Academic All-Canadians

StFX Athletics honors record-high 106 Academic All-Canadians

(January, 2026)

Antigonish, NS—The STFX Department of Athletics honored its 2024-25 U SPORTS Academic All-Canadians Tuesday morning at their annual celebratory breakfast. This year there were a record-high 106 Academic All-Canadians, those student-athletes who have achieved an 80% average or above while consuming a year of eligibility competing for a varsity team.

"Celebrating a long standing tradition of excellence in the classroom is an important highlight for all of us at STFX Athletics and we are very proud to have the highest number of Academic All-Canadians ever this year," comments STFX Director of Athletics & Recreation Leo MacPherson. "Receiving this distinction is an impressive achievement given the dedication and commitment to their respective sports and requirement to manage multiple priorities as student-athletes." 

The 106 total included 36 male and 70 female student-athletes. The X-Women Soccer team had the highest percentage of any STFX team with 88% of their team members earning the distinction. The X-Men Cross Country/Track team had 80% of their team named as Academic All-Canadians.

There were 50 first-time Academic All-Canadians, 34 student-athletes who received the honor for the second time in their career, and 11 who were three-time Academic All-Canadians. Nine student-athletes earned the distinction of being a U SPORTS Academic All-Canadians for four years, while X-Women Cross Country/Track runner Eileen Benoit was an impressive five-time Academic All-Canadian, and X-Women Soccer goalkeeper Christina Gentile earned the honour for the rare sixth time.

The Athletic Director's awards for academic achievement, presented to the top STFX male and female academic student-athletes were Zoe Power from the X-Women Soccer team and Rogan Betts from the X-Men Basketball team.  

The 2024-25 Academic All-Canadians were honored at a celebratory breakfast at the McKenna Centre where they received a certificate from U SPORTS along with a gift from the Department of Athletics for all the first time award winners. All student-athletes were encouraged to invite a faculty member to accompany them to the breakfast.

PAST STFX U SPORTS ACADEMIC ALL-CANADIANS