The 2020-21 academic year was certainly one that will go down in history as one that had its fair share of adversity, but with that being said, St. Thomas University had 17 student athletes named U Sports Academic All Canadians.

The recipients of the Academic All-Canadian award maintain a strong grade point average during the academic year while playing a varsity sport at the U Sports level.

Caroline Pietroski (Etobicoke, ON), who is in her third year as a St. Thomas University student-athlete, has been named an Academic All Canadian every year she has been at STU.

“The classroom aspect of last year was extremely different compared to previous years,” said the Tommies’ women’s hockey goaltender. “I felt there was a new challenge of personal accountability with staying on top of work, while managing what I felt to be more intensive workload. I think that this new classroom style was an adjustment and pushed everyone to learn how to really effectively manage their time on their own and find a school-life balance that worked for them.”

The 2019-20 season saw the Tommies lead all of U Sports by having 58.5% of their athletes named Academic All-Canadians, and they improved upon that number with 68% in 2020-21.

Pietroski attributes her success to hard work and her ability to manage her time effectively.

“I think keys to balancing success in the classroom and on the ice all stems from good habits. For me, these habits mean good time management, always planning out my weeks, recognizing the importance of balance, getting appropriate rest, and asking for help. Last year allowed me to discover that I work best when planning out my time, and prioritizing tasks, while still taking the time I need to relax and regroup.”

There have now been 397 Tommies honored as Academic All-Canadians since 2004-05. A complete list of the award winners can be found below:

Florence Awde, Women's Hockey
Laura Brown, Women's Hockey
Mariah Carey, Women's Hockey
Jacey Dane, Women's Hockey
Stephanie Goertzen, Women's Hockey
Libby Howatt, Women's Hockey
Lauren Legault, Women's Hockey
Megan Pardy, Women's Hockey
Caroline Pietroski, Women's Hockey
Brooke Stanford, Women's Hockey
Emma Wilson, Women's Hockey
Alexandra Woods, Women's Hockey
Patrice Cammarano, Track
Alexander Gallant, Track
Tristan Eisnor, Track/Cross Country
Alaina Mejia, Track/Cross Country
Lars Schwarz, Track/Cross Country