LANGLEY, British Columbia– Trinity Western fourth-year prop Ava Van Santen (Aldergrove, B.C.) and second-year third receiver Kelsa Kempf (Langley, B.C.) were named to the Canada West all-star teams as announced by Canada West Thursday morning.
 
Van Santen continued to impress, earning First Team All-Star honours for the third straight season. The fourth-year Spartan led TWU to a second straight bronze medal finish and has now been named an All-Star in all four seasons of her career. Kelsa Kempf was also named to the Second Team following a dynamic campaign.
 
2026 CANADA WEST FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS
Position – Name – Team – Year - Hometown
Hooker - Kiki Idowu - UBC Thunderbirds - 3rd year - Toronto, Ont.
Scrum Half - Piper Logan - UBC Thunderbirds - 3rd year - Calgary, Alta.
First Receiver - Maggie MacKinnon - Victoria Vikes - 3rd year - Sooke, B.C.
Second Receiver - Ivy Poetker - Victoria Vikes - 2nd year - Calgary, Alta.
Third Receiver - Adia Pye - UBC Thunderbirds - 3rd year - Victoria, B.C.
Prop - Ava Van Santen - Trinity Western Spartans - 4th year - Aldergrove, B.C.
Lock - Rachel Smith - UBC Thunderbirds - 5th year - Surrey, B.C.
 
2026 CANADA WEST SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS
Position – Name – Team – Year - Hometown
First Receiver - Lana Dueck - UBC Thunderbirds - 3rd year - Abbotsford, B.C.
Hooker - Makayla Joseph - Calgary Dinos - 4th year - Cloverdale, B.C.
Third Receiver - Kelsa Kempf - Trinity Western Spartans - 2nd year - Langley, B.C.
Prop - Bomi Lawal - Calgary Dinos - 3rd year - Calgary, Alta.
Scrum Half - Olivia Newsome - Victoria Vikes - 3rd year - Calgary, Alta.
Second Receiver - Millie Teskey - Lethbridge Pronghorns - 2nd year - Cochrane, Alta.
Back 3 - Kyla Warren - Victoria Vikes - 4th year - Hillsburgh, Ont.
 
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country, and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men's rugby and women's and men's disc golf. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 14 U SPORTS team championships and 33 Canada West team championships.
 
About Trinity Western University
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and has won national championships in U SPORTS. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
 
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