As the Class of 2025 prepares for graduation and the next chapter of their studies at schools in Canada, North America and beyond, a select group of students will lean on their time as high school athletes and compete at the post-secondary level starting in the fall.
We are incredibly proud to highlight eight athletes who will use their high school experiences to fuel their athletic careers at an even higher level.
Avery Geddes
School: University of Victoria
Sport: Basketball
Avery Geddes credits back-to-back losses at the BC AA Basketball Tournament for helping learn a crucial life lesson.
Geddes joined the Senior Girls Basketball team while still a junior, and made it to the final game in her Grade 10 and 11 years – only to lose both.
“My favourite lesson I have learned from school sports is to never give up,” she says. “This year, in Grade 12, we finally won [basketball] provincials and I was named tournament MVP. It just goes to show that success is a long journey, and it is important to always stay motivated and persevere to get better.”
While basketball is Avery’s sport of choice, and the one she will play at post-secondary at the University of Victoria, she was a multi-sport athlete during her time at SMUS. She also competed in field hockey, soccer, cross-country and volleyball in high school–making her one of only a handful of SMUS athletes to have won a provincial title in three different sports (field hockey in 2022, soccer in 2023, and basketball in 2025), which she says is the highlight of her high school career.
Avery will follow in the footsteps of her mom, SMUS Director of Athletics Lindsay Brooke, as a Vike. She credits her mom and her grandpa, Gary Brooke, both coaches of the Senior Girls Basketball team, for helping get her to where she is today.
“Special shoutout to my mom and grandpa, who have coached me in basketball since I can’t even remember,” she says. “I am also super grateful for all of my coaches and teammates [at SMUS] who have helped me along the way.”
Connor Kipling
School: Cambrian College
Sport: Volleyball
Success stories like Connor Kipling’s are the reason why SMUS continues to add new sports and new teams to our offerings. Less than a decade ago, there was no competitive volleyball for boys at the Senior level – until coach Brady Doland saw the need.
Now, thanks to that opportunity, Connor is preparing to play volleyball at the post-secondary level.
“I am very excited to move on and play at a higher level in college and hope to someday move up to the USport level as well,” he says.
Connor has played competitive volleyball at SMUS since Grade 6. When he moved to the Senior School in Grade 9, he was made captain of the Senior Boys team and held that position all four years of high school.
“Some of my favourite memories from the SMUS volleyball team have to be coming in fourth in Islands, as well as winning tier 2 of the Spectrum Spikes and Aces Tournament,” he recalls. “I was named Islands first team all-star in the 2024-25 sason, and I have gone back-to-back tier 2 bronze medalist on my club team.”
Oliver credits Coach Doland for helping pave the way to allow him to play volleyball at Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ontario next year.
“Mr. Doland is one of very few people who have made me into the person I am today,” he says. “He taught me how the sport of volleyball is more than just a sport to me and fuelled this passion to the point where I can continue it in post secondary.”
Caitlyn Mullen
School: University of Victoria
Sport: Field hockey
The 2022 high school field hockey season is one that Caitlyn Mullen will never forget. As a then-Grade 10 student playing on the Senior Girls team, she was a member of the group that won both the Bridgman Cup and the BC AA Provincial Championship.
But it’s not just the victories of that season that will stick with her.
It was learning from, playing with, and being inspired by the older players on the team,” she says. “They completely motivated me to work hard in field hockey, to aim to play as well as so many of them do, and to demonstrate kindness and generosity toward others the way they did toward me.”
Since then, field hockey was her sport of choice. The motivation from her fellow athletes has paid off in spades, as Caitlyn has become one of the most sought-after field hockey players in B.C.
Beyond committing to play with the University of Victoria Vikes next year, Caitlyn has spent much of her time over the last three school years representing B.C and Canada at home and abroad, and consistently playing a leadership role on all teams.
In addition to her fellow SMUS athletes, she credits Krista Thompson, Ali Baggott, David Kerr, and Nancy Mollenhauer for helping her, and the Vikes Women's Field Hockey players for inspiring her.
“I am so grateful that SMUS provided me with so many opportunities in my sport, and especially for giving me exposure to so many great field hockey players,” she says. “I am thrilled to be joining the Vikes Women's Field Hockey team, as the group of women that I am going to play with will not only help me to improve at field hockey, but also fuel the excitement and joy I get from playing my sport.”
Joss Olcen
School: Thompson Rivers University
Sport: Soccer
Joss Olcen’s most unforgettable moments as a high-level athlete at SMUS were a family affair.
The soccer phenom played on the Senior Girls team all four years of high school, and won the provincial banner in 2023 alongside her sister, Sophie (then-Grade 12), and her mom/coach Jackie Cunningham.
“I will always remember playing with my sister and my mom – being able to coach both of us to the championship and what that meant to me,” she says. “Being able to play for my mom has also made my high school experience so special. She has coached me since I was little and has shaped me into the player I am today.”
But soccer isn’t the only sport she’s excelled at at SMUS. She played volleyball, field hockey, and basketball as a three-term athlete, the latter of which also earned her a provincial title this year.
“In basketball, we went through everything together. From losing the provincial final in Grade 11 to coming back the next year and winning the championship was a surreal experience and the greatest send off from my basketball career,” she says. “Basketball was a sport that taught me a lot about myself and helped me to become a better athlete in all sports. I am forever thankful for my coaches that pushed me to be the best version of myself.”
Joss will bring these experiences and her talents to Thompson Rivers University in the fall, joining the Women’s Wolfpack Soccer team.
“I am so beyond grateful to be going into the next level of my sporting career,” she says. “SMUS has provided me with such an amazing platform to move forward. I am most excited to meet new people and teammates, and see what university has to offer.”
Olivia Pickering
School: Camosun College
Sport: Basketball
Olivia Pickering knows firsthand that hard work and dedication pay off.
As a basketball player – along with soccer and squash – she finally got to reap the rewards that come with commitment and perseverance in her senior year.
“The biggest highlight of my high school career was winning provincials in basketball in Grade 12 and getting first team all-star in that game,” she says. “Every year, the basketball team has gone to provincials but hasn’t won, including my Grade 11 year where we placed second. To come back in my Grade 12 year and put in so much work and so many hours to end up winning the BC AA Provincials was incredible and will forever be my favourite athletic memory from SMUS.”
Olivia is a powerhouse forward on the court, and earned a number of all-star awards this year, including at the Victoria Police Tournament, the Oak Bay Tournament, and the Vancouver Island Basketball Championships.
She credits her basketball coaches, Lindsay Brooke and the full coaching staff, “for helping me become the player I am today. Their dedication and knowledge about the sport are incredible, and I am so thankful.”
Next year, Olivia will take her talents and passion to the Camosun College Chargers Women’s Basketball team.
“I'm super excited to start this new chapter at Camosun and to keep playing the sport I love at the college level,” she says. “It's something I've worked really hard for, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to keep pushing myself to grow both on and off the court.”
Oliver Pressello
School: Santa Clara University
Sport: Rowing
At the time, 14-year-old Oliver Pressello had no idea what kind of impact the decision would have on his life. When a friend suggested the then-Grade 9 student join the Rowing team, he thought: ‘Why not give it a try?’
Four years later, that decision looms large in both his high school career and his future. This fall, he will join the rowing crew at Santa Clara University in California.
“What made me stick with rowing was the atmosphere that the team provided. Everyone was really inviting and encouraging. I made so many friends through rowing that first year that I wouldn’t have otherwise made,” he says.
Of course, realizing success can help an athlete fall in love with a sport. Oliver has enjoyed plenty of that as a rower, winning a national championship in Grade 9 in the lightweight novice men’s coxed quad, rowing in London on the Thames in 2023 and winning gold at the Molesey Regatta, capturing a bronze at nationals in Grade 11 in lightweight men’s 4-plus, and taking gold in the BC Summer Games in the pair.
“When you win, it feels like no other sport does. You know that everyone there was with you when you were doing those hard erg pieces in the winter and wanted to quit. They were with you when you were about to pass out from pushing yourself so hard,” he says. “I have played lots of other sports, and there was no other sport that was able to replicate that feeling.”
Looking ahead to rowing at Santa Clara, Oliver says he is excited to be surrounded by athletes who will push him to grow.
“I fully expect to be at the bottom of the roster when I arrive in the fall, which will present a new challenge that I am ready to face head-on. I am also excited to be around like-minded individuals who share the same intensity and desire to improve that I do.”
Willow Tzonev
School: University of Washington
Sport: Rowing
For the last six years, whenever Willow Tzonev wasn’t at school, you could almost certainly find her on Elk Lake.
This skilled rower has had a stellar athletic career with the Victoria City Rowing Club, which included appearances at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, the Canadian National Rowing Championships, Washington State’s Windermere Cup Regatta, and the World Rowing Championships.
“My most memorable accomplishment to date was placing fifth in the U19 and U23 World Rowing Championships in 2024, where I competed in the Women’s 4+ and had the honour of representing Canada,” she says. “It was an incredibly meaningful experience to compete on the world stage in the sport I am most passionate about.”
These experiences, alongside thousands of hours of training and practices, have made her into the athlete she is today. Willow says she has learned so much from her time as a rower.
“While winning is exciting, the most meaningful growth comes from the losses, the setbacks, and the mistakes you experience. Pushing yourself to the limit is never easy—especially in a sport where the difference between victory and defeat can be measured in fractions of a second,” she says. “It is so important for junior athletes to have these experiences, especially if they are looking to compete at a collegiate level.”
Willow will be doing just that next year, joining the Women’s Rowing team at the division 1 University of Washington.
“I’m incredibly excited to take the next step in my journey,” she says. “While I look forward to the opportunities and challenges ahead, I know I’ll deeply miss the amazing friends I’ve made through school and club rowing—people who have shaped me and supported me every step of the way. They’ve been such a big part of my journey, and I’m grateful for the memories and support we’ve shared.”
Ewan Webber-Smith
School: University of British Columbia
Sport: Rugby
Ewan Webber-Smith’s rugby career at SMUS began in Grade 6. An impressive back row player, he was called up to play on SMUS’s Senior Boys team in Grades 9 and 10, and captained that very same team this year.
He says his fondest memories of playing for SMUS were “our two games in Italy on our tour to France and Italy [at spring break in 2024]. Another one of my favourite games was playing Collingwood in Grade 9 and losing right at the very end, because it was such a close game.”
He credits SMUS coaches Wonjin Kim, Oliver Nott and Clayton Daum for being “huge influences on my rugby journey.”
Outside of school, Ewan was active on the Castaway Wanderers RFC and Vancouver Island’s Junior Tide rugby. He also joined both the U16 and U18 Team BC teams, and was invited to attend the Canada U18 rugby camp.
Ewan heads to Vancouver in September to play rugby for the UBC Thunderbirds.
“I’m very excited to move forward with university rugby,” he begins, “to play for one of the strongest rugby programs in the country, if not North America.”
These are just some of the amazing graduating student profiles from the Class of 2025. There are 168 SMUS graduates made up of 64 day students and 104 boarders from over 30 countries. Together, the Class of 2025 have been admitted to over 180 universities in 20 countries.
