Fort Macleod’s Jamie Brown, who played volleyball for the Lethbridge College Kodiaks, was named a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association national scholar.
Fort Macleod’s Jamie Brown added another jewel last week to her star-studded college volleyball career.
Brown was one of 42 Lethbridge College Kodiaks named Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) national scholars.
Brown, who finished with a 3.93 grade point average (GPA), was also a CCAA national scholar in 2020 and 2022.
“I have always held myself to high standard when it comes to athletics and academics,” Brown said in an interview. “As a student-athlete, ‘student’ is your first priority so this is something I have always taken very seriously.”
“I take pride in my academic standing just as much as my performance on the court. At Lethbridge College, academic excellence for student-athletes is expected.”
Todd Caughlin, Kodiaks athletics director, who like Brown is a graduate of F.P. Walshe school, agreed.
“The academic success of our student-athletes means as much to me as the championships,” Caughlin said.
To be named a national scholar, student-athletes must earn a grade point average of at least 3.3 while also competing for a registered athletics team.
“Kodiaks athletics are built on the three pillars of our program, which emphasize academics and community involvement alongside athletic excellence, and this is clear proof our student-athletes and coaches are committed to our philosophy,” Caughlin said. “It’s not easy to balance the demands of a student-athlete’s life, so I congratulate all of our national scholars who have excelled in this area.”
The Kodiaks program for CCAA national scholar recipients was led by Brown’s women’s volleyball program, with nine recipients.
That her teammates also did well academically came as no surprise to Brown.
“On our bus trips to games, you would see almost every athlete with their laptop out working on an assignment or catching up on a missed class from leaving early for games,” Brown said. “It’s so awesome to see that so many of our girls this year invested in their academics and received the national scholar award.”
The other women’s volleyball players named national scholars were Claire Armstrong, Lauren Barker, Shane Fowlie, Elyse Doble, Reese Hanusich, Alyssa Pavka, Sarah Soderstrom, and Eryka Woods.
Kodiaks student-athletes earned a combined overall 3.0.
“This is something to be proud of for our department and institution,” Caughlin said. “We want our student-athletes to leave Lethbridge College prepared to excel in their lives and careers, and this shows they are putting in the work in all aspects of their college experience.”
Brown in April was named Lethbridge College’s Female Athlete of the Year, receiving the Tim Tollestrup Leadership Student-Athlete of the Year Award.
The five foot 11 Brown finished her collegiate career strong, playing in 19 matches, recording 216 kills, 186 digs and 244 points.
Brown was named an All-Conference outside hitter and Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Player of the Year.
Brown was also named a Canadian Colleges Athletic Association Academic All-Canadian and CCAA All-Canadian.
Brown played a big role in her team’s historic run during the ACAC championships, where they attained the highest finish in team history by placing fourth.
Now retired as a player, Brown is working full-time at Lethbridge College in the Be Fit for Life Centre, and is also a sport performance coach at Lethbridge Fitness Club and volleyball coach.
“It feels like home being at the college every day and still being a part of the community the athletic community,” Brown said. “I am also grateful that I am still able to work with athletes and give them the tools that they need to grow in their sport.”
