ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Brian Campbell
TEAM OF THE YEAR
OTTAWA 67’s – Under the guidance of legendary head coach Brian Kilrea, the 67’s reached the peak of the mountain when it comes to Canadian junior hockey in 1999. The 67’s, who doubled their attendance to more than 5,000 last year under the new ownership of Jeff Hunt, not only played host to the Memorial Cup at the Civic Centre, but also won the national team by beating Calgary Hitmen in the final.
EARL BULLIS APPRECIATION AWARD
Ottawa-Nepean Canadians Sports Club – accepted by President, Bob Byrnes
Ottawa-Gloucester Sports Club – accepted by Sr. Vice-President Sandra Chenard on behalf of President, Larry Maisonneuve
Kanata Sports Club – accepted by President, Bob Duford
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Charles Diffen
ALPINE SKIING – Andrew Biggs, Gloucester – At the Canada Winter Games in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Andrew was one of Ontario’s most consistent skiers. He recorded three top-10 results, winning a bronze medal in the giant slalom as well as placing fifth in slalom and seventh in the super giant slalom. On the Quebec circuit, he was first in the Kandahar Cup.
ARCHERY – Bruce Malmberg, Nepean – A four-time member of Canada’s word championship team in compound archery, Bruce had a productive year in 1999. Not only did he win the Ontario title with a perfect score of 600, but also seven months after being attacked by a dog and receiving almost 100 stitches he rebounded to place second at the Canadian championships, only a point out of first. At the world championships in Cuba, he was in the top eight.
BADMINTON – Andrew Dabeka, Ottawa – Ranked as Canada’s top senior male singles player for many months. Andrew had a golden year. He won two of the five tournaments on the national Yonex Grand prix circuit, the Canadian Championships as well as the Canada Games individual and team titles. Internationally, he was a quarter-finalist at the Spanish Open and the Pan-Am Games.
BALL HOCKEY – Alan Thom, Ottawa – Playing in two separate leagues, Alan was a stand out as a forward. In the Westend Ball Hockey League playoffs, he had seven goals and seven assists for the Selects and was playoff MVP. He also was selected to the Ottawa all-star team to play in a North American tournament. In the James Patrick Ball Hockey League, he had 12 goals and 14 assists as the Phantoms reached the championship final.
BASEBALL – Danny Desclouds, Stittsville – A hard-throwing pitcher, Danny earned the win as Ontario reached the playoffs at the Canada Cup and later won the bronze medal. He also was selected to play for team Canada, which had a three-week tour of the United States. His 90-mile-an-hour fastball has created interest among Major League Baseball scouts for this June’s amateur draft.
BASKETBALL – Brian Leonard, Ottawa – When it came to basketball last season, Brian made a lot of key shots. He became Carleton University’s first All-Canadian in men’s basketball and was the player of the game at the Ontario University Athletics all-star game. He also was Carleton’s basketball MVP and the school’s male athlete of the year. Brian picked up some international experience, helping Canada to a fifth-place finish at the Word University Games.
BOARD SALING – Caron-Ann Alie, Gracefield – A former three-time world champion, Caroll-Ann won a silver medal in the Mistral class at the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. She also had second-place finishes at Olympic class regattas in Long Beach, California, and Miami, Florida, and won the Canadian championship in Kingston. At the North American Continental championships, Caroll-Ann placed fourth. At 39, she recently qualified for the Summer Olympics in Sydney.
BOWLING (5-PIN) – Amy Fecteau, Nepean – A youth bowling coach for the past five years at Queensway Bowling Lanes, Amy also knows how to put up big numbers on the lanes. She won her fourth straight Ottawa Zone open championship last year. At the Canadian championships, she helped the Ontario masters team win the gold medal. Amy finished last season with an average of 247.
BOWLING (10-PIN) – Roger Sarazin, Ottawa – Recognized as one of the top bowlers in the region, Roger won the Capital District Ten-Pin Bowling Association tournament team and doubles events in the scratch division. Last December, he rolled his fifth perfect game of 300 and held the top average in two leagues. Roger also competed in the RDS TV match play competition, reaching the semifinals.
BOXING – Ken Dostaler, Gloucester – A member of the Ottawa Beaver Boxing Club, Ken won the Ontario senior heavyweight boxing championship and won a bronze medal at the national championships in Campbell River, B.C. At an Olympic qualifier box-off St. Catharines, he was runner-up.
BROOMBALL – Adrian Henry, Russell – Recognized for his top-level skills and scoring ability, Adrian was named the Eastern Ontario player of the year in men’s elite division action. He also was selected the most valuable player and named an all-star, while playing for Embrun Sports at the Ontario men’s broomball championship.
CROSS COUNTRY SKIING – Chris Jeffries, Kanata – Chris was flying on the ski trails last season and made his best impression at the Canada Winter Games in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. At the national development games, he won one gold, two silver and one bronze medals. During the Canadian senior championships, he had two top-10 results with a sixth and an eighth.
CURLING – John Morris, Ottawa – John skipped his team of third Craig Savill, second Jason Youn, lead Brent Laing and alternate Andy Ormsby past Switzerland 7-3 in the final to become the first team to win back-to-back titles in the 25-year history of the world junior curling championship. They qualified for the worlds by being the first rink in 45 years to win the Canadian junior men’s title two years in a row. The Ottawa Curling Club rink started the ball rolling by winning its third straight Ontario junior championship. Last November, they defeated world men’s champion Hammy McMillan of Scotland to reach the playoffs of the Welton Beauchamp bonspeil.
CYCLING – Gord Fraser, Nepean – The No. 1-ranked road racing cyclist in North America, Gord had an exceptional year posting 23 victories, winning five of the 10 stages of the inaugural Trans Canada Tour and earning a silver medal at the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. Gord also was second overall on the Saturn National Cycling Series, won two stages of the Redlands, California, tour and one stage of the Grand Prix de Beauce.
DIVING – Andrew Osborne, Nepean – A student at the University of Toronto, Andrew finished first in the one- and three-metre springboard competitions at the Ontario diving championships. His performances earned him the award as the top senior diver. At the Canadian championships, Andrew had a top-10 result on the three-metre springboard.
EQUESTRIAN – Simone Williams, Naven – Riding her 16-year-old Hannoverian gelding Einstein, Simone helped Canada finish fourth in the team event and 10th in the individual competition at the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. They also teamed for a win at the Dressage at Saratoga, New York meet, and were second at the Canadian trials. With her other horse, Gideon, she had a sixth at the Canadian championships.
FASTBALL – Randy Peck, Wakefield – A member of the national men’s softball team as a first baseman, catcher and designated hitter, he helped Canada win the gold medal at the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. While playing for the Stittsville 56er’s, he batted .660 at the Canadian championships and was named to the All-Canadian all-star team.
FENCING – Sherraine Schalm, Ottawa – In a breakthrough year, Sherraine showed the world’s top women’s epee fencers she’s ready to challenge for a medal at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics. She won her first two World Cup medals, bronzes in Cuba and England, and also had two other top-10 finishes. At the world senior championships, Sherraine was sixth, and was first on the international French circuit.
FIELD HOCKEY – Shankar Premakanthan, Ottawa – A member of the Canadian junior team, Shankar attended a senior team national camp last summer and played goal in a 4-0 win over the United States. He also played in the Canadian senior field hockey championships with the national junior team. Shankar preparing for a World Cup qualifying tournament in Chile this fall.
FIGURE SKATING – Fedor Andreev, Ottawa – After winning the 1999 junior men’s singles title during the Canadian figure skating championships at the Ottawa Civic Centre, Fedor won back-to-back competitions on the Junior Grand Prix circuit which was a Canadian first. He also qualified for the Junior Grand prix final. At the world junior figure skating championships he was eighth.
FOOTBALL – Phil Cote, Ottawa – A versatile quarterback, Phil was dangerous whether passing or rushing the ball for the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees. He accounted for a Quebec-Ontario Interuniversity Football Conference record 26 touchdowns, rushing for 16 and passing for 10, completed 101 of 174 passes for 1,754 yards and only five interceptions. The most valuable player in his conference, Phil also won the ultimate award – the Hec Crighton Trophy as the top university football player in Canada.
FREESTYLE SKIING – Jeff Bean, Ottawa – A year after competing in his first Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, Jeff won the men’s aerials title at the Canadian senior freestyle ski championships. During the World Cup season, his best individual results were an eighth and a ninth before finishing 15th overall on the international circuit.
GOLF – Brad Fritsch, Manotick – Rated the number two player in Quebec, Brad won the local Alexander of Tunis tournament, and tied for third in the Quebec Amateur. At the Canadian championships, he qualified fifth for match play before losing in the round of 32. A recipient of scholarships from the Royal Canadian and Quebec golf associations, Brad also won several academic all-star awards at Campbell University in North Carolina where he attends on golf and academic scholarships. A student of criminal justice administration, his 3.92 grade-point average out of 4 earned him a spot on the university’s President’s List and Dean’s List.
GYMNASTICS (artistic) – Heather Purnell, Metcalfe – By proving she was the best national novice gymnast in Canada last year, Gymnastics Canada promoted her to the national junior high performance team. Heather was the national novice all-around champion, picking up two individual medals, and helped Ontario win the team title. At the Ontario championships, she was second all-around with one apparatus gold and two silver medals. In her first two major junior high performance meets, she was second all-around in both.
GYMNASTICS (rhythmic) – Jessie Perry, Kanata – Jessie performed well enough in every competition last year to reach the medal podium. The highlight of her season came at the Ontario championships, where she won the all-around novice level 2 gold medal. At the same meet, she placed first in hoops and third in ball.
GYMNASTICS (trampoline) – Brenna Casey, Ottawa – At the wold age-group games for trampoline in Sun City, South Africa, Brenna had a busy time in the sport which will make its Olympic debut at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia. She won gold in the women’s 18-and-older double mini trampoline competition. Brenna attends York University and is a sanctioned NCCP coach who also won silver at the provincial and national junior competitions.
HOCKEY – Brian Campbell, Ottawa – Brian had a dream season to cap his junior hockey career. Named the MVP, best defenceman and most sportsmanlike player in the Ontario Hockey League, Brian was one of the leading scorers for the Ottawa 67’s as they won the Canadian junior hockey championship and the Memorial Cup. He led the 67’s in scoring with 12 goals and 75 assists. During the Christmas break, he helped Canada win a silver medal at the world junior hockey championship in Winnipeg and was chosen the Canadian major junior player of the year.
JUDO – Evan O’Leary Kanata – In his final year as a junior competitor, Evan placed third at the junior Pan Am championships in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which was his first international meet. He also placed first in the 66-kilogram class at the Canadian and Ontario judo championships.
KARATE – Fortunato Aversa, Ottawa – When it comes to winning world champions, Fortunato has been there and done that. A three-time world champion in the 1990’s he added two more world titles last year in the lightweight class, when he won gold at the IAKSA in Spain, and the WKA in Germany, global meets.
LACROSSE – Jeff Zwicki, Nepean – A repeat winner of the A.C.T. lacrosse award, Jeff helped the Nepean Knights Junior B team by scoring 41 goals and notching 30 assists in only 12 games. In the playoffs, he had 17 goals and 16 assists in five games. He finished the season playing for the Orillia junior A team and counted 22 goals and 18 assists in nine games.
ORIENTEERING – Robbie Anderson, Ottawa – One of the top age-group orienteers in Canada, Robbie also made his mark in North America. Robbie not only won the Eastern Canadian and Quebec boys’ 12-and-under titles, but also he was second at the national championships. Competing against athletes from Sweden and Switzerland, he was third at the six-day Great Lakes Orienteering Festival.
PADDLING – Adrian Richardson, Burritt’s Rapids – History will show that Adrian won Canada’s first medal at the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. The national team member earned a bronze medal in the men’s kayak singles and qualified Canada for a spot in that race at the Sydney Summer Olympics in September.
RINGETTE – Danielle Poirier, Gloucester – Danielle found success as a player and a coach. She used the skills she has learned and developed over the past 25 years to take Gloucester intermediate AA team to a silver medal at the Ontario championships. As a head coach, she guided the Gloucester Deb AA team to a bronze medal at the provincial championships. At the Canada Winter Games, she was an assistant coach for the gold-medal winning Ontario team.
ROAD RACING – Sarah Dillabaugh, Greely – Away from track and field’s oval, Sarah was one of the top runners in Canada. She was second at the Canadian road race championships and was runner-up in the Nordion 10-kilometre race here. As a cross-country runner, she won the Ontario senior women’s title, was second at the national championships and qualified for the recent world championships in Spain.
ROWING – Vivian Walsh, Kanata, and Michele Zuliani, Gloucester – Competing in the intermediate lightweight pairs team, Vivian and Michelle won the pairs gold medal at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta rowing championships in St. Catharines and also picked up the bronze medal in the fours competition. They also won medals at the Eastern Rowing Association Regatta and the Ontario rowing championships. The Ottawa Rowing Club members have only been together for one year.
RUGBY – Scott Armstrong, Montebello – As scrum half and captain for the Eastern Ontario Harlequins, Scott quarterbacked the regional team through its first season in the Rugby Canada Super League. The former two-time national champion with Ontario and a past Canadian team member, Scott also played for the Bytown Blues in the Ontario Super League and took them to the quarter-final playoff round.
SAILING – Sean McCann, Burritt’s Rapids – A member of the Nepean Sailing Club, Sean and partner John Curtis of Kingston won their first Canadian championship in the Tornado class. The North American championship was held during the same race in Kingston and they finished ninth. Sean placed fourth at the Beirut Lebanon Nations Trophy competition. At the world Tornado championships in Sydney, Australia, Sean was in the top Canadian boat in 41st and 19th among countries, missing a berth in the 2000 Summer Olympics by one spot.
SHOOTING – Christina Ashcroft, Navan – As the top female sport rifle shooter in Canada, Christina won a bronze medal at the Pan Am Games to give Canada a quota spot for the 2000 Summer Olympics and also won the national championship. Christina qualified to compete in two events at the Pan Am Games, but sacrificed the berth in the air rifle event so a younger up and coming shooter could get the experience. Christina also won bronze at the Oceanic competition in Australia.
SNOWBOARDING – David Steinberg, Ottawa – A member of the Canadian junior national team, David was third in a Pro-Challenger event at Mont Tremblant, a finalist in a boarder-cross event at Nakiska, and had a top-10 result in half-pipe in Italy. David also competed in a World Cup meet at Mont Ste. Anne as a junior.
SOCCER – Deanna Saracine, Nepean – As the youngest player for the semi-pro Toronto Inferno of the North American-wide Women’s A-League, Deanna had significant playing time as a striker. For the Gee-Gees, she set a goal scoring record with 14 in 12 games, which made her top in Ontario and second in Canada. She was also a Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union first team All-Canadian and Ontario all-star.
SPEED SKATING (Long Track) – Kristina Groves, Ottawa – At the Canadian all-around championships at the Calgary Olympic oval, Kristina won the overall bronze medal, after third-place finishes in the 1,500-,3,000- and 5,000-metre races and a fifth in the 500 metres. She was 19th overall at the world championships in Norway.
SPEED SKATING (Short Track) – Andrew Lahey, Ottawa – A former world junior champion, Andrew picked up a bronze medal in the 500 metres at the world junior short-track speed skating championships in Montreal. It helped him finish sixth overall. He was third overall at the Canadian world team trials with a victory in the 1,000 metres.
SQUASH – Runa Reta, Gloucester – Rated the No. 1 women’s junior squash player in North America, Runa became the first Canadian to reach the quarter-finals at the world junior championships in Belgium. She also won her final national junior championship in the girls’ under-19 category before advancing to the University of Pennsylvania.
SWIMMING – Lisa Blackburn, Kanata – A two-time medallist at the Canadian summer swimming championships, Lisa won gold in the 100-metre breaststroke and a silver medal in the 50-metre breaststroke. At the national spring swimming championships, she placed third in the 100-metre breaststroke and was one placing shy of going to the Pan Am Games and Pan Pacific championships.
TABLE TENNIS – Lijuan Geng, Ottawa – At the world table tennis championships, Lijuan placed fifth in the women’s doubles competition. A three-time gold medallist at the Canadian championships for the third straight year, she also won individual and team silver medals at the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg, and was a finalist in both women’s singles and doubles at the North American championships.
TAEKWONDO – Jana Martin, Nepean – The defending Ottawa area champion in the bantam weight category, Jana won her class at the Ontario championships and had a top-eight result at the Canadian championships. During the US Open tournament in California, she had a top-six performance.
TENNIS – Tony Dang, Gloucester – In the boys’ under-12 class, Tony proved he was among the best up-and comers in Ontario. At the provincial outdoor championships, he was the doubles champion with Jesse Levine of Nepean and reached the semifinals in singles. He also was a singles semi-finalist at the Ontario indoor tournament.
TOUCH FOOTBALL – John Davidson, Nepean – A former MVP in the Ottawa-Nepean Touch Football League, John was quarterback for the Ottawa-Nepean Canadians and led them to an undefeated season in the league’s elite division. At the Canadian championships, the Canadians lost by a single point in the semifinals. John also guided his team to tournament victories in Ottawa and Kingston, beating provincial and national champions.
TRACK & FIELD – Sean Kaley, Ottawa – In an incredible year of achievement, Sean made four national teams for international competitions. He was fifth in the 5,000 metres at the World University Games, and ninth at the Pan Am Games. At the world cross-country championships, he was 29th in the 4.2-kilometre race, and the national 10,000-metre champion was 26th in his specialty at the world track and field championships. In his final NCAA indoor championship for University of Arkansas, he won bronze medals in the 3,000-and 5,000-metre races.
TRIATHLON – Sharon Donnelly, Gloucester – In an unprecedented year, Sharon had four top-15 results on the International Triathlon Union World Cup circuit and won her first medal, a silver in Monte Carlo. At the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg, she won the gold medal in the women’s race. Sharon also captured the Canadian championship, and was inducted in the Canadian Forces Sports Hall of Fame.
VISUALLY IMPAIRED – Rob and Jeff Christy, Ottawa – This brother team of Jeff at center and Rob at right wing played for the Ontario All Blacks and Canadian goal ball teams. The All Blacks team medaled at all three major tournaments entered winning gold at the nationals in Calgary, bronze in Sweden and gold in Kalamazoo, Michigan. With team Canada they took the silver in Australia and gold in England.
VOLLEYBALL – Jason Trepanier, Gloucester – Named to the Canadian men’s volleyball team last May, Jason helped Canada win a bronze medal at the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. Jasoon also wore the national uniform at the World University Games at the World Cup tournament, where Canada finished eighth.
WATER POLO – Marianne Illing, Ottawa – As co-captain of the Carleton University Ravens women’s team, Marianne was one of the dominant players in the Ontario University Athletics league. She set a Carleton scoring record with 69 goals in 17 games, was on the first OUA all-star team, was the Ravens’ MVP, won a provincial bronze medal and was named to the OUA championship all-star team. She also attended the Canadian championships with the Ottawa Titans and the European championships with her club team in Paris.
WATER SKIING – Jennifer Barker, Nepean – Ranked No. 1 in Canadian wakeboarding for her 13-and-under age group, Jennifer wrapped up her season by winning the world championship. A silver medallist at the Ontario championship, she also placed in the top-five in six other tournaments.
WHEELCHAIR SPORTS – Chantal Benoit, Gloucester – Captain of the Canadian women’s wheelchair basketball team, Chantal helped Canada to a gold medal at the pre-Paralympic Qualification of the Americas tournament in Mexico City. She also led the Ottawa Jazz to the silver medal in the women’s Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League final, and was selected to the all-star team.
WRESTLING – John Ewing, Nepean – An honours student at school, John was one or two wins away from being in the top flight on the mats. He was fourth at the Ontario high school championships in the 72-kilogram class. At the provincial association finals, he also was fourth as a juvenile and sixth in the junior division.
JUNIOR RIDERS FOOTBALL CLUB – The Riders won the Quebec Major Football League title for the 2nd year in a row. They went undefeated 10-0 under head coach Dan Murphy. Casey Bergeron, 6’42”, 230lb offensive tackle just received a full scholarship with Virginia State, making the third scholarship received by a Junior Rider in their three year history.
GLOUCESTER BELLE RINGETTE – Proving they are one of the top ringette teams in the country, the Gloucester Belle team beat many quality teams to win the Ontario and Canadian championships. They won silver in the Cumberland tournament and gold in Sudbury, Cambridge and Quebec City tournaments. The team qualified for the second year in a row to represent Canada at the National Ringette championship being held this week in Prince George, B.C.
OTTAWA TITANS WATER POLO ASSOCIATION – For the first time in Ontario water polo history, the Ottawa Titans organization won all five provincial championships involving women. They captured the Ontario senior, junior, juvenile, cadet and bantam (co-ed) titles. For good measure, the bantam team also won the Quebec title. The Titans sent nine women and men to national team programs and also picked up numerous awards at provincial and national championships.