SKI | Tremblay Named to Team Canada

U SPORTS and Nordiq Canada have announced the student-athletes and coaches who will represent Canada in cross-country skiing at the 2023 FISU Winter World University Games in Lake Placid.

Laurentian's Sophie Tremblay was one of six women who earned the right to wear the maple leaf in January.  With limited qualifying opportunities to earn a spot on the team, Tremblay performed very well at the Eastern Canada Cup last weekend in Cantley, QC, finishing third in the Classic Sprint qualifier and 12^th in the Free Interval Start.  The combination of those results punched Tremblay's ticket to Lake Placid.

For Athletic Director, Peter Hellstrom, Tremblay's inclusion on the team continues a long tradition of Voyageurs donning the maple leaf.  "Whether it was Nordic skier Darrell Frank 50 years ago, in Lake Placid no less or, more recently, basketball player Kadre Gray, Laurentian has been well represented on the international stage.  Sophie continues that tradition and we couldn't more excited to cheer her on in January!"

An OUA all-star and member of the banner-winning Lakehead Thunderwolves last season, Tremblay is the first Voyageur to hit the trails at a Universiade since Mary Thompson represented the blue and gold in 2009 (Harbin, China) and 2011 (Erzurum, Turkey).

Coach Erik Labrosse is very excited for his young skier, commenting, "What a great start for Sophie as a Voyageur!  Her approach to training and dedication to the sport is inspiring.  Sophie likes to say skiing is happiness.  We are all happy she will be representing the university and our country next month in Lake Placid."

Tremblay and the rest of Team Canada, listed below, will be making their way around the Olympic trails of Mount Van Hoevenberg in different races from January 13th to the 22nd.

TEAM CANADA ROSTER

WOMEN

Name                                          University/College                                                   Hometown

Reese Bendiksen                       University of Alberta Augustana                           Camrose, AB

Katherine Mason                      Carleton University                                                  Ottawa, ON

Emmanuelle Simard                 Laval University                                                         Neuville, QC

Nathalie Thain                           University of Calgary                                               Camrose, AB

Sophie Tremblay                      Laurentian University                                             Sudbury, ON

Bronwyn Williams                    Carleton University                                                  Cantley, QC    

MEN

Name                                          University/College                                                   Hometown

Joseph Hutton                           Nipissing University                                                  Lakeside, ON

Aidan Kirkham                           University of Ottawa                                               Kanata, ON

Robin Mason                             University of Calgary                                               Ottawa, ON

Alexander Maycock                 Nipissing University                                                  Orangeville, ON

Conor McGovern                      Lakehead University                                                 Winnipeg, MB

Antoine Nicol                            Cegep Saint-Jérôme                                                 Prévost, QC

STAFF

Coach: Steven Wintoniw (Winnipeg, MB)

Coach: Diane Poncelet (Saint-Jérôme, QC)