SMU's Shae Demale, Dal's Alex Carson set to receive academic all-Canadian awards - Action News
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Nova Scotia

SMU's Shae Demale, Dal's Alex Carson set to receive academic all-Canadian awards

Time management isn't easy for university students who play varsity sports. But Shae Demale and Alex Carson seem to have mastered it. They're among the top eight U Sports student athletes for the 2021-22 season, and they'll be honoured in Ottawa on Thursday.

Pair selected as top female and male student-athletes from Atlantic conference

A hockey player with long hair and wearing a dark red and white uniform shoots the puck during a hockey game.
Shae Demale, a member of the Saint Mary's women's hockey team, has been named a top eight U Sports student athlete. (Saint Mary's Huskies Athletics)

Time management isn't easy for university students who play varsity sports. But Shae Demale and Alex Carson seem to have mastered it. They're among the top eight U Sports student athletes for the 2021-22 season, and they'll be honoured in Ottawa on Thursday.

Nearly 5,000 student-athletes took part in U Sports events in 2021-22. Demale and Carson were selected as the top female and male student athletes from the Atlantic conference.

Demale is a forward from Red Deer, Alta., who plays for the Saint Mary's University's women's hockey team. She was named conference MVP last yearwhen she led the Atlantic conference in scoringwhile recording a perfect 4.30 grade point average.

"It's been five years of hard work playing hockey, so it's a pretty unreal feeling to be rewarded for that," said Demale.

A woman with light brown hair, blue eyes and wearing a dark red SMU jacket smiles for a photo.
Shae Demale is in her final year at Saint Mary's University and is hoping to continue her hockey career next season. (Saint Mary's Huskies Athletics)

A biology major, Demale won the Saint Mary's president's award in 2020 for top academic and athletic performance, and was named to the dean's list in 2018-19 and 2020-21. She is a four-time U SportsAcademic All-Canadian.

This week she returned from Lake Placid, N.Y.,where she was a key player for Canada as they won gold at the 2023 World University Games. Demale finished second on the team in scoring.

The trip to Ottawa will be sandwiched around SMU hockey games. The Huskies play Wednesday night and Demale will fly to Ottawa early Thursday morning. She'll fly back in time for another game on Friday.

A hockey player in a red and black Team Canada uniform holds a hockey stick and skates on the ice.
Shae Demale was part of Canada's gold-medal-winning women's hockey team at the recent 2023 World University Games held in Lake Placid, N.Y. (U Sports)

She saidlife as a student athlete can be challenging.

"It takes a lot of time management and sometimes you have to make sacrifices," said Demale. "Taking care of yourself can sometimes be the hardest part, making sure you are eating properly, drinking enough water, getting your sleep, all on top of your vigorous schedule."

Demaleis hoping to continue her hockey career playing professionally next season. Sheis also a volunteer hockey coach with the Metro West Force girl's hockey team in Halifax, andvolunteers in the emergency department at the IWKchildren's hospital as well.

On campus, she is a member of the Saint Mary's Athletic Council, volunteers as a peer tutor, and has been involved in planning the annual MotionballSpecial Olympics fundraiser.

A male basketball player in a white uniform prepares to take a foul shot.
Alex Carson was a four-time AUS all-star basketball player at Dalhousie University. (Trevor MacMillan)

Alex Carson of Lower Sackville, N.S., graduated from Dalhousie University last year.

He was a four-time Atlantic University Sport all-star on the basketball court and ledthe Tigers to three straight Atlantic titles.

"It was a real honour to get that call when I was named as a top-eight student athlete," said Carson, shortly after arriving in the nation's capital.

He attributessome of his success as a student athlete to a former teammate at Dalhousie. He saidhe learned a lot from Sven Stammberger.

"When I came to Dal as a high school studentI was fortunate enough to play with Sven, who also won this award," said Carson. "I looked up to him as a role model, both on the court as a player and in the way he excelled in the classroom and in his community involvement."

A basketball player in a dark uniform jumps for a rebound in front of a player in a white uniform.
Alex Carson (in the black jersey) is one of the co-founders of the 4AM basketball camp. (Trevor MacMillan)

Carson is one of the co-founders of the 4AM basketball camp. The camp isheld in Halifax each summer in honour of one of Carson's former provincial team mates who passed away in 2019. Andrew Milner of Antigonish, N.S., who wore the number 4, was canoeing in Moyie Lakenear Cranbrook B.C., when the boat capsized in frigid water. The camp provides funding for scholarships for younger players.

Carson graduated with a bachelor of science degree in recreation management last spring and was a dean's list student with a 4.24 grade point average last season. He's now working full time for Sport Nova Scotia's equestrian division.

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