadia athletes in a visit to West Hants School in a presentation and promotion of Literacy Week. Tom was named as the AUS Nominee for the CIS Ken Sheilds Award this year.

Bleakney, a graduating soccer Axewoman and an Academic All-Canadian, volunteers with countless organizations and causes in the community and on campus, including at Camp Brigadoon for kids and youth living with chronic illness; at Port Williams Elementary school, where she teaches a young girl how to read; with Breakthrough Athletics, meeting once a week with a local kid;  as a co-organizer of the Acadia Athletics Axe on Hunger food drive;  at the annual Teddy Bear Toss in support of Chrysalis House;  as a counselor with the SMILE program; as a race marshall at the Run for the Cure event with her Axewomen teammates; as a team guide at the Hannah Miller memorial hockey tournament; as well as a monitor at Acadia soccer and hockey camps in the summer.

Her greatest passion has been her involvement over the years in the Nova Scotia Para Track team. Cathleen was honoured this past season as the CIS women’s soccer Community Service Award recipient.

Team Award

WOLFVILLE, NS - The first half of Acadia University’s 2011-12 Athletics program wrapped up Friday, Dec. 2 at Acadia Arena when the varsity hockey Axemen hosted the St. Mary’s Huskies at 7 p.m. But a quick look at the fall term suggests there has been plenty to celebrate already.

Four of Acadia’s 10 varsity teams were ranked in the CIS top 10 during the fall term: football; rugby; hockey; and women’s basketball. That’s 40 per cent and pretty solid, according to Director of Athletics Kevin Dickie.

In terms of profile, adds Dickie, “it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the fight in the dog. I believe that Acadia has some magic to it that you can’t find anywhere else in the country and I think this part of it proves that we can be a national player.”

In athletics and right across the institution there is an unflagging determination to be the best. “Most critical, from a sports perspective, is winning the right way,” Dickie says. “Not compromising the integrity of the classroom, doing good things in the community and turning out well-rounded people."

Three pillars help to define excellence in the Athletics program:

• Academics
• Community
• Sport

“It all fits with our core values at Acadia,” Dickie notes. “Along with being outstanding in the sports arena, we are striving also to pursue excellence academically and produce good people in the community.” The 10 teams are part of one program, one brand and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Individual and team achievement are important benchmarks. This fall, the Axemen football team nabbed the AUS championship, was a national semi-finalist, and head coach Jeff Cummins was named CIS Coach-of-the-Year. “It brought so much positivity to our campus and our alumni,” Dickie said, “and I’m not sure that anything galvanizes alumni at times like success in athletics.

“Our student-athletes have a commitment to attempt to create something that’s bigger than our program. We have an obligation to be the best we can be for the university and the people who have come before us. That being said, we also have to keep getting better as a program and keep improving,” he added.

Richly rewarding

The fall term, from a team perspective, was richly rewarding. The rugby squad competed for the AUS title against defending national champions and eventual CIS silver medalist St. F.X.

The women’s cross-country team made an appearance in Maclean’s magazine’s 21^st annual University Rankings edition, which identified Acadia as a top undergraduate school in the country and marked the 19^th time that Acadia has placed in the top three.

“It goes to show,” Dickie suggested, “that it’s not just about winning on the track; it’s winning in the classroom, too.”

He says each student-athlete at Acadia devotes approximately 45 hours to class and class-related activities and at least another 20 hours a week to their respective sports: breaking down video, practices, games, strength and conditioning and community involvement. “Sixty-five hours each week of their time is devoted to the University and the community,” Dickie says. “It’s a big commitment and really a story in itself.”

The discipline required to meet such diverse commitments is there, however, evidenced in the fact that Acadia had 85 academic All-Canadians in 2010-11. To be named an academic All-Canadian, a student-athlete must maintain an 80 per cent or higher grade point average.

“That put us number nine in the country in terms of total numbers,” Dickie says, “but if you look at the comparative group in the top 10, it’s not even close in terms of size of school or athletic programs. When we did the math – 85 relative to the number of student-athletes we have – we were clearly number one in the country out of that top 10 group.”

Other marquee accomplishments included Owen Klassen in men’s basketball and Cummins, Jake Thomas and Tom Labenski in football representing Canada at world championships in their respective sports this summer.

Solid example

A significant number of student-athletes received AUS and CIS individual recognition as well, “but if you really want to exemplify what being a student-athlete is all about at Acadia,” Dickie observed, “look at Cathleen Bleakney.”

Bleakney, co-captain of the Axewomen soccer team, was honoured as the CIS Women’s Soccer Community Service Award recipient. It’s given annually to a Canadian university soccer student-athlete who best combines athletic ability, academic excellence and community service.

“She represents everything you would hope for in a student-athlete,” Dickie said. “A great athlete, really good in the classroom, and selfless for what she does in the community.”

An Academic All-Canadian, Bleakney volunteers with organizations and causes in the community and on campus, including at Camp Brigadoon for kids and youth living with chronic illness; at Port Williams School, where she teaches a young girl how to read; with Acadia’s Sensory Motor Instructional Leadership Experience (SMILE) program; and as a race marshal at the Run for the Cure event with her Acadia teammates to name only a few.

The Athletics Department also reached out to constituents this fall with a survey that wrapped up Dec. 2. Response was tremendous and Dickie stressed the importance of staying connected and capturing feedback from Acadia’s many fans, alumni and patrons.

A good example of community connection was the opening this fall of a new Fitness Centre in the former Auxiliary Gym at the Arena Complex. In the first three months of operation, September to November, “our fitness facility is up by over 2,500 visits compared to the same time last year,” Dickie notes. The Centre has become a campus and community focal point that underscores the Athletic department’s efforts to stay connected.

“Right now, we’ve got a lot of positive energy and a lot of momentum that has built throughout the fall term. I couldn’t be more impressed with our phenomenal group of coaches and staff and with what our student-athletes have accomplished in this first half. For me now, we have to continue to pursue excellence and strive to be the best we can be.” Full steam ahead.

For additional information on Acadia Athletics, visit www.acadiaathletics.ca

Fourth year Striker Jonathan Hammond was named as an AUS Second Team All-Star while women's Andrea Murphy was named to the Second Team All-Star squad as a defender.  Senior Cathleen Bleakney was honoured as the AUS representative for the CIS Community Service Award.

Men's All-Star and Major Award Winners

Women's All-Star and Major Award Winners

The #3 ranking of the Hockey Axemen is the highest since a pre-season ranking in 2008 of third overall. The last time both teams were ranked at the same time was during the 2005-06 season where the football Axemen were ranked tenth in the last week of the football season while the hockey Axemen were fifth in the CIS Top Ten.

Football head coach Jeff Cummins doesn't put much thought into a Top Ten release. "There are a lot of good teams out there that deserve a Top Ten ranking who do not appear on this week's list. I don't know if a Top Ten can really give a clear picture of caliber that exists in the CIS. We will accept the compliment, but it does not deter us from our agenda of getting better".

The football Axemen complete the regular season with their last game on the road in Antigonish, NS on Saturday as they take on the 2-5 StFX X-Men. A win against StFX will give the football Axemen a 7-1 record – the best since 1986 when Acadia posted a 7-0 record.

The hockey Axemen will head to UNB for a matchup against the CIS #1 ranked Varsity Reds on Friday.

The bus wrap images were selected to best represent Acadia's sport programs and the great spirit of our diverse, 3,000-student community. The creative process included several on-campus departments collaborating to select the right images to strengthen Acadia's institutional brand awareness.

Comments have ranged from "Wow" to "Unbelievable”.

The University funded the project through existing operating budgets by simply redirecting expenditures on low return advertising initiatives to a high profile project that has already generated immediate returns through positive comments about Acadia in a highly competitive marketplace.

For our varsity athletes...it's all about the pride they feel riding on ‘their bus’ when visiting opponents’ campuses. The Women's rugby team were the first to use the bus last weekend when they claimed a victory against St. Mary’s and the Hockey Axemen will travel to Dalhousie tonight and then off to New York and Connecticut for games against RPI and Quinnipiac.

“The numbers don’t lie,” says Acadia Athletic Director Kevin Dickie. “Unfortunately cancer has touched all our lives in some way or another and Acadia athletics is committed to help fight this awful disease.”

As such, Acadia varsity sports have no less than three cancer fundraisers this year.

The first event is Movember, an annual, month-long celebration of the moustache, highlighting men’s health issues - specifically prostate cancer.  Male varsity athletes will grow ‘soup strainers’ and ask fans to show their support by filling a donation jar at every home game during November.

Last year, Movember efforts nation-wide raised $22.3 million.
While Movember is generally the domain of hockey and footballers, hoopsters do their parts to fight cancer in January with the annual Shoot for a Cure.

The men’s and women’s basketball teams face Dalhousie with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation - and other related cancer charities - the beneficiary.  Acadia will be ‘in the pink’, with the gymnasium decorated with pink balloons and players donning pink warm-up t-shirts. Acadia plans to donate $1 dollar from every admission ticket sold. Additionally, tickets will be sold on a 50/50 draw and on a basket of goodies. Launched in 2007-08, the initiative has raised over $390,000 coast-to-coast.

Hockey players return to the fight against cancer on February 3rd and will hit the ice in pink jerseys. The Axemen put their traditional white, red and blue duds aside during warm-ups in favour of pink togs that will be auctioned off. A portion of the proceeds from 50/50 tickets will also be thrown in the pot and directed to cancer charities.
Acadia Department of Varsity Athletes isproud of their present effort in fundraising for these extremely important causes and have devoted their department Nissan Cube as billboard of their devotion. The vehicle is wrapped in a pinkish hue of red with the motto “Pink with a Purpose”, outlining this year’s fundraising events.

The Dinos, who completed the Canada West Conference season as finalist against the University of Alberta, made their first appearance at the CIS University Cup men’s hockey championship in more than a decade this past season.

Calgary will make several stops in the Atlantic region including Acadia and head coach Darren Burns is excited about the late addition to the exhibition season. “We are very excited to have a team like Calgary coming here to play. It will be an excellent test for our team to begin the season”.

The game was added in the later part of August since the Dinos had planned to tour the region and new Director of Athletics at Acadia, Kevin Dickie, was ecstatic with the decision to include Calgary in the Axemen’s exhibition schedule lineup. “The University of Calgary is a perennial high-end Canada West program, that last season competed in the CIS National Championship. Our team and fans are fortunate to have them kick off our season at the Acadia Arena”.

The Axemen open up the regular season on Friday, October 14 against the Universite de Moncton, but prior to the regular season exhibition play continues with games against Moncton (Sept. 23), St. Thomas (Sept. 24), Dalhousie (Sept. 28), Saint Mary’s (Oct. 8) and two games on the road south of the border against RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – Troy, NY) and Quinnipiac University (Hamden, CT) on the October 1st weekend.

"Acadia is pleased to welcome Kevin Dickie back to campus and to a varsity athletics program that is gaining positive momentum," said Darrell Youden, Acadia's Vice-President of Finance and Administration. "The University of New Brunswick, under Kevin's leadership, has established an enviable reputation for sustained student athlete success both on and off the field. Kevin has considerable experience both as a coach and administrator at all levels of competition that will serve him well at Acadia. He knows our conference well, understands the Canadian varsity sports environment and, most importantly, respects Acadia's proud tradition of combining athletic and academic achievement."

Mr. Dickie earned his Bachelor of Education from the University of Saskatchewan and holds a Level IV C.H.A./N.C.C.P. Coaching Certification Master Coach designation. In addition to his experience at UNB and Acadia, Mr. Dickie was Head Coach of the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League between 2000 and 2004. He was an Assistant Coach with Canada's World Junior Team in 2000-2001 and with Canada's Under 18 National Team in 2000.

"I'll always appreciate the opportunity UNB gave me six years ago, but I'm really looking forward to taking my skills and experience to Acadia," said Dickie. "The commitment Acadia's senior leadership team has shown to make me a part of the Acadia family is a wonderful opportunity for me as well as Cindy and our two boys. We're looking forward to coming to Acadia and back to the Valley. Acadia is headed in a very positive direction and it's going to be exciting to be part of it."

Acadia Athletics has a tradition of excellence that includes 27 regional and 10 national championships during the past 30 years. Award-winning coaching and support staff work in an environment that emphasizes both academic and athletic success. Last year, 72 Acadia student athletes were named Academic All-Canadians by Canadian Interuniversity Sport, representing better than one out of every four of the University's 225 varsity athletes. Acadia's alumni are among the most dedicated and supportive in Canada, having helped Acadia complete a $1.7 million renovation of historic Raymond Field in 2008. This commitment to performance, both inside and outside the classroom, positions Acadia Athletics for an exciting and rewarding future.

About Acadia
Acadia University, in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, has long been recognized as one of Canada's premier post-secondary institutions. With its nationally and internationally recognized undergraduate and graduate research initiatives, small classes and technology-rich teaching and learning environment, Acadia offers students an experience that includes academic achievement combined with personal growth and development. Acadia also offers distance learning, certificate programs, language training and other university extension programs through Open Acadia. For more information about Acadia University, visit our website at www.acadiau.ca.