X-Men basketball forward Kevin Bercy named to Team Canada for Summer Universiade

ANTIGONISH, NS ­– StFX X-Men basketball forward Kevin Bercy has been named to the national Canadian squad that will compete in the Summer Universiade in Chinese Taipei.

The 29th FISU Summer Games will be held August 19-30, 2017 and Bercy will be part of a 12-person team made up of all-star athletes from across all U SPORTS university teams. He is one of three AUS athletes named to squad coached by UBC's head coach Kevin Hanson.

Bercy, a native of Kanata, Ont., comments, "Being part of the FISU team and representing my country has been one of my main goals since I came to StFX. This is a dream come true, and hard work has finally paid off."

Veteran X-Men basketball head coach Steve Konchalski echoes Kevin's comments, stating, "It is inspiring to see all of Kevin's hard work pay off with his selection to Canada's FISU Games team. He has battled back from two major injuries early in his career to earn the AUS most valuable player award, be selected as a first-team all-Canadian, and now will experience the honour of representing his country on the international stage.

I am extremely proud of what he has accomplished."

The 6'7, 225 pound forward recently wrapped up his fourth season with the X-Men, enjoying his most successful campaign to date. The 2017 AUS most valuable player, he averaged a double-double this season with a team-high 19.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Bercy led the nation in defensive rebounding with an average of 8.3 per game and finished second in the country in overall rebounding with 11.3 per game. In addition, his field goal percentage of 59.4 was the best in the AUS and he received the prestigious honor of being named a U SPORTS first team all-Canadian.

The Summer Universiade is a 12-day multi-sport event hosted by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). An international sporting and cultural event, and the only summer multi-sport event in the world that connects students at both academic and athletic levels, it is staged every two years in a different city, second only is size to the Olympic Games. Participation is open to any competitor between the ages of 17 and 28 in the year of the Games, who is a full-time post-secondary student or has graduated from a post-secondary institution within the previous year of the event. More than 9,000 student-athletes and officials from over 170 countries will compete in 14 compulsory sports and up to three optional sports.

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The release from U SPORTS follows

2017 FISU Summer Universiade: Rosters announced for four U SPORTS-managed teams

TORONTO (U SPORTS) – U SPORTS announced Thursday the rosters for the men's and women's soccer, men's volleyball and men's basketball teams set to represent Canada at the 2017 Summer Universiade in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei.

A total of 76 athletes will don the red and white this August on one of five teams being exclusively managed in-house by U SPORTS. All remaining Canadian teams heading to the 29th FISU Summer Games are being run by their respective National Sport Organizations (NSOs), including artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, athletics, badminton, women's basketball, diving, fencing, golf, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, men's and women's water polo, weightlifting and wushu.

The 2017 Summer Universiade is set for Aug. 19-30 in Taipei City. The full rosters and players to watch for men's soccer, women's soccer, men's basketball and men's volleyball are available below. The women's volleyball team managed by U SPORTS, as well as the rest of the Canadian delegation, including all teams managed by Canadian NSOs, will be announced later this summer.

* Denotes key players to watch