Queen’s University’s Sophie de Goede has been selected as a U Sports Top 8 Academic All-Canadians for the 2019-20 season.

A rare two-sport athlete in rugby and basketball, de Goede is the sixth Gaels athlete to receive the honour and second straight after Slater Doggett of men's hockey received the honour in 2018-19. She is the first Gaels rugby or basketball player to receive the honour.

The third-year commerce student is a standout on the field, on the court, and in the classroom.

De Goede continued to shine for the Gaels women’s rugby team last season, finishing as the OUA’s top rugby scorer in 2019 with 76 points and was named conference MVP for a second straight season. Following the Gaels’ first OUA championship title since 2013, de Goede led Queen's to the national tournament where she tallied three tries and 10 conversions for 35 points – earning a silver medal and her third straight Tournament All-Star honours. 

On the basketball court, de Goede led the team last season to a 15-7 record and the playoffs, averaging 12.5  points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. 

Internationally, de Goede has four caps with Team Canada's rugby side and hopes to earn roster spots in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics and the Women’s World Cup. She recently signed with Saracens of the English Premier League.  

"Sophie's ability to excel in the classroom and on the pitch is a testament to her hard work, drive, and commitment to excellence as a student and an athlete,” says Gaels women's rugby head coach Dan Valley. “Although the demands that are placed on a varsity athlete are challenging at the best of times, to watch Sophie not only manage but excel as a commerce student and member of two varsity sport programs speaks to her truly unique skill set. In this regard, Sophie is unlike any student-athlete in the country.”

A three-time Academic All-Canadian, de Goede excels in the classroom, having received the Chancellor's Scholarship the last three years and the DI McLeod Dean’s List Scholarship in both 2018 and 2019.

In lieu of a formal ceremony at Rideau Hall, the elite group will participate in a public virtual conversation with Governor General Julie Payette in mid-February.

The selection of the Top 8 follows last week's announcement of over 4,900 U SPORTS student-athletes who achieved Academic All-Canadian status in 2019-20, having maintained an average of 80 per cent or better over the academic year while competing for one or more of their university's U Sports varsity teams. Among these outstanding individuals, one female and one male student-athlete from each of the four U SPORTS conferences are selected annually to make up the Top 8.