Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence – Montreal, May 19th, 2016 – The Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence (FAEQ) is proud to announce the names of top university student-athletes who have chosen to pursue their academic and athletic careers in one of the twelve member universities of the Réseau du Sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) as of September 2016.

This year, no less than thirty recipients will be the beneficiaries of a total of $150, 000.  These student-athletes were selected based on their outstanding achievements during their collegiate careers and the impact they are projected to have on the university sports scene as early as next season.

Amongst the group of newcomers this season are hockey players Stéphanie Lalancette and Audrey Belzile. As members of opposites sides of one of the most heated rivalries in women’s Cégep hockey, they’ll dawn together athe colours of the Concordia Stingers come this fall. Lalancette, a smooth skating forward who will study leisure sciences, amassed 65 points in three seasons with the Limoilou Titans, Champions of the RSEQ in 2013 and 2015. A gold medalist with Team Canada at the World under-18 Championships in 2014, she was recently given the opportunity to skate with Canada’s senior team during their development camp in January. Belzile meanwhile, turned heads as an integral member of the Saint-Laurent Patriotes for the past two seasons, helping bring home a Championship banner in 2014. A member of the 2015 Team Québec squad that skated to a Gold medal at the Canada Games in Prince George, Belzile was the author of the overtime tally that secured the gold medal, a first for Quebec in women’s hockey at the Canada Games. Having also enjoyed stints within the Team Canada development program, Belzile is excited to pursue her career and her studies in economics at Concordia.

Another noted student-athlete amongst this year’s group is football player Samuel Lefebvre, an offensive lineman who will join the Laval University Rouge et Or. Two-time RSEQ division 1 Offensive Lineman of the Year, Lefebvre represented Quebec at two Canada Cups earning All-star status in both appearances. The business student will represent Canada this summer at the World Junior Championships held in China.

“In the last few years, RSEQ teams in all sports have represented Quebec tremendously well at the national level, bringing home many CIS championships”, said Associate Executive Director of the FAEQ, Patricia Demers. “The student-athletes who have been recipients of recruitment bursaries in the past played significant roles in helping secure these championships, and most as soon as they arrived on the university scene. We’re so proud to watch them compete and grow on the field, in addition to developing into models in the classroom and in their community” she added.

In addition to the 30 bursaries dedicated to the Quebec student-athletes, five recruitment bursaries of $3000 each, will be distributed to Canadian student-athletes who have chosen to pursue their educational and athletic careers in a Quebec university.

 

Recipients of the 2015-2016 Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence
University Recruitment bursaries
35 student-athletes sharing $165, 000

*Out of province recruitment bursaries

About the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence: UNITED for SUCCESS
The Foundation is unique thanks to its personal approach, diligent management, and influential role in the realm of sport and education. In 2016, the Foundation will distribute close to 1.3 million dollars in bursaries to more than 450 student-athletes throughout Quebec. The Foundation’s bursaries reward: academic excellence, encourage the balancing of high performance sport and academics, highlight leadership, recognize perseverance, and foster university recruitment. The FAEQ is moved to action by a genuine desire to unite with former bursary recipients and sponsors for the success of current bursary recipients, thereby making a difference in their academic, athletic, and/or personal development. Visit the Foundation’s web site at faeq.com and “Like” its Facebook page at: FAEQ – Fondation de l’athlète d’excellence du Québec, and find us on LinkedIn.

Jonathan Collin
Coordinator of the Bursary Program and athlete support
Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence
Jonathan.collin@faeq.com   
514.252.3171 extension 3884