Service Credit Union Student-Athlete Spotlight: Ava Boutilier & Aidan Sullivan

By Angela Lee
Special to UNHWildcats.com

This week's Service Credit Union Student Athlete Spotlight is featuring the co-presidents of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Ava Boutilier and Aidan Sullivan.

Boutilier is from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and is a goalie for the women's hockey team. She graduated this past spring with a degree in biomedical science and is pursuing her master's degree in biochemistry. Ava has earned numerous accolades, including Hockey East All-Academic Team for three years, and being selected for Hockey Canada's National Women's Development Team Summer Camp.

Sullivan is a senior member of men's cross country and track and field teams, and represents his home state as he is from Nashua, N.H. He started running at the young age of 10 and has competed as a distant runner in all his years as a Wildcat. Along with his contributions in the UNH community, Aidan had won incredible accolades, including a bronze medal in the steeplechase at the 2019 Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and a gold medal in the distance medley relay.

Both of them are outstanding student-athletes and have made phenomenal contributions toward the community members of SAAC.

Q&A WITH AVA

As the co-president of SAAC, why do you think it is important for student athletes to get involved in the community?

As student-athletes, I believe we are automatically put in a leadership position in our classrooms, campuses and communities. We have an opportunity to ignite changes, whether through groups like SAAC or COMR, or as a team, through various volunteer and community service roles. Our communities are what support us as athletes and allow us to compete at our high level, therefore it is important to give back to them in any capacity we can!

Ava with her team at SAAC's 2019 Bench Out The Stigma event.

Can you describe your experience in Hockey Canada's National Women's Development Team Summer Camp? And what did you learn from the experience?

Due to COVID-19, there was no in-person summer tryout. Instead, we had weekly Zoom calls with different focus topics such as mental skills, strength and conditioning and nutrition. It was an awesome opportunity to connect with other high-performance Canadian athletes from many other NCAA and USports (Canadian University) schools while learning from leaders at Hockey Canada and National Women's Team players.

When did you start playing hockey? Was it always a goal to attend college in US and play hockey?

I started hockey at age 7 (late for a Canadian!) and became a goalie around age 8. I played boys' hockey right through grade 12, making UNH the first time I played female hockey full-time! Being from such a small place, it took me until my mid-teens to learn about the opportunities available for me south of the border, but when I did, playing Division I hockey became one of my sole focuses!

What is your favorite thing about Prince Edward Island? And how is it different form New Hampshire?

My favorite thing about PEI is the summers. You can't be more than a 15-minute drive from a beach at any point and the seafood is especially good! New Hampshire and PEI are actually quite similar, which is why I love NH so much. New Hampshire is just a larger scale of PEI.

OFF THE ICE WITH AVA

Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite TV show: Prison Break
Favorite Movie: The Sixth Sense
Favorite Food: Tacos/Burrito Bowls
Favorite Snack: Coffee Ice Cream
Favorite Musical artist: Vance Joy
Favorite Pump-up song: Anything by Kanye West
Favorite Phone app: Twitter

Q&A WITH AIDAN

As co-president of SAAC, what do you think is important for athletes to keep in mind during the pandemic?

During this pandemic, I believe that it's extremely important to stay connected with friends and family, whether it's getting together (socially distant) or over Facetime/ Zoom. I also believe that finding something to do, like a hobby, or exercising daily is very important to keep your mind focused on something else rather than being inside all of the time. Most importantly, it's important to keep a positive attitude, not even towards COVID-19, but a positive attitude towards this school year, and getting as much out of it as you can!

Aidan with his team at SAAC's 2019 Bench Out The Stigma event.

When did you start competing in cross country track? What is your favorite thing about being on the UNH track and field team?

I started running around 10 years old, and started to compete in middle school, and then realized my passion for running competitively. I then carried it out through high school, and now I run at the Division 1 level.
My favorite part about being on the cross country/ track & field teams is the fun and competitive atmosphere in which our team brings to practice and races. Even in team meetings, there is such a positive atmosphere in the air.

What does it feel like to represent your home state?

I'm honored to represent the 603. To compete against some of the best talent around the region and even sometimes in the nation feels incredible, especially coming from such a small state like NH and making a statement about your competitiveness and your drive to achieve as much as possible.

During your athletic career, do you have a most memorable meet? If so, can you describe the experience?

The most memorable race the I have competed in would be the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2019 AE outdoor track & field championships. The reason as to why it was so memorable was that I came into the race ranked 9th, I had placed 14th the year before, and I came in third place, running a 16-second personal best, and earning my second all-conference honor.

OFF THE TRACK WITH AIDAN

Favorite Color: Sky Blue
Favorite TV show: The Office
Favorite Movie: Forrest Gump
Favorite Food: Chipotle Burrito
Favorite Snack: Lime-flavored chips
Favorite Musical artist: Jeremy Zucker
Favorite Pump-up song: Burn the House Down, by AJR
Favorite Phone app: Twitter
Favorite Pro sports team: Boston Celtics
Favorite Pro sports athlete: Rob Gronkowski
Favorite Place on campus: Field House
What is your dream job: Having a therapeutic private practice specializing with patients with depression and other mental health issues.

Check back every Monday to get to know two more Wildcats as part of the Service Credit Union Student-Athlete Spotlight. Thank you to Service Credit Union for sponsoring the Student-Athlete Spotlight.

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