OTTAWA (CIS) – Canadian Interuniversity Sport proudly announced Friday the student-athletes honoured as Top Eight Academic All-Canadians for the 2011-2012 season - including Dinos women's hockey star Hayley Wickenheiser for the second straight year.

Every year, a growing number of CIS student-athletes are recognized as Academic All-Canadians, having maintained an average of 80 per cent or better over the academic year while competing for one - or more - of their university's varsity teams.

In 2011-2012, a record 2,610 students achieved the prestigious status, eclipsing the previous mark of 2,398 set a year ago.

Five CIS universities had over 100 Academic All-Canadians last year, including Laval (126), Alberta (124), Western (118), Waterloo (113) and Queen's (102). Rounding out the national top 10 were Manitoba (98), Calgary (95), Dalhousie (95), McGill (85) and Saskatchewan (81).

Full list of the Dinos' 2011-12 Academic All-Canadians

Among these outstanding individuals, one female and one male student-athlete from each of the four CIS regional associations are selected annually as Top Eight Academic All-Canadians.

The 2011-2012 recipients from Atlantic University Sport are hockey player Miranda McMillan (mathematics) and track and field athlete Nathan Musoke (mathematics & physics), both from Dalhousie.

Representing the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec are Laval rugby player Marie-Pier Pinault-Reid (medicine) and McGill hockey player Marc-André Dorion (physical and health education).

The winners from Ontario University Athletics are Windsor track and field star Nicole Sassine (kinesiology and education), as well as Toronto soccer player Darragh McGee (doctorate of philosophy).

From the Canada West Universities Athletic Association, this year's recipients are hockey players Hayley Wickenheiser from Calgary (kinesiology) and Kyle Ross from Saskatchewan (law).

Dorion, Wickenheiser and Ross are all honoured for the second time. Dorion and Wickenheiser were members of the select group a year ago, while Ross had received the distinction for the first time in 2008-2009 while studying at the University of Regina.  

“We are extremely proud of the high number of student-athletes who achieve CIS Academic All-Canadian status across the country. It speaks volumes about the quality of our students, coaches, support staff and Canadian universities,” said CIS president Leo MacPherson. “The Top Eight recipients represent the cream of the crop, and to be selected among over 10,000 of their peers is an exceptional accomplishment they should be proud of.”   

CANADA WEST UNIVERSITIES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (CWUAA)

Name: Hayley Wickenheiser
Hometown: Shaunavon, Sask.
School: University of Calgary
Faculty: Kinesiology
Program: Kinesiology (General)
Sport: Hockey
Eligibility in 2011-12: 2nd year

Canadian hockey icon Hayley Wickenheiser was once again dominant in 2011-12 in her second season with the Calgary Dinos, following up on a successful rookie campaign that saw her claim CIS player-of-the-year honours. Last season, the all-world forward was again named an all-Canadian after racking up 32 points in only 16 conference games and then guided the Dinos to the Canada West banner and the first national title in program history. The seven-time world champion and three-time Olympic gold medallist was voted MVP of the CIS championship final following a two-goal, two-assist performance in a 5-1 win over Montreal.  

The native of Shaunavon, Sask., who resumed her studies in 2010-11 after a 10-year absence from school, maintained a 3.96 grade point average (out of 4.00) last year in the Faculty of Kinesiology to earn Academic All-Canadian status for the second time. She received the University of Calgary – Calgary Booster Club Scholar-Athlete Award, and was named Capital One Academic All-America college division at large female player of the year.

Through her Wickenheiser Foundation, she supports organizations such as KidSport, Right to Play, Dreams Take Flight, Clean Air Champions, and Spread the Net. She contributed to the World Hockey Summit in 2010 as a keynote speaker and hosted the inaugural Wickenheiser International Women's Hockey Festival in November 2010 in Burnaby, B.C. Named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2011 “for her achievements as an athlete and for her contributions to the growth of women's hockey”, Wickenheiser was in Ghana at the time, working as an athlete ambassador for Right to Play.

-CIS-