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‘First class student-athlete’: Prince George’s Caleb Lyons signs with Vancouver Island Mariners

Duchess Park grad earns full five-year scholarship to reigning national champs
Kyle Balzer
Kyle Balzer

There’s something about Nanaimo that ‘Condors’ love to flock to.

For the third consecutive year, a Duchess Park Secondary graduate has committed to playing college basketball at Vancouver Island University (VIU) and is earning a full-ride scholarship thanks to his commitment to sports and education.

Caleb Lyons was welcomed to the Mariners men’s basketball program on Thursday (April 29) for its upcoming 2021-22 season, should COVID-19 allow it.

He says he hopes to continue VIU’s winning culture in the CCAA, Canada’s second-highest level of university athletics.

“I have had some great interactions with the coaches and have felt like we’ve established a great relationship already,” the Prince George product said.

“I want to thank my entire family for being extremely supportive. Especially all of my uncles, I would not be the athlete and person I am today without them. Obviously my parents have the biggest influence on myself and I am thankful for everything they have done.”

While there was no high-school basketball in B.C. in 2020-21 due to COVID-19, Lyons’ true talents stood out in his Grade 11 year on the provincial stage.

The 17-year-old tallied the most points out of any other member of his Duchess Park roster, combining for 76 in four contests as a then 16-year-old.

He registered a game-high 25 points in the 2020 BC AAA Boys Championship, despite the Condors settling for silver to G.W. Graham, and was a First Team All-Star selection for the tournament.

“We are very excited to add Caleb, a first class student-athlete from a great program under Coach Jordan Yu at Duchess Park, to our program as the recipient of the prestigious President’s Scholarship,” says VIU Men’s Basketball bench boss Matt Kuzminski.

“We have been able to watch Caleb play since he was in 10th grade. He was able to make an impact then and has continued to improve. His versatility, skill set, and desire to improve will give him an opportunity to play as a freshman.”

Lyons will play alongside some familiar faces in Nanaimo.

Last year, Jackson Kuc put pen to paper with the Mariners and so did Dan Zimmerman the year prior.

The Northern Bounce and Canadian Sport School alum plans on studying computer science in the classroom with a goal to maintain an ‘A’ average under his five-year tuition scholarship.

VIU won the CCAA nationals in 2019 and are still the reigning champions.

Prior to the pandemic cancelling the rest of the year, the program went 16-2 in the 2020 campaign, but settled for silver in the PACWEST Championship game upon losing to Douglas College.