At a special ceremony held on Thursday, November 22, Trent University recognized sixty-nine student athletes as Academic All-Canadians (AAC), the highest number in Trent’s history.

The annual awards event, which is hosted by Trent’s Department of Athletics and Recreation, honours students who participate in varsity sports and achieve an academic average of 80 per cent or higher.

Trent University President Bonnie Patterson offered congratulations to the Academic All-Canadians, saying: “We are very proud of our student athletes who make a strong impact in their sport, as well as in the classroom. At Trent we strive to create a balanced environment for all students, helping them to excel in all areas. Our Academic All-Canadians provide a perfect example of how excellence in academics and athletics can be achieved.”

Director of Athletics, Bill Byrick, echoed the congratulations, saying: "We are very proud of our varsity program and the results our student athletes have achieved both in and out of competition. In this day and age, in order to be competitive, student athletes must make major time and energy commitments to their teams and their sport, as well as significant sacrifice in their personal life. Successfully balancing academics, part-time jobs and sport takes a special kind of person with drive, ability and focus. These student athletes are the leaders of tomorrow."

Trent has 250 varsity athletes and 18 varsity teams that compete within the Canadian Interuniversity Sport organization, Ontario University Athletics and the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association.