14 incredible ways UBC athletes dominated sports in 2024
Here’s a look back at some of the year’s biggest highlights for the UBC Vancouver Thunderbirds and UBC Okanagan Heat.
Piper Logan (far right) and Florence Symonds (second from far right) earned Women's Rugby Sevens silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics, alongside Shalaya Valenzuela (far left) and Charity Williams (second from far left), who both enrolled at UBC in the fall. Credit: Rich Lam
A record-setting year both inside and outside the classroom for the Thunderbirds and Heat—and it’s not over yet
As 2024 draws to a close, UBC’s athletes have delivered a year to remember across every arena of competition.
From record-breaking achievements to national and international triumphs, the UBC Vancouver Thunderbirds and UBC Okanagan Heat are showcasing why they are among the best in Canadian university sports.
UBC athletes are not only champions in their sports but also in the classroom. Each year, the Academic All-Canadian designation is awarded to student-athletes who maintain a minimum academic average of 80 per cent while competing in U SPORTS athletics, celebrating the dedication and balance required to excel in both academics and athletics.
In 2023-24, 222 UBC Thunderbirds earned the title of Academic All-Canadian, including 34 students who surpassed a remarkable 90 per cent average. UBCO Heat recognized a record 108 student-athletes for their academic success, including 72 Academic All-Canadians and 36 Heat Scholars—a designation for athletes in sports outside the U SPORTS umbrella.
And the best part? The season isn’t over yet.
Here’s a look back at some of the year’s biggest highlights for the T-Birds and Heat:
- At the 2024 Paris Olympics, 17 current or former Thunderbirds showcased their skills on the global stage, joined by 33 UBC representatives, including coaches and staff, proving that UBC talent shines far beyond university competition.
Multiple Thunderbirds helped capture medals for Team Canada. That included UBC Rowing alumni Kristen Kit, Jessica Sevick and Kristina Walker, who won silver in the Women’s Eight event. Piper Logan and Florence Symonds earned Women’s Rugby Sevens silver, alongside Shalaya Valenzuela and Charity Williams, who both enrolled at UBC in the fall.
Meanwhile, Heat women’s volleyball alum Jenn Oakes won the school’s first-ever Olympic or Paralympic medal, winning bronze with Team Canada in women’s sitting volleyball.
UBCO cross country head coach Malindi Elmore also represented Canada in the women’s marathon for the second consecutive Games, finishing 35th as Canada’s lone entry in the event.
- Giovanni Manu made history when he became the first ever UBC Thunderbird selected in the National Football League draft, chosen in fourth round, 126th overall by the Detroit Lions. Manu secured his place on the Lions’ 53-man roster out of training camp ahead of the 2024 NFL season.
- Five T-Birds were selected in the CFL draft. Brad Hladik and Kyle Samson were picked in the second round, followed by Jerrell Cummings and Ryan Baker in the fifth, and Mitchell Townsend in the eighth.
- T-Birds Sean Heppner and Vicarte Domingo joined MLB teams in the 2024 draft. Heppner was picked by the Cleveland Guardians in the 12th round, 355th overall. Domingo followed him in the 19th round, 570th overall, joining the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
- The Thunderbirds Women’s Rugby team won their first-ever U SPORTS championship after dominating the season with a nine-game winning streak and outscoring opponents 483-85.
- UBC Men’s Rowing claimed their third straight Canadian University Rowing Championship, led by Coach of the Year Mike Pearce.
- UBC became the first school in U SPORTS history to win both Men’s and Women’s national soccer titles in the same year.
- The Women’s Golf team secured their fifth straight Canada West title, crushing the competition with a 34-stroke lead and standout performances like Elizabeth Labbe’s 8-under 138.
- UBC Men’s Cross Country won their fourth consecutive Canada West banner.
- At the Canada West Swimming Championships, both the women’s and men’s teams took gold, breaking 12 records. Standouts Finlay Knox and Kayla Sanchez both earned Swimmer of the Year awards.
- The UBCO men’s golf team brought home the school’s first-ever Canada West Championship, winning gold on their home course at the Okanagan Golf Club. The team posted a 14-shot victory and swept the individual podium, with Ryan Gillis winning the school’s third-consecutive individual gold medal after finishing at 9-under par.
- UBCO cross country runner Lauren McNeil made school history when she won the individual gold at the U SPORTS Championships in Kelowna, becoming the first Heat athlete to win an individual U SPORTS gold medal. She would post a time of 26 minutes and 31 seconds, shattering the course record of 28:12, and winning by 11 seconds over the second-place finisher.
- UBCO men’s rugby won their first-ever Prairies U Championship, defeating the University of Alberta 12-5 in the championship match. As a result, the Heat would qualify for their first-ever Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship, where they finished sixth thanks to an upset 20-17 win over the Memorial Sea-Hawks.
- UBCO softball brought home their third Western Collegiate Softball Association championship in the last four years after defeating the Saskatchewan Huskies 5-2 in the gold medal game, capping off an impressive 13-game winning streak to close out the WCSA season. The team would go on to make the quarter-finals at the Canadian Championships in Ottawa.
