April 9, 2009 - 8:55am
Vancouver Island University student athletes have proven once again they are serious about their performance on and off the court.
A grand total of 48 student athletes made this year’s academic excellence list in the second term, achieving a B-plus average or higher. “Amazingly they broke our previous record,” said Bruce Hunter, Director of Athletics. “We had 41 athletes who achieved academic excellence last season, but now we’re at 48 for the 2009 year. It keeps getting better.”
With 110 student athletes participating on VIU Mariner teams, that’s almost 50 percent of the total roster achieving academic excellence.
“This proves that our student athletes are serious about their academic and athletic performances,” said Hunter. “The old stereotype of the dumb jock may still exist, but definitely doesn’t apply to student athletes at VIU.”
The Women's basketball teamand Women's soccer team shared the top overall Grade Point Average (GPA) honours for a team, scoring a B-plus average grade overall.
Patrick McCarthy achieved the highest GPA of all the Mariners in the fall term.
McCarthy and other student athletes were recognized at the 29th Annual VIU Mariner Athletics Awards and Hall of fame dinner on April 6. Four VIU Mariners were named Canadian Colleges’ Athletic Association ‘Academic All-Canadians’ and 15 VIU Mariners received British Columbia Colleges’ Athletic Association ‘(BCCAA) Academic Excellence’ awards, more than any other institution in the league.
At the awards banquet, VIU President Ralph Nilson praised the athletes. “The fact that VIU has 48 student athletes on the academic excellence list is truly outstanding,” said Nilson. “It shows that our students take their studies very seriously. These are amazing, well rounded individuals and we’re very proud of their achievements.”
Meanwhile, eight students who play on Mariner teams are ‘Presidential Scholar Athletes’. They had to achieve an A-average during grade 11, and must maintain a minimum 7.0 GPA while attending university. If they do, their annual scholarship is renewable up to a maximum of five years.
“It’s the first time we’ve had this program in place at VIU,” said Hunter. “It’s great for student athletes. There’s not another school in BC that I know who offers this kind of incentive to attract top student-athletes.”
Hunter said Mariner coaches always stress that the athletes are “students first.”
VIU also recently received the BCCAA award for having the Top Athletics program in the Province.
Mariner teams have won the aggregate award for the past three years in a row. “It shows all of our teams are doing well,” said Hunter.
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