A great ol’ college try for student-athletes

27 earn national scholar honours for averaging at least 80 per cent in classes at Niagara College

COVID-19 cancelled competition in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association in 2020-21.

However, while the pandemic prevented student-athletes from hitting the court or the pitch for their varsity teams, it didn’t keep them from hitting the books.

At Niagara College, 27 student-athletes have each received a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) National Scholar Award.

Michele O’Keefe, Niagara’s associate director of athletics and recreation, gave this year’s national scholars high marks for resiliency given the uncertainty of the times.

“We are always proud of the commitment shown by our Knights student-athletes and in such uncertain times this is an extra-strong demonstration of their strength,” O’Keefe said.

Recognizing outstanding academic achievement, the awards are presented annually to student-athletes who make the honour roll at their respective colleges.

At the region’s community college, student-athletes need to average at least 80 per cent in their academic courses.

In all, student-athletes on six Knights teams made the grade last season, including five each from the men’s and women’s volleyball programs, as well as the men’s basketball and women’s soccer teams.

Women’s basketball netted four spots on the honour roll; men’s soccer had three.

Following, in alphabetical order, are the 2020-21 CCAA National Scholar Award winners from Niagara College:

Basketball, men’s: Rahim Bardi, Connor Joliffe, Kennan Larmand, Reese Radobenko and Johnnie Richardson.

Basketball, women’s: Jessica Bosma, Elizabeth DeBoer, Veronika George-Brown and Jessica Maliksi.

Soccer, men’s: Simon Silverio, Elvis Umana and Fabian Vargas Murcia.

Soccer, women’s: Julianne Buist, Hailey Gawel, Madison Harley, Katelyn Mix and Megan Morgado.

Volleyball, men’s: Nicholas Buckbrough, Tiernan Currie, Kyle Thiessen, Carter Thurman and Robert Zalewski.

Volleyball, women’s: Kendra Adams, Lauren Alguire, Alexis Barclay, Anica Haberstock and Kristen Oudman.

Buckborough, Haberstock and Zalewski earned academic honours for the third year in a row. Ten studentathletes at the college made the honour roll for the second time in as many years.

Joliffe and Haberstock both earned the President’s Award for finishing the academic year with the highest grade point averages. Joliffe, a graduate of Welland Centennial Secondary School, averaged 95 per cent in his final year in sport management, while Haberstock, from Vernon Christian High School in Vernon, B.C., averaged 98 per cent before graduating from Niagara’s educational assistant program.