Scholars by King's, athletes by Western

In 2024, King's student-athletes swept the female and male athlete of the year awards at the annual Mustangs Awards for the second year in a row.

About 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 West Mustang drafted into the Canadian Premier (Soccer) League.

Manik Singh, a fourth-year BMOS student specializing in finance and administration, was the top table tennis player in Canada in 2023.

In November 2024, 28 King's students were recognized as Mustang Scholar Athletes for the 2023-2024 academic year in the Mustangs Honors Breakfast.

So…what is it about King's that signs so many high-performing athletes?

If you ask the student-athletes, this is the support they receive from the faculty, staff and King as a whole.

Shona Branton, a fourth-year Bachelor of Arts Major and Social Justice & Peace Studies Major, has represented King's and Western in the women's swimming program, even going as far as to attend the Olympic Trials. She said she enjoys swimming for 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,” says Branton.

Branton says King's has done so much to support her on her athletic journey. She admits that being in a demanding sport can be a challenge as they try to navigate. That's why she's grateful to 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 were incredibly supportive and did everything they could to help me. Even though 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,” explains Branton.

She gives a special shout-out to Joe Henry, dean of students, “who always makes sure all of our student-athletes have access to the supports they need and who always believes in us!”

After leading the Mustangs Men's Golf Team to a second-place finish at the 2023 Ontario University Athletics Golf Championship (OUA), both Riley Mathieson, a fourth-year specialization student, and Sheldon Pryce, a third-year BMOS specialization in Global Commerce student with a minor in in economics, spoke highly of their experience as King student-athletes, especially regarding the support of the faculty and staff.

'[King’s faculty] are extremely helpful in setting you up for success and ensuring that [your academic schedule] Also works with your athletic schedule,” says Mathieson. “All staff are very supportive of student-athletes and they make sure we are always up to date in the classroom. King’s has always been very supportive, ensuring we succeed in both our athletic and academic environments,” says Pryce.

Singh is very grateful for the support he has received from King as a student-athlete. “King's is a great place for athletes because it supports students in every way possible and has given me the opportunity to excel in my sport.” He credits his journey from being a table tennis enthusiast to representing his country and university at the highest level with his passion, hard work and the unwavering support of those around him.

Henry says he is inspired by the dedication and commitment 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 the two isn't always easy, but I'm proud of the support we can provide to help students achieve their goals. That's another reason why King's small campus experience is big,” says Henry.

Find out more about athletics at King's.