Royals Kurvits being inducted into OCAA Hall of Fame
TORONTO, ON - Redeemer Royals men's badminton alumni Owen Kurvits (Hamilton, ON) is being inducted into the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Hall of Fame. He becomes the seventh Redeemer student-athlete to be inducted.
This year, 32 new members will be recognized in the 10th OCAA Hall of Fame ceremony, to be held at the St. Clair College Centre for the Arts in Windsor, Ont., on Monday, May 1.
Kurvits competed for the Redeemer Royals men's badminton team from 2013-17 and is one of most decorated student-athletes in Redeemer University history.
"We at Redeemer are excited that the OCAA has unanimously decided to induct Owen Kurvits into the Hall of Fame. Owen excelled on the court and, more importantly, used his sporting platform to share more than just the game with those he met during his illustrious badminton career," said Redeemer Director of Athletics James Kryger.
"To this day, Owen continues to share his experiences, always finding ways to encourage and support athletes who one day hope to follow in his footsteps. We could not be more excited he will be inducted into the 2023 Hall of Fame with so many amazing former athletes, coaches, and sport builders. Owen was, without a doubt, one of the very best Badminton athletes to wear the Redeemer Red. Although this induction highlights his individual victories, I have no doubt Owen will quickly share this award with the many coaches, athletes, therapists, professors, and support staff who helped equip him to become an OCAA and CCAA champion."
In four seasons, Kurvits was a 3-Time CCAA First Team All-Canadian (2014-17), 3-Time CCAA Academic All-Canadian (2014-17), 4-Time OCAA All-Star (2013-17) 3-Time OCAA Player of the Year and CCAA Player of the Year. At the National Championships, Kurvits added a gold, silver and bronze. At the OCAA Championships, he recorded three gold and one silver.
As a Royal, he was a 4-Time Redeemer Male Athlete of the Year and 4-Time Redeemer Badminton MVP.
"Beyond his many athletic and academic accolades, I had the pleasure of spending significant time with Owen at various invitationals and championships over his tenure as an elite champion for Redeemer," said Humber College Associate, Athletic Director Michael Kopinak. "On several occasions he came to Humber to workout with our team – one of our greatest rivals was arguably one of our greatest friends. I have many fond memories of his excellent sense of humour, his positive attitude, his desire to compete and never quit, and mostly his ability to leave it all on the court and then be humble after victory. Owen Kurvits is a true champion on and off the court and is fully deserving of being inducted into the OCAA Hall of Fame."
Redeemer Royal Student-Athletes in OCAA Hall of Fame
Terry Talsma - Men's Soccer & Volleyball (2003)
Tracy Van Dijk -Women's Volleyball (2003)
Colin de Raaf - Men's Volleyball (2007)
Michelle VanBerkel - Women's Volleyball (2007)
Jakob Van Dorp - Men's Cross Country (2013)
Ryan Talsma - Men's Volleyball (2019)
Owen Kurvits - Men's Badminton - (2023)
