Cami Kepke honoured with Fred “Gus” Collins Award

June 8, 2023 – Canada West is pleased to announce that Cami Kepke, a Digital Journalist with Global News Calgary, has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the Fred “Gus” Collins Award.

The recognition is presented annually to a member of the media who works tirelessly covering Canada West and its student-athletes.

In a city with no shortage of sporting news to cover, Kepke has used her platform to ensure local student-athletes are given the spotlight.

“Cami’s passion for university sport allows her to go beyond the surface with her coverage and connect with student-athletes and coaches to tell meaningful stories,” says Lance McKenzie, Manager of Communications with the University of Calgary Dinos. “Even with a changing media landscape, she continues to fight to find ways to promote amateur and women’s sport in our city.”

Kepke’s eye for sports and storytelling shine through in every feature. Memorable examples from the past season include her profile of Dylan Kalambay – a Dinos basketball recruit with a heart transplant, or her coverage of the Hockey Can’t Stop Tour, which saw the Ukrainian national university ice hockey team take on Canada West opponents in an exhibition tour of western Canada.

Kepke’s contributions to university sport go beyond her reporting. She has given her time as both a commentator and sideline reporter on Canada West TV and has emceed several other events, including the “Night of the Dino” awards gala.

“The Dinos and [Mount Royal] Cougars, as well as countless other amateur sports organizations in Calgary, are fortunate to have someone like Cami to tell our stories,” says McKenzie.

“The most gratifying part of my job”

When reached for comment, Kepke expressed that covering local student-athletes has turned into one of the most rewarding aspects of her work.

“When I got into the industry, I thought that covering an NHL team or a CFL team would be the ultimate goal. But as I started telling stories I found I was really interested in stories of athletes who weren’t necessarily in the national spotlight,” says Kepke. “Just getting to know some of these students and how they’re balancing really difficult studies and being at the top of their game, those who have some really tough hardships they’ve had to overcome, it’s probably the most gratifying part of my job in Calgary.”

Kepke also emphasized her commitment to ensuring exceptional coverage of female sports. Whether through sharing the inspirational story of Nataliia Klimenova, a women's volleyball player at Mount Royal University, or bringing the national champion MRU women's hockey team into the studio for a live interview, Kepke understands the influential role her coverage plays in inspiring the next generation of female athletes.

“I feel we need to be supporting these athletes in any way we can. I have a platform where we can provide equitable coverage to female athletes, which has been extremely important to me,” says Kepke. “Where I grew up there was no coverage of women’s sports so you couldn’t see it anywhere. And they’re just achieving so much. It fills my heart.”

Kepke also expressed appreciation for her team at Global Calgary and how they value local coverage. ​

“We believe at Global that it should be local, local, local. We try to put more importance on covering those sports. I don’t think people realize how high a level university sport is. It might be the most overlooked level of sports in our city. And as we get more professional leagues in Canada, now there’s a pathway for these athletes to take it to the next level.”

Canada West would like to express its appreciation to Kepke and all journalists across the conference for their tremendous on-going coverage of Canada West teams and student-athletes.

Kepke will move forward as the Canada West nominee for the Fred Sgambati Media Award, a national recognition presented by U SPORTS.

More about the Fred “Gus” Collins Award

The late Fred "Gus" Collins was a long-time contributor to the development, success and promotion of Canada West, notably through his endless effort to produce updated, accurate statistical information to all media in an era long before laptops and spreadsheets.

The Fred "Gus" Collins Award is presented annually to a member of the media who works tirelessly covering Canada West and its student-athletes. The winner becomes the Canada West nominee for the Fred Sgambati Award, which is presented by U SPORTS to a member of the news media, who has made a major contribution to the development and growth of U SPORTS.