FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Kristina Groves
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Rhys Hill & Angus Mortimer
FEMALE COACH OF THE YEAR
Lesley Anne Schmidt
MALE COACH OF THE YEAR
Andy McInnis
FEMALE TEAM OF THE YEAR
Ottawa Devils Touch Football
MALE TEAM OF THE YEAR
Carleton Ravens Men’s Basketball
AMATEUR SPORT CLUB OF THE YEAR
Ottawa Lions Track Club
MARK LOWRY MEMORIAL AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN SPORT ADMINISTRATION AND VOLUNTEERISM
Don Campbell
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AS A SPORT TECHNICAL OFFICIAL
Denys Cooper
MAYOR’S CUP – OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT IN OTTAWA
Dwaine Barkley
BRIAN KILREA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN COACHING AWARD
John Scobie
THE ERNIE CALCUTT, EDDIE MCCABE AND BRIAN SMITH MEMORIAL TROPHY FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN SPORT MEDIA
Joe Spence
The minimum standard for inclusion was to have competed at the Provincial Level in their sports during the 2008 calendar year. Athletes were nominated by the Media, Ottawa Sports Clubs and Provincial and National Sport Organizations.
ALPINE SKIING – Patrick Biggs: Patrick put together another impressive racing season in 2008 as a member of the Canadian Men’s Alpine Ski Team. He cracked the top 10 at several FIS, European and Nor-Am Cup races and struck gold in the slalom at the Nor-Am Cup in Georgian Peaks, Ontario. He collected a bronze at a Nor-AM Cup race in Winter Park, Colorado. Patrick was sixth in the slalom at the Canadian Championships and ended the season as the top Canadian at the FIS Alpine World Cup in Italy.
ARCHERY – Peter Garrett: Peter competed in the Canadian Indoor Archery championships in both the Master and Senior BareBow divisions, winning the Gold in both divisions, setting a new Canadian Open and Championship record. He was a Gold medalist in the Ontario 3D Championships winning the Senior BareBow division and represented Ontario in the Canadian 3D Championships winning another Gold medal and thereby qualifying for the World Championships to be held in Italy in September 2009.
ATHLETICS – TRACK & FIELD – Sultana Frizell: Sultana made her first Olympic team in 2008, competing in the women’s hammer event, finishing 17th. This member of the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club broke the Canadian senior women’s record 4 times in 2008 finally establishing it at 70.94m at the National Championships. She won 5 out 6 North American meets she competed in 2008 and won 3 throwing events at the Ontario Championships winning the shot put, discus and hammer events.
BADMINTON – Andrew Dabeka: This member of the RA Badminton Club was a member of Canada’s 2008 Olympic Team in Beijing. Andrew won both the 2008 US Open Men’s Singles Title and the Polish Open. He was a semi-finalist in the Canadian International Tournament and is ranked 36th in the world singles rankings.
BASEBALL – T.J. (Tim) Burton: This 24 year-old relief pitcher is a product of the Pinecrest Little League system. In 2008, he played for the Akron Aeros, a Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians where he struck out 30 batters in 29 games. Tim has represented Canada many times and was a member of Team Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Tim made 5 appearances in relief giving up no runs over 3.2 innings pitched.
BASKETBALL – Aaron Doornekamp: This veteran Carleton University Raven, majoring in Commerce led the Ravens to a perfect record in 2008, and the OUA East Regular and Post Season Championships. He averaged 15.6 points per game, pulled down 174 rebounds for a 8.3 rebound per game average while playing 30 minutes per game. Aaron was the MVP at both 2008 OUA championship tournament games, an OUA East All-star, OUA & CIS Player of the Year, the OUA Male Athlete of the Year for all sports and was a nominee for the CIS Male Athlete of the Year.
BIATHLON – Robin Clegg: Robin is a 10-year member of the National Team training in Canmore, Alberta. This 2-time Olympian won the Canadian Biathlon Championships in 2008 and took a major step forward by making the podium for the first time ever with a career best 8th place finish in a 20-kilometre World Cup Race. Robin has been a winner of this award before and is training hard for the 2010 Winter Olympics to be held in Whistler, BC.
BOXING – Henry Lopez: This 17 year old St. Pius X Catholic High School student is a 5-year member of the Beaver Boxing Club having fought 40 bouts. At the 2008 Provincial Championships, under the guidance of Coach Joe Sandulo, Henry won the Provincial Championships in the 141 lb. class, winning all 3 of his bouts. For his efforts, he was selected the Outstanding Youth Boxer at the tournament.
CANOE/KAYAK SPRINT – Angus Mortimer & Rhys Hill: These 22 year old paddlers are members of the Rideau Canoe Club and qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in the K-4 event. They won this berth after a 10 country race-off. At the Beijing Olympics, they finished 9th in the K-4 1000m final. Both are members of Canada’s National Team, have won numerous Canadian Championships and have competed in the World Championships.
CANOE/KAYAK WHITEWATER – James Cartwright: Originally from North Vancouver, James has been competing in C-1 for 19 years and is a 9-year member of the Ottawa River Runners Club. He has been a Canadian Champion 12 times and has recorded numerous top 10 finishes on the international stage. He finished 12th in Beijing in his second Olympic Games. A graduate of the University of Ottawa, he currently coaches with the Ottawa River Runners.
CRICKET – Tauseef Shahid: Tauseef plays for the Canterbury Cricket Club. His skill as a batsman made him the leading run scorer hitting 571 runs in 2008, an average of 71 runs per inning. He represented the OVCC this year in the Intercity Championships and also played on the winning team at the Confederation Cup scoring a match winning 33 runs.
CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING – Dannelle Woods: Danelle is a member of the Ottawa Lions Track Club and is a repeat winner of this award from 2007. In 2008, Dannelle was a team member of Canada’s team that finished 5th at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships held in Edinburgh, Scotland. Individually, she finished a very respectable 25th against the best runners in the world. Danelle is currently on full scholarship at the University of Illinois studying civil engineering, hoping one day to be an astronaut.
CROSS COUNTRY SKIING – Perianne Jones: A seven year member of the National Cross Country Ski Team, she finished 8th in sprint and 12th in the 10km classic at the Under 23 World Championships in Italy. She also raced in 10 World Cup races across Europe and Canada, finishing 28th at a sprint World Cup race in Germany. In 2008, Perianne was the overall Canadian Sprint Champion.
CURLING – Craig Savill: Craig throws the lead rocks for the Glen Howard rink, one of the best curling teams in the world. This team won 7 major tournaments in 2008 and finished second on the World Curling Tour (WCT) money list. Because of their stellar play in 2007-2008, this team has clinched a direct berth in the 2009 Olympic Trials, only one of two teams to do so. Craig, a member of the Ottawa Curling Club, is a two time World Champion and a repeat winner of this Ottawa Sports Award for curling in 2007. He was also our Male Athlete of the Year in 2007. Craig is curling in Winnipeg tonight so his wife will be accepting on his behalf.
CYCLING – Natasha Elliot: Natasha has been racing competitive road cycling for 4 years and cyclo-cross for 3 years. During the 2008 season, she was ranked 16th in the world in cyclo-cross and placed 13th in a World Cup race in France. She won 7 international races in North America in 2008 and has been selected to represent Canada at the World Championships to be held in Holland in February 2009. She is currently living and training in Europe and is racing on the European circuit.
DIVING – Brennan Villemaire: Brennan, a 16 year old diver, has made the jump up to the junior ranks, pitting him against divers up to 3 years his senior. At the Junior Nationals, he finished 5th on the platform and 7m on the tower at the Junior Pan American Games in Puerto Rico. Competing in Senior competition, he qualified for the finals in the 3m and platform events, eventually finishing 11th in the Olympic Trials as a 16 year old. He was named Ontario Diver of the Year for the 4th time in a row. Brennan has qualified to dive in the trials for the upcoming Canada Summer Games in 2009. He is a repeat winner of our award for the 4th year in a row.
FENCING – Sherraine Schalm: Sherraine is a longtime member of the Ottawa Fencing Club. She has been fencing for 21 years, has won 21 World Cups, ranked 4th in the World and finished 9th at the Beijing Olympics. Sherraine has been training in Budapest, Hungary for 4 years and hopes to return to Ottawa in the near future.
FIELD HOCKEY – Malinda Hapuarachchi: In 2008, this former All-Canadian at the University of Toronto became a member of Canada’s National Field Hockey Team, competing at international tournaments in both Trinidad and Barcelona. Malinda plays for the GOA Reds, a Toronto-based club team, and is now working toward her Master’s degree at Queens University and giving back as an assistant coach for their field hockey team.
FIGURE SKATING – Jeff Hough: Skating with his dance partner Catherine Culhane, Jeff placed 1st in Juvenile Dance at the sectionals held in November 2008 for skaters representing Eastern Ontario. By finishing first in this event, he and Catherine qualified to skate together in the Junior Nationals. Jeff also skates individually, participating in the Ontario Winter Games and qualifying to skate in the singles event as well at the Junior Nationals.
FOOTBALL – Tom Narbaitz: Tom is a 3-year player for the Ottawa Sooners Junior Football Club which plays in the Quebec Junior Football League. In 2008, this defensive tackle, lead the league in defensive points recording 34 tackles, 8 quarterback sacks, 3 fumble recoveries for a total of 116 points, 14 better than this closest opponent. It is unusual for a defensive tackle to accomplish such a feat and in recognition of his great year, he won the Defensive Player of the year Award and was selected to the First Team All-star team.
FOOTBALL (TOUCH) – Mike Bisson: Mike plays wide receiver for the Ottawa Lixar Spartans of the Ottawa Nepean Touch Football League. Playing in his first year in the Elite Division, Mike won 3 league awards – Top Scorer, MVP and was the co-recipient of the Rookie of the Year Award. His team won several tournaments in Trillium Cup play including a Provincial championship.
GOLF – Allen McGee: Allen plays out of the Clublink’s Hautes Plaines Golf Club and in 2008 was the repeat winner of the Ottawa Valley Golf Association City & District Men’s Championship and the Ottawa Sun 2-Man Scramble (his 4th consecutive win in this event). He was also a repeat winner for the 3rd year in a row of the OVGA 4-Ball championship. In addition, Allen finished as the runner up in both the Ottawa Citizen Amateur City Championships and the OVGA Tournament of Club Champions Championships. He is a repeat winner of the golf award, winning in 2006 and 2007.
GYMNASTICS (ARTISTIC) – Teslin Sandstrom: Teslin is a member of the Ottawa Gym Club. She was a member of the Ontario National Open Team that competed in the National Championships held in Calgary. She placed second in the All-Around in her category, winning a Bronze medal in the vault. Teslin is the Canadian National Champion in floor routine.
HOCKEY – Tyler Cuma: This 6’2 defenseman plays hockey for the Ottawa 67’s. He was drafted 23rd overall in the first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild. He won a gold medal in 2008 as a member of Canada’s team at the World Under-18 Hockey Championships where he recorded 4 points in 7 games. As a member of the Ottawa 67’s, he plays against the other team’s best players and was the only defenseman to finish with a positive plus/minus rating (+4). Tyler had a real good chance to make Canada’s U-20 team for the World Junior Hockey Championships held here in Ottawa until a leg injury sidelined him. Brian Kilrea, the legendary coach of the 67’s, says he is one of the most dedicated players he has ever coached and will be an exceptional NHL player.
JUDO – Tony Walby: This 35 year old fighter has been actively involved in judo for 28 years. He trains at the Takahashi Martials Arts Club and has been a 12 time medalist at the Senior Nationals having won bronze 8 times, silver 3 times and in 2008, finally the gold making him our National Champion in the 100+ kg class. He placed 3rd in the 2008 Rendez-Vous Canada competition and is a member of Canada’s National Judo Team.
LACROSSE – Chris Ford: Chris plays for the Nepean Knights Junior B Lacrosse team and was their captain. He was his team’s leading scorer with 34 goals, 42 assists for 77 points placing him 7th overall in scoring in the entire Ontario Jr. B league. Playing in the annual Ontario Lacrosse Association’s Jr. B All-Star game, he was selected the MVP for the East team. Chris won the Most Sportsmanlike Award at the OLA 2008 banquet and leaves the Knight organization as one of its all-time best ever scorers with 2.6 points per game.
MARATHON RUNNING – Liz Maguire: Liz is the top ranked marathoner in Ottawa. In 2008, she completed the Toronto Marathon in 3:01:19 to finish as the 2nd female overall and 1st in her age class. In the Ottawa ING Marathon, she ran a 2:55:06 to finish as the top local finisher and once again 1st in her age group. She ran the 6th fastest female marathon time for 2008 and the 8th fastest half-marathon time. She is a repeat winner of this award.
MODERN PENTATHLON – Rachel Gardner: This 20 year old Carleton University student is a member of the Ottawa Modern Pentathlon Club and first competed in this 5-sport event in 2003. In 2008, she was the Junior National Champion, Senior Provincial Champion and represented Canada at the Junior Worlds in Cairo. Rachel is an all-round athlete as she also competes on the Carleton University Varsity Swim Team and the Women’s Fencing Team who are the OUA Champions.
ORIENTEERING – Emily Kemp: As a Junior, this 16 year old Nepean High School student is a member of the Ottawa Orienteering Club and is ranked second in Canada in the Elite Women’s class. At the Ontario Championships, she finished 1st in 3 events and followed this up with one 1st, one 2nd and five 3rd place finishes at the Nationals. At the North American Championships, she finished an impressive second overall in the elite class. Attending her 1st Junior World championships in Sweden she finished 33rd in a field of 140 athletes. She is a repeat winner of this award from 2006 and 2007.
PARALYMPIC – Jason Dunkerley: Jason is a member of the Ottawa Lions Track and Field team. He recently suffered a serious leg injury that set back his training but he was able to recover and win the 800m in the Tl 1 class for blind athletes at the Canadian Championships. Jason, guided by his guide runner, Greg Dailey, won a Bronze medal in the 1500m at the Paralympic Games held in Beijing in 2008. He is a repeat winner of this award and was our Male Athlete of the Year winner in 2004.
ROAD RACING – Lanni Marchant: Lanni runs 5K and 10K races and is ranked second 2nd and 5th respectively in Ontario in these events. She had the second, fourth, fifth, and eight fastest 5K times in Ontario and the fifth, ninth and tenth best times in the 10K. She made her first National Team in 2008 competing as a member of the Canadian team at the Chiba International Relay in Japan.
RINGETTE – Kaitlyn Youldon: Kaitlyn, a centre/forward for the Nepean Belle AA Ringette team, had her best season on record in 2008. She led her team to gold at the Canadian Ringette Championships where she was one of the top scorers in the tournament and for her efforts was selected to the Canadian All-Star Team. Kaitlyn was a key player on the Eastern Ontario AAA team that won gold at the Ontario Winter Games and has been selected to Eastern Canada’s Under 19 team that will compete at the World Junior Championships this summer.
ROWING – Julie Shearer: Julie began rowing at Queen’s University and earned a place on the varsity team. In 2008, with the Ottawa Rowing Club, she focused on the 43rd “Head of the Charles” race in Boston, the world’s largest rowing regatta where she won the prestigious 5km singles event over 29 competitors from across North America. At the Provincials, Julie won the in the women’s quad boat and finished 3rd in singles. She is the athlete’s representative at the Ottawa Rowing Club and cross-country skis as part of her winter training program.
RUGBY – Cassandra Wendzich: In 2008, this former Gee-Gee All-star was one of 12 athletes chosen from all CIS University programs to represent Canada at the FISU World University 7-a-Side Rugby Championships in Spain, where the team won a Silver medal. Even after an illness for several months Casandra made a significant contribution to the team’s success. She is now completing her medical degree at McMaster University.
SAILING – David Foy: David is the skipper of the crew that won the World Shark Championships held at the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club in 2008. He was also successful in winning Gold at the Canadian Championships held here in Ottawa at the Britannia Yacht Club. He is a repeat winner of this award from 2007.
SAILING (ABLE SAIL) – Christine Lavallee: In 2008, Christine won the Ontario Martin 16 championship, was second in the Quebec Cup and at the Y-Knot Regatta in Lake George, New York. She finished 4th in the Gold Fleet at the Mobility Cup held in Point Claire, Quebec. Christine lives in Gatineau and sails out of the Nepean Sailing Club.
SHOOTING (PISTOL) – Ena Ward: In 2008 as a member of the Canadian National Pistol Team, Ena competed in International, National and Provincial competitions in two different events. In May, she went to Munich and Milan for 2 World Cups where she achieved an Olympic Minimum Qualifying Score (MQS) and a world ranking of 106th in Ladies Air Pistol. Ena was a silver medalist in 25 Metre Women’s Pistol at the Provincial Pistol championships. At the Canadian National Pistol Championships as well as the Canadian Airgun Grand Prix, she was a finalist in Air Pistol.
SLEDGE HOCKEY – Marc Dorion: Marc has been playing sledge hockey since the age of 4 and now at 21 years of age, he is a valuable member of the Canadian National Sledge Hockey Team. He has played in 2 World Championships, winning gold in 2008 and a gold in the last Paralympic Games in Torino, Italy. His team has also won Gold medals in the 2006 and 2008 World Sledge Hockey Challenges and the recent 4 Nations Cup held in Japan. Marc is a consistent scorer on the team and shows leadership in the big games.
SOCCER – Kristina Kiss: In 2008, this midfielder earned her call-up to the National Women’s Soccer team which represented Canada at the Beijing Olympics – a first in association history. A former standout for the Ottawa Fury and recognized as one of this country’s best female players, Kristina was instrumental in Canada’s second place finish at the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualification tournament.
SOFTBALL – Jillian Taylor: Jillian plays for Orleans Rebels Women’s softball team and the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees team. She was the top pitcher and batter on both of these teams. She won MVP awards at both the Tier One Provincials and on the U of O team. She was selected the top pitcher at the OUA Championships.
SNOWBOARDING – Crispin Lipscomb: Crispin is a member of the National team and therefore trains in Whistler, BC. He specializes in the halfpipe event and during his career, he has had 36 World Cup starts, 5 World Cup podiums and 2 world Cup victories. One of these World Cup victories was in 2008 at Valmalenco, Italy. In addition, Crispin had a 4th place finish in the Cypress Moutain National Championships, a 3rd in Cadrona, New Zealand and an 8th in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. He is looking forward to 2010 in Whistler on his home training course. He has won this OSA award as our best snowboarder in 2005, 2006, 2007 and now 2008.
SPEEDSKATING (LONG TRACK) – Kristina Groves: To say that 2008 was a banner year for Kristina is an understatement. She won the ISU World Cup title in the 1500m and was crowned the Single Distance World Champion in the 3000m. She won a medal in every race she competed in and also finished in the top 5 in every distance at the World All-Round Championships for a third place overall. She was named Speed Skating Canada’s Female Athlete of the Year – Long Track. She was our 2007 Female Athlete of the Year.
SPEEDSKATING (SHORT TRACK) – Ivanie Biondin: 2008 was another good year for rising short track speed skating standout Ivanie Blondin of Orleans. She struck gold in the 1500m at the National Team Selection Championships and finished just off the podium in the 500m and 1000m events. She placed 5th overall at the National Junior Championships and won a bronze at the Conematic Intemational Short Track challenge in the 1500m. She finished the season ranked 15th overall among open national skaters and further added to her medal haul with a silver in the relay at the World Junior Short Track Championships.
SQUASH – Samantha Cornett: This Grade 12 West Carleton Secondary School student was the Senior Female Athlete of the Year at her school for 2007-08 showcasing her all-around skills but it is on the squash court where she excels. She started off the 2008 season with a 4th place finish at the British Open U-17 championships, followed this up with a 2nd place finish at the Ontario Open U-19 and another 2nd place finish at the Canadian Junior Closed U-19 in April. Samantha played in numerous Women’s International Squash events in 2008 and topped off her season with a most impressive win at the Pan American Open Championships. She is the dominating squash player from our region and has won this award since 2005.
SWIMMING – Matt Hawes: Matt trains with the Carleton Ravens Swim Club when he is home but he attends and swims for the University of British Columbia. He was the UBC Dolphins Backstroker of the Year for 2008. He finished 1st at the BC Seniors in the 100 and 200m backstroke, 2nd in the 200m and 1st in the 50m in the Mel Zajac International, 6th in the 200m at the Dutch Open held in Holland, and 1st in both the 100 and 200m backstroke at the Husky Open in Washington. Matt finished 5th in the 100m at the Olympic Trials and was selected to the Tri-Nations Cup team for Canada.
TABLE TENNIS – Giang Shen: Qiang is Canada’s top Junior Boys table tennis player. In 2008, he played in the Commonwealth Youth Games held in Pune, India where he won a Bronze medal in both singles and doubles play. He topped his year off by representing Canada at the Beijing Summer Olympics.
TAEKWONDO – Joseph Azzi: This student at Sarnmuel Genest High School is an excellent all-round athlete but it is at Taekwondo that he excels. In 2008, he was the Provincial Champion and the Jr. A National Champion, the first person from Ottawa to accomplish this feat in this sport. He was a member of the Canadian Team at the 2008 World Championships held in Turkey and then won the gold at the Youth Commonwealth Games held in India.
TENNIS – Gabriela Dabrowski; This 16 year old tennis player from Gloucester had another noteworthy year in 2008. Gaby captured the singles titles at the U.S. Grasscourt Championships, an international Under 18 event and won the Tommy & Lefebvre Ontario Open held in Ottawa. She was a finalist in doubles play at a women’s professional event in Saguenay, Quebec and reached the quarter-finals of the Yucatan Cup in Mexico. Gaby also experienced the thrill of representing Canada in two Junior Grand Slam events, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
TRIATHLON – Cynthia Wilson: Cynthia has been very active in 2008 competing in numerous triathlons and always placing at the top or near the top of the field. She had 7 finishes as the first female competitor, including one at the Canadian Long Course Triathlon Championships in Osoyoos, BC. She competed in the World Half-Ironman Triathlon Championships in Clearwater, Florida, finishing a very respectable 15th among the professional women. Cynthia is a PhD student at the University of Ottawa, combining training and competing with the demands of her university workload and she excels at both. She is a repeat winner of this award from 2007.
VOLLEYBALL – Christine Lemay: This 5th year power hitter for the Ottawa U Gee-Gees Women’s volleyball team was selected a first-team CIS All-Canadian, becoming the first from her university to be given this honour in 21 years. As the co-captain of her team, she was the OUA East MVP and a 1st team OUA All-star in 2008. She is a repeat winner of our volleyball award from last year.
VOLLEYBALL (BEACH) – Rebecca Crosier: This Sir Robert Borden High School student is in her third season playing beach volleyball. In 2008, she was a member of the Team Ontario Beach team and won the “Queen of the Beach” title. She won another Gold medal at the Ontario Summer Games held here in Ottawa and added a bronze at the U-21 Ontario Provincial Beach Championships. Rebecca was invited to the National Beach Training Camp in 2008 and was recently featured as the Athlete of the Week on CJOH TV.
WATER POLO – Aaron Feltham: Aaron began playing water polo at age 9 in Lindsay, Ont. and continued while attending high school in Ottawa. Now a member of the Ottawa Water Walkers, he is a five-year veteran of Canada’s Senior National Team. He has represented Canada at Pan-Am Games, three Senior World Championships and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. He is currently playing professional water polo in Hungary.
WRESTLING – llya Abelev: After moving to Canada from Moscow, llya began wrestling after 9 years of judo training. This 16 year old National Capital Wrestling Club athlete and student at Earl of March High School, won 12 gold medal matches in 2008, including the Ontario Winter Games, National Cadet Championships, Canada Cup and a silver at the Commonwealth Youth Games held in India. He was selected the Outstanding Freestyle Wrestler at the National Cadet Championships and awarded the Officials Cup presented to the athlete who best demonstrates the true spirit of overall wrestling.
OTTAWA LIONS SENIOR WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY RUNNING TEAM – This team of five runners won both the Provincial and National Titles in Dec. of 2008. Team members are: Dana Buchanan, Robyn Erickson, Julia Hicks, Kristin Marvin and Lisa Benz. The team is coached by Ray Elrick. Dana, Robyn and Julia finished 1, 2 and 3 respectively at the national championship.
OTTAWA JUNIOR RIDERS FOOTBALL TEAM – This team won the Manson Cup, given to the play-off champions in the Quebec Junior Football League, for the second year in a row. Team members are: Adam Gourgon, Javier Alfonzo, Steven Backer, Alex Nagrodski, Ryan Ireland, Pierre Mouawad, James Porter, Jude Mario, Tom Bertrand, Kyle Watson, Chris Seed, Tyler Meilleur, Daniel Cama, Hugh Myers, Jordan Labelle, Joey Timpson, Gary Fine, Andre Arnot, Deji Adeleke, Adam Belrango, Tim Burton, Josh Chartier, Jordan Bradley, Timothy Gull, Chad Dalton, Michael Sakyi, Nick Bulgarelli, Brett Perreault, Kyle Christie, Marc Sorrie, Michael Palermo, Karim Hosny, James Abrena, Issac Akrouche, Belal Taha, Jesse Durward, Luke Foster, Adam Yahn, Kyle Gordon, Scott Rodgers, Leland Hogeveen, Jack Morrison, Eric Foster, Zach Burrows, Jameson Hogeveen, Chris Milton, Andrew Lapuas, Shawn Collins, Zac Ethier, Adam O’Donnell, David Dominic, James Teevens and Scott Fournier. The coaching staff includes: Luigi Costanzo (Head Coach), Assistants – Rohan Bansie, Matt Murfitt, David Boushey, Larry Mohr, Randy Fournier, Gerry Moysey, Edward Joseph, Ntare Bainomugisha, Sunny Ghadban, Vince Cipriani. Other staff includes: Shirley Blank (Manager), Natalie Morris & Isabelle Despres (Trainers), John Hutchinson & Mike Bertrand (Equipment), Dave St. Pierre & John Dobson (Stats) and Connor Murfitt (Waterboy).
OTTAWA DEVILS WOMEN’S TOUCH FOOTBALL TEAM – This team repeated as Ontario and Canadian Champions again in 2008. They had a record of 44-1, winning 3 out of 4 Trillium Tour tournaments. Team members are; Kim Kerr, Erika Blais, Heather Dupuis, Ashley Powers, Jennie Minnillie, Kim Young, Hilary Dowdall, Laila Gibbons, Dawn Carle, Michelle Leafloor, Jenny Lavoie, Michele Dumel, Jess Keeling, Gina DiRienzo, Danika Smith and Frannie Pritchard. The team is coached by Rodney Moors.
CARLETON UNIVERSITY MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM (RAVENS) – This team won the OUA East regular season championships and the OUA post-season championship with a perfect record of 25-0. They were ranked #1 in the CIS rankings for all of 2008. Team members are; Ryan Bell, Aaron Chapman, Luke Chapman, Neal Dawson, Aaron Doornekamp, Cole Hobin, Jean-Emmanuel Jean Marie, Mike Kenny, Daron Leonard, Kevin McCleery, Derek McConnery, Robert Saunders, Elliot Thompson and Stuart Turnbull. The coaching staff includes; Dave Smart (Head Coach), Mark McMahon, Rob Smart JR., Andy Stewart, Jafeth Maseruka (Assistant Coaches), Aaron Blakeley and Kyle Vezzaro (Managers), Bruce Marshall Therapist).
CARLETON UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S FENCING TEAM – This team won both the OUA Foil and Sabre team championships. Team members are: Andres Bass, Michelle Currie, Alexandra Digioseffo, Rachel Gardner, Mei Yan Ho, Rahemat Kanji, Anna Laurence, Harmony Mah, Mozynah Nofal, Katrina Ross, Elizaveta Samokhina and Victoria Stokes. Eli Sukunda is the head coach, assisted by Wesley Ross.
RIDEAU CANOE CLUB – The Rideau Canoe Club had 3 members in Bejiing as part of Canada’s 2008 Olympic Team. They were Rhys Hill, Angus Mortimer and Kristin Gauthier. Their National champions included Victoria Tuttle (Sr. K-1 1000m, Senior K-2 500m, Sr. K-2 1000m, Sr. K-4 500m and Open K-4 200m), Kristin Gauthier (Sr. K-2 500m, Sr. K-4 500m and Open K-4 500m), Emily Raymond (Sr. K-2 1000m, Sr. K-4 500m and Open K-4 200m), Diana Deek (Sr. K-4 500m and Open K-4 200m), Midget K-4 1000m team (Galia Carranco, Natalie Davison, Cheyanne Farquharson and Jane McBride), and the War Canoe team of 15 paddlers in the Juvenile C-15 (captained by Ian Mortimer with Darcy Hardy-Kavanagh calling the stroke).
OTTAWA TITANS WATER POLO TEAM – U18 – GREAT WHITE SHARKS – The Men’s U-18 Great White Sharks Team won both the Ontario and National Championships. Team members are: Ben Bouwer, Lyle Brooks, Calum Norton Kendrick, Ognien Gutovic, David Lapins, Logan Seaman, John Conway, Charles Bouwer and Connor Lee. The head coach is Jerry Tesanovic, assisted by Nick Forster. Heather Seaman is the manager. This team won all 3 MVP awards – Most Valuable Player – Charles Bouwer, Most Valuable Goalie – Ben Bouwer and Most Valuable Coach – Jerry Tesanovic.
OTTAWA TITANS WATER POLO TEAM – U16 – TIGER SHARKS – This team won the gold medal at the Provincial Championships and were silver medalist at the National Championships. Team members are: Ben Bouwer, Patrick Cauthers, David Tushingham, Anthony Croteau, Sebastien Fiset, Alex Taschereau, David Lapins, Ognien Gutovic, Lyle Brooks, Maxim Hebert, Charles McClintock, James Bickerton and Owen Kennedy. The head coach is Pierre Fiset, assisted by Nick Forster. The team manager is Christine Taschereau.
BRUCE DELANEY CURLING TEAM – This Senior Men’s team from the Navy Club won the Ontario Curling Associations championships. They also won the Senior section of the City of Ottawa Mens’ International Bonspiel. The team is skipped by Bruce Delaney with Rick Backhand, Duncan Jamieson and George Mitchell.
NEIL SINCLAIR CURLING TEAM – This junior Men’s Team won the Ontario Junior Tour winning 3 major events and ranked #1 in Ontario for all of 2008. They won the World U-18 International tournament in Winnipeg. Team members are Neil Sinclair, Graham Rathwell, Matthew Camm and Andrew Hamilton and their coach is Graham Sinclair.
OTTAWA LIONS TRACK & FIELD CLUB
This club had a great year once again winning the following titles:
National Club Senior Team Champions (age 20+), National Club Junior Team Champions (U-20), Ontario Overall Club Team Champions (All Groups), Ontario Senior Club Team Champions (Open Division), Ontario Junior Club Team Champions (U-20), Ontario Juvenile Club Team Champions (U-18), and Ontario Midget Club Team Champions (U-16).
They had 3 relay teams that won National Championships:
Senior Men’s 4x100m team of Charles Allen, Richard Adu-Bodie, Antoine Despres-Bedward and Jon Dunkerley with guide runner Stuart Pearson. This was the first integrated relay team in the history of Canadian track and field as Jon Dunkerley is a member of Canada’s Paralympic team. Senior Women’s 4x100m team of Christianne Lela, Ester Akinsulie, Lauren Seibel and Rachel Aubry, and Junior Men’s 4x400m team of Michael Robertson, Stuart Pearson, Oluwasegun Makinde and Philip Wheeler.
They had 8 that won Provincial Championships:
Midget Girls 4x100m team of Kerry-Ann I-indo, Amelia Brohman, Divyajyoti and Courtney Bowen, Midget Girls 4x800rn team of Emma Norman, Emma Galbraith, Isabelle Kanz and Kathryn Tuck, Youth Boys (U-18) 4x100m team of Ramaar Hali, Oluwasegun Makinde, Gordon Cave and Zachary Quevillon, Junior Women’s 4x100m team of Jordan Skeete-Wilson, Ashlea Maddex, Karelle Edwards and Mila Simulik, Junior Men’s 4x100m team of Jeremy Batt, Oluwasegun Makinde, Michael Robertson and Ramon Monsour, Senior Women’s Distance Medley relay team of Kelly Young, Emilie Halle, Melissa Bishop and Julia Malleck, Senior Men’s 4x100m team of Tony Risling, Zachary Quevillon, Michael Prime and Antoine Despres-Bedward, and Senior Men’s 4x400m team of Adrian Huynh, Zachary Quevillon, Gordan Cave and Brian Cummings.
DAVID FOY SHARK CLASS SAILING CREW – This crew won both the World Shark Class Championships and the Canadian Championships. Crew members are David Foy (Skipper), David O’Sullivan and Jamie Foy.
MARGARET HURLEY SAILING CREW – This crew won the Canadian Women’s Keelboat Championships sailing against 26 other crews. Crew members are Margaret Hurley (Skipper), Irene Warner and Michelle Cimon.
NEPEAN BELLE AA RINGETTE TEAM – This team won a gold medal at both the Provincial and National Championships. This team defeated 11 teams to win the Ontario Championships and every province to win the Canadian Championship. Team members are: Britney Kunkel, Elsa Fougere, Jayme Simzer, Ashley Rheaume, Heather Statham, Kaitlyn Youldon, Stephanie Murray, Laura Vizena, Jesse Moore, Kristin Grisel, Alison Tucker, Allison Gabel, Katie Fraser, Jesse Groniger, Caitlyn Hellingman, Tori Goble, Deanna Dadalt, Megan McCaulay and Bryanna Kelly. The coaches include: Dan Rheaume, Rudy Grisel, Jodi Connolly, Catherine Moore. Rose Kunkel was the mar-lager.
NEPEAN JUNIOR AA RINGETTE TEAM – This team won the Ontario Provincial Championships and a silver medal at the Nationals. Team members are: Natasha Bush, Kelsey Youldon, Stephanie Rheaume, Gillian Holder, Shannon McGregor, Monika Brennan, Dominique Scapillati, Jennifer Gabel, Natalie Crouch, Amy Crouch, Megan Lugg, Barb Lugg, Katie MacDonald and Emily Grisel. Head coach is Larry Allen, assisted by Rudy Grisel, Colleen Carriere and Sam Morris. Ginny McGregor was the Manager.
OTTAWA SHOCK JUNIOR GIRLS U-19 BASKETBALL TEAM – This team won the Ontario Provincial Division 1 basketball championships. Team members are: Dana Dover, Abby Edmison, Stephanie MacDonald, Anneka Bakker, Charlotte Mackenzie, Alyson Bush, Jen Stoqua, Frances Grout-Brown, Awo Farah, Jenna Gilbert, Sydney Campbell and Dana-Rae Sommerville. The head coach was Andy Sparks, assisted by Anne and Greg Boneschansker. The manager was Bill Brown.
STELLA WOMEN’S ULTIMATE TEAM – This team won the 2008 Women’s Competitive National Championship in the sport of Ultimate. Team members are: Viviane Bartlett, Carly Bassett, Shannon Becker, Alexandra Benedict, Anita Benoit, Cassie Berquist, Kathleen Cavallaro, Jamie Collins, Kate Crump, Alison Flynn, Danielle Fortin, Marie-Andree Imbeault, Meghan Kane, Sonia Komenda, Jenna McBride, Anne Mercier, Kathryn Pohran, Paula Saliba, Emily Sangster, Sandra Shaddick, Allison Verney and Cheryl Wadasinghe.
GLUM MASTERS ULTIMATE TEAM – This team won the 2008 Men’s Masters National Championship held in Calgary. Team Members are: Andrew Morrisey, Blayne Ferguson, Brad Rollo, David Maggs, Derek Sigurdson, Donald Crump, Eric Budgell, Glenn Ford, Glenn Walker, Gord Johnston, Ian Brooks, Jamie Noonan, Keith Bourdon, Ken Lange, Ken MacLean, Kevin Eckstrand, Mike Hill, Mike Reeves, Owen Lumley, Pierre Felex, Shawn DeRaaf and Tom Miller.
ALGONQUIN THUNDER MEN’S SOCCER TEAM – This team won the Ontario College’s Athletic Associations (OCAA) championships for the 5th consecutive year. Team members are: Rob Lungstrass, Tristan Roscoe, Dejan Radojevic, Sean Pound, Erichsen Bailey, Biagio Forieri, Mike Gagliano, Loui Legakis, David Cardinali, Will Beauge, Corey O’Connell, Brendan Walker, Edgar Soglo, Stephane LeMay, Edwin Moran, Tyller Farrell-Rose, Orhan Akkaya, Perry Legakis, Semir Hadziresic, Bruno Mota, Michael Tjarera and Christian Hoefler. The head coach is Mike Caruso assisted by Jim Zito and Kwesi Loney. The therapist is Stephen Handel.
Karelle Edwards – Track & Field – De La Salle High School – Gold in senior girls long jump and 100m hurdles.
Sekou Kaba — Track & Field — Sir Robert Borden H.S. — Gold in 110m hurdles
Stuart Pearson — Track & Field — South Carleton H.S. — Gold in 400m hurdles
John Goodyear — Wrestling – All Saints H.S. — Gold in 77kg class
Sarah Stringer — Wrestling – Colonel By H.S. — Gold in 57.5 kg class
Ashbury High School — Alpine Skiing – Girls Team — Gold medal in Level 1
South Carleton High School — Alpine Skiing — Boys Team Gold medal in Level 1
Louis Riel High School — Alpine Skiing — Girls Team — Gold medal in Level 2
Nepean High School — Alpine Skiing — Boys Team — Gold medal in Level 2
AY Jackson High School — Basketball, Senior Boys — Gold in AA Level
St. Patrick High School — Basketball, Senior Boys – Gold medal in AAA Level
Franco Cite High School — Girls Volleyball – Gold medal in AA Level
Ashbury High School — Girls Rugby — Gold medal in AAA/AAAA Level
THE MYERS RYDERS FOOTBALL CLUB
This football program has accomplished a feat that has never been done before in the league’s 50 plus years of operation. They won a complete sweep of all 4 NCAFA Championships in 2008, plus their older club, the Ottawa Junior Riders won the Manson Cup, a 5-for-5 season. The winning teams include:
Tyke (8-10 years) – an 11-0 season followed by a 1-0 win in double overtime in the championship game. Head Coach is Darren O’Connell.
Mosquito (11-12 years) – an 11-0 season followed by a 32-8 win in the championship game. Head coach is Paul Donnelly.
Peewee (13-14 years) – an 11-0 season followed by a 12-7 win in the championship game. Head coach is Ralph Siciliano.
Bantam (15-16 years) – an 8-3 season followed by a 21-19 win in the championship game. Head coach is John Buck.
Congratulations to Sandy Ruckstuhl, President, his executive, the coaches and all the players in this program.