ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Phil Côté
TEAM OF THE YEAR
University of Ottawa Gee-Gees Football Club – For the first time in 16 years, the Gee-Gees won the Vanier Cup for the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union football championship. Quarterback Phil Côté led the Gee-Gees to a 42-39 victory over the expansion University of Regina Rams and was named the game’s MVP. The Gee-Gees also won the Ontario-Quebec Interuniversity Football Conference title for the second time in three years.
EARL BULLIS APPRECIATION AWARD
Claudette Cain, Mary Pitt, Jim Watson
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
David Hart
ALPINE SKIING – Patrick Biggs, Gloucester – Patrick was promoted to the Ontario alpine ski team, which has allowed him to experience a high level of training and domestic competition. He was second at the Pontiac GMC Cup championships, won a slalom race on the Parlamlat Series at Camp Fortune, and placed 17th at the Canadian senior slalom championships.
ARCHERY – Diane Wicks – Mountain – Diane has a bright future ahead of her as an all-around archer. Competing as a 15-year-old, Diane won national age group titles at the Canadian field, outdoor target and indoor archery championships. She also won the Ontario high school championship for the second straight year.
BADMINTON – Andrew Dabeka, Ottawa – Ranked No. 1 in Canada, Andrew reached the round of 16 at the All-England and French open championships in men’s singles. In his second year of training in Denmark, Andrew is ranked in the top 85 in the world and is aiming to represent Canada at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
BALL HOCKEY – Terry O’Sullivan, Kanata – Terry’s scoring talents led the Select Juniors to the Greater Ottawa Ball Hockey Association championship with 34 goals and 23 assists in 18 regular season games, and five goals and six assists in four playoff games. At the Ontario championships, Terry led his team to the semifinals and was named to the first all-star team. He also picked up MVP awards for the Select Juniors, the Greater Ottawa Ball Hockey Association and the league’s all-star game.
BASEBALL – Tanner Watson, Arnprior – A member of the pitching staff for the Ottawa White Sox, Tanner as drafted by the American League’s Seattle Mariners in last June’s amateur draft. He earned two wins for Canada at the world junior baseball championships, and tossed three no-hitters for Ontario in its undefeated season.
BASKETBALL – Rosie Warden, Ottawa – The leading scorer for the Carleton University Ravens women’s basketball team, Rosie was named to the Ontario University Athletics first all-star team and was the OUA defensive player of the year. As a Raven, Rosie averaged more than 15 points and five rebounds a game.
BOARD SAILING – Caroll-Ann Alie, Gracefield – In a fitting end to two decades of competition, the three-time world champion placed 17th in the women’s Mistral class at the Sydney Summer Olympics. She prepared for the Games by finishing 14th at the European championships in Spain and 14th at the world championships in Argentina. Caroll-Ann has represented her sport numerous times at this dinner and was voted A.C.T. Athlete of the Year in 1986.
BOWLING (5-PIN) – Stephane Lapensee, Gloucester – Stephane had his best success on the team level. He helped the Ottawa Valley men’s five-pin team to the gold medal at the Ontario championships, and earned a bronze medal at the Canadian championships, after qualifying first. Competing at the Ontario Masters Bowlers’ Association team championship, Stephane rolled his way to the gold medal in his rookie season, sporting a 264 average. Stephane also won the Smiths Falls Open with a 296 average over 10 games.
BOWLING (10-PIN) – Aaron Guerten, Gloucester – Aaron was in the groove on the first day of spring, when he opened a three-game series with a perfect 300 and missed back-to-back gems by one pin, when he rolled a 299. His 599 score set a Canadian record for a two-game series. Aaron finished his three-game series with an Ottawa-best 814. A review of his season also showed a best-ever city average of 221. He also was the top bowler in the Eastview Major Men’s, Cityview Commercial and Klassic ABC leagues.
BOXING – Ken Dostaler, Gloucester – This 27 year old high school teacher won eight of his nine bouts with wins in Kingston, St. Catherines, Windsor, Sarnia and Ottawa. The three bouts he won at the Ontario tournament in St. Catherines captured him the Ontario heavyweight class. Ken then advanced to the Canadian senior championships, where he picked up a silver medal in British Columbia.
BROOMBALL – Chris Carroll, Almote – Chris had a perfect season, winning not only the Canadian men’s championship with the Embrun Sports team, but also the world championship with the Ottawa Nationals. At both tournaments, Chris earned MVP honours as the top player in the Canadian championship final and was the overall best player at the worlds.
CROSS COUNTRY SKIING – Tom McCarthy, Ottawa – Tom played a vital role in the Carleton University men’s relay team winning the gold medal at the Canadian colleges and universities cross country ski championships. He also qualified to represent Canada at the World University Games, and was selected Carleton’s athlete of the year.
CURLING – Anne Merklinger, Theresa Breen, Patti McKnight, Audrey Reddick and Christine McCrady, Rideau Curling Club, Ottawa – After winning the round-robin with an impressive 10-0 record, the Rideau Curling Club lost 9-4 to British Columbia’s Kelley Law in the final of the Scott Tournament of Hearts for the national women’s curling championship. The Merklinger rink reached the nationals by winning its fourth Ontario title in its eighth consecutive trip to the provincial championship. The Rideau rink also was a semifinalist at the Welton Beauchamp bonspiel.
CYCLING – Bill Hurley, Chelsea – A versatile rider competing on the road, on mountain bike trails and in cyclo-cross, Bill had an outstanding season scoring 27 wins and making 40 trips to the medal podium. The 32-year-old cyclist was the Pan-American mountain bike champion and successfully defended his world masters title. Bill also won the Quebec Cup overall title and was fourth on the Canada Cup circuit.
DIVING – Laura Knowles, Ottawa – Competing against world-class divers at the Canadian senior championships, Laura placed sixth on women’s platform. The member of the Ottawa Nepean Diving Club, Laura won the Ontario title in her 16-18 age class and earned a tower gold medal at an international meet in Montreal.
EQUESTRIAN – Kelley Small, Kanata – Riding her 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare Esprit de Lys, Kelley played a vital role in Canada winning the gold medal at the North American junior show jumping competition in Parker, Colorado. In the team competition, she posted a fault-free ride, and qualified for the individual competition, where she was 12th.
FASTBALL – Randy Peck, Wakefield – At the Canadian men’s softball championship, Waterloo added Randy to its lineup and it was a brilliant move. Normally a catcher with Stittsville 56ers, Randy played third base for Waterloo and hit .600 in the tournament and .800 in the medal round. Those numbers earned him the most valuable player award as his team lost the gold medal by one run to Owen Sound.
FENCING – Sherraine Shalm, Ottawa – Sherraine entered her first Summer Olympics last September in Sydney as the first Canadian woman to win a World Cup fencing competition. The member of the Excalibur Fencing Club won the women’s epee gold medal in Seville, Spain, and also picked up a World Cup bronze medal in Havana, Cuba.
FIELD HOCKEY – Shankar Premkanthan, Ottawa – Starting goaltender for the Canadian men’s under-21 field hockey team, Shankar helped Canada beat the United States 3-1 to win the bronze medal at the America’s qualifying tournament in Santiago, Chile, and advance to the 2001 Junior World Cup in Hobart, Australia in October. Shankar also attended the Canadian senior men’s team selection camp.
FIGURE SKATING – Fedor Andreev, Ottawa – In his debut season as a senior skater, Fedor captivated the crowds in Calgary by placing fifth in men’s singles and earning a spot on the Canadian national team. Fedor’s season also included a seventh at the world junior championships, a sixth at Skate Canada and a ninth at the Cup of Russia.
FOOTBALL – Phil Côté, Ottawa – Phil ended an accomplished football career at the University of Ottawa by directing the Gee-Gees to the Vanier Cup national university football title with a 42-39 win over the University of Regina and earning most valuable player honours in the final. Named to the second Canadian all-star team, Phil won his third Ontario-Quebec Interuniversity Football Conference player of the year award, and was a Hec Creighton Trophy nominee as the top player in the country for a third time. Phil plays European pro football for the Seaside Vipers in Switzerland.
FREESTYLE SKIING – Jeff Bean, Ottawa – After breaking his leg in three places last year, Jeff started his season strong by placing fifth in a World Cup men’s aerial competition in December at Whistler, B.C. He followed that with a silver medal in Deer Valley, Utah, the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics, and an eighth at the world championships.
GOLF – Brad Fritsch, Manotick – After a successful golf career at Campbell University in North Carolina, Brad won the Ottawa Valley Golf Association men’s class A stroke championship, and qualified for the Canadian amateur championship match play round by tying for first in the stroke play portion. His play also put him on the starter’s list for the United States amateur tournament. Brad recently turned pro by earning his Canadian Tour card.
GYMNASTICS – Heather Purnell, Metcalfe – At the Canadian junior championships, Heather won gold medals on beam and floor and a bronze on uneven bars. As a result, she was promoted to the Canadian senior high performance team and was named the Ottawa Gym Club’s female athlete of the year. She also was the Ontario junior champion and second all-around at a meet in Florida.
HOCKEY – Dan Tessier, Ottawa – Despite missing 13 games because of a broken kneecap, the Ottawa 67’s captain scored a career high 39 goals, and won the Ontario Hockey League’s Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy as the league’s overage player of the year. He also won the league’s Face-off Award, was named to the first all-star team, tied for first in short-handed goals with seven and was second with 10 game-winning goals. He’s now a 20-goal scorer for Louisiana Ice Gators of the East Coast Hockey League.
JUDO – Nicholas Tritton, Lanark – A rising star on the domestic judo circuit, Nicholas won a bronze medal at the Canadian boys’ juvenile championship. He qualified for the national championships by winning the Ontario title, and was runner-up at the Ontario Open.
KARATE – Guy Ouellette, Gloucester – Guy finished last season in style, winning the IAKSA world heavyweight championships in Ireland. The 10-year veteran of karate wars prepared for the worlds by winning a bronze medal at the Canadian championships and being named captain of the Canadian team. He also won a bronze at the WKA world championship in Louisville, Kentucky.
LACROSSE – Jeff Zywicki, Nepean – Splitting his summer lacrosse season between the Nepean junior B and Orillia junior A teams, Jeff was an effective scorer for both sides. He led Nepean to the junior B eastern division semifinals in the Ontario Lacrosse League as the team’s second top scorer with 29 goals and 32 assists in 12 games. In seven playoff games, he stepped it up with 19 goals and 19 assists. For Orillia, Jeff was third in team scoring with 23 goals and 27 assists in 16 junior A games. Jeff is currently a freshman at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and is on an athletic scholarship.
ORIENTEERING – Cherie Mahoney, Ottawa – At the Canadian orienteering championships, Cherie proved she was one of the elite women by winning the short distance race and placing second in the classic distance race. The Ontario classic champion also finished fourth at the North American championships. Her results earned her pre-selection to the Canadian team for the 2001 world championships in Finland.
PADDLING – Victoria Tuttle, Carleton Place – Victoria took a giant step forward in her career last year by qualifying for the national development team in kayaking. At the Canadian kayak championships, she won four gold medals, and later added two silver medals at the world junior championships for marathon distance races.
RAQUETBALL – Daniel Denis, Gatineau – One of the top players in Quebec, Daniel won the provincial doubles title and also captured two singles championships in other Quebec tournaments. At the Canadian championships, he beat the top-seeded player, reached the quarter-finals and finished fifth overall. He also is a member of Canada’s espoir team.
RINGETTE – Nancy Blouin, Ottawa – In her 20th year playing ringette, Nancy played for Team Canada, which won a silver medal at the world championships. At the Canadian championships, the goaltender for the Gloucester intermediate AA team won her third title in a row and was selected to the all-star team.
ROAD RACING – Sarah Dillabaugh, Gloucester – At the two most prestigious road races in Canada, Sarah was second at the MDS Nordion 10-kilometre race in Ottawa and fifth at the Vancouver Sun Run. She also placed fifth at La Grand Course in Montreal. One of Canada’s top distance runners on the track, Sarah was ranked second in the country in the 5,000 metres.
ROWING – Alison Korn, Ottawa – Competing in her second Summer Olympics, Alison helped Canada win a bronze medal in the women’s eights in Sydney. The same team was second at a World Cup in Lucerne and an international regatta in Amsterdam, where she also was second in a pairs race. At the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, she was part of a boat which won the fours race.
RUGBY – Sherri Sparling, Kanata – As captain of the national women’s team, Sherri helped Canada win the Can-Am title over the United States and placed fourth at the Canada Cup international tournament. She also celebrated a national championship by playing for Quebec. Playing outside centre or fullback, she helped the Ottawa Irish win the Quebec league title.
SAILING – Vanessa Hobbs, Ottawa – In the one-person Laser Radial class, Vanessa won the women’s title at the Canadian 23-and-under championship. The sailing instructor at the Kanata and Nepean sailing clubs also was second in the Ontario under-18 division and was a top-five performer in the Canadian youth sailing championship and the CORK international youth festival.
SHOOTING – Wayne Salhany, Limoges – Wayne placed second in men’s expert air pistol at the Crosman Grand Prix in Toronto. During the Canadian championships, he was third overall in the air pistol and free pistol classes and made the national team in both events. The two-time Quebec indoor champion and two-time Ontario runner-up also won 16 regional gold medals and had the highest overall average in the Ottawa Valley Pistol League.
SNOWBOARDING – Amy Vaillancourt, Wakefield – A member of the Canadian national junior team, Amy was rated the best junior in Quebec last season. She is ranked in the top 20 in half pipe on the Canadian senior elite scene and is 70th in the world.
SOCCER – Noel Trepanier, Chelsea – A defender for the successful University of Ottawa Gee-Gees women’s soccer program, Noel had a dream season in 2000. She was selected M.V.P. in the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union and a first team all-Canadian and an Ontario University Athletics all-star. At the OUA and CIAU championships, she was selected a tournament all-star, and won a gold medal at the provincials and a silver medal at the nationals.
SPPEDSKATING (long track) – Kristina Groves, Ottawa – A member of the Pacers Speed Skating Club of Ottawa who trains in Calgary, Kristina broke the Canadian senior women’s record in the 5,000 metres twice and slashed 11 seconds off that mark. She also placed 10th in a World Cup in Italy and was third overall at the Canadian all-around championships with a first in the 5,000 metres and a second in the 3,000 metres.
SPEEDSKATING (short track) – Andrew Lahey, Ottawa – At the world junior short track championships, Andrew was third overall, winning a gold medal in the 1,000 metres as well as being fourth in the 1,500 and 3,000 metres. Competing for the Pacers but also training in Calgary, he captured the North American and Canadian age group titles in dramatic fashion by placing first in all eight races. Andrew was the overall European junior champion in Italy.
SQUASH – Robin Clarke, Kanata – A member of the Canadian junior men’s squash team, Robin won the United States Open junior title and was a finalist at the Canadian championships. On the international scene, Robin reached the quarterfinals of the prestigious British Open junior championships.
SWIMMING – Andrew Coupland, Gloucester – Andrew qualified for Canada’s team to last January’s Olympic Youth Festival by winning three gold and two silver medals at two national youth championships. A member of the Gloucester-Ottawa Kingfish Swim Club, Andrew won the 200- and 400-metre freestyle races and was second in a medley relay at the winter nationals. At the summer youth nationals, he was first in the 200-metre freestyle and second in the 200-metre backstroke.
SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING – Brianna Porter, Ottawa – A member of the Ottawa Synchronized Swimming Club, Brianna was the Ontario solo champion in the under-14 division and placed eighth at the Canadian championships. Her results and skills have taken her to Toronto, where she trains at the Olympium pool.
TABLE TENNIS – Sara Yuen, Nepean – In her past year, Sara’s career has taken a giant step forward. Competing in her first international tournaments, Sara proved she’s one of the best in her under-14 age class by winning silver medals at the World Youth Festival in Hungary and the Portuguese Youth Open in Lisbon. At home, she is the top-ranked under-14 player in Canada, and is No. 7 among all senior elite women.
TAE KWON DO – Brent Doiron, Ottawa – Brent retired from competitive tae kwon do in style by winning his third Ontario championship. At the provincial team finals, he placed first in the men’s heavyweight black belt division. Brent qualified for the team finals, by winning an Ontario Tae Kwon Do Association provincial qualifying tournament.
TENNIS – Tomasz Grzyb, Nepean – Tomasz was a productive performer on the national boys’ under-16 tennis scene. He was ranked No. 2 in singles in Canada based on reaching the final of the national outdoor championship and finishing fourth at the national indoor championship.
TOUCH FOOTBALL – Gordie Laverty, Ottawa – As quarterback for the Ottawa Brahma Bulls in the Ottawa-Nepean Touch Football League, Gordie was voted the most valuable player in the men’s elite division. On the Trillium Tour, he led the Bulls to a 13-1 record and tournament titles in Hamilton, Kingston and Ottawa. Gordie wrapped up his season by leading the Bulls to the Ontario touch football championship.
TRACK & FIELD – Sean Kaley, Ottawa – Sean was flying on the outdoor track before he went to his first Summer Olympics last September in Sydney, Australia. The Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club male athlete of the year ran personal best times for the 10,000 metres and 5,000 metres. He also won the Canadian men’s 5,000-metre championship, and also was 54th in the 4-kilometre race at the world cross-country championships.
TRAP & SKEET – Linda Conley, Stittsville – In her first-ever World Cup skeet competition, Linda placed 12th in Sydney, Australia, and bettered the minimum qualifying score for the Olympics. Although she won both Canadian Olympic team trials, she was overlooked by international officials for selection to the 2000 Summer Olympics.
TRIATHLON – Sharon Donnelly, Gloucester – One of Canada’s top two elite female triathletes, Sharon had three top-10 results on the World Cup circuit. She earned a silver medal in Toronto, was fifth in Hawaii, and sixth in Cornerbrook, Newfoundland. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, a time costly bike crash seriously affected her performance and she finished 38th. At the world championships, which was held on the Olympic course, she was 21st, despite a short run course.
ULTRA MARATHON – Wally Herman, Ottawa – An incredible running machine, Wally has run about 570 marathons and ultramarathon races. At age 74, he completed the National Capital Marathon, which is a small dot on his international journey. He was the first to run a marathon in every state in the United States as well as every province in Canada. Wally also has run a marathon or the marathon distance of 42.195 kilometres in a country starting with each letter of the alphabet except the letter X.
VISUALLY CHALLENGED – Stuart McGregor, Ottawa – After missing a medal at the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta by one spot, Stuart landed on the podium at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia, with a bronze-medal effort in the men’s 800 metres. He also was a multiple medallist in other national and provincial competitions.
VOLLEYBALL – Thomas Joly, Gatineau – A member of the Canadian junior team which placed fourth at a tournament in Havana, Cuba, Thomas also was captain of his Outaouais club team. He helped Outaouais to silver-medal performances at both the Canadian and Quebec championships in Montreal.
WATER POLO – Waneek Horn-Miller, Ottawa – Women’s water polo made its debut at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, and Waneek was part of that historic time. A product of the Ottawa Titans Water Polo Club, Waneek helped Canada to a fifth-place finish at the Olympics, after winning a silver medal at a pre-Olympic competition.
WATERSKIING – Jennifer Barker, Nepean – In her second full season, Jennifer made her debut in the junior women’s wakeboard class for water skiers ages 14 to 18 and won a silver medal at the world championships. The 1999 junior girls’ world champion entered her second world championship by winning the Canadian title.
WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL – Chantal Benoit, Gloucester – As captain, Chantal led Canada to the gold medal in women’s wheelchair basketball at the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Australia. By winning the final in front of 18,000 fans, the Canadian team captured its 43rd straight game dating back to 1990 and its fifth consecutive major international gold medal. After winning the Paralympic gold, she received the Gold Medal Triad Award for her outstanding contributions to the development of wheelchair basketball in Canada and internationally. She also helped the Ottawa Jazz to the silver medal at the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League finals and was selected an all-star for the seventh time.
WRESTLING – Devon Nicholson, Gloucester – Stepping off the scales at 225 pounds, Devon was at the top of his high school class on the wrestling mats. After winning the east division and National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association titles, he went to the Ontario high school championships and earned a bronze medal. At the Ontario championships, he picked up a gold medal. Devon also is certified to coach in his sport.
Ottawa Junior Riders Football Club – For the third straight year, the Riders won the Quebec Major Junior Football Conference championship and the Manson cup. They beat Chateauguay Raiders 33-9 in the final and finished the season with a perfect 10-0 record.
Ottawa Royals Soccer Club – The Royals were the only local soccer team to win the Ontario Cup as the boys’ under-15 tier 2 team beat Sault Ste. Marie Civics 2-1 in the final. The Royals also defeated Niagara Falls 2-1 in the semifinals, and Peterborough United 5-0 in the quarter finals.
Ottawa Titans Water Polo Club – The Titans won five of eight Ontario water polo championships, bringing home gold in the bantam co-ed, girls’ cadet, boys’ juvenile, and men’s and women’s junior classes. The boys’ juvenile team also won a silver medal at the Canadian championships.
Rideau Canoe Club – The 99-year-old club continued its tradition of excellence by finishing second at the Canadian paddling championships in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Both the juvenile women and junior women won their divisions. The juvenile women took four firsts and five seconds. The junior women placed first four times and had three second- and three third-place finishes.