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Support4Sport is the largest source of funding for amateur sport in Nova Scotia.

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Sport Nova Scotia’s WelcomeSport Nova Scotia’s Welcome

On behalf of Sport Nova Scotia, thank you for helping us celebrate the hard work and perseverance demonstrated by athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, families, sponsors, and sport organizations across

the province. The provincial sport sector is a tight-knit community, and it’s been enlightening to see you pull together and support one another as we all do our best to navigate the global pandemic. From creative social media campaigns to video conference workouts, your commitment to sport is inspiring.

Sport Nova Scotia and our provincial sport organization members embody over 160,000 Nova Scotians and these recipients represent the best of the best. This is an opportunity for us to reflect on all of the hard work each and every candidate has put in over the past year. You’ve all made a positive imprint on the sport sector and you should be very proud. We’ll be presenting over 200 awards this year, and we’re delighted to have our title sponsor here with us. Through their program Support4Sport, the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation has provided over $42 million to Nova Scotian communities and amateur sports since 2006. This evening wouldn’t be possible without them.

Farida Gabbani, ChairSport Nova Scotia Board of Directors

Title Sponsor’s MessageTitle Sponsor’s Message

Welcome to the 2020 Support4Sport Awards! We are thrilled to be back supporting the most prestigious sport awards in Nova Scotia.

Support4Sport has been a proud supporter of amateur sport in Nova Scotia for over a decade. In 2006, Nova Scotia Gaming partnered with Sport Nova Scotia to create the first dedicated revenue program in the province. This program has since raised over $42 million for community groups, provincial and community sport organizations, coaches, officials and athletes in Nova Scotia and is now the largest source of funding for amateur sport in our province.

At Nova Scotia Gaming, we believe that sport goes far beyond the physical benefits, it brings people together and builds communities while teaching us qualities like teamwork and leadership. Everyone that has been honoured with these awards exemplifies excellence in sport, and we are proud to celebrate with you.

On behalf of Nova Scotia Gaming and the Support4Sport Program, I would like to extend our congratulations to everyone. We are inspired by your dedication, perseverance and commitment to excellence in sport. Bob MacKinnon, President & CEONova Scotia Gaming Corporation

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Community Sport organization awardS

This award recognises community sport organizations for the incredible work they do to deliver sport opportunities to Nova Scotians. The award highlights the individuals and teams that make it all happen. They strive for excellence in how they operate, how they collaborate, innovate, lead, and, in some cases, use sport as a tool to create positive social change.

Sport MakeS a Difference awardS

The Sport Makes a Difference Award is presented to candidates who create, establish or initiate an innovative program, competition or event or demonstrate an outstanding example of fair play, thereby improving the sport system in Nova Scotia.

provinCial Sport organization awardS

Sport Nova Scotia recognizes that there are many individuals who have excelled in their sport in the past year. To pay tribute to these individuals, Sport Nova Scotia presents the volunteer, official, coach, team, junior male athlete, junior female athlete, senior male athlete and senior female athlete of the year awards to those individuals selected by their provincial sport organization. Provincial Sport Organization volunteers and sponsors of the year are also recognized at the Support4Sport Awards.

Support4Sport awardS

The Support4Sport Awards are the best of the best. The winners of these overall awards are selected from the entire pool of Provincial Sport Organization Award winners in the following categories: official, coach, team, junior male athlete, junior female athlete, senior male athlete and senior female athlete of the year. Sport Nova Scotia follows the Sport Canada judging process, appointing two different selection committees. Each committee is comprised of leaders of our provincial sport organizations, representatives from the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic, the media and community stakeholders. Rankings are tabulated and the winners are announced tonight.

Sport nova SCotia Chair award

The Sport Nova Scotia Chair Award recipient is selected by Sport Nova Scotia’s Chair of the Board of Directors. It is presented to an individual/family who has made a special and significant contribution to the development of sport in Nova Scotia and has had an impact on the quality of sport in the province.

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Provincial Sport OrganizationVOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR

Baseball ~ Randy CrouseRandy spearheaded the plan to construct a fully accessible ballfield in Antigonish. After raising more than $500,000, the field became a reality when it officially opened in July 2019. Randy also oversees Antigonish Challenger Baseball and is the provincial and national coordinator for Challenger Baseball, which provides an opportunity for youth and adults with cognitive and/or physical disabilities to enjoy the game. More than 300 athletes participate provincially and Challenger Baseball Canada now totals more than 8,000 athletes. Randy’s passion has rubbed off on his son, Gehrig, eight, who completed his first year as a Challenger Baseball buddy and mentor.

Basketball ~ Lori Shea Lori is a dedicated volunteer who helps Basketball Nova Scotia in multiple roles. In 2019, Lori was the team manager for two provincial teams that travelled to Victoria, B.C. She managed planning, fundraising and budgeting for the teams. Lori also helped BNS with sourcing and managing volunteers and handled seedings for provincial championships. She’s always on top of her many tasks and is able to manage challenging situations as they arise.

Bicycle ~ Brianne Steinman The community voted her as the volunteer of the year for her contribution to cycling through her race photographs. Brianne captures the action and great moments in the sport.

Blind Sports (Goalball) ~ Cathy Sawler Cathy has been part of the Blind Sports Nova Scotia board of directors since 2016. She has served as treasurer for the past two years, managing all the finances for the organization. In amateur sport, this is a critical role and, despite having a busy career, Cathy keeps the organization running smoothly.

Alpine Ski ~ David Todd David has earned a reputation as the BNet guy. A long-time volunteer, David is instrumental in every aspect when it comes to acquiring, installing, monitoring, putting away and storing BNet. This is a critical function for Alpine Ski athletes to be safe during races and David does it all without complaint, even making it fun with humorous BNet party emails. Dave and his fellow volunteers are affectionately referred to as Dave Todd and his Merry Band of BNetters.

Artistic Swimming ~ Lezlie Lowe Lezlie became chair of the board with Atlantis in 2016 and has worked hard to boost numbers in the pre-competitive age categories to build a stronger base for the club. This change — a group effort of successive boards and, while led by Lezlie, driven in tandem with Atlantis head coach Ally Merrill — has resulted in a doubling of Atlantis’s recreational enrolment, and the club’s national stream teams moving from consistent bottom-two placement to solidly middle-of-the-pack. This year, Atlantis had an athlete invited to national team trials for the first time.

Athletics ~ Ed James Ed is the utility player every organization wants, going above and beyond in filling several roles. Whether dealing with hurdles, steeplechase barriers, blocks or lane marker logistics, Ed is there to capably handle it. He sits as a member-at-large on the ANS board of directors, and also filled the role of interim co-chair of the ANS board in the fall as the search continued for a permanent chair. Ed was a key figure in taking care of equipment logistics for last summer’s 2019 Legion Youth National Championships in Cape Breton.

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Boxing ~ Greg Martin Greg has spent more than 40 years as a coach. He continues to coach, alongside his son, Daniel, at the Membertou Boxing Club, a club that offers free boxing to anyone wanting to learn the sweet science. Greg has also served eight terms in various positions on the executive of Boxing Nova Scotia and in 2019 was elected BNS president.

Cross Country Ski ~ Lorenzo Caterini Lorenzo is selfless in his dedication to the Halifax Nordic Ski Club (HNSC) and works tirelessly to make skiing possible and accessible. He has been the driving force behind the very successful relationship between HNSC and Brunello Golf Club and especially the fundraising and technical work to create the ‘snowbowl’ at Brunello — with snowmaking equipment and lights for night skiing. The snowbowl is a game changer for HNSC as it enables the club to hold consistent weekly lessons and is a crucial training venue for competitive skiers when there is no snow anywhere else in Halifax.

Equestrian ~ Alexandra Beaton Alex gives her time and energy as a coach and mentor for many levels of equestrian. She is the Regional Show Jumping Chair for NS Pony Club and supports the Pony Club through lectures, coaching and examining. Alex is an accomplished coach, especially within her specialty of Eventing. She was also instrumental in ensuring NS Pony Club successfully hosted the Canadian Pony Club National Show Jumping Championships in Windsor. She assisted with the planning, promotion and execution of the four-day event.

Figure Skate ~ Rozanne Raine Rozanne has been giving back to the skating community for the past 35 years. All skating officials are volunteers and give their time for the training necessary to give even more time when test days and competitions happen. Rozanne is a gold evaluator and junior level judge doing almost every competition and test day that has been held in Nova Scotia this year. In addition, she has coordinated both the attendance of other officials at these events and their training.

Golf ~ Bill MacMillan Bill has been volunteering with the NSGA for more than 30 years and in 2019 received Golf Canada’s Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year award. He works tirelessly as a referee, course rater and a board member at the provincial and national levels. During his 35 years with the NSGA, Bill rated over 2,400 holes in seven provinces and two states. He has also been a referee at more than 270 provincial and national championships.

Gymnastics ~ Tanya MacKenzie Tanya started volunteering for the Cobequid Spartans in 2000 and has been an integral member of the club ever since. Tanya has done everything from recruiting the club’s competitive coach to starting a building fund and overseeing two building moves. Her ongoing contributions to the club include running staff meetings, doing newsletters, taking care of payroll, paying bills, purchasing needed supplies, hiring and helping with grant applications as well as cleaning and maintaining the gym.

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Orienteering ~ Kara Turner Kara took on many initiatives to introduce Nova Scotians to orienteering. She runs clinics at summer camps and for running and outdoor clubs, especially in the South Shore area. Kara also co-facilitated orienteering intro sessions for newcomers to Nova Scotia in partnership with ISANS. She has given talks about aspects of orienteering at the 2019 Hike Nova Scotia Summit and Bay to Bay Trail AGM. Kara was published in Eco Parent magazine for her article Five Reasons Orienteering is your New Favourite Sport.

Rope Skipping ~ Laura Horne Laura has been one of the most helpful and reliable volunteers in the long history of the Jump Energy Rope Skipping Club. She’s always the first to jump into action when something needs to be done, whether in the competition gym, helping new parents with rules or judging support. Laura is also a key figure in organizing fundraising for her team.

Rowing ~ Joan Backman Joan was instrumental in the formation of the Row NS President’s Committee, which has vitally improved inter-club communication and the sharing of knowledge. Joan has also been a key figure in the emergence of coastal rowing in Nova Scotia. Her support and guidance of the Lunenburg Rowing Club resulted in the club hosting the province’s first coastal regatta in the summer of 2019. Joan is a longtime board member in Nova Scotia rowing and an accomplished umpire.

Rugby ~ Geno Carew Geno has been at the helm of Rugby Nova Scotia for the past eight years. During his tenure as president, the organization has seen growth in several areas, including number of athletes, number of clubs and in programming. Notably, with his leadership, RNS was able to expand staff from one part-time position, to two full-timers and one part-time position — all of which contribute to overall development in the sport. Geno’s dedication is unmatched.

Judo ~ Angele LeBlanc Angele was instrumental in the re-opening of the Nova United Martial Arts (NUMA) club. A dedicated volunteer, Angele spends at least four evenings a week there, working on administration, promotion, planning, and implementation of club programming. Angele also prepares the NUMA team for upcoming tournaments, provides communication to parents, and chaperons athletes who require a chaperone in order to compete. She builds relationships with other clubs in Nova Scotia, and beyond, to share best practices and organize joint training opportunities. Karate ~ Cary Hollett Cary serves as tournament coordinator. His role includes organizing registration and then overseeing all aspects of the tournament. When events are over, Cary compiles all the standings for each division, and sends to each dojo coach. He breaks out all the information by tournament, dojo, athlete and overall. This information helps coaches evaluate and prepare their athletes. Cary also saved rental costs for Karate Nova Scotia by researching and finalizing a deal for a used travel trailer to store tatami mats.

Lacrosse ~ Steve Brown Steve’s dedication to the sport of lacrosse dates back more than 40 years. His hard work promoting the sport was particularly evident in 2019 when the Wolves Lacrosse Club saw their spring registration numbers balloon to more than 200 players — a new best for the club. Steve is president of the Wolves and his endless hours of volunteering and vision have made the club what it is today. Their 8U age group alone had an exceptional number of first time and returning players (60 plus), attracted by a quality program.

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Snowboard ~ John Doucet John is the consummate volunteer who is always helping out at NS Snowboard events. He also served as the team manager for the NS Snowboard speed development team for the 2019-2020 season.

Soccer ~ Lindsay Van Kessel President, administrator, development lead, coach, and community leader are just some of the roles Lindsay has filled through his contributions as a dedicated volunteer. He currently sits on numerous boards and is a central figure in the development of soccer on Nova Scotia’s South Shore with Thunder FC. Lindsay is a recruiter and mentor for coaches of all ages and stages. Thunder FC’s coaching retention rate is well over 90% and the club has experienced membership growth every year for the past three years.

Speed Skate ~ Don Mosher Don’s involvement in speed skating started almost 10 years ago when he answered a desperate call for help. Organizers were struggling to get enough officials to work the short track and long track events at the 2011 Canada Winter Games. Don stepped up with his international officiating experience in paddling and completed the necessary training. He’s now a certified Level II starter. Don has travelled to Quebec to attend an advanced officials course and regularly volunteers at competitions across the Maritimes. He also trains other starters.

Squash ~ Angelia VanderLaan Angelia is a familiar face on the Squash Nova Scotia scene. If there’s an event in Halifax, you’ll see Angelia checking you in, managing the board, or finding you after your win to give you the prize of refereeing the next match. She also serves as a Team Captain in the Halifax Squash League and has managed her team while travelling for work from such destinations of Vancouver, Ottawa, and even Barcelona.

Swimming ~ The Curly Girls Stephanie Sealy and Krista Chen, better known as the Curly Girls, are outstanding volunteers in various capacities, including overseeing hospitality at major events. The Dartmouth Crusaders duo has welcomed officials and coaches to provincial championships every summer for the past six years, ensuring everyone is well hydrated and nourished by providing home cooked meals and greeting everyone with a friendly smile.

Table Tennis ~ Stephane Craan Steph has been running his club in Canning for 16 years. During that time, Steph has had a positive influence on a great number of people in the region. This year, he has 30 players participating with the Annapolis Valley Table Tennis Club — a mix of high school and university students as well as adults. His club runs two Nova Scotia Table Tennis provincial tournaments each year as well as hosting the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation regionals.

TaeKwonDo ~ Duane McOnie Duane is the secretary of the Maritime TaeKwonDo Union (MTU) and keeps the sport organization and board running smoothly. After manually managing MTU membership the past three years, Duane adopted software to streamline the process. The new software, including web page, allowed for direct signup and more flexibility in managing the more than 20 member schools and close to 1,000 members across the province. Communicating with members and processing payments for membership applications also improved.

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Volleyball ~ Sharyn Hiscock Wanting a place for young women to play volleyball, Sharyn started the Digby Crossfires in 2013. Initially, there were just 16 players. This year, the club had the biggest turnout in its history with 110 girls showing up for tryouts — making the Digby Crossfires one of the largest clubs in the province. From the beginning, Sharyn has handled almost all aspects of running the club so coaches could focus on coaching. She books tournaments, lines up hotels, sets up fundraisers, orders equipment and more.


Wrestling ~ Sharon Charlton Sharon has filled the role of secretary for the Wrestling Nova Scotia board of directors for almost two years, assisting the organization on planning, policy development, and resources to help the organization grow. She attends almost every wrestling event in the province, always ready to pitch in where needed. Sharon also dedicates her time to the Metro Amateur Wrestling Club (MAWC) through organizing practices, booking facilities, organizing logistics for athletes and coaches travelling to tournaments, and much more.

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Provincial Sport OrganizationMAJOR CORPORATE SPONSORS OF THE YEAR

Alpine Ski ~ Steve Earle Steve gives his time and financial support to the Martock Ski Race Club. His company, WCL Bauld Insurance, is a generous corporate sponsor of the club, helping this year with the purchase of insurance coverage on a new policy. As volunteer equipment manager for the club, Steve inventoried all the club-owned equipment. He also built storage for the speed skis, labelled all the equipment and developed a sign out system to track equipment. He supported an application for grant funding and was integral in making sure Super G athletes had properly sized and fitted speed skis for events.

Basketball ~ Eastlink Eastlink is a valued community partner. Eastlink and Basketball Nova Scotia have cultivated their relationship over several years. Eastlink has been instrumental in helping to grow the sport and in putting Nova Scotia basketball athletes on a community, provincial, national and international stage. Eastlink is always open to new ideas on how to work together in the community to engage more families in basketball and help more athletes play.

Bicycle ~ Java Blend Java Blend and its sister café, Cortado, have been supporting cycling clubs for years.

Canoe Kayak ~ Lake City Cider Lake City Cider has been an ideal partner for canoe-kayak. The Dartmouth-based cidery has supported events and provided goods and services. Lake City hosted canoe-kayak’s volunteer appreciation night and continues to promote the values of the sport. Lake City owner Poet Comeau is a former paddler and embraced the opportunity to give back.

Cross Country Ski ~ Hub Cycle Hub Cycle in Truro is a key supporter of cross-country skiing in Nova Scotia. Hub Cycle provides expert advice on equipment, financial support for cross country ski clubs and events, access to high-level equipment for provincial ski team members and outstanding service. In 2019, Hub Cycle also played a major role in helping Cross Country Nova Scotia and the Halifax Nordic Ski Club purchase new equipment for a school ski program and public try-it events. Owners Bruce and Daisy Roberts consistently go the extra mile.

Equestrian ~ ScrapCo Atlantic ScrapCo Atlantic and owner Jennifer Poole have given generously to the sport of equestrian. ScrapCo Atlantic’s known contributions span across several disciplines and include events for beginner to advanced participants. Poole and her company have contributed to Draft, Reining, Exhibitions, Driving, Barrel Racing, Hunter/Jumper, Dressage, and 4H. In addition to their amazing contributions to equestrian, they support environmental projects, events, Relay for Life, the Alzheimer’s Society and many other organizations and charities.

Golf ~ MCT Insurance For the past 10 years, Macdonald Chisholm Trask Insurance (MCT) is the major sponsor for the NSGA Men’s Amateur and Men’s Mid-Amateur Championships. MCT also offers preferred rates for all members of the NSGA. “Taking care of people, it’s what we do” is a mantra MCT lives up to corporately, and through its community involvement, including as sponsorship, and volunteering opportunities. MCT is one of the largest independent brokerages in the region, with more than 110 insurance professionals in 18 community-based urban and rural offices.

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Provincial Sport OrganizationMAJOR CORPORATE SPONSORS OF THE YEAR

Rugby ~ Atlantic Gold Corporation Atlantic Gold sponsors the Keltics senior women’s team. The company jumped in to help, seeing the partnership as a natural fit considering the values of the company and the program. Atlantic Gold Corporation, of St Barbara Limited, believes in supporting the communities in which they operate through volunteering, in-kind support and sponsorship of groups, events, activities and initiatives.

Volleyball ~ Lifemark Lifemark has donated hundreds of hours to Volleyball Nova Scotia over the years. Lifemark’s talented therapists have been of great service at many of VNS’s biggest events, helping players prepare for competition while also serving as first responders. This community-minded company has been an excellent partner and has always been incredibly generous with its support.

Wrestling ~ Crossfit Basinview Crossfit Basinview allows the Metro Amateur Wrestling Club (MAWC) to train rent-free in its facilities. The company also offers free crossfit training on Saturday morning to the athletes. The people at Crossfit Basinview are selfless and community-driven supporters of not only wrestling, but also of physical activity and healthy living.

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Provincial Sport OrganizationOFFICIALS OF THE YEAR

Artistic Swimming ~ Maurice Hurley Maurice has been refereeing for 10 years throughout the Atlantic region while holding various positions on the board of directors as well as carrying out many other duties on deck at competitions. On the NSAS circuit, Maurice worked the technical elements meet, the provincial championships and the provincial invitational meet. He was also an official at the Atlantic championships. Maurice is a very hard working and accomplished volunteer.

Badminton ~ Áine Humble Áine continues to hone her umpiring skills at the provincial, Atlantic and national levels. She has attended multiple tournaments throughout the season in Atlantic Canada, contributing to their quality and success. She regularly assists in developing new umpires and providing feedback to regional umpires to improve their skills. Badminton Canada recognized Áine’s efforts when she received her national certification this season at senior national championships.

Basketball ~ Matt Boyle Canada Basketball officials selected Matt to represent Canada at the Jr. NBA Global Championship. This is the highest level of competition for U14 athletes and a great chance for high level officials to get training from NBA officials. Matt is the only Nova Scotian official to be FIBA certified and was awarded his FIBA 3x3 license this past summer.

Bicycle ~ Pat MacDonald Pat officiated at the Kentville Canada Cup. The event is the only stop for the Canada Cup series in Atlantic Canada.

Blind Sports (Goalball) ~ Jeff Sawler After becoming Nova Scotia’s first certified goalball referee five years ago, Jeff has volunteered to referee the Nova Scotia annual goalball tournament every November. He has also been selected by the Canadian Blind Sports Association to referee at several national goalball tournaments, including the Canadian senior championships. Jeff gained his referee certification through the CBSA program and maintains his status through the number of games he works each season.

Boxing ~ Kyle Clarke Kyle, a Level 3 official, worked the Nova Scotia provincials as well as club cards. Kyle keeps on top of his officiating through courses and testing.

Cross Country Ski ~ Rejean ChamberlandRejean has been an official at every single event North Highlands Nordic Ski Club has hosted since 1987. This includes the 1987 Canada Games, 1989 junior national championships, numerous Atlantic and provincial championships and the Nordic Loppet that has taken place every year for the last 35 years. He’s always one of the first officials on site to help set up for races, and has been part of the timing crew for every race over the past 10 years, usually as the official starter.

Figure Skate ~ Gregor MacLean A former successful skater, Gregor has been giving back to the skating community for more than 35 years at both the provincial and national levels. He’s a national level referee and judge, provincial level technical controller & technical specialist, diamond & gold evaluator and data specialist. Gregor has officiated at many national competitions used to name world and Olympic team members, as well as multiple Canada Games, where one of the most meaningful events for him is the Special Olympic category.

Golf ~ Dave Bolton Dave has been volunteering, and refereeing with the NSGA for the past three years. During the 2019 season, Bolton was a lead referee at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, the highest amateur competition in the country. The event attracts the top amateur golfers from across Canada and the globe, representing more than 12 countries. Dave also served as lead referee at various provincial championships across Nova Scotia. He’s the NSGA 2nd vice president, chair of the NSGA rules & handicapping committees, and a representative on the Golf Canada board of directors. When not refereeing, Dave is educating and training the next group of referees and golfers.

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Gymnastics ~ Thorne Sutherland Thorne served as a judge at the Trampoline World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Federation International de Gymnastique designated Baku as a Group 1 event, the highest classification and on the same level as world championships and Olympic Games. It was the first event in the Olympic qualification process for Tokyo 2020. Officials are selected based on experience and level of Brevet, which is issued by FIG. Only judges holding a Category 1 or Category 2 Brevet are eligible to attend.

Hockey ~ Shauna Neary Shauna has officiated at the highest level in Canada at university and national championships. Shauna was assigned to the IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championship (Division III) in Sofia, Bulgaria. The tournament took place last December. She’s the only Level V female official in Hockey Nova Scotia and is the referee-in-chief for Metro West Female Hockey Association. In addition to her own development, she continues to mentor and coach young officials through supervision and instruction at HNS development events.

Karate ~ David Griffin David is well known and well respected in karate circles. He is Karate Nova Scotia’s premier official. David oversees all provincial tournaments and certification. He’s one of the senior officials in national tournaments, and has also achieved international certification.

Lacrosse ~ Morgan Faircloth Morgan is a dedicated box lacrosse official, always striving for improvement. In her fifth year of officiating, Morgan is a Level 3 official who works games in the Metro Minor Lacrosse League (MMLL) at all age categories, male and female games. Her commitment to perfecting her game-management skills is also shown through her willingness to learn from senior officials and travel outside the Halifax region to help referee. Morgan was accepted as a referee for female box nationals last summer in B.C where she officiated the 14U bronze medal game and the 16U gold medal game.

Orienteering ~ Pam James Pam not only competes as an accomplished orienteer, she also helps to make events happen. In 2019, Pam was an official at four events hosted by the Annapolis Valley Orienteering Club. She was also the controller and co-event director for the Bluenose Classic Provincial Championships held in Long Lake Provincial Park. The event attracted more than 100 participants. Pam plans quality events that are fun, challenging and fair for orienteers. She also plans extra training activities to help Nova Scotian orienteers develop.

Rope Skipping ~ Sarah Miles Sarah is the judging coordinator for RSANS and officiated at the national championships. Sarah continues to be the most valuable and reliable member of our officiating team. She coordinated all officials at the RSANS Provincial Championships and judged several events at the Rope Skipping Canada National Championships.

Rowing ~ Yetta Withrow Yetta is a tireless supporter of the sport of rowing. Her involvement goes back more than 20 years, including more than 14 as a Nova Scotia RCA umpire. Yetta goes out of her way to make sure regattas can run efficiently and safely not only by upholding the RCA rules of racing as an umpire, but by making herself available to the regatta local organizing committee for additional duties. She brings depth of knowledge, professionalism and an excitement for racing to every regatta she attends.

Rugby ~ Chad Mahoney Chad is recognized as a knowledgeable match official and has advanced to become a match official educator. He has refereed at the Canadian rugby championship and USport levels. Like many match officials, Chad worked his way up and put a great deal of time into his development. He started off refereeing local high school and club games.

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Snowboard ~ Eric Weigelin Eric was selected to be chief of start for the Snowboard cross FIS race at Ski Martock in February. A FIS level event is the highest level of competition for any snow sport. Eric, a Level 2 official, was picked for the role by FIS TD and chief of competition.

Soccer ~ Marie-Soleil Beaudoin Marie-Soleil was one of 75 referees from around the world selected to officiate at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. She worked four matches, including the Round of 16 showdown between host France and Brazil. Her performance in that game earned her an appointment as referee for the semifinal between the Netherlands and Sweden. Marie-Soleil was also the referee for the senior women’s final, worked games in the Canadian Premier League and was appointed to referee France’s national women’s professional final.

Softball ~ Darren Gerrior Darren was one of two Canadian umpires appointed to the WBSC Men’s World Softball Championship. The top 16 national teams in the world competed at the event. Darren is the provincial umpire-in-chief, a position he has held since 2017. He has also been a presenter at the Blue Convention, which is the flagship training opportunity for Softball Canada umpires, and an instructor at the national umpire school. In 2019, Darren also worked the Canadian women’s championship.

Speed Skate ~ Brent Thompson Brent has been involved in speed skating for more than 40 years. Brent started as an athlete, then became a coach and more recently has worked on his referee credentials. He has officiated at provincial, regional and national events. Brent facilitates clinics for officials and oversees the certification process, always volunteering his time, energy, expertise in a supportive environment. He’s also instrumental in making speed skating events happen whether it’s setting up lines and equipment, ensuring safety standards or working with club members and facility personnel.

Squash ~ Thomas Hori Thomas is a provincial level official who is also Atlantic Canada’s only Squash Canada certified referee assessor. He’s devoted to referee development and to helping rebuild the pool of provincially qualified officials. Thomas has been the tournament referee for many of Nova Scotia’s provincially sanctioned events, including for the SMUFit Autumn Classic.

Swimming ~ Beth Casey Beth has been officiating at the club and provincial level for almost 10 years and is one of 16 Level IV officials in Nova Scotia. She volunteers at various meets across the province and shares her expertise and experience by teaching fellow officials at clinics. She’s a mentor to many. This past year, Beth travelled to all parts of Nova Scotia, from Cape Breton to Yarmouth, to run clinics and assist clubs with hosting meets.

Table Tennis ~ Erica Ans It was a landmark year in Erica’s officiating. She became the first female in Canada, and only the second female in North America, to attain the certification level of International Referee. Erica travelled to Japan to take part in International Referee School where she was one of 10 candidates, and the only to achieve the distinguished certification. She was also Canada’s representative as table tennis umpire at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Erica umpired both the women’s singles and team event finals. Erica finished 2019 as deputy referee at the North American Challenge Plus tournament in Toronto in December.

TaeKwonDo ~ Dylan Bennet For the past two years, Dylan has served as an official for grassroot and developing competitors to high performance athletes at many tournaments throughout Nova Scotia. Dylan enjoys the challenge of officiating high performance athletes, including national and international competitors, seeing it as an avenue to testing and improving his abilities. Dylan has also played a role in creating draws and ring management at competitions.

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Volleyball ~ Suzanne DittmerSusanne is a veteran volleyball official who has achieved the highest certification (Level 4) available in Canada. She’s an inspiration to younger referees and has earned the respect of players and coaches through her elite officiating, which includes taking the stand for matches at all levels from junior high to national championships. Susanne helps other referees in her role as a nationally certified mentor and evaluator.

Wrestling ~ Kim Walsh Kim was upgraded to a National C officiating level this year at the Eastern Canadian Championships. He’s an ex-wrestler and a longtime (40-plus years) coach who is transitioning to the role of official to remain involved in wrestling. He officiates at all age groups and was set to officiate at this year’s U17-U19 national championships until the event was cancelled because of COVID-19.

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Provincial Sport OrganizationCOACHES OF THE YEAR

Alpine Ski ~ Remi PoirierRemi was one of two head coaches selected to lead Nova Scotia at the U16 nationals at Sun Peaks in B.C. this past March. The former Atlantic Alpine ski racer gained international coaching experience out West in classic Alpine and Ski Cross events and is now putting that vast knowledge to work in Nova Scotia. Remi started as head coach with the Martock Ski Race Club last fall. After one short season, Remi has built an impressive coaching staff.

Artistic Swimming ~ Ally Merrill As head coach at the Atlantis Synchronized Swimming Club, Ally has developed programs at the recreational and competitive levels. Ally has increased the number of club coaches, added support coaches for competitive teams and incorporated strength and mental awareness training. During the COVID-19 crisis and with pools closed, Ally turned to Skype to continue training sessions. Last summer, she identified a boot camp in Alberta as a prime learning opportunity and travelled there with three swimmers. Ally also volunteered countless hours to support an athlete selected to attend junior national team selection trials. She’s a valuable resource and mentor for fellow coaches.

Badminton ~ Leon Fu Leon puts countless hours into developing junior players in Nova Scotia. He’s the coach of the largest and most successful club in the province — the Junior Badminton Training Centre (JBTC). The athletes training under Leon made huge strides in 2019, with many of them winning provincial and Atlantic titles, and one athlete winning a National Junior Elites singles title. Leon has begun the Badminton Canada coach development pathway.

Basketball ~ Fabian McKenzie Fabian’s extensive basketball resume earned him the position of head coach of Canada Basketball’s U18 women’s team. This follows a successful summer as an assistant coach with Canada Basketball’s 2019 development women’s national team, which competed at the Pan American Games. In Lima, Peru, Canada finished sixth after falling 59-54 to Argentina. Fabian, a native of Glace Bay, is well known for his work, and success, with the CBU Capers women’s program.

Bicycle ~ Jon Burgess Jon coaches the provincial team. A third-place showing out of 50 at XCO nationals highlighted the season.

Blind Sports (Goalball) ~ Linda MacRae Triff Linda’s leadership in her role as coach helped Nova Scotia nab double gold at the Canadian Junior Goalball Championships. It was the first time Nova Scotia took the boys and girls titles at the event. Four Nova Scotia athletes were named as top tournament players. Linda also coaches youth, senior and recreational teams.

Boxing ~ Brad Ross Brad is the high performance lead for Boxing Nova Scotia. He also served as head coach of Team Nova Scotia for the 2019 Canadian Olympic qualifier tournament.

Cross Country Ski ~ Jack Soloman Jack is a highly dedicated coach of beginner to intermediate adult skiers, which is the most important demographic for expanding the sport in Nova Scotia. Jack has provided coaching support to the provincial ski team, but his most important role has been to coordinate and teach adult ski classes — helping to grow the number of families engaged in cross country skiing. Many of the people Jack has coached at the Halifax Nordic Ski Club have gone from novice to racer in one season — a sign that he inspires confidence as well as teaching technical skills.

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Equestrian ~ Angie Holt Angie is an innovator, a mentor and a successful executive director with the Halifax Junior Bengal Lancers. She has made significant contributions to the equestrian community by recognizing the importance of both athlete and equine health. Several of her students earned top-5 finishes in Nova Scotia Hunter Jumper Association divisions. One of her athletes competed in the 1.2m JC Anderson Legacy Medal National Finals and the CET Medal Regional Finals. Angie has also mentored instructor candidates, and increased participation for therapeutic athlete programs.

Figure Skate ~ Charleen Cameron You don’t necessarily have to go away to be successful. Charleen set out to make that point, creating a pair team that stays and trains in Nova Scotia — and the results are impressive. Gabrielle Levesque and Pier-Alexandre Hudon have earned two national bronze medals and placed 15th at junior worlds while training under coach Charleen. Now, five young pair teams are training in Nova Scotia.

Gymnastics ~ David Kikuchi A two-time Olympic athlete, David started coaching as a teenager in 1996 and has been assisting Canadian gymnasts ever since. In the case of Ellie Black, the two have teamed up for record-smashing success. Ellie dominated at the 2019 Pan American Games winning a whopping five medals, including two gold (all-around, vault). She became Canada’s most decorated Pan Am gymnast. Ellie also finished fourth all-around at the 2019 world championships. David has been named one of the lead coaches for the next Olympic Games. Judo ~ Jason Scott Jason re-opened the Nova United Martial Arts (NUMA) club and membership grew to more than 100 in less than a year. Jason is an avid promoter of the sport to all age groups. He has coached many judokas at tournaments such as the Eastern Canadian championships, Fall Classic, and the Kanokai Tournament, having his athletes medal at all of these competitions. At the Eastern Canadian tournament, Jason coached 16 athletes and the athletes earned 11 medals, including four gold.

Karate ~ Mitchell German A dedicated coach, Mitchell organizes tournaments and directs the training necessary for athletes to compete at the Karate Canada Senior National Championships. One of Mitchell’s athletes, Ryan O’Neil, has accomplished enough on a national level to earn a Fueling Athlete and Coaching Excellence (FACE) grant. The work the two have done together has put Ryan in the mix for Olympic qualification.

Lacrosse ~ Kristen FortuneKristen has thrown herself into developing and growing female field lacrosse. She showcased her lacrosse coaching skills as the 2019 head coach for Nova Scotia’s U19 field lacrosse team and also as a coach for the Bluenose Field Lacrosse League. In short order, Kristen shaped the U19 provincial team into a cohesive unit that had a great showing at the Canadian Lacrosse Association nationals in Peterborough, Ont. Players praised Kristen for her level-headed approach and outstanding communication skills.

Rope Skipping ~ Cameron Short Coach Cameron played a pivotal role in supporting Jump Energy at the 2019 Rope Skipping Canada National Championships. After a senior athlete suffered an injury, Cameron helped hold the team together throughout the rest of the competition. Her leadership guided the team to an overall bronze medal finish — all with a substitute athlete from Alberta. She also helped several other Jump Energy athletes jump to several gold, silver and bronze finishes.

Rowing ~ Patrick Cody It was a banner season for Pat and the athletes he coached. For a second straight year, Pat was selected by Rowing Canada to the RCA NextGen coaching staff for the World Rowing Junior Championships. This time, the women’s quad, coached by Pat climbed to fourth place. In 2019, athletes coached and mentored by Pat competed at the senior world championships, junior world championships, CanAmMex and Trans Tasmin regattas. Pat also led Team Nova Scotia to three medals, including two gold, at the National Rowing Championships.

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Rugby ~ Jack Hanratty Jack continues to wear many hats in helping rugby players in the region and across the country. In 2019 alone, he was renamed head coach of the Canada’s national women’s U20 squad, served as an assistant coach with the senior women’s national team and was Rugby Nova Scotia’s provincial coach. He’s also well known for his work with the Keltics Academy. Jack has stepped up to help the sport in every way, including grassroots programming, high performance training, coaching development and in the areas of health and safety.

Snowboard ~ Kimberly Sutherland Kim has been the development race coach for NS Snowboard for the past two seasons. This season she had great success with her team. They travelled to Bromont, Que., for a regional level snowboard cross event where she had one athlete narrowly miss the podium with a fourth-place finish.

Soccer ~ Hilary Wagg Hilary did double duty last season. She was head coach of the HCU U13AA girls’ team as well as assistant coach of the U17AAA girls’ team. Hilary helped lead the U13AA girls to third place in league play, as well as a first-place finish at the SNS provincial championships, giving them a spot in the U13AA Atlantic club championship for the second year in a row. The U17AAA girls, meanwhile, claimed fourth at the national club championship in October.

Speed Skate ~ Lauren Muzak-Ruff Lauren leads the Annapolis Valley Speed Skating Club’s competitive program and she also works with the skills development and recreational groups. She designs and delivers on-ice and dryland sessions. She also works with skaters on goal-setting and on charting their progress. Many AVSSC skaters achieved personal bests this season and two athletes turned in stellar performances at the 2020 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Thunder Bay. The club also had its first female, and youngest ever, qualifier for the Canadian Youth Short Track Championships — East.

Squash ~ Janet MacLeod The Pan American junior team squash championships were held in Canada for the first time last June and Janet coached the national women’s team to gold. A total of 78 athletes represented 12 countries at the under-19 event in Toronto. Janet also served as manager and assistant coach at the world junior women’s team squash championships last summer in Kuala, Lumpur, Malaysia. She serves as chair of the coaching committee for Squash Canada.

Swimming ~ Miranda Elliot Miranda’s coaching continues to help athletes develop and excel. She’s the head coach and meet manager for the Truro Centurions and last season coached at the Canadian junior national swimming championships.Madison Bond and Craig Bush, both members of the NextGen team, competed at junior nationals. Madison finished 12th in the women’s 200m breaststroke and 14th in the women’s 100m breaststroke while Craig placed 30th in the men’s 100m and 200m butterfly events.

TaeKwonDo ~ Helbert Porter Helbert coached five athletes at the 2019 Pan American Open and three of them earned gold. He also took a team to the U.S. Open for the 10th consecutive year and the eight-athlete contingent came away with five top-seven finishes, including one gold and one bronze. About 2,500 black belt competitors from 74 countries attended the U.S. Open. Helbert also served as Team Canada coach at the 2019 Pan Am Junior Championships. Athletes under Helbert’s guidance also entered the Canada Open and Pan American Presidents Cup.

Tennis ~ Juan Barreto Coach Juan achieved the feat of completing two levels of certification within four months. A challenging task considering a candidate has to finish a certain number of hours after the first level before being able to register for the Club Professional 1 course. Juan’s rapport with students is truly exemplary for any coach in any sport and plays a major part in his coaching success at both the grassroots and high performance levels.

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Volleyball ~ Jennifer Weatherhead Jennifer is an integral member of the Fury Volleyball Club. She became director of the club in late 2019 and was successful in her application for a Manulife Financial Community Sports Grant to support Fury Ignite360; a project focused on the club’s three pillars: Develop, Empower and Compete. The grant supports mental health, physical training, nutrition, coach and athlete development and provides greater access to the sport through new programming at the grassroots level. During competition in 2019, Jennifer guided her 14U girls team to silver at provincials.


Wrestling ~ Tommy Chubbs Tommy is fully committed to coaching his athletes, travelling across Canada and the United States to bring athletes together for camps and tournaments. He coaches the most successful wrestling athlete in Nova Scotia with results including a gold medal at the U19 level of the Mohawk Valley International. Despite geographical challenges, Tommy finds ways to get the training and opportunities required. Tommy has invited other athletes and coaches to training camps in Cape Breton and constantly shares his knowledge.

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Provincial Sport OrganizationTEAMS OF THE YEAR

Artistic Swimming ~ Halifax Aqua Nova’s PS11-12 TeamHalifax Aqua Nova’s PS11-12 team turned in a dominating season, including a gold-medal performance at the Atlantic Regional Championships. Eden Stapledon, Alice MacDonald, Leah McLean, Rowan LaPointe, Ella Jewer and Paige Yanosky made up the team’s roster. Not only did these girls swim together as a team, each of them did a second routine, either as a duet or soloist. These young swimmers strive to achieve personal bests at meets with members consistently placing in the top three for both figures and routines.

Baseball ~ Nova Scotia 17U Selects The N.S. 17U Selects made history, becoming the first team from Atlantic Canada to win the Canada Cup.The prestigious Baseball Canada event, featuring the top players from across the country, is usually dominated by the big three of Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. But the mighty N.S. squad went 6-1 in 2019, earning victories against Manitoba, Alberta, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario. The Canada Cup serves as the last stop for many players going on to post-secondary or professional opportunities. Basketball ~ North Preston Bulls - U14 Boys The North Preston Bulls reached the national qualifiers used to select a team to represent Canada at the Jr. NBA Global Championship. The Bulls won Basketball Nova Scotia’s U14 boys division 1 provincial championship to advance to the regional championship. After defeating teams from Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island, the Bulls went on to compete in the Jr. NBA Canadian qualifiers in Ontario where they finished with a record of one win and three losses.

Blind Sports (Goalball) ~ Nova Scotia Junior Boys TeamNova Scotia went undefeated in repeating as the gold-medal winner at the Canadian Junior Goalball Championship. The format is a double-round robin with semifinals and a final. In the past four years, the Nova Scotia boys have won two gold medals and two silver medals. The tournament boasts the best junior goalball athletes from across Canada. Several of those athletes also play for their senior provincial teams.

Lacrosse ~ Box Lacrosse Team NS Peewee Boys The Nova Scotia peewee boys team attended the Canadian Lacrosse Association’s Box Lacrosse National Championships. Team Nova Scotia played well through the round robin and advanced to the bronze medal game for this age category. The boys placed fourth overall in the tournament, which was the best showing for a young team from LNS.“It was an honour and a treat to be a part of the 2019 team,” said one of the coaches.

Rope Skipping ~ Electrified Electrified worked through a mid-competition injury to manage a third overall finish at the national championships. The team still had their strongest event, double dutch pairs freestyle, left to do with only three of their four members. With the help of their coaches, they avoided disqualification by teaming up with an athlete from Alberta. They reconfigured their routine and went on to finish third overall in the always tough 15 to 17 female division. Electrified team members are Hanna Janes, Bailey Poirier, Amy Randell and Karly Turner.

Rugby ~ Women’s Valley Rugby Union The Valley Rugby Union is a collaboration between the Valley Bulldogs and Windsor Machine rugby clubs. In its inaugural year, the women’s team came together to compete in the Division 1 and Division 2 league. The joint venture provided development opportunities for all players, while maintaining a competitive environment. Both sides claimed first place heading into playoffs, with the Division 2 team losing in the semifinals, and the Division 1 team claiming the provincial title. Together, the two teams had a record of 16-1.

Soccer ~ U15AAA Halifax CITY girls team The U15AAA Halifax CITY girls team is a story of perseverance, commitment and teamwork. Coming off a 2018 season in which the team managed just two wins, the girls worked extremely hard during the winter and went on to win six games in league play. The momentum carried into the summer season when Halifax CITY finished atop the standings (10-2-2). With only 12 players, they lost the final on penalty kicks, narrowly missing the opportunity to represent Nova Scotia at the national club championships.

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Provincial Sport OrganizationJUNIOR MALE ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Alpine Ski ~ Shane Sommer Shane, 15, continues to dominate the regional ski race circuit and impress on the national stage. He qualified for U16 nationals via a national point selection process and finished eighth in GS before the U16 event was cancelled due to the evolving pandemic. After two straight seasons of excellence, Shane is striving for an invite to the Alpine Canada NextGen team in the near future.

Athletics ~ Alex Amero Alex makes a habit of rising to the occasion at big meets. The Canadian U20 Track and Field Championships were no exception. Alex, a member of the Truro Lions, placed fifth in a strong field of 12 in javelin with a personal best of 56.43m. He also came eighth in discus with a throw of 41.97m.

Badminton ~ Veer Kundhi Veer is an up-and-coming athlete. The young and talented Veer was selected to Canada’s national badminton team for the Pan American Junior Championships in Moncton in 2019. He was the only player outside of Ontario to be chosen to represent Canada in the U13 division. Veer made it to the top 16 at the Pan Am Championships before being defeated. In local competition, Veer is challenging older players in the U19 and senior categories.

Basketball ~ Keyonte Beals Keyonte was the only Nova Scotian athlete invited to Canada Basketball’s U16 men’s selection camp in 2019. The Dartmouth native was selected as an alternate. The Canadian team went on to compete at the 2019 FIBA U16 Americas Championship in Belem, Brazil, where they placed second after falling 94-77 to the United States. Eight countries were represented.

Bicycle ~ Eric MacLean Eric, a junior athlete, placed second at the Kentville Canada Cup. His silver came in a field of 14. The event hosts riders from all across the nation and is the only stop for the Canada Cup series in Atlantic Canada.

Blind Sports (Goalball) ~ Mason Smith Mason’s strong play paced Nova Scotia to a second straight gold medal at the Canadian Junior Goalball Championships. Mason was chosen as one of the top three male players from the 12-team field. He was named to the 2019-2020 national team pool and is eligible for selection to the Canadian National Goalball Team for international competitions. Mason also played on the senior provincial team, which won bronze at senior nationals and gold at the 5th annual Nova Scotia Tournament.

Boxing ~ Matthew Ross Matt continues to excel in the 69-kilogram division, fighting at the national championships in B.C. The New Waterford fighter won a bronze medal at the last Canada Winter Games.

Canoe Kayak ~ Andrew Billard Andrew competed in major events at the highest level attainable for his age. He won the B final, placing him 10th overall, in the C1 1000 metres at the 2019 ICF Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships. Andrew, a member at Maskwa Aquatic Club, also raced to a pair of gold medals at the prestigious Olympic Hopes Regatta in September in Bratislava, Slovakia. The event is a top international regatta for young paddlers. Andrew was first in the C1 500m and C1 1000m.

Cross Country Ski ~ Ogen Newcomb Ogen competed a t the Eas tern Canadian Championships, part of the NORAM Cup national points series race. He came 28th out of 63. Ogen managed the result despite very limited access to adequate snow for training. His performance reflects a savvy ability to be resourceful and to persevere.

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Figure Skate ~ Leo Mont Leo competed at the highest level for pre juvenile, attending the Skate Canada Nova Scotia Provincial Championships. He won in pre juvenile and Star 7 categories. Leo, who trains at the Bedford Skating Club, has shown tremendous growth in his skating development.

Gymnastics ~ Kai Dwyer Kai continued to consistently deliver results at the elite level, winning both national team trials in 2019 to maintain his status as the top-ranked athlete on the junior national team. He was the gold-medal winner in individual trampoline at the Elite Canada event in Calgary and the Canadian national championships in Oshawa. In December, Kai competed at the world age group championships in Tokyo, Japan, where he finished 56th in individual trampoline and 26th in synchronized trampoline.

Judo ~ Hunter Annis Hunter, who is from Wilmot, picked up bronze medals at the Eastern Canadian championships and at the Fall Classic. He also earned gold at the Judo Nova Scotia Provincial Championships and the Kanokai tournament. Three times a week, Hunter travels more than three hours to train at his Judo club. He has been competing in higher divisions to gain more experience, earning a silver medal in the U-18 category at the Kanokai tournament.

Karate ~ Gassan Alkurdi Gassan captured gold in the youth under-55 kilogram division at Karate Canada Junior Nationals in Edmonton. En route to first place, Gassan competed in a double elimination style tournament against a high level of competition. He qualified for the national team based on his performance.

Orienteering ~ Milo Hall Milo won two bronze medals at the 2019 Canadian Orienteering Championships in Laval and Rawdon, Que. He placed third in the M10 Sprint and in the M10 Middle Distance. Closer to home, Milo earned gold at the Nova Scotia provincial championship in his age category. His overall success this season secured him top spot in points in M10 for the Nova Scotia Orienteering Series.

Rope Skipping ~ Jacob Nussey Jacob enjoyed great success at the Rope Skipping Canada National Championships. Jacob finished second in single rope speed in the 13 to 14 male division. He had several other strong performances, leading to a fifth-overall finish.

Rowing ~ Emerson Crick Rowing Canada named Emerson to Canada’s roster for the 2019 CanAmMex competition. CanAmMex is a junior national team development regatta used as a stepping stone to world juniors for younger or more inexperienced national team rowers from the United States, Mexico and Canada. Emerson also placed fifth at the national rowing championships in junior men’s single.

Rugby ~ Seif Sanad Seif and his Atlantic Rock teammates won the U19 Canadian Rugby Championship for the first time in nine years. Atlantic Rock defeated the defending-champion Ontario Blues 21-5 in the final in front of a big home crowd at Adele’s Pitch at the Swilers Rugby Complex in St. John’s. It was a stellar match with excellent defence and offence from the Rock side. Seif earned his spot on the Rock roster through training sessions and trial matches.

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Sailing ~ Ryan Anderson For the second time in three years, Ryan competed at the World Youth Sailing Championships. He placed 17th out of 57 in the boys radial class. Countries are allowed to send just one sailor per class and Ryan qualified by winning Canadian selection trials. He has also been named to the Canadian Sailing Team Youth Development Squad and was honoured as the 2019 Male Youth Sailor of the Year by Sail Canada.

Snowboard ~ Ethan Brewster Ethan had a great weekend at the Martock FIS Snowboard Cross events, finishing first on both days of the competition. Ethan qualified in second position on both days but was able to battle his way to the top step of the podium. The event attracts provincial level riders from Nova Scotia, Alberta and Quebec.

Soccer ~ Kaveh Wornell At the beginning of the 2019 summer season, Kaveh returned to United Dartmouth Football Club from a very successful three years with the SNS Whitecaps program. Kaveh captained the UDFC U17AAA team to the NSSL summer league title and the final of the SNS Cup. He was called up to play with the UDFC senior team at the national Championship, playing in every minute of all five games. He was a key contributor in UDFC’s bronze medal win.

Softball ~ Brody Fraser Although one of the younger players on the roster, Brody helped Canada to gold at the 2019 WBSC Junior Men’s Pan American qualifier in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The win earned Canada a spot in the 2020 WBSC World Cup in New Zealand. In the final, Brody scored the winning run versus Mexico. For the tournament, he struck out 13 batters in 5 1/3 innings pitched. Brody also competed at the U16 and U19 Canadian championships. The East Hants Mastodons went on to win silver at the U16 event after Brody tossed a perfect game in a 3-0 semifinal victory against Shallow Lake, Ont.

Speed Skate ~ Findlay Tulloch Findlay captures the commitment, dedication and great sportsmanship that the speed skating community aims to foster in its athletes. The Bedford skater always works hard to reach his competitive goals while being a positive and motivating presence among his peers, and a great role model to younger skaters.

Squash ~ Samuel Gallant Samuel is the top-ranked junior (BU19) in Nova Scotia and ranked 44th in Canada. He competed at the Canadian junior open, finishing 41st out of 64 entries. Samuel captured the Nova Scotia junior open title last November and posted three top-five finishes in regional play in the men’s A division. He placed fifth in the N.B. Open, the Dalhousie Open and at the 30th

annual Mill River Open.

TaeKwonDo ~ Django Meier Competing against 16 competitors from 14 countries, Django emerged with a silver medal for Canada in the youth category at the Pan American Championships. The international event hosted more than 600 athletes. Django went 4-1, losing a close match with Argentina in the <55kg final. Django also competed in the senior category at the 2019 Canada Open. Here, he faced 16 competitors from eight countries, and won bronze.

Tennis ~ Gryffin Minor Gryffin placed second in under-16 boys singles at the Atlantic indoor junior championships in Fredericton. His hard work is paying off. Gryffin has put the time in to get better and the results are showing, qualifying for the first time for the national championships.

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Volleyball ~ Josh DeYoung Josh was a member of Team Atlantic which finished fourth at last summer’s Canada Cup representing the best result Team Atlantic has ever achieved. Josh, the top 18U player in Nova Scotia, helped Team Atlantic to fourth place at the event. He was also a member of the Southside Kingsmen Volleyball Club that won silver at the Nova Scotia championships. His play earned him a spot on the tournament all-star squad. Josh was later selected to Volleyball Canada’s regional excellence program.

Wrestling ~ Eamonn Dudley-Chubbs Eamonn was the top U19 wrestler at the prestigious Mohawk Valley International. The majority of the competitors were from New York State, Canada and overseas. He wrestled three opponents from the U.S. to reach the final, which he won 11-10. Eamonn also competed at the U17/U19 nationals and the Journeyman World Classic and earned sixth place at both competitions. He has limited access to training partners in his area of the province but attends high calibre training camps throughout the season.

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Provincial Sport OrganizationJUNIOR FEMALE ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Alpine Ski ~ Lily Oakley Lily continues to advance in her alpine career with another strong year as one of the top female racers in the region. A second-place finish in SL, out of 50 racers, highlighted her results at the 2020 Roland Brunner Race. Lily also placed fourth in GS and sixth in SG. The Bible Hill athlete was one of the youngest members of Team Nova Scotia at the last Canada Games.

Artistic Swimming ~ Ella Jewer Ella placed first overall in her age group at all provincial and Atlantic regional championships over the past several seasons and helped lead her team to first-place finishes at events across Atlantic Canada. She joined Halifax Aqua Nova’s program in 2015 and has competed every season since in both solo and team. Ella has participated in numerous artistic swimming clinics and camps across the country. She balances her training with participation in musical theatre, ballet and highland dancing. Ella is admired by her peers and respected by her coaches.

Athletics ~ Maggie Smith Maggie led wire-to-wire in capturing gold for Canada in the 1500 metres at the 2019 Pan-American U20 championships in Peru. She finished in 4:25.47. The win highlighted an outstanding season for Maggie, who set multiple N.S. provincial records and claimed silver in the 1500m at the Canadian U20 track and field championships. Villanova University recruited Maggie, who is coached locally by Rich Lehman of Halifast Athletics.

Badminton ~ Ritu Shah Ritu moved to Halifax in 2019 and has made an immediate impact on the Nova Scotia badminton scene. Ritu, unseeded, beat all challengers in U17 singles to earn gold in her first National Elite Series event. The field of 32 included the best junior competition in the country. Although an under-17 aged player, Ritu has amassed an undefeated record in senior singles action in Atlantic Canada and provides stiff competition for senior male players in the region.

Basketball ~ Samantha Russell Samantha, a native of Dartmouth, attended her third Canadian national basketball championship in 2019. She had an impressive individual performance, averaging double-digit points throughout the under-17 tournament in Victoria, B.C. Her play earned Samantha second-team all-star honours. Nova Scotia finished seventh after defeating Manitoba 65-50.

Bicycle ~ Natasha Hahn Natasha, 14, was a star on the provincial scene. She was the point series winner.

Blind Sports (Goalball) ~ Shams Hamad Shams helped make history as a key member of the first Nova Scotia girls team to win gold at the Canadian Junior Goalball Championships. She was chosen as one of the top three female players in the tournament. Shams was selected to join the Nova Scotia senior women’s team and won gold at the 5th annual Nova Scotia Tournament. She was named to the 2019-2020 national team pool and is eligible for selection to the Canadian national team for international competitions.

Boxing ~ Renae Cowal Renae returned with gold from the Canadian championships. She competes at the highest level for 44-kilogram female athletes. She trains out of the Tribal Boxing gym and calls it her ‘happy place.’

Canoe Kayak ~ Julia Lilley Osende Julia and partner Sophia Jensen cruised to canoe gold at the 2019 ICF Junior & U23 sprint world championships in Romania. The two won the C2 Junior 500 metres in 2:04.612. The depth of field during selection is the highest level globally in Julia’s discipline. Women’s finals in Canada are typically faster overall than world finals. Julia is a member and youth coach at Mic Mac Aquatic Club.

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Cross Country Ski ~ Fiona McClure Fiona competed at the pre-Christmas Candy Cane Cup in Gatineau, Que., a central location attracting elite skiers from Ontario, Quebec and even New England. She placed 21st in a highly competitive field of 42. The event is part of the NORAM Cup national points series race. Fiona’s performance reflected her strong training attitude. Before the Gatineau competition, Nova Scotia had not experienced sufficient snowfalls to facilitate effective training on skis.

Equestrian ~ Ariel Boesener Ariel was the top Canadian, placing fifth in junior freestyle dressage at the 2019 North American Youth Championships. NAYC is the premier equestrian competition in North America for junior and young riders, ages 14-21. Ariel had a personal-best freestyle score (70.375%) and her first-ever Federation Equeste Internationale (FEI) score above 70% in junior dressage freestyle competition. Ariel ranked 24th-overall in youth dressage. In team competition, she contributed to a fifth-place showing in junior dressage for a combined Quebec/N.S. team. Figure Skate ~ Katelyn Li Katelyn made huge strides in her skating development this past season. She was a double-winner at the provincial championships, winning both the U12 and Star 7 categories. Katelyn trains at the Mariposa East Skating Centre in Pictou County.

Gymnastics ~ Jordyn Ewing Jordyn is only the second female from Nova Scotia to gain high performance senior status. She competed at the Elite Canada event in February, finishing 13th

out of 34 in all-around. The result allowed her to compete in the Gymnix Challenge later in the season. It marked Jordyn’s second time attending Gymnix, an international meet.

Hockey ~ Erin Denny Erin enjoyed a banner year last season. She was named to Team Atlantic for the national under-18 championship and turned in a standout performance at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships. Erin was the team captain for the Aboriginal tournament and scored nine of the team’s 18 goals. She was also named MVP for the Nova Scotia Female Midget Hockey League. The Saint Mary’s Huskies recruited Erin for the upcoming season.

Karate ~ Angel Niet Angel capped her successful junior career with a silver-medal finish at nationals. She competed in a double-elimination format in the under-21, 55-kilogram division, an extremely challenging division with 10 capable athletes. Angel is now set to move up to the adult division.

Lacrosse ~ Georgia Davis Georgia plays both female box lacrosse and women’s field lacrosse at the club level and for Team Nova Scotia. She’s a versatile, skilled player with a positive attitude that makes her very coachable. Another strength is the quiet example she sets for her teammates. This quality was on display at the CLA’s midget female box nationals when Georgia consistently built up other players on her team during the tough going.

Rope Skipping ~ Alena Collens Alena competes and excels at the highest level for her U11-age group. Alena emerged first-overall in a field of 26 at the Rope Skipping Canada National Championships. When it mattered most, Alena delivered. She performed personal-bests in all of her events. Rowing ~ Claire Ellison Claire helped Canada’s junior women’s quad crew improve its ranking at the 2019 World Rowing Junior Championships. The boat finished fourth out of 14, bettering its sixth-place showing in 2018. Claire is a former Rowing Canada junior athlete of the year.

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Rugby ~ Madison MacInnis Madison earned selection to represent Canada at the U18 level. She worked hard to get there. In the fall of 2019, Madison relocated from Sydney to Halifax to train with staff at Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic and Rugby Nova Scotia. Her dedication saw her take the next step from Keltic Blue to Canada Red.

Snowboard ~ Bridget MacLean Bridget competed alongside the top riders from 17 nations at the Lausannne 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Switzerland. Bridget locked down her spot at Lausanne 2020 with a strong fourth-place showing at the Canadian Nationals. She worked hard in preparation for Lausanne 2020, travelling to Austria early in the season to get on snow and experience European courses. Unfortunately, she fell in her first run at the Games and fractured her wrist.

Soccer ~ Annika Leslie Annika continues to excel on the national stage. In November, she was named to the women’s U17 Excel Camp squad that went to Mexico City for an eight-day camp in preparation for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2020. The trip included two international friendlies against Mexico. Last August, the talented defender moved to Ontario where she would be surrounded by other national team players at the Super REX centre.

Speed Skate ~ Aoife Marshall Aoife skated the fastest 500 metres in long track speed skating in Nova Scotia this season for females. This was her first year as a junior (ages 14-18) and she missed the Canada Cup standard in the 500m by less than a second. Canada Cups are the national circuit for the top Canadian long trackers and the pathway toward qualifying for the national team. Aoife easily made the time standards for the Canadian Youth Long Track Championships. Unfortunately, an ice storm prevented Team Nova Scotia from travelling to Red Deer for the competition.

Squash ~ Madeleine Khan Madeleine competed at the 2019 Canadian Junior Open. It’s Canada’s biggest junior event of the year, attracting the best players in Canada as well as competition from several other countries, including Australia, Egypt, the United States and Mexico. Madeleine won two Atlantic Canada women’s B-level tournaments last season and now competes in the A division.

Swimming ~ Hanna Mountford Hanna was a member of the 27-swimmer contingent that competed at the 2019 Speedo Eastern Canadian Swimming Championships in Laval, Que. Hanna’s sixth-place showings in the 1500m and 400m freestyle events highlighted her results at the four-day meet. She also came ninth in the 200m backstroke, 16th in 100m backstroke and 16th in the 100m freestyle. Throughout the season, Hanna excelled at several provincial events where she ranked National and achieved Swimming Canada on-track times.

Table Tennis ~ Maddy Hayes Maddy repeated as a multi-category winner at the Atlantic championships. She came first in the junior girls team event, under-18 girls singles, under-21 girls singles, women’s singles and under-18 mixed doubles. Maddy is the top female player in Atlantic Canada. Last year, she was honoured within the table tennis community as the most improved female player. Her development continues to impress.

TaeKwonDo ~ Carrington Carroll Carrington started the 2019 season by winning her eighth Canadian national title. She went on to represent Canada in youth competition at the Pan American Championships in Portland, Oregon, where she brought home her second straight Pan Am title. At the Portland event, Carrington moved up a weight class and also won the Pan Am open championship for back-to-back gold-medal performances. Despite dealing with an injury, she again moved up in weight class to manage a silver medal at the Canadian International Open Championships.

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Tennis ~ Isabella Baker Isabella won under-16 singles at the 2020 Indoor Junior Atlantic Championships. Only the top eight players in the rankings are invited, making for a strong field at the tournament. Isabella is ranked No. 2 in under-16 and under-18 singles in Nova Scotia.

Volleyball ~ Talia Vydykhan Talia was a member of Team Canada’s youth national team as an alternate and was the only athlete east of Ontario to be selected. Talia trained in both Canada and Europe with the team until the 18U world championships in Egypt last September. Talia was also a provincial champion as a member of the Tigers Volleyball Club and an NSSAF Division 1 champion with Charles P. Allen High School. Talia was also a member of Team Atlantic and competed in the Canada Cup.


Wrestling ~ Maddie Charlton Maddie has produced impressive results this season through training at multiple clubs in the province. Maddie came home with fifth place at the U17-U19 Canadian national wrestling championships in freestyle and earned gold at the event in the Greco Roman category. She also won gold in her weight class at the Eastern Canadian championships, KES Tournament, and Ragnarok in the Rex. Along with her extensive participation in tournaments, Maddie has attended training camps across the country.

Proud SPonSor of the

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Provincial Sport OrganizationSENIOR MALE ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Alpine Ski ~ J.D Todd J.D.’s career is opening doors for other Nova Scotian athletes. A sixth-place showing out of 102 competitors at a senior men’s FIS event in January is an example of his recent success. J.D. competed in two Slalom races at the event and also had a 10th-place finish. The FIS circuit is the highest level of international competition. Athletics ~ Matt Coolen Matt captured gold at the 2020 U Sports Track and Field Championships. The fifth-year civil engineering student at Dalhousie won the 60m hurdles in a personal-best time of 8.02. At the 2019 Canadian Track and Field Championships, Matt qualified in the 100m for the prelims through the qualifying round and went on to place 19th overall. He’s the Nova Scotia record holder in the 60m and 100m events.

Badminton ~ Spencer Armsworthy Spencer and Yuka Shimura are a force on the mixed doubles scene. Spencer and Yuka won two Atlantic Series titles, and are the top-ranked tandem in the region. Spencer is also making noise in doubles with partner Ryan MacIntosh. The two had a tremendous season, claiming two out of three Atlantic series titles with wins at the P.E.I. and Scott Open events.

Basketball ~ Alex Carson Alex was one of only 12 players to crack the Canadian roster for the 2019 FISU Summer Universiade Games in Napoli, Italy. Canada had a solid sixth-place finish out of 16 teams. The six-foot-five guard from Lower Sackville averaged 4.7 points over six games, shooting 38% from the field and 100% from the free throw line. Alex has been a standout player at Dalhousie, where he took recreational management.

Bicycle ~ Brandon Curry Brandon placed eighth out of 15 in the elite men’s division at the Kentville Canada Cup. Riders from across the country came to Kentville for what is the only stop for the Canada Cup series in Atlantic Canada.

Blind Sports (Goalball) ~ Peter Parsons Peter competed internationally for Canada after being selected to the national team for the Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru. Canada went up against the top eight goalball teams from Pan American countries and earned bronze. The field included powerhouse squads such as the United States and Brazil — medal-winners at the 2016 Paralympics. Peter is a dominant figure in Nova Scotia’s goalball success. He has helped his team win seven consecutive medals at senior nationals.

Boxing ~ Wyatt Sanford Wyatt competed at the 2019 AIBA world boxing championships in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in September. Sixty boxers were in his division. Wyatt won his first two matches to earn a showdown with a highly regarded Russian opponent. He went the full three rounds, but lost a unanimous decision. The final results had Wyatt ranked ninth in the world. He was also first in Canadian qualifiers in December to represent Canada at the Olympic qualifiers.

Canoe Kayak ~ Connor Fitzpatrick Connor competed in one of the fastest C2 1000 fields ever at the ICF world championships with the winning crew setting a new record. Connor, who trains and coaches at Senobe Aquatic Club, partnered with Roland Varga in coming second in the B final. The result placed the Canadian crew 11th out of 72 in the deep and talented field.

Equestrian ~ Matthew McArthur Matthew competed regionally to qualify for the 2019 NRHA Affiliate Eastern Canada Regional Championships in Quebec. Matthew competed as a non-pro at the Eastern Canada Regional Affiliate Finals. He finished sixth out of a field of 11.

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Figure Skate ~ Jacob Côté Jacob is the sectionals pre novice men’s champion, which gave him the opportunity to compete at the 2020 Challenge in Edmonton. Jacob made tangible improvements in his skating. His score has gone from 79.65 to 85.83, a huge jump in just three months.

Gymnastics ~ Jeremy Bartholomeusz Jeremy was named to Team Canada for the 2019 FISU University Games. The Halifax gymnast, who studies neuroscience at Dalhousie, came ninth out of 52 competitors in the all-around category. The FISU Games were attended by some of the top gymnasts in the world. Jeremy is among the top all-around athletes in Canada and a training partner for local gymnastics legend Ellie Black.

Hockey ~ Jared McIsaacJared played a key role in helping Canada claim gold at the IIHF World Junior Championship. The standout defenceman from Truro contributed a goal and three assists toward the gold-medal run and finished the tournament with a plus-4 rating. Jared managed to work his way back from off-season shoulder surgery in time to crack Canada’s roster for a second straight season. He was traded from the Halifax Mooseheads to the Moncton Wildcats after world juniors and collected 17 points in 25 games for his new team.

Judo ~ Max Teeuwen Despite an injury, Max managed to achieve great success in every Judo competition he entered this season. Max’s accomplishments include winning bronze in under-21 action at the Quebec Open, placing sixth at nationals, finishing seventh at the Canada Cup and attending a national training camp.

Karate ~ Ryan O’Neil Ryan overcame some adversity to finish second at Karate Canada Nationals. Competing in the 67-kilogram adult division, Ryan lost one of his matches in the double-elimination format and had to fight his way back through the losers bracket to reach the final. The division is one of the tougher weight classes. With the result, Ryan qualified for the national karate team.

Lacrosse ~ Zac Carrigan Zac, who plays with the Sportwheels Wolves junior A team, is the East Coast Junior Lacrosse League’s top scorer and offensive MVP. He broke the ECJLL single-season record for points by a player from Nova Scotia.The league features the highest level of competition in the Maritimes for players ages 17 to 21. Zac plays field lacrosse in the U.S. during the school year. He also helps with development sessions and coaching for Lacrosse Nova Scotia female teams.

Rope Skipping ~ Sam Ashley Sam continues to be a leader in all aspects of the sport. Sam put on another great show at the 2019 Rope Skipping Canada National Championships, with first-place finishes in individual overall and single rope wheel freestyle.

Rowing ~ Andrew Todd Andrew and his partner Kyle Frederickson became back-to-back world champions. The two won the PR3 men’s pair event. Andrew also raced to gold in the PR3 men’s single at the national rowing championships. For his incredible year, Andrew was named co-recipient of the RCA Para Rower of the Year for 2019.

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Rugby ~ Cooper Coats Cooper contributed to a successful 2019 for the national men’s sevens team. Cooper represented Canada at the Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens tournament in Georgetown, Cayman Islands, where Canada clinched its first men’s sevens Olympic berth for Tokyo 2021. He was also a member of the national team, which captured silver, out of eight teams, at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.

Shooting ~ Braden Colman-Sadd Braden was the only competitor to fire a perfect score in taking first place in the 900-metre distance at the 2019 Canadian Fullbore Rifle Championships in Gatineau, Que. The 900m is the furthest and most challenging distance for a fullbore (high power) rifle competition. As a member of the 2019 Dominion of Canada Rifle Association Team, Braden travelled to Great Britain to compete in the Queen’s Prize Match — the most prestigious international fullbore shooting competition. He made it to the second stage, placing 182nd out of 884.

Snowboard ~ Liam Moffatt Liam was a dominant force in snowboard cross on the North American Cup circuit when he wasn’t competing in World Cups. Competing against fellow Canadians and athletes from the United States, Brazil, Australia and China, Liam won at the Nor-Am Cup event at Mont Orignal and finished third at Ski Cooper. He came fourth-overall at the Nor-Am championship in snowboard cross, hopefully, earning him another spot on the World Cup circuit next year.

Soccer ~ Jonathan Doucett Jon can play any position on the pitch. He’s known for his consistent performances and combative style of play. His ability to break up passes and win tackles is an integral part of WHFC Durty Nelly’s success in the premiership. Jon also contributes on the offensive end, scoring eight goals as a defensive midfielder. A true leader on and off the pitch, Jon is a medical student at Dalhousie University.

Speed Skate ~ Cooper Emin Winning international gold highlighted a busy season for this fast-improving speed skater. Cooper was part of the three-member Canadian team that won the neo-senior men’s sprint event at the International Skating Union Junior World Cup #2. The neo-senior category provides skaters aged 19-23 – not yet at the senior World Cup level – a chance to develop further internationally. In addition to team sprint gold, Cooper placed fourth out of 25 skaters in the 1000m, fifth out of 20 in the 500m, and ninth out of 23 in the 1500m.

Squash ~ Philip Anderson This fast-improving squash player has climbed into the top five in the province since joining the sport just four years ago. In fact, Phil earned the No. 2 spot on Team Nova Scotia for the Canadian men’s team championship. He placed second at the Cape Breton, Kentville and New Brunswick open tournaments and at the Aspin Cup. Through his drive to excel in the sport, Phil participated in every tournament in Atlantic Canada this season.

Swimming ~ Brett Liem Brett earned a top-three finish in all of his individual events at the 2019 Ken Dunn Nova Scotia provincial championships. Throughout the season, Brett excelled at several provincial events where he achieved Swimming Canada on-track times to maintain his spot with Nova Scotia’s NextGen team. Brett also competed at the varsity level at Acadia where he achieved at the national level by earning second swims in his top events during the USports championships.

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TaeKwonDo ~ Hunter Carroll Hunter missed the first half of the 2019 season after breaking the same ankle twice. Despite the adversity, Hunter battled back to qualify for Team Canada at the 2019 Summer Universiade in Italy where he finished tied for ninth out of 41. Still nursing the injury, Hunter went on to earn bronze at the 2019 Canadian International Open and finished third at the Canadian Olympic trials. With COVID-19 forcing so many cancellations, Hunter is now focusing on the 2021 World Championships and the 2024 Olympic Games.

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Provincial Sport OrganizationSENIOR FEMALE ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Alpine Ski ~ Emily Todd Emily dominates the regional ski circuit as the top racer for the Atlantic series and in January placed 39th in Slalom at a FIS Race at the Alpine Ski Club. She was in a field of 60 at the international race that included national team and NextGen team athletes.

Athletics ~ Maya Reynolds Maya sprinted to a fifth-place finish in the 60m at the 2020 U Sports Track and Field Championships in March. She tied her personal best in the prelims with a 7.50. At the 2019 Canadian Track and Field Championships, Maya came through the qualifying rounds to the prelims where she finished 21st overall.

Badminton ~ Yuka Shimura Yuka and partner Spencer Armsworthy are ranked first in mixed doubles in Atlantic Canada. Yuka and Spencer won two of the three Atlantic series titles this year, placing first at the P.E.I. and Scott Open tournaments while picking up silver at the Longard Open. Yuka and Ruiwen Zhu are the No. 3-ranked doubles team in Atlantic Canada. Yuka and Ruiwen won the 2019 Atlantic Championships and also claimed silver at the P.E.I., Scott and Longard Open events.

Basketball ~ Hannah Brown Hannah, who is from North Sydney, was among 12 athletes selected to represent Canada at the 2019 FISU Summer Universiade Games in Napoli, Italy. Hannah averaged 8.2 points and 6.5 rebounds over six games. She shot 43% from the field and 75% from the free throw line. Canada finished 13th after defeating Mexico 67-54. Hannah played five seasons at Cape Breton University and signed to play pro in Germany.

Bicycle ~ Mackenzie Myatt Myatt placed second out of 17 at the 2019 XCO Canadian Championships. Mackenzie competed in the U23 division.

Blind Sports (Goalball) ~ Tarah Sawler Tarah and her team won gold in the open category at the Nova Scotia annual goalball tournament and finished fourth at senior nationals. In April 2019, Tarah was still eligible as a junior player. She was an important member of the first Nova Scotia junior girls team to win a gold medal at goalball nationals and was selected as one of the top three female players.

Boxing ~ Christine Anderson Christine came second at the Brampton Cup, a development tournament in Ontario. She trains under the guidance of coach David Penny at Dave’s Multisport in Bridgewater.

Canoe Kayak ~ Michelle Russell Competing in a very challenging field, Michelle placed seventh in the B Final of the K1 200 metres at the ICF Senior World Championships. The result meant Michelle finished 16th out of 45 at the event, the highest level of competition in the sport other than Olympics. She trains with Cheema in Waverley.

Equestrian ~ Courtney Thomas Courtney placed second in multiple large classes at the Royal Winter Fair against athletes from Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. She competed throughout the year to be eligible to compete at the Royal Winter Fair while balancing university studies. The Royal Winter Fair limits the number of entries in its divisions and there are usually only one to two spaces for Atlantic athletes. The amateur-owner division is a height of 3’6” (1.10m) and is on the pathway to competing in the Jumper divisions.

Figure Skate ~ Cate McKee Cate took her skating to a new level this past season. She came first out of 14 to win the Nova Scotia pre novice sectional championship, which gave her the opportunity to compete at the 2020 Challenge Competition in Edmonton. Cate’s score has gone from 79.56 to 93.54 in just three months — a huge accomplishment.

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Gymnastics ~ Ellie Black Ellie became the most decorated Canadian gymnast in Pan American Games history, collecting another five medals and defending her all-around title. The Halifax gymnast left Lima, Peru with two gold medals, two silver and a bronze giving her a total of 10 medals over the last two Games. Ellie was named Canada’s flag-bearer for closing ceremonies in Lima. The two-time Olympian also placed fourth in all-around at the world championships in October, narrowly missing the podium after sustaining an ankle injury landing a vault.

Judo ~ Tsubaki Onishi Tsubaki was outstanding at the Eastern Canadian championships, winning silver at the under-21 level and a bronze in the senior category. The tournament is one of the highest-level competitions in the Maritimes and attracts about 250 total participants. She also had a strong showing at the Quebec Open in Montreal, earning fifth place. At the Kanokai tournament in New Glasgow, Tsubaki came back from an injury to earn gold.

Karate ~ Trysten Deveau Trysten maintained an undefeated record through a double-elimination format en route to winning gold in the 55-kilogram division at senior nationals. This was a very impressive feat considering the high level of competition she faced. In achieving this standing, she qualified for the national karate team. A longtime star within Karate Nova Scotia, she’s not showing any signs of slowing down. Trysten has become a role model and is starting to coach younger athletes to give back to the sport.

Lawn Bowls ~ Jacqueline Foster Jacqueline, a national team veteran, went to the 2019 Asia Pacific Games. It was her third time competing at the Games. She has also represented Canada at two Commonwealth Games (2014 and 2018) and two World Bowls (2012 and 2016). She has been a Team Canada member for the past 10 years.

Orienteering ~ Pam James Pam earned three medals, including two gold, at the Canadian Orienteering Championships in Quebec. In her first event, the sprint distance, Pam competed in the F21 elite category and won bronze. She followed that up with gold in the middle distance, again running in the F21E category. For the long distance, Pam ran her age group F45 and won another gold. She also competed in the 2019 US Masters Classic and placed third. Back home, Pam was first overall in points in the Nova Scotia Orienteering Series.

Rope Skipping ~ Karly Turner Karly competed in the 15-to-17 female division, which is the deepest division at the Rope Skipping Canada National Championships. She had excellent performances in all of her events. Karly’s top finish was seventh in single rope endurance — the competition’s most grueling event.

Rowing ~ Hannah Meeson Hannah raced to second out of 12 in U23 women’s lightweight single at the National Rowing Championships. She also made the A Final in two events at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, finishing second in senior lightweight pair and fourth in U23 lightweight single. On the university circuit, she won silver in women’s lightweight 4+ for UVIC at the Canadian rowing championships.

Rugby ~ Olivia DeMerchant Olivia was a key member of the Canadian side that competed in the 2019 women’s Rugby Super Series. Canada faced New Zealand, France, England and the United States in a round-robin series to aid in preparations for the 2021 Rugby World Cup. The team finished at 1-3, losing by just two points to both England and the United States. Olivia has represented Canada 41 times. She trains with the Keltics Academy and acts as a mentor and coach to developing players.

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Snowboard ~ Kate MacKinnon Kate spent the entire season living and training in Whistler, B.C. She travelled to training camps in Chile, Finland and Alberta and then competed in continental cup events in B.C., New York, Colorado, Ontario and Quebec. Kate earned a 15th-place finish at the Ski Cooper North American Cup. The international event attracts provincial level athletes from the United States, Australia, Japan, Argentina and Canada.

Soccer ~ Erin Freeman Erin is a versatile player who continually makes a huge impact for United Dartmouth Football Club in the premiership. She is the two-time league MVP as voted on by coaches across the premiership. A constant threat, Erin is always on the opposition’s radar. She also had a great second season with the Cape Breton University Capers, recording three goals and four assists.

Squash ~ Ashley Cullis Ashley went up against Canada’s top ranked women’s players at the Squash Canada team championships. Nova Scotia managed an upset win over Saskatchewan to leave with an eighth-place finish. The team came in seeded ninth. Ashley also recorded two first-place finishes this season and two second-place finishes as well.

Tennis ~ Michelle Karis Michelle won the women’s 60 singles event at the 2019 Western Canadian Senior Indoor National Championships in Calgary. She was also a finalist at the senior outdoor nationals in August. A strong field of 23 players competed for the title.

Volleyball ~ Courtney Baker As a member of Volleyball Canada’s NextGen program, Courtney competed at the World Student Games in Napoli, Italy. Canada placed eighth out of 16 teams at the Games. The NextGen program pulls in athletes with the potential to make the senior team in the next two to three years. The Dalhousie Tigers star was also named the women’s volleyball player of the year in U Sports.

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JUDGING PROCESS

Some of the provincial sport award winners in each category are also in the running for the overall winners across all sports.

Sport Nova Scotia follows the Canadian Sport Awards’ judging process, appointing two different selection committees.

Committee A reviews and scores only the nominee’s single most outstanding accomplishment. The results are tabulated and the top five candidates in each category advance to Committee B. The score from Committee A accounts for 60% of each nominee’s final score.

Committee B has no knowledge of the scores given by Committee A. Committee B considers and scores all accomplishments and achievements of the nominees. Committee B’s score accounts for the remaining 40% of each nominee’s final score. The scores are cross-tabulated to determine the winner in each category.

Each committee is comprised of leaders of our provincial sport organizations, representatives from the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic, the media, as well as community sport stakeholders.

Thank you to the members of the 2020 Selection Committees!

COMMITTEE A COMMITTEE B

Paetra Addison Ken BagnellBette El-Hawary John DeCostePaul Hollingsworth Lyndsay DoyleChad Lucas Brandon GuenetteTim Maloney Karen OuelletteSarah McNeill Natalie Randall PriceClarissa Oleksiuk Anitra StevensJason Trepanier Jody Trethewey

Facilitators: Kate Trask and Tyler Smith, Sport Nova Scotia

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2020overall FinaliStS

and winnerS

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~ WINNERS ~ Community Sport Organization

Alpine Ski ~ Martock Ski Race ClubMartock Ski Race Club saw its registration surge to 164 athletes across its program offerings in 2019-2020. That’s a record high for the club, which provides alpine and freestyle ski programs for ages six through masters. The organization relies on the support of its coaching staff — 36 strong this season — and member volunteers to ensure a positive and inclusive environment for athletes, coaches and families. The club strives to deliver quality programming as economically as possible.

Rugby ~ Metro Intro to Contact ProgramThe Halifax Rugby Club and Halifax Tars Rugby Club joined forces to create The Metro Rugby Club to offer a much-improved Intro to Contact Rugby Program. The clubs recognized the challenges in operating individual programs for this age group and opted to partner up. Together, they were able to provide the age, and stage, appropriate opportunity to 15 developing players.

Sailing ~ Shelburne Harbour Yacht ClubAlmost 50 boats from four countries were treated to a special week of racing and festivities when the Shelburne Harbour Yacht Club hosted the Albacore International Championships. It was the first international regatta hosted by Shelburne. Sail Nova Scotia honoured the event as Regatta of the Year in 2019. Teams from Canada, the United States and Europe competed for the title of Albacore World Champion.

Surfing ~ Surfing Association of Nova ScotiaWanting to reduce barriers to water activities, the Surf Association of Nova Scotia launched the Swim to Surf program. SANS worked with BLxCKHOUSE in North Preston to provide the program for people who might not usually have the opportunity, or the proper gear, to engage in water sports. SANS also partnered with the Nova Scotia Lifesaving Society to provide six swimming lessons and assessments. Seven surf lessons followed at Lawrencetown Beach. The program attracted kids and adults alike.

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Hockey ~ Oliver Smith, OllieBots (Antigonish)Oliver passed away on June 27, 2019, but his legacy lives on through the Ollie Bot Project, which continues to raise funds to support cancer research for Ewing sarcoma. Oliver started the project with his family in November 2017, making Ollie Bots, resembling small robots, with a set of six blocks of wood held together with glue and hockey laces. Each Olliebot was signed with Oliver’s symbol — an O with a heart in it. The symbol appeared on the left hip where his primary cancer site was located. Almost 3,500 Ollie Bots have been made and more than $70,000 donated from sales to the Ewing’s Cancer Foundation of Canada Endowment Fund. The project also provides money for other local sick children and their families.

Soccer ~ The W-Inspire Conference hosted by UDFCThe W-Inspire Conference hosted by United DFC began with an idea to inspire and recruit more female soccer coaches but transformed into an incredible conference celebrating all aspects of female leadership in soccer. The conference, open to women of all ages, attracted 80 delegates from all over the province, including coaches, managers, volunteers, referees and future coaches. Presenters from various backgrounds and sports gave inspiring talks on topics ranging from Becoming Your Awesome to Tips & Tricks for Player Management.

Tennis ~ Kelly Rideout, Susie Oxner and Cindy WheelerKelly, Susie and Cindy are the leaders behind the Tennis Nova Scotia Wheelchair Tennis Program. The three, also avid players, didn’t hesitate to volunteer and managed to get enough support to maintain a ratio of one coach to each player on the court. They bring the kind of compassion and encouragement to the court that keeps wheelchair athletes engaged, challenged and inspired. The program had only two players in May 2019 but grew to seven players over the course of the outdoor season. The demand was there to continue into the indoor season.

~ WINNERS ~ Sport Makes A Difference Award

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~ OVERALL FINALISTS ~ Support4Sport Official of the Year

Soccer ~ Marie-Soleil BeaudoinMarie-Soleil Beaudoin worked games at all levels in 2019, but there was a clear highlight among her assignments. The Halifax official was appointed to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. Marie-Soleil had an exceptional event, refereeing four matches including the Round of 16 showdown between host France and Brazil. Her performance earned Marie-Soleil an appointment as the referee for the semifinal between the Netherlands and Sweden. In September 2019, at the invitation of France, she was appointed by Canada to referee the Trophee des Championne in Guingamp, France, a game which crowns the women’s professional champion for that country. Despite her international schedule, Marie-Soleil still found time to work club and university level games. She was appointed referee for the senior women’s final in August 2019. Nationally, she travelled across the country working games in the Canadian Premier League, including the inaugural game for the Halifax Wanderers in Halifax.

Softball ~ Darren GerriorDarren Gerrior of Truro was one of only two Canadian umpires selected to work the WBSC Men’s World Softball Championship in Prague, Czech Republic. The tournament brings together the top 16 men’s national teams in the world. Darren was also Softball Nova Scotia’s umpire at the 2019 women’s Canadian championship in St. John’s. He’s the provincial umpire-in-chief and very involved in teaching and mentoring other umpires. Darren has served as a presenter at the Blue Convention, regarded as Softball Canada’s flagship training opportunity, and an instructor at the National Umpire’s School and Level 3 clinic. He’s on a committee to rewrite the Softball Canada Level 1 manual and to help simplify the rule book for new umpires and coaches. Darren was the Canadian exchange umpire at the men’s American Softball Association Championship in 2018, Chinese National Games in 2017 and the men’s WBSC Junior Worlds in Midland, Michigan in 2016.

Table Tennis ~ Erica AnsA banner year firmly established Erica’s status as an elite international official. She was Canada’s representative as table tennis umpire at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, where she worked both the women’s singles and team event finals. Erica then travelled to Japan where she took part in International Referee School. She was one of just 10 candidates, and the only one to attain the distinguished International Referee certification. This significant accomplishment also meant that she became the first female International Referee in Canada — and only the second in all of North America. This dedicated official from Dartmouth finished the 2019 season as deputy referee at the International Table Tennis Federation’s North American Challenge Plus tournament in Toronto. She was originally scheduled to be an umpire, but event organizers called on her to switch roles with just two days’ notice. The move demonstrated their trust in Erica’s skills and professionalism. Erica continues to officiate local and regional events. She was also instrumental in rekindling table tennis in New Brunswick by training umpires and referees.

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~ OVERALL FINALISTS ~ Support4Sport Coach of the Year

Gymnastics ~ David KikuchiCoach David Kikuchi and his star athlete Ellie Black have teamed up for record-smashing success. In 2019, Ellie became the most decorated Canadian gymnast in Pan American Games history, collecting another five medals and defending her all-around title. The two-time Olympian also placed fourth in all-around at the world championships in October, narrowly missing the podium after sustaining an ankle injury landing a vault. David, who also went to two Olympics as an athlete, has a profound passion for assisting other gymnasts to reach their full potential. The Fall River resident grew up in a family full of gymnasts and coaches. They ultimately inspired him to pursue his career in gymnastics. David coached at the 2016 Olympic Games and at several world championships. He’s one of two lead coaches for Team Canada for the next Olympic Games, now set for 2021. On top of his national team duties, David successfully ran the competitive program at Halifax ALTA Gymnastics Club.

Rowing ~ Patrick CodyFor a second straight year, Rowing Canada selected Pat to join the RCA NextGen coaching staff for the world rowing junior championships. Pat coached women’s quad and the crew climbed to fourth place at the event in Tokyo, Japan. The strong showing on the world stage was just one example of the success athletes enjoyed with Pat’s guidance. Athletes he coached and mentored also competed at the senior world championships as well as the CanAmMex and Trans Tasmin regattas. Nationally, Pat coached Team Nova Scotia at the Canadian rowing championships in Burnaby, B.C., where the team performed well and nabbed three medals — two gold and one silver. The Dartmouth coach consistently exemplifies the core values of Row Nova Scotia. In his coaching, he effectively communicates the importance of high standards, hard work, integrity, commitment to self-improvement, teamwork and community. Through his vision, actions and leadership, Pat models those very same values.

Rugby ~ Jack HanrattyJack is raising the calibre of rugby across Nova Scotia. His extensive work has dramatically improved athlete performance, player welfare, coaching and programming. Within the Keltics club, Jack oversees all age group programs while taking on the director’s role for the senior men and the head coaching position for the senior women. He capably fills the role of provincial coach for Rugby Nova Scotia and helps lead the Atlantic Canadian Rock at both the senior men’s and U19 levels. Also in 2019, Jack was renamed head coach for Rugby Canada’s U20 women’s national team and served as an assistant for the national senior women’s side. Jack created a senior high performance training group, so athletes don’t have to move across the country. He also regularly pitches in at the grassroots level. He’s extremely passionate about player welfare. Jack was one of 19 individuals honoured as Canadians who are changing the course of mental health. He initiated the Rugby Nova Scotia Tackles Mental Health Campaign, utilizing the motto, “If you talk, I will listen. If you listen, I will talk.”

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~ OVERALL FINALISTS ~Support4Sport Team of the Year

Baseball ~ Nova Scotia 17U SelectsThe Nova Scotia 17U Selects took on baseball’s heavyweights and won, capturing the Canada Cup in Regina. It marked the first time Nova Scotia had reached the final, let alone won the title. Considered the premier event for Baseball Canada, the tournament boasts the top 20 players from each province. For many players, it serves as the last stop before advancing to post-secondary or professional opportunities. The Nova Scotia team went 6-1 en route to gold, knocking off Manitoba, Alberta, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. All six wins were decided by two runs or less. The Canada Cup is typically dominated by Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, considered the ‘Big 3’ powerhouses in the country. Ontario, in fact, entered the event as the eight-time defending champion. In the final, pitchers Duncan McLaughlin and Ethan McLellan combined to strike out 14 Ontario batters on the way to the 3-2 victory. Shortstop Noah Boutilier knocked in all three runs.

Blind Sports (Goalball) ~ Nova Scotia Junior Boys Goalball TeamThe Nova Scotia boys repeated as Canadian junior goalball champs, and they did it in convincing fashion. Nova Scotia went undefeated through the double round-robin, semifinals and final in emerging as the best team among the four competing at the event. In the last four years alone, Nova Scotia has won two gold medals and two silver medals at nationals. Mason Smith and Nick Gentleman were selected as two of the top three tournament male players. Matthew Gentleman and Griffin Hiltz were also on the championship-winning squad. The event brings together the best junior goalball athletes in the country, including several players who also play with their senior provincial teams. Players are eligible to be selected to represent Canada at the world juniors, which take place every two years.

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~ OVERALL FINALISTS ~ Support4Sport Junior Male Athlete of the Year

Canoe (ADCKC) ~ Andrew BillardAndrew earned the opportunity to test himself against the best paddlers in the world, competing at two major international events in 2019. Andrew, who trains at the Maskwa Aquatic Club, raced to a pair of gold medals at the prestigious Olympic Hopes Regatta in September in Bratislava, Slovakia. He finished first in the under-17 C1 500 metres and the under-17 C1 1000m. The 18-year-old from Hammonds Plains added to his medal haul, teaming up with Mathew O’Neill of Ottawa for silver in the U16/U17 C2 200m and bronze in the U16/U17 C2 1000m. Andrew said he managed to exceed the high expectations he had going into the regatta, which boasted 835 athletes from 36 nations. The trip to Eastern Europe wrapped up a very busy competitive season for Andrew, who also paddled at the 2019 ICF Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Romania, where he won the B division final for 10th overall, in the C1 1000 metres.

Softball ~ Brody FraserBrody contributed on the mound and at the plate as Team Canada won gold at the 2019 WBSC Junior Men’s Pan American qualifier in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Brody, who is from Upper Nine Mile River, scored the winning run in Canada’s 4-1 victory over Mexico in the gold medal game. For the tournament, he pitched 5 1/3 innings, striking out 13 batters. Winning gold earned Canada a spot in the 2020 WBSC World Cup in New Zealand. Brody also competed at two national championships in 2019. The East Hants Mastodons went on to win silver at the U16 event after Brody tossed a perfect game in a 3-0 semifinal victory against Shallow Lake, Ont. He pitched 55 innings in the tournament, fanning 68 batters. Brody also hit .471 and drove in 11 runs. At the U19 championship, Brody competed against players three years older than him. He performed well in helping the Colchester Royals to fifth place.

TaeKwonDo ~ Django MeierDjango competed internationally at the 2019 Cadet & Junior Pan American Championships in Oregon. The 18-year-old from Kingston fought his way to silver in the under-55 kilogram division, which included 16 competitors representing 14 countries. Overall, the Pan Am championships attract more than 600 athletes. Django went 4-1, losing a close match in the final to an opponent from Argentina. Winning silver for Canada highlighted a successful 2019 season for Django. He also competed in the senior category at the 2019 Canada Open. Here, Django faced 16 competitors from eight countries and came away with bronze. At the Canadian Taekwondo championships, he earned gold in the under 59 kilogram class. Django was the national champ in 2018 in the under 55kg division and in 2017 in the under 51kg division.

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Athletics ~ Maggie SmithMaggie Smith knows how to make a debut. The Halifax athlete burst onto the international stage, capturing the 1,500-metre race at the Pan American under-20 track and field championships last July in San Jose, Costa Rica. In her own words, she went for it. Maggie made the risky decision to move to the front of the pack in the first lap, but held the lead wire-to-wire in winning gold for Canada. The 1,500-metre competition was originally scheduled to have a preliminary round but became a final-only event. Maggie ran with a lead that was as much as 50 metres and crossed the line in 4:25.47 with the second-place finisher coming across in 4:26.83. Maggie, who has set multiple provincial records, qualified for the Pan American championships with her silver-medal win at the Canadian U20 Track and Field Championships. She’s a student-athlete at Villanova University and runs at home with Halifast Athletics.

Canoe (ADCKC) ~ Julia Lilley OsendePerhaps the only thing harder than winning a world championship is defending it. But Julia and partner Sophia Jensen did just that. The two repeated for Canada, capturing gold in the C2 Junior 500 metres at the 2019 ICF Junior & U23 spring world championships in Romania. Julia, who trains with the Mic Mac Amateur Aquatic Club in Dartmouth, and Sophia Jensen, a member of the Cascades Club in Chelsea, Que., first claimed the title in 2018 in Bulgaria. Julia was just 17 at the time. Julia’s other hardware from 2019 included three medals from the Brandenburg Junior World Cup in Germany where she collected gold medals in the C1 1000m and C2 500m and silver in the C2 200m. Julia started paddling on Lake Banook when she was just eight years old and competed in her first international regatta seven years later at Olympic Hopes in Szeged, Hungary. Her ultimate athletic dream is to represent Canada at the Olympic Games.

TaeKwonDo ~ Carrington CarrollCarrington won back-to-back gold medals for Canada at the 2019 Pan American Championships in Portland, Oregon. The talented teen from Purcell’s Cove took the title in the under-49 kg junior female division before moving up in weight class to win the Pan American Open Championship that same week. After returning home, Carrington again moved up in weight class to manage a silver medal at the Canadian International Open Championships. She managed the result despite dealing with an injury. Carrington started the 2019 season by winning her eighth Canadian taekwondo national championship and has won the Nova Scotia provincial championship every year since 2010. COVID-19 has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the rest of the 2020 international schedule, including the world junior championships in Bulgaria in the fall. In the meantime, Carrington is focusing on her transition to the senior ranks. She’s aiming to represent Canada at next year’s world senior championships and at the 2024 Olympic Games.

~ OVERALL FINALISTS ~ Support4Sport Junior Female Athlete of the Year

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~ OVERALL FINALISTS ~Support4Sport Senior Male Athlete of the Year

Hockey ~ Jared McIsaacJared overcame an injury to crack Canada’s roster for the IIHF World Junior Championship and help the team to gold. It was the second straight year Jared made the national junior squad.To get there again he needed to completely dedicate himself to rehab after shoulder surgery in June. Jared managed to return to the Halifax Mooseheads’ lineup Nov. 30 and less than a month later was named to Team Canada. The Truro defenceman was a veteran presence for Canada and finished the world championship with a goal and three assists as well as a plus-4 rating. Winning gold was extra sweet for Canada after losing in the quarter-finals the previous year on home ice. After the tournament, Jared was traded from the Halifax Mooseheads to the Moncton Wildcats. He was playing a key role for the Wildcats who were making a serious run at the QMJHL title before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down hockey for the season.

Rowing ~ Andrew ToddAndrew and his partner Kyle Frederickson are back-to-back world champions. For a second straight year, the two teamed up to win the PR3 men’s pair event at the world rowing championships. The two are a dominant force. Their impressive record also includes gold at the 2018 Para Rowing International Regatta in Gavirate, Italy. In singles in 2019, Andrew won gold in PR3 at the National Rowing Championships. For his incredible year, Andrew was named co-recipient of the RCA Para Rower of the Year. He was part of Canada’s bronze-winning four-person crew at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. Training in Dartmouth, Andrew sets the bar high for provincial athletes aiming to compete on the international stage. He mentors young athletes and also serves on the board of Row Nova Scotia.

Speed Skate ~ Cooper EminCooper was part of Team Canada’s three-member crew that won gold in the neo-senior men’s team sprint at the ISU Junior World Cup #2 at Enschede, Netherlands last November. The neo-senior category provides skaters aged 19-23 — not yet at the senior World Cup level — a chance to develop further internationally. The former Canada Games athlete from Cole Harbour also showed well in three other events at the World Cup #2 event. Cooper placed fourth out of 25 skaters in the 1000m race, fifth out of 20 in the 500m and ninth out of 23 skaters in the 1500m. Gold in team sprint highlighted a productive season for Cooper, who continued to show steady improvement. He also competed at the 2019 Fall Classic, the Canadian Long Track Championships, CanAm International, Canada Cup #1 and Canada Cup #2. Along the way, he reached personal bests in the 500m and 1000m distances.

Credit Hanneke Mennens

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~ OVERALL FINALISTS ~ Support4Sport Senior Female Athlete of the Year

Canoe (ADCKC) ~ Michelle RussellFall River kayaker Michelle Russell competed for Canada at the ICF Senior World Championships last August in Szeged, Hungary. Battling a very deep field, Michelle placed seventh in the B Final of the K1 200m. The result meant Michelle finished 16th

out of 45 at the event, the highest level of competition in the sport other than Olympics. The 28-year-old paddler trains at Cheema in Waverley. She started kayaking when she was just seven years old after her mom signed the family up at the Abenaki Aquatic Club in Dartmouth. Michelle quickly took to the sport of paddling. Her competitive pursuits led her to join Cheema in 2004. Michelle began turning heads at age 17 when she won four medals — two gold and two silver — at the 2009 Canada Games. A career highlight came in 2013 when she raced to gold in the K1 200m at the ICF Under-23 World Championships in Welland, Ont. She was Canada’s only double medallist at the competition, also winning bronze in the K1 500m.

Gymnastics ~ Ellie BlackEllie became the most decorated Canadian gymnast in Pan American Games history, collecting another five medals and defending her all-around title. The Halifax gymnast left Lima, Peru with two gold medals, two silver and a bronze giving her a total of 10 medals over the last two Games. In addition to all-around gold, Ellie was first in vault. Her silver medals came in team and beam, she finished third in bars and fourth for floor. After her stunning performance, Ellie was named Canada’s flag-bearer for the closing ceremonies in Lima. The two-time Olympian also placed fourth in all-around at the world championships in October, narrowly missing the podium after sustaining an ankle injury landing a vault. Ellie became the first Canadian gymnast to win a world all-around medal when she earned silver at the event in 2017. Also in 2019, she claimed the all-around Canadian championship for the sixth time.

Rugby ~ Olivia DeMerchantOlivia was a leader and top player with Canada this past season. She competed in the women’s Rugby Super Series against New Zealand, France, England and the United States. The event is designed to aid teams in their preparations for the 2021 Rugby World Cup. Canada finished at 1-3, losing by just two points to both England and the United States. Against the U.S., Olivia, who plays front row, scored two tries in the first half as Canada built an 18-8 lead before falling 20-18. Canada’s lone victory was a 36-19 result versus France. Olivia, who is from Mapledale, N.B., relocated to Halifax to train at the highest level with the Keltics Academy where she also acts as a mentor and coach to developing players. She has represented Canada 41 times, making her the ninth most capped player in the history of the senior women’s program.

Credit: Scott Grant-503 Courtland Place-Ottawa-Canada

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Duff MontgomerieDuff Montgomerie’s connection to the sporting community began as a

multisport athlete in the ‘60s. By the ‘70s, his involvement had expanded to include coaching and officiating. He was the first full-time executive director of the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation and was influential in determining the philosophy and vision of the organization. Duff Montgomerie was appointed by the Canadian Federation of Provincial School Athletic Association to the position of co-chair on the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association’s Scholastic Council and was awarded their National Certificate of Recognition in 1976. He went on to fill the coordinator of sport position for the Nova Scotia Department of Recreation between 1976 and 1984 where he instigated the very first sport conference in Nova Scotia. In that role, he also implemented a review of government policy in relation to competitive officials and official’s development-policies that are still in place today.

He represented the provincial government on the Inter-Provincial Sport and Recreation Council and at the Commonwealth Games. He participated in the National Coaching Certification’s steering committee, served as mission staff and as a council member for numerous Canada Games, and has helped push the agenda for the development for sport infrastructure across the province.

During his time as Deputy Minister of the Department of Health Promotion and Protection, he acted as the liaison between health and sport ministers. In this role, he succeeded in his push for the government to recognize the clear correlation between sport and health—a first in Nova Scotia.

Montgomerie is a Bridgetown and Area Sports Hall of Fame inductee and recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee medal in recognition of his persistent efforts to promote physical activity to Canadians.

Montgomerie’s life-long commitment to the development and advancement of sport has impacted the sector at every level. He’s worked tirelessly to create an inclusive environment with a particular focus on women and indigenous communities. His passion and determination have led to positive results for athletes, coaches, teams, volunteers, builders, and organizations. Sport Nova Scotia is honored to present Duff Montgomerie with the 2020 Support4Sport Chair’s Award.

Sport nova SCotia

Chair award

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Congratulations,Support4Sport Award winners!

You represent the very best of sport in Nova Scotia:our dedicated coaches, our hard-working athletes

and officials, and our invaluable volunteers.Your commitment and your passion makes Nova Scotia s̓

vibrant sport community possible.

Your hard work and enthusiasm inspires more Nova Scotiansto lead active, healthy lives. The Province of Nova Scotia

is proud to supportthe Support4Sport Awards.

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