ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Ian Millar
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Bob Rathwell
ALPINE SKIING – Mike Tommy – Mike won three medals in North American Ski Trophy series races, including a gold in Chanteclerc, Quebec. While skiing in Japan he had two top-six finishes.
ARCHERY – Kathleen Millar – Kathleen is the third ranking shooter in the Canadian ladies freestyle division and the top certified female coach in Canada. She placed first at the Canadian outdoor championships and had a score of top tour finishes in 1987.
BADMINTON – Suneetha Khare – Suneetha won the 1987 junior National championship in singles, was a quarter-finalist in the Canadian national singles and a semi-finalist in doubles. Was a top-five finisher in many other competitions.
BALL HOCKEY – Ivan Breton – Ivan competes with the Aaron Roofing Senators of the Ottawa-Carleton Ball Hockey league. In 21 games he established an all-time record of 70 points, including 31 goals and six game winners. In four play-off games, scored one winner and assisted on the three other winners. MVP in league second year in a row.
BASEBALL – Hal Dent – Top pitcher in North Gloucester Little League, led the all-star team to the semi-finals of the Canadian championships in Calgary after winning the Eastern Canadian challenge. Recipient of the Achievement Award from the City Of Gloucester.
BASKETBALL – Arthur Kirkwood – MVP in 1987 with the Ottawa U GG’s. Second leading scorer with average of 20.5 points per game. First team OUA all-star which won him a try-out With Canada’s National team.
BIATHLON – Lise Meloche – Lise finished 8th at the World Championships in Finland in 10km race and 7th in 5 km race. Is now ranked 10th in the World and is a member of Canada’s National team.
BOARD SAILING – Caroll Ann Alie – Caron Ann was a silver medal winner at the PAN-AM Games. Only woman to qualify for the Canadian Olympic team. Ranked #2 in the World in 1987. 1986 ACT athlete of the year.
BOBSLEIGH – Andrew Swim – Andrew competed in five World Cups in 1987. Placed 7th in four-man sleigh at Lake Placid, and placed 10th in World championships at St. Moritz.
BOXING – Eric Pariseau – Eric won the Canadian 105 lbs category in the novice class last May at the RA Centre.
BROOMBALL – George Brown – George was the best defenceman in Almonte Broomball League in 1987. 17 years in the league, recognized also as a builder as well as an athlete.
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING – Jean McAllister – In her first year on the national team, Jean helped Canada place 2nd in a World Cup relay race on the Calgary Olympic Course and she finished 18th in the individual race. Was 32nd in the 5k race at the World Championships.
CURLING – Jean Bassett, Shirley Kelly, Polly Bachand, Susan Wade – from the Navy Curling Club – The first year this foursome curled together was in 1987 and they won the Ontario senior ladies championship and represented the province at Nationals.
CYCLING – Craig Burge – Craig placed 21st out of more than 150 participants at 100 km time trials. A member of the Canadian Cycling team at the 1987 World Championships in Austria.
DISABLED (CEREBRAL PALSY) – Lori Mercer – Lori broke two world records at the Nationals in ‘87 in javelin and clubthrow, which earned her gold medals. She also won gold in shotput and silver in discus.
DISABLED (AMPUTEE) – Hervé Lord – Hervé plays basketball, sledge hockey, tennis. His list of first place finishes in different competitions is too long to enumerate. Suffice to say he was chosen top amputee athlete at the Eastern Ontario Games and established a Canadian record in the 100 metre event at the Nationals.
DIVING – Alex Beltran – Alex won the 3-metre springboard and platform competition at the Provincials and won the silver medal in the boys 16-18 platform at the Nationals.
EQUESTRIAN – Ian Millar – Twice athlete of the month in Canada in ‘87 and challenged Ben Johnson and Laurie Graham for the athlete of the year award. Ian won two gold medals at the Pan-Am Games in Indianapolis. He and his horse BIG BEN won numerous prestigious competitions which earned him the title of number one equestrian in the world in 1987.
FENCING – Michel Dessureault- A 15-year member of the National Fencing team, specializing in épée and foil, Michel was second in foil at the National championship, he was eighth at the Pan-Am Games. Will be in Seoul later this year representing Canada in the Olympics.
FIELD HOCKEY – Patrick Burrows – Patrick was a member of the gold medal Canadian team at the 1987 Pan-Am Garnes. Has represented Canada in previous Olympic Games. To get away from our cold Ottawa winters Patrick now makes his home in California.
FIGURE SKATING – Elizabeth Manley – Elizabeth placed 4th at the World’s at Cincinnati in 1987. And she won her second Canadian senior women’s singles title. Placed 2nd behind Debbie Thomas at Skate Canada.
FOOTBALL – Chris Flynn – A quarter-back With the St. Mary’s Huskies of the Atlantic Universities Athletic Association, Chris led them to their first play-off appearance since 1970 and to first place and their first winning record since 1975. Was named rookie of the year in the A.U.A.A.
FREESTYLE SKIING – Anna Fraser – Anna placed 2nd overall in combined on World Cup circuit by doing extremely well in moguls, ballet and aerials. She came first in World Cup aerials in Calgary and had four World Cup combined seconds. She is the Canadian aerials and combined champion. Anna was also last year’s A.C.T. athlete of the year.
GOLF – Bill Holzman – Bill made Quebec’s Willingdon Cup team which placed 2nd behind BC. He went from 20th to 2nd in stroke average in Quebec in ‘87 winning the team trials for the Willingdon Cup team. Won many tournaments including the Rivermead Club title.
GYNMASTICS – Steve Sow – Steve from the Nepean Excalibur Club won the gold medal in vaulting and the silver in the high bar and the silver in the overall category at the Ontario championships. He was a member of the 6-man Ontario team that won the National Age group championship.
GYMNASTICS – Daphne Vallieres – Daphne won a team bronze medal at the Pan-Am Games in Indianapolis in 1987. She also competed at the Nationals placing 8th.
HOCKEY – Andrew Cassels – The Ontario Hockey League top rookie of the 1986-87 season, the 67’s MVP and top scorer, the coaches’ selection as the Leydon Division’s best playmaker. OHL top scorer this season. Was Montreal Canadiens’ first round selection last summer, 17th overall.
JUDO – Karen Hayde – Karen won her first international competition in the 66 kilogram class in Brazil. She won the national open junior and was 2nd in the national open senior championships in the United States. She is ranked 1st in Ontario and 3rd in Canada.
KARATE – Bernie Rojas – Rated number one in Canada in the lightweight division in ’87. Bernie has won numerous competitions, including the Canadian Challenge, and the Ontario championship.
LACROSSE – Andrew Pyefinch – Andrew led his team the Gloucester Griffins with 99 points in 17 games. The Griffins finished first overall and he was fourth in all province in scoring column.
LAWN BOWLING – Henrietta Pound, Isobel Birss, Jean Eagle – This is the second year in a row that a team from the Ottawa Tennis & Lawn Bowling Club have won the Ontario filly championship.
LUGE – Chris Wightman – Chris placed 19th in a World Cup competition at Lake Placid and at the Worlds he was 29th.
MODERN PENTATHLON – Lawrence Keyte – Lawrence placed 7th in the world at Champion of Champions event in West Germany. Also competed at Worlds in France and was 2nd in Canadian championships.
PADDLING – Renn Critchlow – Renn placed 3rd in the 1000 metre K-l at the junior world championships and placed 4th in the 500 metre at the same competition.
RACQUETBALL – Larry Green – Many times a winner of the National title, last year Larry was a finalist in the Canadian senior championships for players 30 and over.
RINGETTE – Brenda Budarick – A member of the Gloucester Devils, provincial and national champions. Brenda was all-star white stick at the National championships.
ROLLERSKATING – Tanya Hoy – Tanya won the provincials, placing first in figure 8, first in freshman freestyle and first pairs with Jo Haynes of Toronto. In the Nationals, she was second in figures, but first in freestyle and pairs.
RUGBY – Steve Gray – Steve is the only Ontario player on Canada’s National team. He participated in the World Cup competition in Australia and New Zealand in ’87. He is a member of the Ottawa Irish Club of the Eastern Ontario Rugby Union.
SAILING – Stephane Poirier-Defoy, Marc Robin – This is their fifth appearance at the dinner. In 1987 Stephan and Marc came second, out of 51 entries, at the annual C.O.R.K. Regatta in Kingston, the largest in North America. They were top Canadians. They competed five times in Europe and always placed in the top half.
SHOOTING – Alain Marion – At Bisley, Alain won four competitions and was top five in many others. A member of the winning Canadian team in Kolapore and MacKinnon Matches. At the DCRA shoot at Connaught Ranges, he scored 12 individual range possibles, won eight competitions, and placed in top four in three others. National champion in full-bore.
SKI JUMPING – Horst Bulau – He was first at the Canadian championships in 90 meter jump and second in 70 meter jump. Best finish on World Cup tour was 6th at Lahti, Finland. A.C.T. athlete of the year in 1982 & 1983.
SNOOKER – Ervin Budge – Ervin was top player in the National Capital region in 1987. He won Western Quebec and Kanata Classics. Singles champion of the International Snooker League.
SOCCER – Rick Curran – A mid-fielder with three teams in 1987 Rick led Ontario to the gold medal at the Canadian Soccer championships in Halifax He led J.S. Woodsworth High School to the secondary school title and the Nepean Hotspurs to the Ottawa League Cup championship. He trains with the Canadian under-16 team.
SOFTBALL – Don Burnett – Don is a member of Canada’s national team and has been for two years. Was on Canada’s gold medal winning Pan-Am Games team. He led the Stittsville Canadians to the Metro Fastball league title.
SPEEDSKATING – Chantal Côté – Chantal finished second in the 3,000 and fourth in the 1,500 metre events in Olympics qualifying trials. At the World Cup in Calgary she finished 9th in the 3,000 metre, 15th in the 1,500 metre and 16th in the 1,000 metre races.
SQUASH – Heather Wallace – Heather won the Canadian Nationals in Toronto, the US Nationals in New York and the Western title in Winnipeg. She was 10th in the Worlds in New Zealand and that is her ranking world wide.
SWIMMING – Anne-Marie Therrien – Anne-Marie placed 5th in the 100 metre butterfly stroke at the Canadian championships and is now ranked with the best swimmers in the country.
TABLE TENNIS – Horatio Pintea – Horatio won the Canadian as well as the North American Championships. A member of Canadian team that won U.S. open team matches. At the Pan-Am Games he won the doubles and helped his team to 3rd place. He’s the highest ranked men’s player in Canada.
TAE KWON DO – Dave Paquette – Dave is a first degree black belt. 1987 provincial champion in middle weight division and gold medal at Eastern Canadian championships.
TENNIS – Rob Cartwright – A graduate of Woodroffe High School, Rob now a playing member of the University of Florida Gators where his winning percentage is among the best at the University.
TOUCH FOOTBALL – Barry Hughes – Barry was MVP in Ottawa senior touch football league. He scored 92 touchdowns for 662 points. Provincial MVP led his team to league title, provincial championship and a second place finish at the nationals.
TRACK & FIELD – Ann Peel – Ann is Canada’s foremost race walker. She placed 2nd in 5k event at Pan-Am Games. Won a bronze medal in 3k walk at World Track championships and at the World University Games. In Rome she placed 7th in the first women’s race walk event ever held during a world championship.
TRAP & SKEET – Gus Sanderson – Ottawa Valley Club champion, Gus also won the Budweiser 400 title in Fulton.
TRIATHLON – Rick Hellard – In 1987, Rick competed in 18 events, coming on top in 14 of them where he won and set new course records. He broke the Kingston course record by more than five minutes, a feat quite remarkable and in the Japanese triathlon in Nageya, he finished second behind world champion Dave Scott.
VOLLEYBALL – Bill Knight – Bill led the Canadian team to 3rd place in Zone championships behind Cuba and US, instrumental in bringing the Canadian team to an 11th place ranking in world.
WATER POLO – France Bastien – France plays goal on Canada’s women’s national team which placed 1st in Norway Cup. The team also beat world’s number one team, Australia. The Canadian team is now ranked 2nd in world.
WEIGHTLIFTING – Julie Hunter – Julie placed 13th overall at World Championship in Daytona Beach last October. First winner of the Olympic 60 kg class lifting title for women.
WRESTLING – Evan Lavoie – The winningest high school wrestler in Ottawa, Evan won Ontario and Quebec title for his age group. He won Quebec-Riverdale tournament and also the elite provincial tournament.
Gloucester Devils Ringette – The Devils won the National Junior ‘A’ title in Kitchener, beating out 28 other teams. Their coach, Carl Brent was chosen Coach of the Year by Ringette Canada. The manager of the Devils is Donna Dewsnap, and the assistant coach is Ian Riggs.