March 1, 2019
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UBC winning culture, coaches attract 3

UBC adds two BC commits and one out-of-province commit to their 2019 class.

After finding the perfect school, linebackers Mitchell Townsend from Windsor Secondary School and Marcus Nikolovski from St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Secondary School will be shoring up the defensive core for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

Kevin Morrison, an offensive lineman from D.W. Poppy Secondary, will also be joining the Thunderbirds.

Mitchell Townsend

For Mitchell Townsend, going to UBC made a lot of sense. ā€œI chose UBC because Iā€™ve kind of just always wanted to go to school there. The facilities were top of the line,ā€ he said. ā€œWhen I visited, the team seemed very tight-knit and it just felt like home.ā€

Turning his attention to the coaches, he said, ā€œThe coaching staff seems very well-rounded. I really enjoyed that Head Coach Nill has championship experience and every coach I had the chance to meet was very open and had no problems answering any questions I had.ā€

Townsend, who is from North Vancouver, BC, is interested in either engineering or science.

The 6ā€™4, 225lbs athlete played four years with the Windsor Dukes (BCSSFA). He is a two-time provincial all-star in 2017 and 2018. He also helped his team win an AA JV championship in 2015 and an AA varsity championship in 2017. He was named as the gameā€™s most outstanding lineman.

Marcus Nikolovski

When Marcus Nikolovski tried to boil down his decision to become a Thunderbird, he couldnā€™t pick only one thing that attracted him to the school. ā€œI based my decision on a winning combination of academic reputation, football success, culture, championship contender, head coach and the overall influence of the football program,ā€ he said.

ā€œThe facilities at UBC for my academic subject are second-to-none and from an athletic perspective, the benefit of being a part of a winning legacy and led by a great coach and coaching staff, thatā€™s why Iā€™m a Thunderbird,ā€ he added. He is interested in urban planning and forestry.

Diving a bit deeper into his opinion on the coaches, Nikolovski said that he believes they are professional and driven. ā€œThe UBC coaching staffā€™s blueprint of success sis always push hard then you will succeed,ā€ he said. ā€œAlso, their ability to make you successful on the field and the ability to mold and develop athletes off the field, they constantly seek new ways to improve on technical and tactical knowledge and improve the ability to perform at the next level.ā€

Nikolovski, who is from Burlington, Ontario, has played for ten years, splitting his time between the Oakville Titans (OFC), the Burlington Stampeders (OPFL) and the Loyola Hawks (HSSAA). He participated in the 2015 and 2016 Fox 40 Prospect Challenges as a linebacker and defensive end. In 2015 he was a junior varsity champion with the Hawks and a JV provincial champion with the Stampeders. The following year he captured another JV provincial championship with the Stampeders and a varsity championship with the Hawks. He was also named as a Top 100 recruit. In 2017 he was a finalist with the Hawks.

Nikolovski, who is 6’3, 230lbs, has spent the last four years training with Sports Specific Training. From 2016 to 2017 he trained with the Super Elite Football Academy. He was a Multiport Canada triathlon competitor in 2016 and played soccer for five years from 2010 to 2015. He also spent eight years playing OFC football.

A writer himself, Nikolovski, who has a high school grade point average of 3.3/4, had a short story published. It was titled, ā€œMy Trip to the Moon.ā€

Kevin Morrison

Kevin Morrison of Langley, BC, has decided to stick to familiar territory after committing to the Thunderbirds. Standing at 6ā€™5, 285lbs, he has played for the North Langley Bears (NLFA), was on the 2017 Youth All-Stars and participated in the 2017 Fox 40 Prospect Challenge.

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