Varouj Gurunlian inducted into STFX Sports Hall of Fame

2023 STFX Sports Hall of Fame inductees unveiled

June 21, 2023 

Antigonish, NS – STFX Athletics is pleased to announce the Class of 2023 inductees into the STFX Sports Hall of Fame, including four athletes: Varouj Gurunlian (basketball), Tony Grassa (football), Tanya (MacMillan) Feltmate (soccer) and Sheila (Murrin) Smith (basketball); Laurence Streete (rugby, football and hockey), as a builder, along with the 1958-59 X-Men Basketball and 1983 X-Men Football squads in the team category.

This year’s induction ceremony, which is open to the public, is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 6, at 7:00 p.m., at STFX’s Barrick Auditorium in the Brian Mulroney Institute for Government.

The 2023 STFX Sports Hall of Fame inductees:

ATHLETES:

Varouj Gurunlian (Basketball, Class of 1980 and 1981) 

This 6’2” guard brought his dynamic talents to Antigonish where he earned three AUAA all-star selections in a four-year stint with the White and Blue; first-team (1980-81) and second team (1977-78, 78-79). In 1980-81, Gurunlian garnered a second team All-Canadian nod while leading the X-Men to an AUAA banner – the first of the era led by legendary head coach, and STFX Sports Hall of Fame member, Steve Konchalski.
 
That season, Gurunlian received the Ernie Foshay Memorial Award, which is awarded to the most valuable player of the annual STFX Invitational tournament. He capped off the campaign with the 1981 STFX male athlete of the year award.
 
After a summer with the junior national team, Gurunlian went on to play eight seasons with the Canadian men’s national team (1977-1984), capturing gold at the 1980 Commonwealth Games. He was also a member of the Canadian contingent that qualified for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, which were eventually boycotted by several nations. 
 

Now 13^th on the all-time X-Men Basketball scoring list, with 2,035 points, Gurunlian was in second spot when he graduated. Known affectionately as ‘Vee,’ Konchalski says Gurunlian – a two-time STFX grad – is one of the best student-athletes to don the White and Blue for X-Men Basketball.