OTTAWA — Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, a 22-year-old McGill medical student from St. Hilaire, Que., and currently the No.1 ranked prospect for the 2014 Canadian Football League draft, was among eight national honorees on hand when Governor General David Johnston presented the first Governor General's Academic All-Canadian Commendation to eight recipients, during a ceremony at Rideau Hall, on Tuesday.
 
The award recognizes the top student-athletes across the country who have maintained an average of 80 per cent or better over the academic year while playing on one or more of their university's varsity teams. In 2012-2013, a record 2,695 students achieved the prestigious status, eclipsing the previous mark of 2,617 set a year ago.
 
Among these outstanding individuals, one female and one male student-athlete from each of the four CIS regional associations are selected annually to make up the Top Eight.

McGill leads all universities with 18 honorees since this award was initiated  in 1993. Rounding out the top producing institutions is Alberta with 12, followed by Dalhousie (11), Manitoba (11), UBC (10), Laval (9), Montreal (7), UNB (7) and Toronto (7).

Thus far, five teams from National Football League have expressed an interest in Duvernay-Tardif, a 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive tackle who received all-conference honours last week and merited the RSEQ football league's most outstanding lineman trophy. He was also named as the player who best combines football excellence with academic prowess and leadership.
 
He has been as impressive in the classroom since he arrived on the Montreal campus four years ago, meriting CIS Academic All-Canadian status and qualifying for the Principal's Student-Athlete Honour Roll in each of his first three years at McGill. During his freshman year, Duvernay-Tardif achieved a sessional grade point average of 3.88 in pre-med. Since then he has been a straight A student in medicine. Over the last year, he received McGill's 1938 Champions Award for combining leadership with athletic prowess and academic excellence, as well as a pair of Montreal Alouettes bursaries, for athletic and academic excellence.   
 
He was named to the McGill chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society for academic recognition, leadership development and community service.  He has served as a tutor for McGill students and been one of the football team's volunteer reps at a visit to the Montreal Shriners Hospital for Children as well as the annual McGill Holiday Food Drive in support of the Sun Youth Community Centre. He has also worked with the "Defi Canderel", with a Montreal police department program known as "Unité sans violence, exprimez-vous!", as well as with heroin addicts at a methadone clinic. Finally, as part of his medical curriculum, he served countless hours in family medicine at various hospitals.
 
The other Top Eight recipient from the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) is another medical student soccer player Émilie Chamard of the Montreal Carabins. Reprsenting Atlantic University Sport (AUS) is UNB swimmer Monica MacDonald and Acadia hockey player Travis Gibbons, both kinesiology students. The winners from Ontario University Athletics (OUA) are Toronto track & field star Alicia Brown, who specializes in visual culture and communications, as well as Steven Takahashi, a wrestler and kinesiology major at Western. Last but not least, the Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA) recipients are kinesiology students Jaki Ellis, a volleyball player from Alberta, and Paul Clerc, a soccer player from UBC.
 
"Our student-athletes continue to amaze us with their ability to achieve excellence on and off the playing field," said CIS chief executive officer, Pierre Lafontaine. "The record number of Academic All-Canadians once again this year speaks volume about the quality of our students, but also our coaches, support staff and our universities. To be selected among 11,000 of their peers is an accomplishment members of the Top Eight should be extremely proud of."

Following is a list of all-time winners.
 
ALL-TIME RECIPIENTS
 
2012-13
AUS: Monica MacDonald, UNB (swimming) / Travis Gibbons, Acadia (hockey)
RSEQ: Émilie Chamard, Montreal (soccer) / Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, McGill (football)
OUA: Alicia Brown, Toronto (track & field) / Steven Takahashi, Western (wrestling)
CWUAA: Jaki Ellis, Alberta (volleyball) / Paul Clerc, UBC (soccer)
 
2011-12
AUS: Miranda McMillan, Dalhousie (hockey) / Nathan Musoke, Dalhousie (track & field)
RSEQ: Marie-Pier Pinault-Reid, Laval (rugby) / Marc-André Dorion, McGill (hockey)
OUA: Nicole Sassine, Windsor (track & field) / Darragh McGee, Toronto (soccer)
CWUAA: Hayley Wickenheiser, Calgary (hockey) / Kyle Ross, Saskatchewan (hockey)
 
2010-11
AUS: Heather Ambery, UNB (soccer) / Daniel You, Dalhousie (volleyball)
RSEQ: Alexandra Lojen, Montreal (volleyball) / Marc-André Dorion, McGill (hockey)
OUA: Erika Reiser, Windsor (track & field) / Shujon Mazumber, Toronto (wrestling)
CWUAA: Hayley Wickenheiser, Calgary (hockey) / Darren Mazzei, Victoria (cross country - T&F)
 
2009-10
AUS: Alex Legge, Dalhousie (basketball) / Jacob Kilpatrick, UNB (volleyball)
QSSF: Marie-Michelle Genois, Laval (basketball) / Steven Bielby, McGill (swimming)
OUA: Megan Brown, Toronto (cross country - T&F) / Dillon Heap, Wilfrid Laurier (football)
CWUAA: Jennifer Hinze, UBC (volleyball) / Thomas Hall, Manitoba (football)
 
2008-09
AUS: Isabelle Miles, UNB (soccer) / Christopher Morrison, Saint Mary's (hockey)
QSSF: Paméla Filiatrault-Veilleux, Laval (swimming) / Emmanuel André-Morin, Montreal (volleyball)
OUA: Noelle Montcalm, Windsor (track & field) / Keith Beavers, Waterloo (swimming)
CWUAA: Kayla Dykstra, Victoria (basketball) / Kyle Ross, Regina (hockey)
 
2007-08
AUS: Justine McMillan, Acadia (cross country) / Niklas Rademacher, Dalhousie (volleyball)
QSSF: Jennifer Thomson, McGill (volleyball) / Tyler Marghetis, Concordia (wrestling)
OUA: Brae Anne McArthur, Guelph (track & field) / Brad Rootes, Brock (basketball)
CWUAA: Adrianne Vangool, Saskatchewan (track & field) / Benjamin Schellenberg, Winnipeg (volleyball)
 
2006-07
AUS: Katie Hollinshead, Dalhousie (soccer) / Colin Sinclair, UNB (hockey)
QSSF: Audrey Lacroix, Montreal (swimming) / David Foley, Sherbrooke (track & field)
OUA: Jackie Malette, Windsor (cross country - T&F) / Justin Hall, Queen's (cross country - T&F)
CWUAA: Katie Davidson, Manitoba (volleyball) / Jay Langager, Lethbridge (hockey)
 
2005-06
AUS: Christine Terese Chislom, StFX (cross country) / Jeff Weiler, Dalhousie (volleyball)
QSSF: Marylène Laplante, Laval (volleyball) / Nicolas Murray, Laval (swimming)
OUA: Jackie Malette, Windsor (cross country - T&F) / Joel Scherban, Lakehead (hockey)
CWUAA: Kristen Hagg, Alberta (hockey) / Chris Meehan, Trinity Western (volleyball)
 
2004-05
AUS: Hilary Burn, Dalhousie (cross country - T&F) / Tyler Dyck, StFX (hockey)
QSSF: Danielle Day, McGill (soccer) / Tyler Marghetis, Concordia (wrestling)
OUA: Allison Oosterhuis, Western Ontario (soccer) / Ian MacLeod, Toronto (swimming)
CWUAA: Danielle Bourgeois, Alberta (hockey) / Paul Deniset, Manitoba (hockey)
 
2003-04
AUS: Natalie Oake, St. Thomas (hockey) / Daniel Hudgin, Moncton (hockey)
QSSF: Carolyn McCabe, McGill (swimming) / Simon Therrien, UQTR (soccer)        
OUA: Lulu Bursztyn, McMaster (wrestling) / Sagar Desai, Western Ontario (basketball)       
CWUAA: Danielle Bourgeois, Alberta (hockey) / Adam Ens, Saskatchewan (volleyball)      
 
2002-03
AUS: Marieke Gardner, Dalhousie (soccer) / Kjetil Vaage, UNB (soccer)
QSSF: Marie-Hélène Giasson, Laval (swimming) / Alexandre Pichette, McGill (swimming)
OUA: Alison Mills, McMaster (volleyball) / Robert Smart, Carleton (basketball)
CWUAA: Maria Gallo, Alberta (rugby) / Blair St. Martin, Alberta (hockey)
 
2001-02
AUS: Andrea Faryniuk, Dalhousie (track & field) / Tim Mullen, Saint Mary's (soccer)
QSSF: Sarah Ali-Khan, McGill (cross country & T&F) / Strachan Hartley, McGill (football)
OUA: Lauren Fratesi, Ottawa (swimming) / Alexandre Hayes, Ottawa (swimming)
CWUAA: Jacqueline Lavallee, Saskatchewan (basketball) / Jeff Zorn, Alberta (hockey)
 
2000-01
AUAA: Kate Ellis, UPEI (basketball) / Steve Gallace, Saint Mary's (hockey)
QSSF: Catherine Foley, Sherbrooke (track & field) / Strachan Hartley, McGill (football)
OUA: Karina Verdon, Ottawa (hockey) / Andrew Kwiatkowski, Western Ontario (basketball)
GPAC: Brandy West, Regina (hockey) / Joey Mikawoz, Manitoba (football)
CWUAA: Jen Dowdeswell, UBC (field hockey) / Mark Versfeld, UBC (swimming)
 
1999-00
AUAA: Kate Ellis, UPEI (basketball) / Aaron Barkhouse, Dalhousie (soccer)
QSSF: Sara Russo-Garrido, Laval (soccer) / Yannick Demers, Montreal (swimming)
OUA: Kristine Spekkens, Queen's (volleyball) / Alex Hayes, Ottawa (swimming)
GPAC: Erin Soroko, Winnipeg (basketball) / Shawn Peters, Regina (track & field)
CWUAA: Kelly Matheson, Calgary (soccer) / Spencer Holt, Lethbridge (basketball)
 
1998-99
AUAA: Jolene Bourgeois, UNB (field hockey) / Jan Trojanowski, Acadia (basketball)
QSSF: Stephanie Welsh, McGill (track & field) / David Dufresne, UQTR (soccer)
OUA: Nathalie Côté, Ottawa (cross country - T&F) / Bob McGill, Queen's (cross country - T&F)
GPAC: Nadia Melon, Manitoba (volleyball) / Shawn Peters, Regina (track & field)
CWUAA: Jessica Mills, UBC (basketball) / Curtis Myden, Calgary (swimming)
 
1997-98
AUAA: Tracy McGee, UPEI (field hockey) / Peter Benoite, Memorial (basketball)
QSSF: Wendy Whelan, McGill (volleyball) / Alexandre Émond, Montreal (volleyball)
OUA: Rebecca Chambers, Toronto (track & field) / Tim Cowan, McMaster (swimming)
GPAC: Kathy Hrehirchuk, Manitoba (volleyball) / Darreb Peters, Regina (track & field)
CWUAA: Sarah Joly, Alberta (soccer) / Mike Dalziel, UBC (volleyball)
 
1996-97
AUAA: Rachelle Beaton, Dalhousie (track & field) / Chris Diamond, UPEI (soccer)
QSSF: Andrea Bacsfalusi, McGill (swimming) / Pierre Hudon, Laval (football)
OWIAA / OUAA: Laurie Halfpenny, Guelph (soccer) / Russell Jones, Toronto (swimming)
GPAC: Amanda Mlodzinski, Manitoba (swimming) / Phil Peters, Winnipeg (volleyball)
CWUAA: Sarah Joly, Alberta (soccer) / Mike Sieben, Alberta (volleyball)
 
1995-96
AUAA: Carla Edwards, Mount Allison (volleyball) / Chris Diamond, UPEI (soccer)
QSSF: Anna Leong, McGill (swimming) / Alex Hutchinson, McGill (track & field)
OWIAA / OUAA: Vicki White, Ottawa (soccer) / David Kantor, Queen's (volleyball)
GPAC: Jackie Honey, Manitoba (track & field) / Mel McManus, Manitoba (track & field)
CWUAA: Liz Smith, Alberta (soccer) / John McArthur, UBC (swimming)
 
1994-95
AUAA: Jill Lawless, Acadia (volleyball) / Vojtech Kucera, St. Thomas (hockey)
QSSF: Caroline Vachon, Laval (track & field) / David O'Hara, McGill (cross country)
OWIAA / OUAA: Karen Jackson, York (basketball) / David Kantor, Queen's (volleyball)
GPAC: Renelda Friessen, Manitoba (volleyball) / Wayne Weathers, Manitoba (football & wrestling)
CWUAA: Adair Duncan, UBC (basketball) / Todd Langley, Victoria (basketball)
 
1993-94
AUAA: Kathy McNally, UPEI (field hockey) / Ron Whelan, StFX (soccer)
QSSF: Julia Maughan, McGill (soccer) / Jason Della Rocca, Concordia (wrestling)
OWIAA / OUAA: Karen Jackson, York (basketball) / Craig Donaldson, Western Ontario (hockey)
GPAC: Sandra Carroll, Winnipeg (basketball) / Scott Koskie, Winnipeg (volleyball)
CWUAA: Erika Forster, UBC (track & field) / Curtis Myden, Calgary (swimming)
 
 
SOURCE:
 
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012 (Tel.)
514-398-1956 (Fax)
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile website)
www.mcgill athletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
 
Michel Bélanger        
Manager, Communications & Media Relations
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Off: (613) 562-5670 ext. 25
Cell: (613) 447-6334
belanger@universitysport.ca