Four athletes from Burnaby were among the outstanding amateur athletes, coaches and officials named as finalists for 13 of the 17 award categories to be presented at the upcoming Sport B.C. Athlete of the Year Awards in March.
The 48th annual awards ceremony and gala dinner, set for March 5 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, recognizes B.C.'s best amateur athletes, coaches, and officials for outstanding performances in their sport over the 2013 season.
Nominations were received from the provincial and multi-sport organizations, high schools, colleges or universities. Finalists and winners are selected by a committee of 20 highly regarded B.C. sportswriters, broadcasters, and amateur sport leaders.
"A significant number of very strong nominations were received this year," notes Sport B.C.'s president and CEO, Rob Newman. "The Athlete of the Year Awards provides a great opportunity to recognize these talented and deserving athletes, coaches and officials. For 2013, in partnership with ProMOTION Plus, we also added the Female Coach of the Year Award category, ensuring that we continue to strive for gender equity in sport and encourage girls and women to take on strong leadership roles in our community. This year's nominees in all of the award categories are certainly a testament to the strength and depth of sport in our province. So, too, is the amazing support that we have received this year from our sport and business partners."
Sport B.C. announced the finalists for the 48th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards on Thursday. They represent 21 different individual and team sports and 20 communities throughout the province, and include:
Athlete with a Disability
Sonja Gaudet (Vernon) - Wheelchair curling
Brianna Nelson (North Saanich) - Swimming
Michelle Stilwell (Parksville) - Wheelchair athletics
College Athlete of the Year
Alanna Bekkering (Kamloops) - Soccer
RuiLin Huang (Burnaby) - Badminton
Kayla Unger (Abbotsford) - Volleyball
Female Coach of the Year
Kim Chapdelaine (Abbotsford) - Athletics - track and field
Tracy David (Victoria) - Soccer
Jen Ross (Abbotsford) - Rugby
Male Coach of the Year
Randy Bennett (Victoria) - Swimming
Victor Gantsevich (Richmond) - Fencing
Graham Thomas (Vancouver) - Hockey
Female High School Athlete of the Year
Asianna Covington (Surrey) - Athletics - track and field
Emma Entzminger (Victoria) - Volleyball, basketball, softball and soccer
Emma Wolfram (Kamloops) - Basketball
Male High School Athlete of the Year
Lars Bornemann (Victoria) - Volleyball, basketball and track and field
Marcus Davis (Saanichton) - Football
Amarveer Dhesi (Surrey) - Wrestling
Female Junior Athlete of the Year
Georgia Ellenwood (Langley) - Athletics - track and field
Taylor Kim (Surrey) - Golf
Emma von Dadelszen (Vancouver) - Fencing
Male Junior Athlete of the Year
Kyle Carragher (Port Coquitlam) - Gymnastics
Dylan French (Richmond) - Fencing
Kevin Kwon (Maple Ridge) - Golf
Master Athlete of the Year
Christa Bortignon (West Vancouver) - Athletics
Gerry Poulton (Victoria) - Squash
Dr. Cathryn Zeglinski (Vancouver) - XCO Cross-country mountain bike
Official of the Year
Len Apedaile (Black Creek) - Cross-country skiing
Dale Jackson (Victoria) - Golf
Steve Papp (Saanichton) - Hockey
Female Senior Athlete of the Year
Stacie Anaka (Burnaby) - Wrestling
Hilary Caldwell (White Rock) - Swimming
Kim Gaucher (Mission) - Basketball
Male Senior Athlete of the Year
Dylan Armstrong (Kamloops) - Athletics - track and field
Ryan Cochrane (Victoria) - Swimming
Kelly Olynyk (Kamloops) - Basketball
Team of the Year
Team McNamara (Delta) - Beach volleyball
Trinity Western University women's soccer (Langley)
University of British Columbia men's soccer (Vancouver)
University Athlete of the Year
Maxwell Lattimer (Delta) - Rowing
Shanice Marcelle (Victoria) - Volleyball
Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe (Vernon) - Basketball
An additional four awards will be presented at the ceremony including Best of B.C., Community champion, Harry Jerome comeback and the Daryl Thompson lifetime achievement award.
About the Athlete of the Year Awards
The Athlete of the Year Awards, founded by Sport B.C., is the longest standing sport recognition event in Canada. Awards in 17 different categories are given each year to athletes, coaches, and officials on their performance and contribution to sport in our province. The awards play a valuable role in nurturing athletic success and recognizing some of BC's growing talents.
Also included as part of the evening's celebration of sport is the presentation of the annual President's awards. Now in its 20th year, the President's awards are presented to volunteers from Sport B.C. member organizations who represent the spirit of volunteerism, and whose dedication, energy, and commitment contribute to development of their respective sport or organization.
