2021-22 ACAC Athletic Director of The Year
Edmonton, AB (May 27, 2022) – The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) is pleased to announce that SAIT’s Wade Kolmel has been selected as the 2021-22 ACAC Athletic Director of the Year.
In a year where expectations were tempered after COVID cut short the 2019-20 season and forced the cancellation of the entire 2020-21 campaign, Kolmel’s Trojans had one of their best seasons in recent memory - capturing six ACAC banners (men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s futsal, men’s basketball and men’s cross-country running). In all, SAIT combined for 20 team and individual ACAC medals (10 gold, 2 silver and 8 bronze).
On the national stage, the Trojans earned a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) gold medal in the women’s individual cross-country running event and a bronze medal in women’s soccer.
SAIT filled the cupboard when it came to awards, as well. The Trojans had 13 CCAA Academic All-Canadians, 6 CCAA All-Canadians, and 1 CCAA Coach of the Year. Closer to home, Kolmel’s teams produced 26 ACAC AllConference selections, 4 ACAC Player of the Year awards, 3 ACAC Coach of the Year awards, 2 ACAC Rookie of the Year awards and the ACAC’s Overall Female Rookie of the Year award.
Kolmel also led his staff through the hosting of the CCAA’s Men’s Soccer National Championship in November and the ACAC’s Men’s Basketball Final Four in March.
"While the season provided a number of trophies, banners and medals for the department, those who worked closely with Wade were equally as impressed with his leadership during a season in which just finishing it would have been considered a success,” says Brody Mark, SAIT Trojans Media Coordinator. “Wade will humbly say that he shares this award with his co-workers, but it was his understanding and his ability to pivot when needed that set the tone for a smaller-than-usual staff who were either new or new to the roles they were asked to take on. Each of the Conference’s Athletic Directors deserves praise for the tireless work they put in during an awkward and trying season, but we as a staff were very happy to hear that Wade had been chosen as the recipient of this award. It is very much deserved.”
Kolmel’s 2021-22 season also saw him lead the comeback of SAIT’s badminton program, who will re-join the ACAC next year after being disbanded following the 1998-99 season. Since starting at SAIT halfway in the 2016-17 season, Kolmel has brought back SAIT’s golf and curling ACAC teams, while also adding to the department’s competitive club sports model with rugby, cricket and Esports. This prestigious award was presented to Wade Kolmel at the 2022 ACAC General Spring meetings in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
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About the ACAC: The ACAC is the governing body for intercollegiate athletics in Alberta. Its mission is to provide competitive collegiate sport experiences, promote academic achievement and be a leader of sport development in Canada.
For more information on the ACAC, please visit our website: www.acac.ab.ca
For additional information, contact:
Mark Kosak, ACAC
Chief Executive Officer
403-875-7329
markk@acac.ab.ca
Brody Mark, SAIT Trojans
Coordinator of Trojans Media and Communications
403-774-4683
bordy.mark@sait.ca
Twitter: @acac_sport / #ACACsport
Instagram: @acac_sport / #ACACsport
Facebook: AlbertaCollegesAthleticConference