MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – TYRONE HENRY
Tyrone Henry wins his first Athlete of the Year award after helping Canada to a silver medal finish in para ice hockey at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. A seven-year veteran on the national team, Henry served as assistant captain at the Beijing Games. Locally, the defenceman is a key member of Sledge Hockey Eastern Ontario which saw four members on the silver-medal winning squad in China. Henry is a four-time Ottawa Sports Award recipient as the top para ice hockey athlete in the city, and was also recognized as a member of the Ottawa Rowing Club team as a Henley champion in 2013.
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – IVANIE BLONDIN AND ISABELLE WEIDEMANN
After sharing the 2021 Athlete of the Year Award with almost identical seasons, Blondin and Weidemann took different paths to sharing the 2022 edition of the Award. The duo climbed to the top of the Olympic podium together, earning the gold medal in Team Pursuit. Blondin added a silver in the mass start to her Olympic haul, while Weidemann raced to silver in the 5000m and bronze in the 3000m and carried Canada’s flag into the closing ceremonies. In World Cup action, Blondin started the 2022-23 circuit on a tear with six individual medals including a gold in mass start, with Weidemann earning a bronze and silver in the 3000m. The pair has captured two World Cup gold medals in team pursuit. Simply put, they remain at the top of the speed skating world and were among Canada’s most successful athletes in 2022.
MALE COACH OF THE YEAR – GLENROY GILBERT
A record-breaking gold medal performance by Canada’s men’s 4x100m relay team at the 2022 World Championships put Glenroy Gilbert over the top for his second straight Coach of the Year award, and the fifth of his career.
The team executed Gilbert’s aggressive strategy perfectly, ensuring quick exchanges, to capture the first international gold medal for Canada in that event since 1997. The time of 37.48 was the fastest in the world in 2022 and set a new Canadian national record. Gilbert has been Athletics Canada’s head coach since 2017.
FEMALE COACH OF THE YEAR – CHEYANNE FARQUHARSON
As head coach of the Rideau Canoe Club, Farquharson has overseen unprecedented success at the national level. In 2022, the club won its fourth consecutive Canoe Kayak Canada Burgee as the top Club in Canada.
The RCC had 14 athletes representing Canada internationally at the World Championships, U23 and Junior World Championships, and Olympic Hopes Regatta, capturing multiple medals including three at the World Championships. At the Canada Games, club members stepped onto the podium eight times. This is Farquharson’s second Coach of the Year award from the Ottawa Sports Awards, winning her first back in 2013.
MALE TEAM OF THE YEAR – CARLETON RAVENS MEN’S BASKETBALL
The Carleton Ravens won the U SPORTS men’s basketball national championship in 2022, lifting the trophy for the third straight season. In 2022, the perennial favourites were undefeated in regular season play but found themselves in unfamiliar territory as the number seven seed in the national championship tournament, having been defeated in the Ontario championship playoffs. However, the team’s experience and depth at the national tournament powered the Ravens to the banner as they won the gold medal game 85-72 after a thrilling one-point victory in the semifinal and a resounding 94-77 win in the opening round.
FEMALE TEAM OF THE YEAR – OTTAWA LIONS U18 GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
The hometown champions struck again, becoming just the second team in history to win back-to-back gold medals at the Canadian Cross Country Championships. After a one-point margin of victory in 2021, the defending champions were more emphatic in 2022 and secured the first place finish by 30 points. Amelia Van Braban was the team’s top finisher again, placing 18th overall, while the team’s top four were all in the top fifty.
LIFETIME AWARD – VOLUNTEER/ADMINISTRATOR: FEI TAM
The welcoming and encouraging head coach at Kanata Junior Badminton Club, Fei Tam has made an indelible mark as a volunteer and administrator for over 30 years. She has served the badminton community as President of the Ottawa and District Badminton Association (ODBA) since 2005, overseeing one of Canada’s most active badminton associations.
She has been the high school tournament convener for NCSSA and personally takes on the organization of the ODBA district championships. She has also acted as the ODBA webmaster and tournament umpire when required. A highly respected volunteer, she galvanizes others to join her on committees, as coaches, or simply as a tournament volunteer to ensure development opportunities for the membership from every age, including entry level players to the national level.
LIFETIME AWARD – TECHNICAL OFFICIAL: SEAN REID
It was a special moment for Sean Reid in 2022 when he stepped onto the ice at TD Place and was recognized for his 1000th career game as an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) official. His parents, including 2021 Ottawa Sports Awards honouree John, were in the stands as they had been throughout his long and impressive career in black and white.
In the OHL alone, Reid has officiated for 22 seasons, and was selected to his 12th OHL Championship Series in 2022. Highly respected by teams, players, and fellow officials, Reid is a veteran of multiple Memorial Cups, is a past winner of the OHL’s Bodie award for demonstrating a passion and dedication to officiating and the game of hockey, and best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice.
LIFETIME AWARD – COACH: ED FOURNIER
A part of the Ottawa Rowing Club (ORC) since 1988, Ed Fournier has coached athletes in provincial, national, and international competitions and counts more than 10 gold medal showings at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, including two in 2022. Currently the lead coach of the Senior Men’s Competitive Program at ORC, Fournier also heads the Carleton Ravens rowing team.
He has helped to not only inspire a love of the sport of rowing within his athletes, bringing them back to continue to compete year after year, but has inspired a generation of rowers to share their love of the sport with others by becoming coaches themselves. His achievements and lasting impact helping athletes reach their potential are felt in the rowing community in Ottawa and across Canada.
MAYOR’S CUP – TODD NICHOLSON AND EMILY GLOSSOP
As individuals, Todd Nicholson and Emily Glossop have made remarkable contributions first as athletes and later shaping the parasport landscape locally, nationally and internationally. As a team, they have had an outstanding impact through their tireless dedication and volunteerism, leading important movements in Ottawa and beyond.
Todd served as Team Canada’s sledge hockey captain for 15 years and competed at five consecutive Winter Paralympic Games from 1994-2010, winning gold, silver and bronze medals. Todd has since occupied a dizzying number of volunteer roles, including International Paralympic Committee Athletes’ Council chair, Canadian Paralympic team chef de mission, Games organizing committee advisor and the chair of Own The Podium.
For over two decades, Emily has worked to make sport more inclusive and accessible as an advocate and organizer. She competed internationally, winning numerous World Cup para-alpine medals as a guide skier for Kathleen Forestell. During her work as a recreation therapist at CHEO, Emily introduced many children to adaptive sport and she is now the executive director of the Abilities Centre Ottawa, fronting a movement to make more accessible sport and recreation opportunities available. Alongside Ausome Ottawa and the Ottawa Sport Council, Emily organized a summit of local sports leaders called Sport For All in Ottawa and followed up with the first Ottawa Inclusive and Para Sport Expo.
Emily and Todd are both inspiring speakers and representatives demonstrating the importance of physical activity for everyone, overcoming obstacles, and striving towards your goals.
LIFETIME AWARD – MEDIA: TERRY MARCOTTE
For nearly 40 years, Terry Marcotte had a front row seat for some of Ottawa’s major sporting events, and his work brought the stories of local athletes into the City’s living rooms each night. Marcotte covered Olympic and Paralympic athletes with the same passion and personal connection that he approached high school success stories and up and comers.
After beginning his career in journalism in New Brunswick, Marcotte came home to Ottawa and joined CTV Ottawa, then CJOH, in 1987. He became head of CTV Sports in 1999, and was soon a fixture at local practices, games, and events. He was also a mainstay on Team 1200, hosting Sportscall and frequently appearing on The Drive.
His tireless commitment to the sports community set him apart during his award-winning career. Now retired but a story-teller at heart, Marcotte has recently co-authored his first book, ‘Hockey Moms’ which explores the stories of unsung hockey heroes with the warmth and humour that have become his trademark.
Spirit of Sport Award: Trinity Lowthian
The Spirit of Sport Award celebrates those who have set a meaningful example for others through their personal journey in sport. It is presented by longtime Ottawa Citizen sports reporter, Martin Cleary. Trinity Lowthian is being recognized as the City’s top fencing athlete for 2022, thanks to her outstanding international results – four medals at the Pan-American Championships and a fifth place finish at the U23 World Wheelchair Fencing Championships. Her success has spurred Lowthian to pursue a place on Canada’s Paralympic team for 2024.
This has all happened rather quickly for Lowthian, a positive difference-maker who has faced significant health challenges. She grew up competing in biathlon, triathlon, and water polo before spending much of 2018-2020 as a patient at CHEO. Lowthian continued to experience lengthy hospital stays into 2021: her final two years of high school and her first two years of university were filled with health challenges.
Now, with a Hickman line, Total Parenteral Nutrition, and weekly Intravenous Immunoglobulin treatments, she has emerged onto the piste and found her niche. A nutrition sciences student at uOttawa, she is also contributing her lived experience to CHEO’s Research Institute.
Ottawa Sport Endowment: Ottawa Fencing Club, Parafencing Program
Investing in parafencing has already led to fantastic results for Trinity Lowthian and enhanced the experience of Ottawa Fencing Club able-bodied fencers. The club is looking to build on this starting point and offer a full a para-fencing program to give youth and adults with disabilities the opportunity to get involved and empowered through para-sport.
This will be the first parafencing specific program in Canada. A major reason why the sport is not able to grow is because of a lack of access, with this program, Ottawa Fencing will be increasing accessibility to the sport in Ottawa. The Ottawa Sport Endowment will provide $500 to the program.
Special Recognition Awards: Erika Hoffman
There is no Ottawa Sports Award for auto-racing, at least not yet. Erika Hoffman has made waves in the sport this past year, winning the Formula Woman international competition against a group of 75 drivers. Formula Woman is a motorsports entry opportunity for women of all ages with a passion for driving. In the final day of testing in Sweden, Hoffmann recorded the fastest lap time of the 11 women remaining and earned a place on the Formula Woman GT Cup Team.
The Barrhaven product started racing at Calabogie Motorsports Park where she also coaches young women and girls in auto-sport to inspire them to continue breaking ground in a traditionally male dominated industry.
Special Recognition Award: Dave Smith
Not only does he have the best hair in Ontario Lacrosse, Gloucester Griffins Junior B Lacrosse Club owner and General Manager Dave Smith received his 50-year volunteer award from the Ontario Lacrosse Association in 2022.
Smith founded the Jr B Griffins in 1978 and remains with the club to this day. He spent many years volunteering for the GLA minor organization, serving both as coach and president, providing the foundation and leadership that has grown Gloucester into the powerhouse that it is today.
The Special Recognition Awards are for individuals or groups who have contributed notably to their sport community in unique ways, such that other Ottawa Sport Awards may not clearly capture their contributions.
Archery: Eric Peters is a member of Canada’s Senior Recurve National Team and placed fifth at the 2022 Pan and Para Pan American Championships. The University of Waterloo student also competed at three World Cup events in 2022, including a 9th place finish in South Korea.
Athletics: Lauren Gale had an outstanding 2022 indoors and outdoors. She represented Canada at the World Athletics Indoor Championships on the 4x400m relay team which established a new national record, and her own new Canadian indoor record in the 400m while competing at the NCAA Indoor Championships. She also set national indoor records in the 200m and 300m and was a Mountain West conference champion and First Team All-American with Colorado State. Outdoors, she represented Canada at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. At the Canadian Outdoor Championships, she helped set a new club Canadian club record in the 4×400, winning gold.
Badminton: Alexander Bianchini is ranked #1 in Canada in Men’s Doubles and #2 in Men’s Singles. In 2022 he won gold at the U23 National Men’s Singles Championships. A member of the uOttawa Gee-Gees badminton team, he also won a silver medal at the Yonex Canadian University-College Badminton Champions in Mixed Doubles.
Baseball: Ty Hamilton was selected to the Canadian men’s junior national team and played in the 10-day World Baseball Softball Confederation U-18 Baseball World Cup in Florida. An outfielder and pitcher, he started all eight games, primarily in centre field, batting .222 and making 11 put-outs. He also earned one save as a pitcher. Ty was also one of 150 Canadians with draft eligibility invited to the Toronto Blue Jays Canadian Futures Showcase.
Basketball: Cassandre Prosper is a guard out of Capital Courts Academy and was the Finals MVP for the 2022 Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association Final 8 High School Championships. She was also the season’s league MVP, averaging 23.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. A U16 National Team member in 2021, Prosper will be a member of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish next season.
Wheelchair Basketball: Desmond O’Shaughnessy was selected to represent Ontario at the 2022 Junior National Championship in Charlottetown, PEI. Desmond was also invited to attend the 2022-2023 Team Ontario selection camps, and will be on Ontario’s team at the 2023 Canada Winter Games.
Biathlon: Shilo Rousseau was a quadruple champion at the 2022 Canadian Biathlon Championships in Prince George, B.C. Rousseau won the junior women’s 7.5 km sprint, 10 km pursuit, 10 km mass start, and she combined with Troy Martel to win the junior mixed relay for Ontario. Rousseau also teamed with uOttawa Gee-Gees teammate Zoe Pekos for bronze in the women’s team sprint at the Canadian Colleges and University Nordic Championships, and was named to Canada’s team for the FISU World University Games.
Bobsleigh: Mike Evelyn made his Olympics debut in 2022 at the the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. Evelyn and teammates finished 7th in the 2-man event and 9th in the 4-man event. In the four-man competition the team moved up from 11th on the final day of competition, improving on their previous world ranking by three positions.
5 Pin Bowling: France Hotte helped Team Southern Ontario to an undefeated record at the 2022 Master Bowlers Association of Canada Nationals. Hotte’s overall average score was 187 at the nationals, where she also placed fourth in the teaching women’s singles event. Hotte was hottest in Southern Ontario’s most crucial matches against Northern Ontario – the second-place team that won every other duel.
Boxing: Alexander Moghadam of Ottawa Fight and Fitness was runner-up in the youth 60 kg male event at the 2022 Ontario Golden Gloves provincial championships. The Colonel By Secondary student has been selected to Team Ontario, Youth Medalists.
Canoe/Kayak Sprint: Brianna Hennessy reached new heights in 2022. A member of Canada’s 2021 Paralympic Team, Hennessy reached the podium twice at the 2022 Canoe and Paracanoe World Senior Sprint Championships, medalling for the first time at that event. Hennessy captured silver in the women’s paracanoe VL2 200 metres and bronze in the KL2 parakayak event.
Canoe/Kayak Whitewater: Lois Betteridge was the C-1 champion at the 2022 Canadian team selection competition, and went on to have the top senior Canadian results internationally this season overall, including a 35th-place finish at the World Championships. At the season-opening ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Prague, she also earned the best Canadian placement with a 21st-place performance.
Cricket: Manvir Mankoo plays with the Cumberland Cricket Club and as a All Rounder was the top player leading the league with a total score overall with 6276 points. Playing 33 matches he had a batting score of 3756 and bowling was 2020. Manvir was a key player for the Cumberland Cricket Club which won all three cups that the Ottawa Valley Cricket Council offered in 2022.
Cross Country Running: Saul Taler was the OFSAA Junior Boys champion in 2022. At OFSAA, Taler crossed the finish line three seconds ahead of the runner up. A grade ten student at Glebe Collegiate, Taler also took the gold medal at the NCSSAA City Championship and placed second at the NCSSAA East Conference championship.
Curling: Collinda Joseph made her Paralympic debut at the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games. She was an alternate on the team that won bronze at the Games, with an 8-3 win over Slovakia to clinch the medal. A member of Team Canada since 2019, Joseph was named to Canada’s mixed doubles team for the 2023 World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championship – the second edition of the championship.
Cycling: Derek Gee was a Canadian Champion in the Individual Time trials and 19th at the 2022 World Championships Individual Time trial.
Diving: Kathryn Grant set a new provincial record in the 1 metre event for her age group of girls 16-18. Grant completed her competition season with 13 provincial medals in 17 competitions, including 8 gold medals. At the Junior National Championships she finished in the top 4 and was selected to attend the Junior World Trials event. She is in her first year of competition at the University of Utah and has already established a program Top 10 score.
Equestrian: Rayne Dubois and two-year partner Dublin won two Grand Prix events at Wesley Clover Parks in 2022. They proved the fastest pair in the seven rider-horse combination jump-off and also won the Ottawa Welcome tournament.
Fencing: Trinity Lowthian recorded excellent international results in 2022, competing at the World U23 Wheelchair Fencing Championships and the Pan-American Championships. At the World U23 Trinity, a class B wheelchair athlete competed against class A fencers and placed fifth in the world U23 foil competition, as well as sixth in the epee and sabre disciplines. Although there were no medals for her class, she was the top B class wheelchair fencer at the world U23s. At the Pan-American championships, a qualifying event for the 2024 Paralympics, Lowthian only competed against class-B fencers and claimed one silver and three bronze medals in sabre, foil, and team competitions.
Field Hockey: Rowan Harris started 2022 with a huge victory – she was in goal as Canada’s senior women’s national team shutout USA 1-0 to win bronze at the Pan American Cup and send Canada to its first women’s field hockey World Cup since 1994. Harris also had outstanding performances in goal for Canada at the Commonwealth Games, helping the team to match its best-ever placement with fifth. Harris now has 49 caps for Canada.
Figure Skating: David Shteyngart is Canada’s 2022 men’s singles novice champion. He also claimed the men’s singles title at the Skate Canada Challenge, and is on the Skate Canada short list for his first international competition. This is his second straight Ottawa Sports Award.
Football: James Peter was selected as an OUA All-Star and First Team All-Canadian at linebacker in his senior season with the uOttawa Gee-Gees. Before the 2022 season he started at the East-West Bowl, and following his all-star campaign which saw him lead OUA in tackles, the alumnus of Mother Teresa H.S. was invited to attend the College Gridiron Camp in Texas for the top draft-eligible football players in North America.
Aussie Rules Football: Jordan Harcombe is captain of the Ottawa Swans Men’s Team and had multiple accomplishments during the 2022 season. Jordan received the AFL Ontario Men’s Nest & Fairest award – the third Swan to win the award. Additionally, he was named to the Northwind Squad for the 2023 & 2024 International Cup.
Touch Football: Erika Bennett is one of the top centres in Ontario for the Toronto Rebels touch football team. Erika is a 2022 National and Provincial Champion as a member of the Rebels.
Goalball: Amy Burk was the second highest scorer overall at December’s Goalball World Championship with 43 goals in 10 games. The Canadian women’s goalball team veteran led Canada to a 7-0 record in round robin play, including a win over the reigning Paralympic champions. Canada won its quarter-final over Great Britain but lost its semi-final and bronze medal match to finish just off the podium in fourth.
Golf: James Newton is on the Team Canada Junior Squad and was recently named to Team Canada NextGen. In the past year, he placed 8th in the Canadian Junior Boys Championship, and was the champion of 2022 Quebec Men’s Spring Open (amateur division). Newton is in his first season golfing at Rutgers University.
Artistic Gymnastics: Jenna Lalonde is a Senior National Team Member and was on the bronze medal-winning team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. At the Games, Lalonde also recorded a fifth place finish in bars. At the AA Canadian Championships in May, Lalonde won silver on beam and was fourth on bars. She also achieved a fourth place finish in bars at an international event in Germany in March.
Rhythmic Gymnastics: Cynthia Zhang was a member of the team that captured a Senior Canadian National Team title at the 2022 Canadian Championships in May.
Hockey: Jamie Lee Rattray was a major force as Team Canada dominated the 2022 Olympic Games tournament with an undefeated record, capped by a 3-2 victory over USA in the final. Rattray’s five goals in seven games tied for sixth-most in the tournament and she scored the game-winner against USA in the round robin stage. At the IIHF Women’s World Championship the Canadians lost a preliminary stage game to the Americans but won every other contest, including the 2-1championship final over USA. Rattray was plus-five and scored one goal at Worlds.
Ball Hockey: Elysia Desmier-Pelletier was a member of Canada’s gold medal-winning team at the 2022 Women’s World Championship. After four wins in five group stage contests, the Canadians pulled through with 3-2 victories over Slovakia and Czech Republic in the playoff round to win the world title. With one goal and six assists in seven games, Elysia was the top scorer out of Ottawa’s big five-member Team Canada contingent, and she was also inducted into the Canada Ball Hockey Hall of Fame in 2022.
Judo: Ben Kendrick claimed the gold medal in the Senior Men 100kg category at the 2022 North American Championships. He also took gold in the event at the Jason Morris Cup, and placed 5th at the US Open.
Karate: Karim Ghaly, a student at the University of Ottawa competed in the 2022 University Combat Sports World Cup and earned a bronze medal. Originally from Egypt, Ghaly was the top-ranked member of Team Canada in individual Kata heading into the event.
Lacrosse: Tristan Thompson plays field lacrosse with St. Mark C.H.S. and box lacrosse for both the Gloucester Griffins and Nepean Knights. She plays for the Knights’ U22 team at 15 years old – which makes her the youngest on the roster by at least two years. She was a defender on Team Ontario at the Canada Games and was involved in the passing sequence which led to the gold-medal winning goal.
Lawn Bowling: David Jefferies skipped the winning team in the District 16 Senior Pairs Championship as well as the Ontario fours team that downed Quebec for the Willingdon Cup at the annual Governor General’s Lawn Bowling Tournament (where he’s competed a record 16 times). The Galetta Lawn Bowls Club player also emerged from the 40-player Ontario Singles Championship field to earn one of six available berths for the Canadian Championships.
Orienteering: Robert Graham participated in the 2022 Orienteering World Games where he placed 11th with the relay team. A member of Orienteering Ottawa, he also placed 31st in the individual middle event – Canada’s top finisher. He has been a Team Canada program athlete since 2021.
Para Ice Hockey: Tyrone Henry helped Canada to a silver medal finish in para ice hockey at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. A seven-year veteran on the national team, Henry served as assistant captain at the Beijing Games. Locally, the defenceman is a key member of Sledge Hockey Eastern Ontario which saw four members on the silver-medal winning squad in China. 2022 also saw Henry on the podium with Canada at the International Para Hockey Cup, adding a second silver medal. Henry is a four-time Ottawa Sports Award recipient as the top para ice hockey athlete in the city, and was also recognized as a member of the Ottawa Rowing Club team as a Henley champion in 2013.
Parasport: Bianca Borgella set national records in the T-13 100m and 400m events this year and is ranked first in Canada in the 200m as well. She was a gold medallist in the 100m and 400m, and ran the anchor leg of the gold medal-winning U20 4x100m relay team.
Ringette: Sara Hayami was the youngest member of the USA National Ringette team which won the President’s Cup at the 2022 World Championships. A Grade 12 student at Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School, Sara was Team USA’s MVP in their round robin game. Sara also found success with her AAA Blue Team in 2022 winning the Ringette Ontario AAA Championship. Locally Sara plays on the Nepean Ravens U19AA team and she is a member of the Ringette Ontario AAA Orange team which recently won the AAA Challenge Cup.
Rowing: Josh King is a member of the Ottawa Rowing Club and Canada’s senior national team. Josh is part of the Men’s Lightweight program and was the .No. 2 seat in the men’s eight boat, when Canada placed fifth in the World Championships in Račice, Czech Republic. and 6th at the World Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Rugby: Ketsia Kamba was named a 2022 U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian, a U SPORTS National Championship Tournament All-Star, and an RSEQ First Team All-Star. Kamba scored points in all three games – five tries total – at the U SPORTS National Championship, helping the uOttawa Gee-Gees to the national bronze medal.
Wheelchair Rugby: Patrice Dagenais was a member of Team Canada roster for 2022. Performances included two medal placements with a silver medal at the 2022 Canada Cup and a silver medal at the 2022 WWR Americas Championship. Off the court, Patrice is the Chair of the Domestic Programs Committee for Wheelchair Rugby Canada, Chair of the National Championships Organizing Committee, in addition to coaching the Ottawa Stingers.
Shooting: Brian LaGroix represented Canada at the Muzzle Loaders Association International Confederation World Championships, where he finished 12th out of 52 in one event, and 39th out of 96 competitors in another event. At the Canadian MLAIC nationals LaGroix came in first in the 50m event, and obtained second place in the 25m single shot percussion event.
Skeleton: Mirela Rahneva was ranked eighth in the world heading into 2022 and climbed the rankings with strong performances at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games as well as the World Cup circuit. In Beijing, Rahneva posted the fastest time in the field in the first heat, ultimately placing 5th at her second Olympic Games. Late in 2022, she captured a World Cup gold medal in Park City, Utah – it was her fourth career World Cup gold medal.
Alpine Skiing: Hannah Schmidt advanced to the ski cross small final in her Olympics debut at the 2022 Beijing Games. Finishing third in the small final, Schmidt placed seventh overall. On the World Cup circuit, she earned a silver medal to open the 2022-2023 season. It was her first World Cup podium finish, and she added a fifth place World Cup finish to round out 2022.
Freestyle Skiing: Aaron Turnau has been skiing at Calabogie peaks since he was three years old and got into freestyle skiing when he was approximately eight years of age. Now 17, Aaron was ranked 4th in Ontario Freestyle in early 2022 and moved up to 2nd place by the end of the season. Aaron will compete at the Canada Winter Games in February 2023.
Nordic Skiing: Katherine Stewart-Jones made her Olympic debut at Beijing 2022 where she competed in five events: the 10km classic, skiathlon, 30km mass start, 4x5km relay, and team sprint. She broke into the top 30 in the skiathlon and 30km mass start and helped the 4x5km relay team to a ninth place finish.
Snowboarding: Alexandre Cadieux is a member of the Ontario Snowboard Provincial team and was chosen to represent Canada in snowboard cross at the 2023 FISU World University Games. A uOttawa student, he also competed at four Nor-Am Cup events in 2022 and was second at an FIS event in February.
Soccer: Annabelle Chukwu spent time with three women’s national teams in 2022, including being called up to the Senior Women’s National Team for a pair of international friendlies in Brazil. She earned a FIFA Player of the Match award at the U17 World Cup, and helped the U15 national team to a second place finish at CONCACAF. She was the top goal scorer in the U15 OPDL league, winning the Premier Division Championship with Ottawa South United, and was the top goal scorer at the Ontario Summer Games. She is now training at Canada Soccer’s national development centre.
Softball: Jordanna Hartley is in her third season at the University of Ottawa and is the team’s top pitcher. Her ERA was 3.285 which ranked among the leaders in the university league (OUS). She also maintained a batting average of .317 and was named an OUS All-Star for the second time in her career.
Special Olympics: Katie Xu competed in the 2022 Canada Summer Games for swimming and had a stellar performance. Katie placed on the podium in four of her five events, including a gold medal in the 50m breaststroke. She also earned bronze in the 50m and 100m backstroke events, and raced to silver in 100m freestyle.
Long Track Speed Skating: Ivanie Blondin and Isabelle Weidemann shared the 2021 Athlete of the Year Award with almost identical seasons, but in 2022 Blondin and Weidemann took different paths to sharing the award. The duo climbed to the top of the Olympic podium together, earning the gold medal in Team Pursuit. Blondin added a silver in the mass start to her Olympic haul, while Weidemann raced to silver in the 5000m and bronze in the 3000m and carried Canada’s flag into the closing ceremonies. In World Cup action, Blondin started the 2022-23 circuit on a tear with six individual medals including a gold in mass start, with Weidemann earning a bronze and silver in the 3000m. The pair has captured two World Cup gold medals in team pursuit. Simply put, they remain at the top of the speed skating world and were among Canada’s most successful athletes in 2022.
Short Track Speed Skating: Matthew Freitag saw steady improvement over the course of 2022, improving his personal bests in the 500m, 100m, and 1500m by significant margins. He won a Quebec Provincial event to qualify to race in the Quebec Elite series in the future, and also qualified for Ontario’s Canada Winter Games team thanks to a second place finish.
Squash: Iman Shaheen was one of four women to represent Canada at the 2022 World Squash Federation’s World Junior Championship in August. In December, she was the winner of the Canadian Junior U19 Open, prevailing in the final in four sets including an 11-2 win in the first. She fought back from a first set defeat in the semifinal to win in four sets as well.
Swimming: Julie Brousseau joined Canada’s National Development Team Program this year and followed up with outstanding results. A student at Nepean High School and member of the Nepean Barracudas, Brousseau tied the record for most medals won at a single Canada Games, winning 11 total including six golds. She then competed at the Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, placing sixth in the 200m breaststroke. At Trials, she set seven personal best times and had the top time by a junior-age athlete in the 200m breaststroke. She qualified for 4 senior finals at Trials.
Artistic Swimming: Madison Murphy was a member of the Ontario Provincial Team that represented Canada at the 2022 Youth Artistic Swimming World Championships, where the team finished 4th overall. Madison won several medals with her club in 2022, including a gold medal in team and a silver medal in solo at the Ontario Cup Championships, and a silver medal in team at the Canadian National Championships.
Taekwondo: Benjamin Tait was named to Canada’s national team for the 2022 World Junior Championships as well as the Pan American Junior Championships, where he achieved a third place finish in the 68 kg category. At the World Championships, he advanced to the round of 32.
Tennis: Anna-Raphaëlle Serghi claimed two national championship singles titles in back-to-bak weeks. She first captured the U16 national title and followed up with a victory in the U18 National Championship match, winning in straight sets, 6-0, 6-3. She was also the U18 Ontario Provincial Champion.
Trampoline: Lara Fainstat started the season with a 12th place finish at the 1st Ontario Cup. She raised her game at the 2nd Ontario Cup and received a silver medal. Lara completed her season as Level 13 and under Provincial Champion.
Triathlon: Miguel Alvarez trains with Bytown Storm and is a member of Development Team Ontario. He won the bronze medal at the Draft Legal junior men’s Ontario Provincial Championships.
Ultimate Frisbee: Brandon Adibe was named to the U24 Canadian National Team and will represent Canada at the World Championships in 2023. In 2022, he led the Carleton Ravens in goals, interceptions, and plus minus. His play helped Carleton secure a division two win at the Canadian University Ultimate Championship. He is also a member of the Ottawa Outlaws.
Beach Volleyball: Owen Pickering and Simon Bourne won the U18 Beach National Championships, losing only two sets in the tournament to finish with a 10-o record. The Ottawa Fusion duo defeated the privincial champions from B.C., Quebec, and Ontario on their route to gold.
Volleyball: Victoria Potvin, a member of Mavericks Volleyball Club, was selected for the 2022-23 Team Ontario Elite program. She was also a member of Team Ontario at the 2022 Canada Games.
Water Polo: Bogdan Djerkovic represented Canada at the 2022 FINA World League Super Final and the 2022 FINA World Championships. Now in his fourth season wtih the University of the Pacific, he was selected as the playoff MVP as he helped lead Pacific to a Gold Coast Conference championship, scoring a team-high four goals in the championship game.
Weightlifting: Julia Ryan was a 2022 Provincial Champion and the top-ranked Ontario athlete throughout the season in the women’s 87 kg category. She lifted a combined 195 kg in the snatch and clean-and-jerk events to win the provincial championship by a comfortable 17 kg margin. Julia also placed fifth in Canada at the senior nationals in B.C.
Wrestling: Kai Harada of the National Capital Wrestling Club placed 5th at the 2022 Canadian Junior Wrestling Trials. At the Canada Summer Games, Kai dislocated his shoulder but kept fighting, as did Ontario. When his shoulder returned to its proper location and the dust settled, Ontario won the duel, 32-16, to capture the gold.
Badminton:
Dani Roth and Katie Fong, St. Peter C.H.S: OFSAA Champions
Baseball:
East Nepean Little League Junior Eagles: Ontario Junior Champions, 3rd in Canada – Nolan Beelen, Oliver Bloomfield, Evan Campbell, Jacob Elyea, Nelson Kaluza, David Kelly, Grayden Larose, Reid Maika, Charlie McDougall, Justin Morris, Evan Tao, Cameron White, Coaches: Paul Bloomfield, Jeffrey Maika, Andrew Morris
Basketball:
Capital Courts: OSBA Provincial Champions – Jahda Denis, Nyadieng Yiech, Aislin McBurney, Jessica Wangolo, Cassandre Prosper, Rebecca Milon, Ella Take, Achol Akot, Megan Hollingsworth, Catrina Garvey, Hannah Watson, Bailey Russell, Alex-Anne Bessette. Head Coach: Fabienne Blizzard
Carleton Ravens Men: U SPORTS National Champions – Elliot Bailey, Simon Chamberlain, Nelson Cilien, Ivan Cucak, Biniam Ghebrekidan, Reginald Jean Seraphin, Khalifa Koulamallah, Wazir Latiff, Alain Louis, Marjok Okado, Lloyd Pandi, Gebrael Samaha, Grant Shephard, Emmanuel Ugbah, Cordell Veira, Connor Vreeken, Aiden Warnholtz. Coaches and staff: Taffe Charles, Davy Sanelus, Pat Sullivan, Eric Parthenais, Nick Westcott, Gabrielle Nickoluk
Cricket:
Cumberland Cricket Club: OVCC Champions – Amarjit Singh, Manjeet Singh, Kamaldeep Singh, Ajay Pooni, Manvir Singh, Randeep Singh, Tanveer Singh, Navdeep Singh, Dalwinderjit Singh, Mayank Sharma, Karanjeet Singh, Hafiz Yasir, Sumeet Bhardwaj, Gurinderbeer Singh, Saurabh Bhanot
Cross Country Running:
Ottawa Lions U18 Girls: Athletics Canada National Champions – Amelia Van Brabant, Jocelyn Giannotti, Louise Stonham Quinn Coughlin, Kate Johnston-Zemek, Madeleine Seaby, Hana Kamel, Koree Yach, Allison Soler, Sofia Lefaivre, Grace Streek, Aoife Swandel, Morgane McKay, Elise Davison, Kayla Wilton, Jennifer Desbarats, Mariam Abada, Juliette Murchison, Emma Nash. Coaches: Kirk Dillabaugh, Lorraine McKenzie-Presley, and Sarya Ross
Immaculata CHS Saints Junior Boys: OFSAA Champions – Matteo Padoin-Castillo, Will McGregor, Aleks Meehan Noah Smith
Curling:
Rideau Curling Club – Howard Rajala Rink: Everest Canadian Senior Curling Champions – Howard Rajala (skip), Rich Moffatt (third), Chris Fulton (second), Paul Madden (lead), Phil Daniel (alternate)
Figure Skating:
Lilly Napier and Joshua Dore: Skate Ontario Novice Pairs Champions, National Silver Medal
Football:
St. Matthew’s Tigers Varsity – OFSAA National Capital Bowl Champions – Jahim Kabongo, Dyllan Katako, Jackson Plante, Hugo Djeumeni, Logan Johnson-Graham, Malcolm Burnett, Cole Hamilton, William Savard, Antonio Bonhomme, John Byrne, Benjamen Landry, Seyiram Soga, Mannix Mayorga, Jeff Tchakote, Nick O’Reilly, Mya Sluban, Scott Hampson, Victor Nwadike Dim, Kwabena Opoku, Erdem Tas, Williem Leclair, Morgan Deslauriers, Yannick Cyuzuzo, Jezreel Belizaire, Phineas Liberty, Fabrice JN Philippe, Bashille Hachokake, Zak Haniny, Justin Molinier, Aidan Kearney, James Hiemstra, Connor Eagen, David Pae, Ellie Batenga, Christopher Booth, Withchelie Louima, Nick Kosavic, Carson Lemanis, Christos Zigoumis, Diego Orellana, Marcus Murphy, Kian Malloy, Michael Ejike, Pawel Radwanski, Hasan Al Kassem, Neil Latimer
Cumberland Panthers U12: Football Ontario Fall Cup Provincial Champions – Alexandre Anderson, Amari Berlin, Andrew Tremblay, Antoine Drouin, Antoni Clement, Blake Gaucher, Caleb Tim, Cooper Farrell, Ethan Blank, Evan Nicholls, Jack Girouard, Jakob Grosset, Jaxson Wilson, Jeremiah Bwana, Joseph Boulos, Kallen Doth, Keli Asem, Kemar Bailey, Leo Gingras, Liam Bouchard, Liam Credicott, Maxim Lalonde, Miguel Boileau, Novak Drouin, Rocco Della Vedova, Samuel Beaulieu, Troy Leroux, Willens St-Surin
Judo:
Allyn Takahashi and Tony Walby: 1st place at Canadian Nationals, 1st place at Kata Worlds
Lacrosse:
Nepean Knights Jr. B: Ontario and Canadian Champions – Liam Aston, Nick Bafia, Isaac Bennett, Jacob Cox, Colby DeMora, Callan Dent, James Donnelly, Jared Downey, Nolan Downey, Willem Firth, Joe Gasperetti, Michael Green, Mathias Houlahan, Thomas Jones, Thomas Kiazyk, Nate Lassenba, Colin McKinnon, Liam McLeod, Isiah Moran-Weeks, Tristan Nicholson, Connor Nock, Brodie OConnell, Sam Parent, Nick Pelletier, Zach Poirior, Ethan Rogers, Max Skene, Justin Stevenson, Josh Sweet, Owen Tasse, Payton Tasse, Isaac Wills, Owen Wills, Dax Windeyer, Nate Woods, Cameron York, Dylan Young. Head Coach: Matt Firth
Para Ice Hockey:
Ottawa Open Sledge Hockey Team: Ontario Champions – Doug O’Keefe, Sean O’Keefe, Nathan Sparks, Michele Charette, Angelo Gavillucci, Carey Blackned, Eric Lonz, Ryker Jeffrey, Chad Stoppa. Coaches: Rolly Desrochers and Mike Abram
Rowing:
Ottawa Rowing Club – Senior Lightweight Women: 3 gold medals at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta – Alyssa Pastic, Anne-Andrée Sirois, Megan Jolley, Brigitte Gaudert, Isabelle Ngo. Coach: Zak Lewis
Rugby:
Barrhaven Scottish Junior 7s U16 Boys: Ontario Junior Club 7s Champions – Finlay MacCorquodale, Graham Dunn, Julian Escobar, Nick Rakobowchuk, Owen McConnell, Will Wright, Colson Clost, Andrew Stevenson, Brendan Bergin, Justin Lee, Kyle Shibata, Lane Moffatt, Luuk Ordeman, Waka Raina, Vince Martin, Emmett Skafel, Cameron Schafer, Marshall Trumble. Coaches: Erick Ordeman, Jason Crew Gee, Paul Shibata, Anne MacCorquodale, Caroline Martin
Blirish Junior Women U18: Ontario Junior Club 7s Champions – Mackenzie Cosh, Disa Bonham-Carter, Elena Dosen, Nouhaila Fellahi, Miya Kachi, Macy McDonell, Ainsley McDonell, Maia Milito, Sarah (Jiggy) Schonfeld, Allison Skeggs, Ashlyn Somerville, Leila Tenekjian. Coaches: Ian McDonell, Rupert Bonham-Carter
Artistic Swimming:
GO Capital Artistic Swimming Junior Competitive Team: 2022 Ontario Open Champions – Julie Clay, Frederique Desjardins, Lara Joslin-Lee, Chloe McAllister, Alexa Murphy, Melissa Pilon, Catherine Prystupa-Maule, Ella Smith. Coaches: Amelie Proulx & Maryia Kazartsava
GO Capital Artistic-Swimming Junior Comp Free Duet: 2022 Ontario Open Champions – Alexa Murphy and Melissa Pilon, Coached by Kristina Anagnosti
GO Capital Artistic Swimming 13-15 HP Team: 2022 Ontario Open Champions – Kaylie Duc, Katerina Koldachenko, Madison Murphy, Eliana Liu, Ella Virtanen, Katelyn Godsell, Alyssa Tofinetti, Sierra He. Coaches: Brooke Whitney & Kiera Hughes
GO Capital Artistic Swimming Junior HP Combo: 2022 Ontario Open Champions – Sonia Dunn, Clara Thomas, Anna Tait, Hana Lina Lalovic, Nicole Sabo, Stefanie Gavrilovic, Sally Ralph, Lily Duc, Kaisa Virtanen. Coaches: Genevieve Beauregard-Ross & Katie Simanzik
GO Capital Artistic Swimming Junior Free Duet: 2022 Ontario Open Champions – Sonia Dunn and Clara Thomas. Coaches: Genevieve Beauregard-Ross & Brooke Whitney
Soccer:
uOttawa Gee-Gees Women: OUA Champions, FISU Americas Gold Medallists – Olivia Allen, Rufina Abdurusul, Véronique Bolduc, Soumaya Bouak, Eva Bouity, Katie Brzozowski, Chanelle Chaput, Ella Chase, Rosalie Côté, Katerine Delev, Adriane Devlin, Nibo Dlamini, Ciara Dunne, Trinity Esprit, Yulan Farias, Tessa Frangione, Angelina Gendreau, Élianne Gervais, Mariah Harper, Kaylane Hogue, Cassidy Joslin, Olivia Krzywonos, Kayla Kyle, Juliann Lacasse, Janea Mallitt, Allana Oriente, Cassandra Provost, Giuliana Quattrocchi, Maya Smith, Avery Thomas, Hailey Walsh, Cooper Lee, Stephanie Roberts. Coaches: Steve Johnson, Veronica Mazzella, Stuart Barbour, Jean Berchan, David Bellemare, Mark Fowler, Joanna Geck
Ottawa South United Force U15 girls: Ontario Summer Games & OPDL League Provincial Champions – Kate Thom, Sienna Caruso, Isla Dupuis, Kathrine Ozard, Grace O’Grady, Zoe Mclauchlan, Brooklyn Menard, Frankie Mureta, Annabelle Chukwu, Isabelle Chukwu, Cassandra Chabot, Kayla Di Tiero, Jamie Platt, Vayda Rajhathy. Head Coach: David Fox, Assistant Coach: Sara Ruiz
Ottawa South United Force U14 girls: OPDL League & Charity Shield Provincial Champions – Ava Blinn, Matison Bilow, Julianna Zappavigna, Gracie Kent, Danielle Chukwu, Reese Kay (Captain), Naomi Lofthouse (Captain), Felicia Hanisch, Jenny Yuan, Cindy Yang, Nuala Gibbs, Carina Downey, Mya Angus, Mia Ugarte, Danica Menard
Gloucester Celtic FC Senior Men: Provincial and National Champions – Kieran Sanders, Bezick Evraire, Karl Bicamumpaka, Adam Davies, Yale Chadsey, Joey Kewin, Jethro Pang, Cameron Butterfield, Matt Williams, Matt Gagnon, Phil Sangster, Corey Herrington, Alex De Couvreur, Justin Dasah, Félix Daigle, Emmanuel Desjeunes, Kelvin Asabre, Milosh Stojanovic, Andrew Bryan, Olivier Babineau, Nevello Yoseke, Panagiotis Manginas
Ultimate:
Wicked Ultimate Junior Girls – Ontario Champions, 3rd Place at Nationals – Allison Gorber, Kate Clement, Brooklyn Cheer, Callia Bouse, Emma Beaulieu, Sophie Belanger, Nel Hyndman, Hillary Boehm-Edwards, Rebecca Mooder, Amanda Mellway, Lauryn Bess, Lily Sue-Ping, Lilianne (Lili) Shannon, Olivia Mellway, Grace Gauthier, Dia Heard, Carsey Xie, Charlie Boulanger, Mackenzie Roussel, Keira Kennedy, Laura Storey, Khoi Brooks, Senna Bains, Tessa Sawler, Kira Watson, Ocean Wendler
Ignite Junior Boys: Ontario Champions – Henry Allen, Noah Bérubé, Cameron Brown, Owen Daigeler, Aydan Eng, Liam Fecteau, Theo Gobeil, Liam Hill, Kai Hyndman, Hugh Kelly, Bee Kim, Rohan Lange, Cédric Lapointe, Fraser Lyon, Mateo Marshall, Kaden Millett, Roth Mohring, Justin Mooder, Tristan Roy, Jessie Sellars, Carter Walker, Rowan Zaitlin
Water Polo:
Ottawa Titans Senior Men: Senior Men’s National Champions – Aleksa Gardijan, Andrei Djukic, Aner Klino, Aria Solemanipak, Charles Bouwer, David Lapins, Dusan Aleksic, Jonathan Ruse, Leandro Velazquez, Matija Dabic, Ogi Gutovic, Raphael Siegel, Robert Djukic, Spence Thomson, Zoltan Csepregi. Head Coach: Andras Szeri
Ottawa Titans U17 Girls: Eastern Canadian Champions – Amanda Lee, Katarina Loder, Eva Milinkovic, Lillian Wheatley, Ãlie Vincent, Alexia Dragoiescu, Christina Tole, Alexandra Tole, Sarah Boehm, Sarah Alexander, Charly Willis, Karima Al-aoussi. Coaches Owen Kennedy, Michael Wheatley, Glen Keelan