VANCOUVER, BC (January 20, 2017) — Sport BC, on behalf of the BC Sport community, has proudly announced the outstanding amateur athletes, coaches, and officials, named as finalists for 14 of the 18 award categories to be presented at the upcoming Athlete of the Year Awards. We are proud to be the longest standing sport recognition event in Canada and this year signifies a historic achievement for sport with our 51st anniversary.
The 51st Annual Awards Ceremony and Gala dinner is set for Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel. The ceremonies will recognize BC’s best in amateur sport including athletes, coaches, and officials for outstanding performances in their sport over the 2016 season. Each finalist was nominated by their Provincial or Multi-Sport Organization, High School, College or University. The Selection Committee, chaired by Bernie Pascall, included 15 highly regarded sportswriters, broadcasters, and amateur sport leaders in British Columbia.
“A large number of highly qualified nominations for each of the categories were received this year,” notes Sport BC President & CEO, Rob Newman. “Each year the Athlete of the Year Awards recognizes the talented and deserving athletes, coaches and officials. This year’s nominees in all the award categories are certainly a testament to the strength and depth of sport development in our province over the last 51 years. Each year, we are grateful for the support and contribution of our sport and business partners and volunteers.”
Finalists for the 2017 Sport BC Athlete of the Year Awards represent 18 sports from 21 various cities and are noted below. An additional four awards will be presented at the ceremony including the Best of BC, KidSport BC Community Champion, Harry Jerome Comeback and the Daryl Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award.
Athlete with a Disability
Liam Stanley (Victoria) – Para-Athletics
Tristen Chernove (Cranbrook) – Para-Cycling
Michelle Stilwell (Parksville) – Para-Athletics (2004 & 2006 BC Winter Games)
College Athlete of the Year
Adam Chaplin (Mission) – Volleyball (2008 BC Summer Games)
Josh Ross (Nanaimo) – Basketball
Tylar Turnbull (Port Coquitlam) – Volleyball (2008 BC Summer Games)
Female Coach of the Year
Olena Foschevska (Victoria) – Synchronized Swimming (2008 BC Summer Games, 2015 Canada Winter Games)
Carolyn Murray (Victoria) – Triathlon (1997 Canada Summer Games)
Katie Witt (Coquitlam) - Curl
Male Coach of the Year
Gerry Dragomir (Vancouver) – Athletics
Oded Jacob (Vancouver) – Tennis
Ryan Mallette (Victoria) - Swimming
Female High School Athlete of the Year
Zion Corrales-Nelson (Burnaby) – Basketball & Athletics (2012 BC Summer Games)
Aislinn König (Surrey) – Basketball
Camryn Rogers (Richmond) - Athletics (2014 BC Summer Games, 2015 Western Canada Summer Games)
Male High School Athlete of the Year
Jasper Schiedel (Vancouver) – Football & Athletics (2012 and 2014 BC Summer Games)
Parker Simson (Kelowna) – Football & Basketball
Grant Shephard (Kelowna) – Basketball
Female Junior Athlete of the Year
Nina Schultz (New Westminster) – Athletics (2012 BC Summer Games)
Shallon Olsen (Surrey) – Gymnastics (2011 and 2015 Canada Winter Games)
Maggie Coles-Lyster (Maple Ridge) - Cycling
Male Junior Athlete of the Year
Finn Iles (Whistler) – Cycling
Benjamin Sigouin (Vancouver) – Tennis
AJ Ewart (Coquitlam) - Golf (2015 Western Canada Summer Games)
Master Athlete of the Year
Lenore Montgomery (North Vancouver) – Athletics
Ken Dahl (Vancouver) – Tennis
Mary Wright (Surrey) – Lawn Bowling
Official of the Year
Louise Kennedy (Brentwood Bay) – Synchronized Swimming (2000 and 2014 BC Summer Games)
Brett Iverson (Richmond) – Hockey (2006 BC Winter Games)
Andrew Armstrong (White Rock) – Triathlon
Female Senior Athlete of the Year
Hilary Caldwell (Victoria) – Swimming (2006 BC Winter Games and 2009 Canada Summer Games)
Pricilla Westlake (Delta) – Lawn Bowling
Naomi Ko (Victoria) - Golf
Male Senior Athlete of the Year
Scott Morgan (Vancouver) – Gymnastics
Jared du Toit (Kimberly) – Golf
Evan Dunfee (Richmond) - Athletics (2004 BC Summer Games, 2007 Western Canada Summer Games)
University Athlete of the Year
Olivia Zawadiuk (Coquitlam) – Synchro (2011 Canada Winter Games)
Kayli Sartori (Chilliwack) – Basketball
Hannah Haughn (Vancouver) – Field Hockey (2008 BC Summer Games)
Team of the Year
Canadian World Race Walk Tea, (Ben Thorne, Inaki Gomez, Evan Dunfee) - BC Games and Team BC alumni
RCA Lightweight Women's Double (Obee and Jennerich) - Team BC Alumni
Coquitlam Junior A Adanacs Lacrosse - 14 BC Games alumni