Camosun Chargers Elyse Matthews (basketball) and Lucas Dellabough (volleyball) were named co-winners of the prestigious Presidents’ Cup at the school’s annual athletic ceremony last Thursday (April 10).
The award recognizes Camosun athletes who excel on both athletic and academic fronts.
Matthews, 23, a fourth-year wing and a student in the environmental technology program, earned a perfect 9.0 GPA in the fall while playing on a team that made playoffs this season. In February, she was selected as a 2nd Team All-Star in the PACWEST provincials.
It was Matthews’ second consecutive year winning the Presidents’ Cup.
“This represents, for me, just how hard I work both athletically and academically. It really showed me that I’m able to succeed at both athletics and academics, which has been a high priority for me and one of my goals,” she said.
Dellabough, a second-year rightside, is a student in the associate science program who earned a perfect 9.0 GPA last semester, and had a cumulative 8.765 GPA in the last two years of schooling. He played on a team that saw a great season, but ultimately ending with a bronze medal game loss at provincials.
“We played well and enjoyed the competition (and) we were really looking forward to playing in the national playoffs but it just wasn’t in the cards this year,” he said.
Another low, Dellabough acknowledged, is that his time at Camosun is now complete.
“I had a blast this year on the team. As my second year with the Chargers, I was more comfortable getting to know everyone and was able to balance my schedule to have time with the team on and off the court,” he said.
“I was on an incredible inclusive, supportive, and enthusiastic team that made the game more fun and life in general more fun.”
He said all of his Chargers teammates are worthy of receiving recognition, given that they all possess a great range of experiences and abilities.
“All of the Camosun Chargers embody this characteristic and is it certainly a program that emphasizes academics, athletics, camaraderie, and excellence for anyone who joins,” Dellabough said.
Volleyball middle Alex Sadowski (Linda Henderson Award for Excellence) and volleyball setter Vitor Macedo (Derek Twomey Scholarship for Sport) received awards for their leadership and passion.
Ten athletes, including Matthews, Dellabough and Sadowski, earned PACWEST Academic Excellence Awards. Also recognized were Brianne Larson, Melissa Van Dyk, Ella Goldschmid, Kelsey Clarke, Morgan Marshall, Erika Sheen and Jarred Callbeck.
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