Scholars by King's, Athletes by Western
January 24, 2025
In 2024, for the second year in a row, King's student-athletes swept the Female and Male Athlete of the Year Awards at the annual Mustangs awards.
Approximately 75 players on the Western Mustangs football team are King's student-athletes.
Ibrahem Saadi, a second-year Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies (BMOS) student, became the first Western Mustang to be drafted to the Canadian Premier (Soccer) League.
Manik Singh, a fourth-year BMOS student specializing in Finance and Administration, was, in 2023, the top-ranked table tennis player in Canada.
In November 2024, 28 King’s students were recognized as Mustang Scholar Athletes for the 2023-2024 academic year at the Mustangs Honours Breakfast.
So… what is it about King's that draws so many high-performing athletes?
If you ask the student-athletes, it’s the support they get from the faculty, staff, and King’s as a whole.
Shona Branton, a fourth-year Bachelor of Arts, Thanatology major and Social Justice & Peace Studies major, has represented King’s and Western in the Women’s Swimming program, even going so far as to attend the Olympic Trials. She said she loves swimming because of the fun and being able to represent Western and King’s at competitions.
“It’s really special. Every time I compete, I do it for Western, which makes the journey even more exciting and worth the hard work,” Branton says.
Branton says King’s has done so much to support her in her athletic journey. She admits that being in a demanding sport while trying to navigate school can be challenging. That’s why she is grateful to the King’s faculty and staff who make accommodations so she can balance both.
“When I was preparing for Olympic trials, the staff at King’s was incredibly supportive and did everything they could to help me. While I didn’t go to the Games this summer, I still achieved the qualifying standard, which I would never have been able to do without everyone at King’s,” Branton explains.
She gives a special shout-out to Joe Henry, Dean of Students, “who always makes sure that all of our student-athletes can access the supports they need and who always believes in all of us!”
After helping to lead the Mustangs Men’s Golf Team to a second-place finish at the 2023 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Golf Championship, both Riley Mathieson, a fourth-year special student, and Sheldon Pryce, a third-year BMOS specialization in Global Commerce student with a minor in Economics, spoke highly about their experience as King’s student-athletes, especially regarding the support from the faculty and staff.
“[King’s faculty] are extremely helpful with setting you up for success and making sure that [your academic schedule] works with your athletics schedule as well,” says Mathieson. “All of the staff are very supportive of student-athletes, and they ensure we are always up to date inside the classroom. King's has always been very supportive and assuring that we succeed in both our athletic and academic environments,” says Pryce.
Singh is very grateful for the support he has received from King’s as a student-athlete. “King’s is a great place for athletes as it supports students in every way possible and has given me the opportunity to excel in my sport.” He credits the success of his journey from a table tennis enthusiast to representing his country and university at the highest levels to his passion, hard work, and the unwavering support of those around him.
Henry says he is inspired by the commitment and dedication of King’s student-athletes in their pursuit of excellence in the classroom and in achieving high performance in their respective sports.
“We know balancing both isn’t always easy but I am proud of the support we can provide to help students achieve their goals. That is another reason why King’s small campus experience is BIG,” says Henry.