Concordia Stinger wrestler Francis Carter has been selected as a Top 8 Academic All-Canadian for the 2017-18 season as proudly announced by U SPORTS today.
Carter and his fellow Top 8 student-athletes will be honoured Jan. 29 at Rideau Hall in Ottawa by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada.
The fourth-year Stinger is one of the most accomplished student-athletes in the history of Quebec university sports, having earned national recognition for his athletic prowess and his exceptional academic record. Last spring, he was the Quebec male nominee for the BLG Awards, presented annually to the U SPORTS Athletes of the Year, and now he is recognized as the top academic male student-athlete in the province.
The Montrealer was named the outstanding male wrestler at the U SPORTS national championships last February, after winning a gold medal and being named a first team all-Canadian. Carter won three preliminary matches in the 68 kg weight class en route to the gold medal match, where he defeated defending champion Matt Jagas of the powerhouse Brock Badgers in a hard-fought 3-2 decision. The victory helped Concordia secure a second-place team finish.
The Psychology student, who is working on a Specialization in Behavioural Neuroscience, earned a 4.30 GPA in eight courses in the 2017-18 season. Since his admission to Concordia in January of 2016, he has completed 19 classes and earned 18 A-Plus (A+) grades. His cumulative GPA is 4.29 out of 4.3.
He was ranked a Top 1 per cent Scholar by the Concordia University Faculty of Arts and Science in 2017-18, was on the Dean’s List and named a U SPORTS academic all-Canadian. Carter also received a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) undergraduate research award.
With a serious commitment to elite wrestling and academics, Carter also makes time for volunteer initiatives. He has volunteered in Neuroscience research at the university and with the Montreal General Hospital in the Intensive Care Unit. Once a week for four hours he shadows doctors and helps the families of patients in the ICU, assisting with information and providing emotional support.
“At Concordia, we are honoured to have such an exceptional young man represent us in U SPORTS competitions and beyond,” said Concordia Director of Recreation and Athletics D’Arcy Ryan. “Francis is an inspiration, and the Top 8 nomination is a fitting tribute to someone who has excelled in both his sport and his studies. He has set the bar exceptionally high for the generations of Stingers who will follow.”
Carter is the third Stinger to win the award. All three honorees have been members of the wrestling team. Tyler Marghetis, a Mathematics student, was a recipient in 2008, and Jason Della Rocca, an Accounting major, was a Top 8 Academic All-Canadian in 1995.
U SPORTS recognizes student-athletes who achieve an average of 80 per cent or better over the academic year while representing a university varsity team. From those individuals, a male and female from each of U SPORTS’ four conferences is selected for the Top 8 honour.
