22 BC Games and Team BC alumni have been chosen as finalists for the Athlete of the Year Awards.
VANCOUVER, BC (January 11, 2019) — Sport BC, on behalf of the BC Sport community, proudly announces 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 53rd anniversary.
The 53rd Annual Awards Ceremony and Gala dinner is set for Wednesday, March 13, 2019 at the Fairmont Pacific Rim. The ceremonies will recognize BC’s best in amateur sport including athletes, coaches, and officials for outstanding performances in their sport over the 2018 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.
“Each year the Athlete of the Year Awards selection committee reviews all nominations and recognizes the talented and deserving athletes, coaches and officials”, notes President & CEO of Sport BC, Rob Newman. “The nominees for the 2019 Sport BC Athlete of the Year Awards represent 25 sports and 16 various cities who are all representative of the strength and depth of sport development in our province over the last 53 years. Each year, we are grateful for the support and contribution of our sport and business partners and volunteers.”
"It's no secret, BC boasts many of the top athletes in Canada, we reviewed an impressive list of candidates for awards consideration." says selection committee chairman Bernie Pascall. "The excellent group of finalists, reflects the remarkable degree of sports development in BC."
An additional six awards will be presented at the ceremony including the Best of BC, KidSport BC Community Champion, Harry Jerome Comeback, Daryl Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award and In Her Footsteps Honourees.
BC Games and Team BC alumni noted below:
Athlete with a Disability
Tristan Smyth (Maple Ridge) – Para-Athletics (2013 Canada Games)
Mollie Jepsen (West Vancouver) – Para-Alpine (2012 BC Games)
Tristen Chernove (Cranbrook) – Para-Cycling
College Athlete of the Year
Taylor Reese-Hanson (Camosun) – Curl (2014 BC Games)
Simon Friesen (Capilano) – Volleyball
Mikayla Wagner (VIU) - Volleyball
Female Coach of the Year
Pam Ross (Courtenay) – Karate (1997 BC Games)
Christy Spurrell (Maple Ridge) – Sport Climbing
Malindi Elmore (Kelowna) - Athletics (1994/95 BC Games)
Male Coach of the Year
Kerry Macdonald (Vancouver) - Volleyball
Pat Coyle (Pitt Meadows) – Box Lacrosse
Richard Wooles (Vancouver) – Cycling
High School Female Athlete of the Year
Nora Goddard-Despot (North Vancouver) – Field Hockey
Cara Butler (Victoria) – Field Hockey/Athletics
Taryn O’Neill (Lake Country) - Athletics (2014 BC Games)
High School Male Athlete of the Year
Jarrett Chong (Port Coquitlam) – Athletics (2016 BC Games)
Diego Maffia (Victoria) – Soccer/Basketball/Volleyball
Dario Ciccone (Burnaby) - Football
Junior Female Athlete of the Year
Camryn Rogers (Richmond) - Athletics (2014 BC Games)
Desirae Ridenour (Cowichan Bay) - Triathlon (2014 BC Games; 2017 Canada Games)
Jordyn Huitema (Chilliwack) - Soccer
Junior Male Athlete of the Year
Jerome Blake (Surrey) – Athletics (2017 Canada Games)
Tyler Tardi (Cloverdale) – Curl (2014 BC Games; 2015 Canada Games)J
Riley Pickrell (Victoria) - Cycling
Senior Female Athlete of the Year
Rachel Cliff (Vancouver) – Athletics (2009 Canada Games)
Shallon Olsen (Surrey) – Gymnastics (2011 and 2015 Canada Games)
Kelsey Serwa (Kelowna) – Freestyle Ski (2002 BC Games and 2007 Canada Games)
Senior Male Athlete of the Year
Django Lovett (Surrey) – Athletics (2009 and 2013 Canada Games)
Bryan Abrey (Richmond) – Softball (2002 BC Games and 2005 Canada Games)
Chris Crisologo (Richmond) - Golf
Master Athlete of the Year
Laura Ramsay (Vancouver) – Squash
Jackie Little (Procter) – Golf
David Guss (Kelowna) - Athletics
Team of the Year
Junior A Adanacs (Coquitlam) – Box Lacrosse)
Hillary Janssens & Caileigh Filmer (Cloverdale) – Rowing (2013 Canada Games)
Nicole & Megan McNamara (Vancouver) - Volleyball (2013 Canada Games)
University Athlete of the Year
Yuri Kisil (UBC) – Swim
Regan Yee (TWU) - Athletics (2010 BC Games and 2013 Canada Games)
Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson (UBC) - Swim
Official of the Year
Jeff Thomson (Vancouver) - Gymnastics (BC Games)
Brett Iverson (Richmond) – Ice Hockey (BC Games)
Andrew Armstrong (Surrey) - Triathlon (BC Games)