Since we last gathered, we have seen a number of tremendous competitive performances. For the third consecutive year, Artistic Swimming won the National Championship in the experienced team category, while the Triathlon team brought home the inaugural Collegiate Provincial Championship at the Toronto Triathlon Festival. Numerous other teams have represented UBC at their National Championship in the past year, and we are eager to see how our teams continuing to compete this summer perform. This year, 320 athletes represented the Thunderbirds with pride, and it has been wonderful to watch our teams soar to new heights!
On April 11, 2024, we held our annual TSC Year End Event to celebrate the achievements of our exceptional athletes and teams this past year. Read below for all the details!
Table of Contents
TSC Rookie of the Year
This award is given to the top student-athlete (s) who demonstrate extraordinary athletic performance in their first year of intercollegiate competition.
TSC Student Leadership Award
The TSC Student Leadership Award is given to student-athlete(s) who demonstrate several qualities of a leader.
TSC Athlete of the Year
TSC Athlete of the Year is awarded to the top student-athlete (s) who demonstrate extraordinary athletic performance in their given discipline.
TSC Legacy Award
The TSC Legacy Award is awarded to TSC’s outstanding graduating athlete(s), who has served as a leader both on and off their competitive surface
TSC Executives of the Year Award
The TSC Executives of the Year award is given to the team of executives that have presented themselves as unified leaders for their team.
TSC Team of the Year
The winners of the Thunderbirds Sport Clubs Team of the Year Award are highly competitive and exemplify the spirit of sportsmanship.
Rookie of the Year
Daniel Kim, Men’s Tennis
Daniel played #1 doubles and went undefeated in all of his singles matches this season. Notably, he won the Western Championships clinching match over an experienced fourth year player from the University of Alberta, sending the UBC team to Nationals this August. Daniel showed improvement over the course of the season that paid off for everyone when it counted most. He is sure to be an integral part of the team as they work towards the Canadian National Championships this August and throughout years to come.
Sierra Ducharme, Equestrian
Sierra jumped straight into the season and has had incredible competition results and overall attitude. She has the highest attendance at team lessons and events, always shows up with a smile on her face and is ready to learn and grow. She won first place in four out of five competitions – an exceptional performance for a seasoned team member, and almost unheard of for a rookie.
Student Leadership Award
Maggie Beckner, Nordic Skiing
Maggie has continually been both an excellent team leader and administrator, stepping up to various challenges throughout the year. Maggie always handled situations with a calming presence like no other; whether it’s an automotive break-in, or a challenging highway drive, Maggie proved to the team that she’s ready to make a call and lead the team through any situation. Through her performances as an athlete and as a Club Lead, Maggie continually inspires both senior and junior athletes on the team to train hard, be a great person, and carry themselves with great composure.
Reese Critchlow, Nordic Skiing
Reese is incredibly passionate about the Nordic Ski team and is always thinking of ways to make it better. He is on top of every deadline, and serves as a great communicator between the TSC office, the rest of the execs, and the team itself. Reese helped to code and create a new website for the team this year, put together a comprehensive gear guide for athletes, and so many other tasks to help the team run smoother. He cares about the team’s competitive results, but he also cares so much about the individual experience of each member, and works hard to ensure it’s inclusive.
Athlete of the Year
Marissa Enns, Artistic Swimming
Marissa is an extremely talented swimmer who many look up to. She swam three routines this year, two of which were self-choreographed. Even with this tremendous amount of work to do, she succeeded in completing her routines and swimming them beautifully. Marissa’s hard work paid off at the CUASL National Championships, where she placed first in the team category, second in solo, and second in duet. Most notably, she also received the award for Top Experienced Athlete out of the entire competition.
Marvin Kao, Men’s Tennis
Marvin has displayed strong singles performance this year, defeating both SFU and U of A’s top players. He consistently showed up in doubles as well and demonstrated his leadership on court. Marvin’s desire to win has been amazing to watch over the last two years and he has asserted himself as one of the top university tennis players in Canada. Not only does he play at such a high level, but he is able to coach the other players both technically and tactically, helping the team perform at a higher level. Marvin will be an integral part of the Men’s Tennis team as they prepare for the Canadian National Championships in August.
Christina Howard, Triathlon
Christina has had an impressive year of racing. She was UBC Triathlon’s top female athlete in the Olympic-distance triathlon in Toronto, placing in the top 7% of this incredibly competitive race and placing first in her age group. Her victory there won valuable points for UBC and helped secure the team’s victory in the University Provincial Championships. Christina had an incredible race at the UBC TriDu as well, finishing first in her age group and setting a seven-minute personal best time.
TSC Legacy Award
Rachel Bates, Nordic Skiing
Rachel has been an integral member of the UBC Nordic Ski team for the past five years. She is a strong competitor and often places within the top 3 women at BC Cups. Rachel has been a consistent champion of the team’s pursuit to create a more inclusive, welcoming, and community-focused environment. She serves as a role model for younger athletes and is always super welcoming to new folks. Rachel has also worked tirelessly to be an outstanding Marcomm. Many newer athletes have attributed their interest in joining Nordic Skiing to the team Instagram. Rachel has conveyed a perfect balance of fun and competitiveness to the public. She’s a big team player who cares greatly for those around her. Moving forward, the team will continue to ask the question “What would Rachel do?” when thinking about decisions big or small.
Grace Zhang, Table Tennis
Grace has been a reliable, confident, and kind leader for the Table Tennis team. She is always willing to play with less experienced players, is organized and communicates clearly, and is very understanding on an interpersonal level. On top of her kind nature, Grace contributed greatly to the success of the Co-ed and Women’s teams throughout the season. She was the leader for deciding line-ups and strategies, she coordinated match schedules, and she was always there to cheer on and support her teammates.
Executives of the Year
Nordic Skiing
The Nordic Skiing execs are a harmonious and well-oiled machine. The effort each individual exec puts into the team is reflected in the success of each trip, practice, and fundraiser and they create a culture of inclusivity and support. With the largest roster in their sport club’s recent history, they still managed to achieve active participation at practices thanks to their support of all athletes, regardless of skill and racing experience. They each bring a wealth of skiing knowledge and experience to the sport club and are leaders to the rest of their team.
Team of the Year
Triathlon
The Triathlon team’s successes have been nothing short of impressive in the past year. They were the first ever provincial champions at the Toronto Triathlon Festival, having been the only non-Ontarian university competing, and their executive team was heavily involved in turning the competition into the first official Canadian University Triathlon Championships taking place this July. At this year’s UBC TriDu, UBC Triathlon swept the podium in both the men’s and women’s collegiate division. These results couldn’t have been achieved without immense hard work and dedication, with the team hosting 8 practices a week all year long despite having competitions months away, and it is a testament to the work ethic of this amazing group of athletes.
