PACE — the Pack ACademic Edge Current Students

Caitlin Larrigan

Why be a PACE Leader?

I actually enjoy school (not all the time but I do like it). As a student-athlete, I understand how difficult it can be to balance everything and school specifically can take a backseat or get super overwhelming. I want to help. Especially student-athletes in science, as they tend to switch to something different due to how overwhelming and confusing even first year can be. I would love to help my fellow science students navigate it.

Future Goals

I would like to go to medical school and become either a reconstructive plastic surgeon (specializing in face and neck or oncology) or an anesthesiologist (specifically cardiac).

Fun Facts

I enjoy baking and creating recipes. In the summer I work in landscaping. My family has an Old English Sheepdog named Syd. He is 2.5 years old and super fluffy!

Tyson Koop

Why be a PACE Leader?

I believe that a crucial element of being a student athlete is a commitment to your studies. Sports don’t last forever and if we want to be the best we can be on and off the court/field we must hone our skills in every area available. I look forward to helping encourage a culture of excellence in the classroom, increasing our number of academic all-Canadians and helping to inspire a positive relationship with your studies.

Future Goals

Finish this year as an academic all-Canadian while enrolled in a master’s program. Own a house. Win the Canada West/USPORT Student Athlete Award.

Fun Facts

I have a twin brother who plays volleyball for a different team in Canada West.

Thomas Olsen

Why be a PACE Leader?

I want to be a PACE leader because I am passionate about supporting young and new athletes in finding their confidence not only on the field but in the classroom. I believe that academic success is just as important as athletic achievement and I want to help student athletes navigate the challenges of balancing both. By sharing my own enthusiasm for learning and the strategies that have helped me succeed, I hope to inspire others to embrace their studies with the same dedication and excitement they bring to their sport. Ultimately, I want to create a supportive environment where athletes feel empowered to reach their full potential academically while pursuing their athletic goals.

Future Goals

Medical School

Fun Facts

I am a certified scuba diver with four ocean dives and I have completed two triathlons.

Allie Shiyuk

Why be a PACE Leader?

I want to be a PACE leader to connect with younger WolfPack athletes and support them as they navigate their early years as university students and varsity athletes.

Future Goals

After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in medicine.

Fun Facts

I have three sisters.

Allison Hansen

Why be a PACE Leader?

To keep myself and my teammates on top of our studies and to improve my leadership skills.

Future Goals

Get into medical school or go into engineering.

Fun Facts

I have two dogs who are both named after Star Wars characters.

Carter Spencer

Why be a PACE Leader?

Over the years, I have figured out the best way I learn and retain information as an individual. I would like to be able to share that information with others and help them find their own unique methods of learning.

Future Goals

To graduate as an all-academic athlete and to become an RCMP officer.

Fun Facts

I enjoy cooking as well as doing yardwork and landscaping.

Domenico Comita

Why be a PACE Leader?

Because I care about developing the student-athlete culture at TRU and being a PACE leader is an excellent opportunity for me to make a difference. I’d love to inspire first-year student athletes and help them find balance with sports, school and life. This is also a fantastic opportunity for me to develop my skills as a teacher and student as I can always learn from the student athletes I am tutoring and my fellow PACE leaders working alongside me.

Future Goals

To teach, whether that is as a post-secondary professor or at a high school level. I would consider being a coach as well because I want to help others become the best versions of themselves.

Fun Facts

My dad was a biology teacher at South Kamloops Secondary in Kamloops and had almost 20 pets in his classroom including a tarantula, bearded dragon and two bunnies named Buster and Buck.

Maria Banman

Why be a PACE Leader?

I want to be a PACE leader so I can help first-year student-athletes make the switch to university life by creating a welcoming space where they can ask questions, find resources and feel supported. I want to help them build confidence in balancing school and sports while showing that they are not alone in the process.

Future Goals

My future goal is to pursue a Juris Doctor degree and establish a career in law, specializing in either civil litigation or corporate law.

Fun Facts

I have a twin.

Erin Pincott Experience Coordinator, Athletics & Peer Mentorship

Erin received her Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies from TRU in 2018; as a student, she competed on the TRU curling team and is a three-time U Sports silver medalist.

As a former student-athlete, Erin is excited to support and give back to WolfPack athletes. Having gone through this experience herself, she can relate to the unique experiences and challenges athletes face as they navigate student life.

Before starting this role in September 2023, Erin spent almost 5 years as the Sport Performance Coordinator for PacificSport Interior BC, which involved coordinating programs and workshops for diverse groups of athletes, coaches and parents. She also helped provide services, access to resources and support to high-performance athletes and coaches throughout the Interior BC region. These high-performance athletes and coaches ranged from those entering the pathway all the way to Olympians and Paralympians.

Most of Erin’s free time is spent on the curling ice. She has represented Canada on the world stage in the sport of curling and continues to compete on the World Curling Tour and chase the Olympic dream. During the off-season, she enjoys playing soccer, working out and gardening.