ANTIGONISH, NS --- The STFX Athletic Department honoured the athletic accomplishments of their varsity student-athletes this week at the Athletic Awards Gala held Wednesday evening at the STFX Saputo Centre. X-Women Soccer forward Amanda Smith was named the STFX Female Student-Athlete of the Year, while X-Men Soccer midfielder Kyle Cordeiro and X-Men Football quarterback Silas Fagnan were co-winners of the STFX Male Student-Athlete of the Year title.

Amanda Smith is a second year Education student from Ottawa, Ont., in her fifth and final season as a forward with the AUS champion X-Women Soccer team. As team captain, Smith helped guide the X-Women to a perfect 12-0-0 season while her 28 points tied her for first overall in both AUS and U SPORTS. Her 22-goal season stood atop the AUS charts as the second highest in conference history and she closes her career with 50 goals, the most ever for an X-Women soccer player and third overall in the conference record book. The 2023 AUS tournament MVP, Smith also became the only X soccer athlete to earn AUS first team all-star status on four occasions, and the only X-Women to achieve U SPORTS all-Canadian accolades four times, including this past season as a U SPORTS first team all-Canadian. Amanda becomes the fifth X-Women Soccer athlete to be named the STFX Female Student-Athlete of the Year, with the last one being Christa Barber in 2006.

Kyle Cordeiro is a fourth year Business student from Oakville, Ont., in his third year of eligibility as a midfielder on the AUS champion X-Men Soccer team. Cordeiro led the AUS in goals with nine this season and finished tied for first in points with 11 as he earned AUS most valuable player honours. He helped lead the X-Men to a 9-2-1 record, a second-place finish in the regular season standings and ultimately the AUS championship banner, the first since 1994 for the X-Men. Named AUS tournament MVP, Cordeiro earned AUS first team all-star status for the third consecutive season and was a U SPORTS first team all-Canadian, following up on his second team all-Canadian nod last year. Kyle becomes the sixth X-Men Soccer athlete to win the STFX Male Student-Athlete of the Year award and first since Dan Hayfield in both 2020 and 2018.

Silas Fagnan is a fifth year Human Kinetics student in his third year of eligibility from Bonnyville, Alta., who quarterbacked the three-time consecutive AUS champion X-Men Football team. Starting in each of his team's games this season, he led the X-Men to a league-best 8-0 record and garnered the honours of AUS most valuable player in the process, having also won the same top conference award in 2021. Fagnan earned AUS all-star recognition for the third consecutive year, finished first among all AUS quarterbacks in completions (138), touchdowns (13), yards passing (2,075) and yards passing per game (259.4). His 2,075 passing yards are the 8th highest single-season total in AUS history and ranked third in school history. Silas becomes the 12th X-Men Football athlete to win the STFX Male Student-Athlete of the Year award, the last one being Kaion Julien-Grant in 2019. 

The STFX Community X-Cellence awards recognize community initiative and involvement, volunteer experience and extra-curricular contributions outside of the student-athlete's varsity and academic experiences within the past academic school year. The 2024 Community X-Cellence award recipients were presented to Elizabeth Kennedy from X-Women Basketball and Oliver Storseth from X-Men Soccer.

Elizabeth Kennedy is a fourth year Business student from Richmond, B.C., and a forward with the X-Women Basketball team. The president of the STFX Schwartz Women in Business Society featuring over 120 members, she spearheaded STFX's efforts in hosting Atlantic Canada's largest undergraduate business conference. Kennedy won the Dr. Trudy Eagan Award this winter which recognizes determination, perseverance, and positive impact on the STFX community. A notetaker and tutor for business and math courses, she is also a weekly volunteer at the Kevin's Corner foodbank, along with volunteering on the Student Union's Budget & Finance and Strategic Planning committees. Kennedy was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a volunteer coach with the X-Women Basketball's 'Next Level Academy', and she taught financial literacy with the Mini U program for Paqtnkek Education Centre students. Kennedy also found time to take on the role of senior class development officer, leading a $20,000 volunteer fundraising campaign for the Class of 2024 housing eXpense fund, a bursary program targeting students facing housing insecurities. 

Oliver Storseth is a fifth year Science student from Antigonish, N.S., who is a midfielder with the X-Men Soccer team. As founder and lead of the Unified at X program, he brings together varsity athletes and community members to engage in sport and healthy living, while removing the barriers many individuals with disabilities often face in sport and society. Storseth has run the bi-weekly program since September of 2022, incorporating new sports into 14 sessions. He also organized a Unified at X fun day at the local Keppoch outdoor facility, hosting a snowshoeing event for 40 people, and held a Christmas social for his regular attendees. A representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, Storseth has lent his time to the Antigonish Multisport program, teaching soccer skills, along with leading tutoring sessions for first and second year STFX students. This is in addition to his role as a STFX Chemistry Society tutorial lead, holding weekly chemistry tutorials. The winner of the Special Olympics Canada rising star coach of the year award, Storseth was also honoured as a recipient of the 3M National Student Fellowship Award, which recognizes up to 10 undergraduate students across the country who have demonstrated "visionary leadership and innovation through seeing current needs in higher education or society and implementing change."

Graham Kennedy is the winner of the 2024 STFX Coach of the Year award. In his 15th season behind the helm of the X-Men Soccer team, and 11th season coaching the X-Women Soccer squad, Coach Kennedy was awarded both the AUS men's and women's soccer coach of the year awards for the first time ever in AUS history, and he was honoured as the U SPORTS national women's soccer coach of the year. Coach Kennedy led both teams to AUS championship banners this past fall. His X-Men had a 9-2-1 regular season record, and didn't allow a goal at the AUS championship, defeating UNB and Cape Breton to win their first conference title in 29 years. They tallied a league-leading 33 goals in 12 regular season games and boasted the lowest goals against average in the conference of 0.92.

Coach Kennedy guided the X-Women team to an undefeated 12-0-0 record in first place atop the AUS standings, before beating out Memorial and Cape Breton to win the AUS title. They were the only team in the nation to win all of their regular season games and allowed just three goals against - a league and U SPORTS best - for a goals against average of 0.25. The X-Women also had a league-leading nine shutouts and finished with 48 goals (tied for the most in the conference). A two-time AUS women's coach of the year and two-time AUS men's coach of the year, this marks the first time Coach Kennedy has been awarded the STFX Coach of the Year award.

The 'X-Ceptional Award' which recognizes individuals who go above and beyond to contribute in a positive manner to STFX Athletics, was awarded to Bill and Bernice Kiely. Dedication and devotion are words used to describe the Kiely's who are proud STFX alumni and loyal supporters of all X-Men and X-Women programs. First and foremost, Bill and Bernice are dedicated fans who are regular attendees at STFX games, be it in the gymnasium, stadium, rink or trail, they rarely miss a home game in any X-Men or X-Women sport. They often take to the road for AUS playoff games and championships and Bernice even hopped on the plane to Vancouver this past fall to cheer on the X-Men Football team. The Kiely's are mainstays at all alumni-related functions and proudly display their blue and white colors at every opportunity.

Both Bill and Bernice volunteer their time annually at the STFX Father Kehoe Golf Classic and Bill is a key member of the organizing committee, having served on the committee since the inception of the event in 1992, including as the former chair. Bill is also a member of the STFX Sports Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2008 as a builder for his contributions to game day announcing and communications. He continues to be a key contributor, providing regular STFX Athletics updates on his Facebook page which are appreciated by all. The Kiely's demonstrate their passionate commitment to STFX varsity athletics by supporting all fundraising initiatives and campaigns, while soliciting other alumni to do the same. They are friendly and welcoming faces in the stands for our student-athletes and their devotion to the blue and white is unwavering.  

All first-year student-athletes were recognized and received their traditional STFX varsity pin from their respective head coaches, while graduating student-athletes received a framed varsity X for their contributions to their teams over the past four or five years. X-Men and X-Women student-athletes who received AUS and U SPORTS accolades were recognized for their achievements as STFX Athletics produced 45 AUS all-stars, five AUS all-rookies, 15 AUS major awards winners, 13 U SPORTS all-Canadians, five U SPORTS all-rookies, and two U SPORTS major award winners this past varsity season. Five STFX teams – X-Men Football, X-Women Cross Country, X-Women Rugby, X-Women Soccer and X-Men Soccer – were AUS conference champions, and the X-Women Cross Country team were also U SPORTS bronze medalists.

Graduating student therapists and sports performance interns, along with student managers from all STFX varsity teams were recognized for their contributions to the 2023-24 varsity season. Iron X Awards were handed out to members of each team for their dedication to sports performance and improvements in the varsity weight room and included the following:

Individual awards for each varsity team were awarded to student-athletes and presented by each head coach. The winners are as follows.

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