The STFX Athletic Department honoured the athletic accomplishments of their varsity student-athletes at the Athletic Awards Gala held Wednesday evening (April 2) at the STFX Keating Centre. X-Women Cross Country/Track runner Eileen Benoit was named the STFX Female Student-Athlete of the Year, while X-Men Basketball guard D.J. Jackson received the STFX Male Student-Athlete of the Year title.
Eileen Benoit and D.J. Jackson Named STFX Student-Athletes of The Year
Eileen Benoit is a first year Education student from Windsor, N.S., in her fourth year of eligibility with the AUS champion X-Women Cross Country team and the X-Women Track team. After claiming the AUS Cross Country individual bronze medal last season, Eileen ran away with the AUS title and gold medal at the 2024 championship, leading her squad to their fourth consecutive AUS banner. She garnered AUS Cross Country runner of the year accolades, was an AUS first team all-star, and earned U SPORTS second team all-Canadian status with her 12th place finish at the national championship. Eileen enjoyed equal success on the track as she was a two-time medalist at the AUS championship, winning gold in the 3000m and silver in the 1500m. She followed up with an impressive fifth place performance in the U SPORTS 3000m race, while picking up the AUS Women's Track Community Service award along the way. Eileen becomes the sixth X-Women Cross Country/Track athlete to be named the STFX Female Student-Athlete of the Year, and the first since Bridget Brennan in 2016.
D.J. Jackson is a first year Human Kinetics student from Mississauga, Ont., in his third year of eligibility as a guard on the X-Men Basketball team. The AUS most valuable player and AUS first team all-star, he led the country in scoring, averaging 24.4 points per game. D.J. also led the AUS conference in steals (2.2 S/G) and free throw percentage (86.1) while leading the nationally ranked X-Men to a 15-5 regular season record and a first-place finish in the AUS standings. D.J. was honoured as an AUS championship all-star as his X-Men fell just short in a closely contested AUS championship game. He went on to garner U SPORTS first team all-Canadian recognition as one of the top players in the country. D.J. becomes the 14th X-Men Basketball athlete to win the STFX Male Student-Athlete of the Year award, with the last one being David Muenkat in 2023.
