U SPORTS is pleased to announce on Tuesday the student-athletes selected as Top 8 Academic All-Canadians for the 2021-22 season.

Shae Demale of Saint Mary’s, Alex Carson of Dalhousie, Jade Downie-Landry of McGill University, Jean-Simon Desgagnés of Laval, Raphaël Garcia of Carleton, Kate Current of Western, and Eric Lutz and Rebecca Smith of Calgary were nominated for their excellence in both on and off the field of play.

Of the 4900+ student-athletes who achieved U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian status in 2021-22, one girl and one boy student athlete from each of the four U SPORTS conferences was selected to make the Top 8.

U SPORTS student-athlete achieves Academic All-Canadian status by maintaining an average of 80 percent or better during the academic year while competing for one – or more – of their university’s varsity team.

The elite group will be honored Thursday by Her Excellency The Honorable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, at Rideau Hall in the nation’s capital.

The Governor General’s All Canada Academic Awards were established in 2013 by the Honorable David Johnston, former Governor General of Canada, who was the first to award Canada’s top 8 student athletes.

Alex Carson

Hometown: Lower Sackville, NS
School: Dalhousie University
Program: Recreation Management
Basketball

Alex Carson is a four-time AUS All-Star and was Dalhousie College Men’s Athlete of the Year last season. He averaged 18.5 points per game during the regular season and was named the U SPORTS All-Canadian Second Team. He has led the Tigers to four conference championships and four trips to the U.S. SPORTS Final 8 over his five seasons, highlighted by a silver medal in the 2020 event, where he was named star of the championships.

Mr Carson graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management last spring. A Dean’s List student, he averaged 4.24 points last season. He won the Varsity Athletic Awards in 2017 and 2022, the John C. Pooley Sportsperson Award in 2022, and held several other university fellowships.

Hailing from Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Mr. Carson is passionate about giving back to society and is the co-founder, director, and coach of the 4AM Basketball Camp program which funds scholarships for young basketball players in Nova Scotia. He has also volunteered with the Special Tiger Sports program and has been assistant coach of the Nova Scotia province men’s under-16 basketball team.

Visit the U SPORTS website for a complete list of the Top 8 Academic All-Canadian