MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – The data is in, confirming what a banner year it was academically for Griffins student-athletes in 2019-20.
As previously announced here, 55 MacEwan student-athletes were honoured with U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian awards – the highest number of Griffins to achieve the feat in a season since the institution joined Canada West in 2014 (topping 49 in 2014-15).
MacEwan's 55 AAC awards represent 38.5 per cent of the institution's Canada West student-athlete body, which was the third-highest percentage in the Canada West conference for the 2019-20 season, trailing only Mount Royal University (44.7) and Calgary (39.4).
MacEwan also finished with the 17th-best percentage in U SPORTS out of 56 member institutions.
If you also consider the additional 43 Griffins who captured Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference Academic Scholar Athletes awards, MacEwan's overall percentage of student-athletes meeting a minimum 3.3 GPA to win the honours rises to 41 per cent.
"Were really proud of our student-athletes for this achievement," said MacEwan Director of Athletics Ken Schildroth. "Credit goes to the student-athletes, their commitment to the three pillars of being a Griffin – academics, athletics and community service – and to their coaches and the university for creating an environment where academic success can be achieved."
Across U SPORTS, 33.7 per cent (4,906 total student-athletes) won Academic All Canadian honours, representing a 22.7 per cent increase over 2018-19 – the highest single-year growth over one season in the 32-year history of the program.
"We are extremely proud of our student-athletes for their overwhelming academic success during the 2019-20 season," said Interim U SPORTS CEO Dick White. "Faced with immense challenges, this year's class of Academic All-Canadians adapted remarkably to altered COVID-19 learning environments, demonstrating their leadership in the classroom and in their respective communities."
To date, Griffins student-athletes have won 265 USPORTS/CIS Academic All Canadian awards over the past six seasons.
