Veinot Named Top 8 Academic All-Canadian

(OTTAWA, ON) Jayda Veinot of the UNB REDS women’s basketball team has added yet another honour for her work as a student-athlete during the 2023-2024 academic year.

On Tuesday, Veinot was named as a member of U SPORTS Top 8 Academic All-Canadians for 2023-24.

The elite and exclusive club highlights the accomplishments of eight of the brightest and best university student-athletes from Canada’s four athletic conferences.

Veinot, the 2023-24 Atlantic University Sport MVP and Nan Copp Trophy winner as U SPORTS women’s basketball player of the year, was named along with Universite de Moncton track and field athlete Samuel Bourque as well as representatives from the RSEQ, OUA and Canada West.

The eight were selected from approximately 4900 student-athletes who achieved U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian status in ‘23-‘24.

In recognition, a ceremony was held in Ottawa to present the student-athletes with the Governor General’s Medal for Academic Excellence.

They’ll be honoured Wednesday in a reception on Parliament Hill hosted by the Speaker of the House of Commons, followed by a visit with Her Excellency, Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, at Rideau Hall.

“These eight outstanding individuals are the crème-de la-crème of Canadian university student-athletes, and we are fortunate to have the support of the Governor General and the Speaker of the House as we recognize our Top 8 Academic All-Canadians,” said Pierre Arsenault, the Chief Executive Office of U SPORTS.

Along with her on-court exploits, Veinot earned a 4.2 GPA in her Master’s of Applied Health Services studies.

Veinot concluded a remarkable five-year U SPORTS career, one in which she studied and played at both UNB and Acadia University.

She remains with UNB’s women’s team as an assistant coach in 2024-2025.

A second generation UNB student-athlete from Port Williams, NS, Veinot is a five-time Academic All-Canadian and was pivotal in guiding the REDS to a 15-5 record in 2023-24 and an appearance in the AUS championship game.

On top of her studies and sport commitments at UNB, Veinot is also an active volunteer, serving in coaching and mentorship roles with Basketball New Brunswick youth teams.

STORY BY: UNB Athletics and U SPORTS

PHOTO: U SPORTS