Thomas Friesen honoured with 2024 Fred “Gus” Collins Award

June 5, 2024 – Canada West is pleased to announce Thomas Friesen, a sports reporter with The Brandon Sun, has been selected as the 2024 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.

Since joining The Brandon Sun in 2018, Friesen has provided the city's passionate fans with thoughtful and informative coverage of the local sports scene, often delving past the box score to seek out stories that are interesting and compelling to readers. ​

"Thomas has worked tirelessly to cover university sport, not just as the Bobcats’ beat writer, but as a supporter of all university and college athletes and coaches that have ties to the western Manitoba region," says Matt Packwood, Sports Information & Marketing Officer for the Brandon University Bobcats.

"His stories have covered the highs and the lows of competition, as well as the hard work and grit that go into reaching the highest level. He’s also written stories from the perspective of coaches, administrators, and officials, showcasing his passion for sport at all levels."

Friesen's talent for storytelling shines through in every article, including this profile on Paycen Warkentin's rise to becoming a dominant force in Canada West men's volleyball. While coverage of the Bobcats is a main focus, he's also committed to profiling local student-athletes finding success abroad, like this feature on Neepawa’s Daxx Turner, who captured a U SPORTS national gold medal in triple jump for the Manitoba Bisons earlier this year.

Brandon Sports Scene is "The Perfect Fit"

Covering amateur athletics has come naturally for Friesen, drawing from his own student-athlete experience at Canadian Mennonite University where he played both volleyball and soccer. After finishing his program at CMU, he spent a 12-week term with the Winkler Times and Morden Times before the Sun reached out and invited him to apply for an opening in their sports department.

It was the perfect fit.

"The opportunity the Sun gave me close to six years ago was just incredible," says Friesen. “Once they explained the main beat was covering Canada West volleyball and basketball, I realized there might not be a better fit in the country in terms of a first job for me. To get to cover volleyball and basketball at the university level every weekend has been awesome."

Fast forward six years later, it continues to be a role he relishes. While every game story is important, Friesen knows it's the stories of perseverance and overcoming adversity that really resonate with readers.

"I have to thank the athletes and coaches that give so much of their time whether they win or lose, answering questions even when they're not the easiest, and being willing to share their stories," says Friesen. "It’s stuff that everybody to some degree can relate to that makes our stories that much better. People tend to find it more interesting when not everything goes people’s way, and learning about how they respond to it. That's what I try to bring out.”

While it's by no means the biggest market in western Canada, Friesen credits Brandon's sports fans for being among the most passionate in the country.

"There’s a lot of places where people say they have the best fans. Given the population size, it's pretty tough to argue Brandon's not one of the top five in the country. Just hearing how much people talk about these teams and how much they're involved in the community, it's great being somewhere people care about what you write."

When reflecting on being named the Fred "Gus" Collins award winner, Friesen was also quick to highlight the key mentorship role that Brandon Wheat Kings beat writer and Brandon Sun colleague Perry Bergson has played in the early part of his career.

“Getting to learn from [Bergson] right off the bat and for the last six years, watching the way he goes about covering the Wheat Kings has just been so instrumental in me starting in this field," says Friesen. "The lessons I've learned just from sitting in the office with him interviewing athletes and the care he has for the kids, whether it's a 14-year-old getting drafted to the team or the captain getting drafted into the NHL four or five years later. He's set a really good example that's been nice to try to follow.” ​

Friesen will move forward as next year's 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.

A list of previous Fred "Gus" Collins recipients is available here.