Tigers’ graduate Cole Grbavac honoured as CIS Top 8 Academic All-Canadian
(Photo Credit: Sgt Ronald Duchesne)
Wednesday November 18, 2015
OTTAWA (CIS) – The Canadian Interuniversity Sport student-athletes announced last month (Oct. 21) as Top Eight Academic All-Canadians for the 2014-2015 season were honoured in Ottawa on Monday morning.
His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, presented the third Governor General’s Academic All-Canadian Commendation to the eight recipients, during a ceremony at Rideau Hall, his official residence.
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 2014-15, a record 3,107 students achieved the prestigious status, eclipsing the previous mark of 2,861 set a year ago.
Among these outstanding individuals, one female and one male student-athlete from each of the four CIS regional associations are selected annually to make up the Top Eight including Canadian Hockey League alumnus Cole Grbavac.
“The record number of Academic All-Canadians speaks volume about the quality of our student-athletes, but also our coaches, support staff and our universities,” said Graham Brown, chief executive officer of CIS. “To be selected among 12,000 of their peers is an achievement these exceptional student-athletes should be extremely proud of. They represent the very best of what university sport is all about.”
Name: Cole Grbavac
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.
School: St. Francis Xavier University
Faculty: Business Administration
Program: Accounting (minor in Economics)
Sport: Hockey
Eligibility in 2014-15: 3rd year
Born and raised in Calgary, Cole Grbavac played his junior hockey in the WHL with the Kamloops Blazers and Medicine Hat Tigers, where he was team captain in his final year. After moving out East to join the X-Men in the fall of 2012, the 6-foot-2 forward was named an assistant captain in his third season and went on to contribute 14 points in 24 conference games, before competing at the University Cup national championship in Halifax.
In the classroom, Grbavac has maintained the highest academic average amongst all StFX student-athletes (male or female) in each of his first three years on campus, including an exceptional 95.8% mark in 2014-15 that ranked first amongst the school’s 159 third-year business students. A three-time CIS Academic All-Canadian and member of the Dean’s List, the 24-year-old has received numerous academic awards since he arrived in Antigonish, N.S., including the Danny Gallivan Memorial Scholarship, StFX Athletics’ most prestigious scholarship honouring excellence in academics, athletics and community involvement.
Grbavac’s volunteer work in the community and on campus is also second to none. In 2014-15 alone, he was a member of the Schwartz School of Business Society, vice president of SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Council), coached with the Antigonish Minor Hockey Mentorship Program, graduated from the StFX Leadership Academy, and was a tutor for X-Men hockey teammates and other StFX students.
“Cole has been an outstanding member of our hockey program. He exemplifies what a student-athlete should aspire to be,” said X-Men head coach Brad Peddle. “His work ethic both on the ice and in the classroom has made him a leader on our team, and he has shown a tremendous ability to balance academics, athletics and community service throughout his years at StFX.”
About Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada. Every year, over 12,000 student-athletes and 700 coaches from 56 universities and four regional associations vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. CIS also provides high performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous world university championships. For further information, visit www.cis-sic.ca or follow us on:
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