Queen's Athletics & Recreation honoured the 2015-16 Academic All-Stars at a breakfast reception held Wednesday morning in Grant Hall. 

Nearly 400 varsity student-athletes were recognized as Academic All-Stars, having earned at least a 3.5 grade-point average over the past academic year at Queen's. The event marks the fifth year of the initiative to honour the academic and athletic excellence of its student-athletes.

“Earning Academic All-Star status recognizes tremendous academic achievement – but it also points to a lifestyle that has focus, commitment, passion and teamwork as important characteristics,” Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic), Benoit-Antoine Bacon says. “Despite being tired from morning workouts, or daily practices, or weekends on the road competing for Queen's, you commit yourselves with similar energy and drive to pursuing academic success in the classroom.”

Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs Ann Tierney and Executive Director of Athletics & Recreation Leslie Dal Cin were also on hand to speak to the student-athletes and congratulate them on their success. 

The Nixon Academic Leadership Award was given out for the first time this year to the male and female athletes from both the varsity teams and clubs who have achieved the highest academic GPA. The inaugural recipients of the Nixon Award are Taylor Sills, track and field, Jason Park, fencing, Kelsey Juraschka, rowing, and Sam Abernethy, men's soccer.

Approximately 40 percent of Queen's student-athletes were named Academic All-Stars this year. The varsity clubs with the highest GPAs were women's cycling and men's curling, while the highest GPAs from a varsity team were from women's basketball, for the second year in a row, and men's hockey.