Five outstanding student-athletes of the 2023-24 X-Women Rugby team received the nod this past academic term as winners of X-Women Rugby Leadership Awards.

The recipients include first-year second row/lock Akwaima Akpan (Lower Sackville, NS), third-year number 8/prop Janet Kennedy (Ottawa, ON), second-year hooker Katie Yanicki (Calgary, AB), third-year back row Skye Koyote (Duncan, BC), and third-year second row Sophie Beck (Fall River, NS).

This is the second year of the awards, which were established in honour of 35+ years of X-Women Rugby, with support from a generous anonymous alumna. The $1,000 awards recognize the leadership of X-Women Rugby student-athletes on and off the field, based not on athletic performance, but rather on players' contributions to building a positive team culture and STFX community. The awards are meant to recognize players whose leadership skills may go unrecognized and/or players who showed resilience over the year.

X-Women Rugby head coach Mike Cavanagh notes, "We continue to be impressed with the leadership qualities of the student athletes we have involved with our program and are grateful that they have this opportunity for a financial award courtesy of the rugby alumni and supporters who came before them."

Players interested in being considered for the awards submitted a 300-word essay about their contribution to the X-Women Program.

STFX co-captain and AUS all-star Sophie Beck is a lead-by-example type of leader. After a tough 2022-23 season, Beck helped rejuvenate the team's winning culture. In 2023-24, the blue and white went on to garner the AUS championship banner.

Fellow AUS all-star Skye Koyote's leadership qualities are growing year by year – she is someone her teammates can depend upon. Koyote contributed to the positive culture by setting high standards for herself and emulating the team's moto "Top Left" in everything she does.

With her calm and reliable presence, veteran honours student Janet Kennedy played a strong role in the X-Women leadership group L6. Kennedy helped strengthen the well-being and academic performance of her teammates. Kennedy also worked on an initiative to end sexual and gender-based violence on university campuses in Atlantic Canada.

Showing great determination and grit, Katie Yanicki battled with an injury this season. Despite not being able to play, Yanicki still found valuable ways to contribute to the team, behind-the-scenes, as the student-manager. Yanicki was proud of creating an 'empathetic environment' for her teammates.

Akwaima Akpan had a breakout season in her rookie year, garnering honors as the U SPORTS national Rookie of the Year and receiving all-Canadian accolades. Beyond her leadership on the field, Akpan consistently displayed a mature, subtle leadership style, one that inspired her teammates through her daily actions.

All five of this year's X-Women Rugby Leadership Award recipients demonstrated positivity, resiliency, and dedication to the program, exemplifying the very characteristics outlined by the alumni who established the awards.

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Joining the X-Women student-athletes (seated) Akwaima Akpan, Katie Yanicki & Sophie Beck for the presentations were (L to R): STFX Advancement Senior Development Executive Alexis MacDonald, X-Women Head Coach Mike Cavanagh, X-Women Academic Advisor & HKIN Professor/Chair Dr. Charlene Weaving, X-Women Assistant Coach Tara Sutherland and STFX Advancement Athletics Fund Development Officer Michelle White.