Tuesday, June 20, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – During the soccer season, Simon Fraser goalkeeper Brandon Watson was the cornerstone of a Clan defense that proved almost unpentratable.

With as good as he was in goal, Watson was just as impressive in the classroom. Both are being recognized by conference athletic directors with his selection as the 2016-17 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

“It is an honor to receive such a prestigious award,” Watson said. “I want to say thank you to the GNAC, Simon Fraser University, my coaches and my teammates for their support during the past four years. It has been an unforgettable experience competing in one of the best conferences in the NCAA. This is another amazing highlight for myself and my family and I am very grateful for the recognition.”

Watson was a key cog in Simon Fraser’s march to the 2016 GNAC men’s soccer championship, which helped earn the Clan hosting rights for the NCAA Division II West Region Tournament. The Victoria, B.C., native led the conference and finished ranked sixth in Division II with a 0.59 goals against average, allowing just 11 goals in 1,680 minutes played. Watson also notched nine shutouts of the season, allowing him to finish as the GNAC career leader with 31 between 2013 and 2016.

In addition, Watson finished second on the GNAC career list with a 0.75 goals against average, allowing 53 goals in 6,389 minutes over four years. He also finished fourth on the GNAC all-time list in minutes played, 10th in save percentage (.767) and 16th in saves (174).

The outstanding season earned Watson First Team All-GNAC honors as well as Second Team D2CCA All-West Region accolades.

In the classroom, Watson finished his college career with a 4.15 cumulative grade point average as a kinesiology major (on the Canadian 4.33 GPA scale). The combination of academic and athletic prowess earned Watson selection as a Third Team CoSIDA Division II Academic All-American and to the District 8 Academic All-District Team. He earned his third GNAC All-Academic Team selection and had the highest GPA of the 35 players selected to the 2016 team.

Watson was selected for Simon Fraser’s Bill Devries Senior All-Around Athlete award and was the recipient of a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

“Brandon is obviously very deserving of this award,” said Simon Fraser head men’s soccer coach Clint Schneider. “I am very proud of him and the man he has become. He exemplifies a lot of what is good about college athletes and, when you have someone who is as consistent as he is both on and off the field, it makes my life very easy.”

With his Simon Fraser career in the rearview mirror, Watson is looking ahead to graduate school. He has enrolled at the University of British Columbia where he will pursue a Master’s degree in physical therapy beginning in September. He hopes to become a licensed physiotherapist, focusing on preventative treatments, movement analysis and post-operative return to play.

Thanks to a surgical experience he had early in his SFU career, Watson also eyes a future doctoral degree. “I have the intention of pursuing a Ph.D., looking into the psychological and cognitive changes associated with severe musculoskeletal injuries requiring surgical intervention,” Watson said. “Having had my hip surgically repaired at the age of 19, requiring multiple years of physical and mental rehabiliation, this is an area that is very important to me both academically and from a personal perspective.”

The beautiful game will also continue to play a role in Watson’s career. He will participate in the Nation’s Cup, a top Canadian amateur soccer tournament, in July and is already coaching youth goalkeepers part-time with the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy.

Other nominees for the GNAC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award included Michael Fehrenbach of Alaska (cross country), Andrew Helmstadter of Northwest Nazarene (baseball), Jordan Kollars of Seattle Pacific (soccer), Gordie Kordas of Western Washington (track and field), Kodiak Landis of Central Washington (track and field), Diante Mitchell of Alaska Anchorage (basketball), Jared Rasmussen of Saint Martin’s (golf), Kamal Tall of Montana State Billings (basketball), Connor Thompson of Western Oregon (basketball) and Latrell Wilson of Concordia (basketball).

GNAC MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
2016-17: Brandon Watson, Simon Fraser (Soccer)
2015-16: Cameron Proceviat, Simon Fraser (Cross Country/Track and Field)
2014-15: Riley Stockton, Seattle Pacific (Basketball)
2013-14: David Downs, Seattle Pacific (Basketball)
2012-13: David Downs, Seattle Pacific (Basketball)
2011-12: Alex Harrison, Western Washington (Track and Field)
2010-11: Adam Bighill, Central Washington (Football)
2009-10: Sam Charles, Montana State Billings (Soccer)
2008-09: Sam Charles, Montana State Billings (Soccer)
2007-08: Jarred Rensvold, Montana State Billings (Cross Country/Track and Field)
2006-07: Adam Jensen, Seattle (Soccer)
2005-06: Tony Binetti, Seattle Pacific (Basketball)
2004-05: Nathan Carlson, Saint Martin’s (Cross Country/Track and Field)
2003-04: Rob White, Western Washington (Football)
2002-03: Tobias Schwoerer, Alaska Anchorage (Cross Country)
2001-02: Erik Totten, Western Washington (Football)