Burk, Beaton, Shannon inducted into Acadia Sports Hall of Fame


Acadia University celebrated the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on October 16, 2021 as part of Homecoming Weekend and welcomed football Axeman Bruce Beaton (’92, ’96), rugby Axewoman Andrea Burk (’06), and basketball Axeman Ed Shannon (’79) to the hall. Former rugby star Maddie Mackenzie ('16) emceed the event.

"This was an exceptional group of inductees, each achieving incredible athletic accomplishment while at Acadia and in some cases, beyond Acadia," noted Brian Finniss (’06), Director of Athletics. "Our Acadia Athletics program takes so much pride in our past individual and team achievements. The Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is an important event that connects our present with our past," Finniss said.

The Acadia Sports Hall of Fame recognizes former athletes, teams, and individuals for their significant contributions to Acadia and its athletics program.

Axemen Basketball - Ed Shannon (’79)

Ed Shannon’s career at Acadia may have only been two seasons, but his individual accomplishments and his on-court impact during that time number him among the greatest of basketball Axemen.

A native of Worcester, MA, Shannon was recruited to Acadia by Axemen head coach Dick Hunt in 1975. Shannon made an immediate impact on the fortunes of the basketball Axemen, turning a decent Axemen team into a squad that was capable of contending for a national championship.

In his first season, Shannon was third in the AUBC with a 57.53 field goal percentage. He scored an average of 19.15 points and had 11.54 rebounds per game and was named to the first All-Conference team.

Shannon saved many of his most memorable performances for his second and final season at Acadia. Shooting at a 56.21 percent clip, he finished the 1976-1977 regular season averaging 19.2 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. He added playoff MVP honours to his second straight first-team all-conference selection.

Axemen Football – Bruce Beaton (’92, ’96)

From Port Hood, N.S., Bruce Beaton began his football career at Acadia University as an Acadia spring camp walk-on. An interest in football became a passion, leading Beaton into a successful 14-year CFL career.

At Acadia, Beaton started out as a defensive lineman. In 1990, he was named as an AUAA defensive lineman all-star and a second-team CIAU all-Canadian.

Beaton’s time on the defensive line was short-lived, as he then transitioned to the offensive line where he excelled as an offensive tackle, becoming a two-time all-Canadian offensive lineman in 1990 and 1991 along with his AUAA all-star recognition.

In the 1991 CFL draft, Beaton was selected eighth overall by the BC Lions. After one season with BC, Bruce moved to the Ottawa Rough Riders from 1993 to 1994 and then joined the Calgary Stampeders in 1995. His next move was to Montreal, where he began his transformation into a CFL all-star offensive lineman. With Montreal, he was named to the CFL East All-Star team. His next mov,e to Edmonton, would be his last, where he played from 1998 to his last season in 2005.

He captured two CFL Grey Cups while in Edmonton (2003 and 2005) and was named a CFL West All-Star five times and CFL All-Star three times. In 2002 he was named the DeMarco-Becket Memorial Trophy winner as the top lineman of the West Conference.

Axewomen Rugby – Andrea Burk (’06)

Initially recruited for the Acadia women’s soccer team from North Vancouver, B.C., Andrea Burk arrived on campus in 2000 and played three seasons of soccer before following her passion and making the jump to rugby. This jump would prove successful as Burk quickly became a perennial AUS rugby all-star.

In 2004, Burk was named the Atlantic University Sport’s Most Valuable Rugby Player and she repeated the feat in 2005. Burk was the first Axewoman to be honoured as an all-Canadian two years in a row – 2004 and 2005. Burk’s rugby prowess and remarkable athletic abilities were further recognized by being named Acadia’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2005 and 2006.

Her success in university rugby launched her career that followed with Canada’s women’s national rugby team – both 15s and 7s.

In 2011, Burk was named Female Rugby Player of the Year for British Columbia and in 2014 she was named the Gillian Florence Award winner, given to a "player who best represents the qualities of Canadian rugby as voted by her teammates” following her representation of Canada in rugby union at the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup.

In 2014, Burk was named to the Women's Rugby World Cup Dream team after she was a part of the Canadian team that brought home a World Cup silver medal. Burk was a finalist for the Rugby Canada Player of the Year in 2016.


For more, please see our photo gallery.


Go back

Contact

Office of Alumni Affairs
Wu Welcome Centre @ Alumni Hall
512 Main Street
Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
Alumni Inquiries: 902.585.1459
Toll free in North America:
1.866.ACADIAU (1.866.222.3428)
Alumni Fax: 902.585.1069
acadia.alumni@acadiau.ca