Jun. 09, 2022
The Ottawa Sports Awards dinner for the 2021 award recipients is one week away! The event will be held at the Canadian Golf and Country Club on June 16.
In addition to the Major Award Winners and Lifetime Award Winners previously announced, celebrating at the event will be individual sport award winners and championship teams at the provincial, national, or international level from 2021.
The individual award winners for 2021 include 17 members of Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic teams from Tokyo and Beijing. Of those, Alicia Brown, Patrice Dagenais, Mike Evelyn, Tyrone Henry, and Lisa Weagle are expected to attend the event.
Additionally, the Ottawa Sports Awards will present Joe McLean with a Special Recognition award. McLean has been involved in the Ottawa Valley Golf Association and the golfing scene in Ottawa for nearly 40 years, stretching back to the 1980s. His work with Flagstick Magazine to profile players and tournaments have always told the story of golf in Ottawa. He has also worked with the Golf Historical Society of Canada and recently published a comprehensive history of the PGA of Canada – Ottawa Valley Zone.
Ticket sales for the event are now closed. For media enquiries, please contact [email protected]
Archery: Eric Peters was ranked number 53 in the world in 2021. The University of Waterloo student is a member of Canada’s national team and placed eighth at a World Cup event in Guatemala in 2021, as well as a top twenty finish at the Lausanne World Cup event. He placed 33rd at the 2021 World Championships.
Athletics: Alicia Brown returned to the Olympic Games in 2021 and helped Canada’s 4×400 metre relay team to a fourth place finish, matching the team’s performance at the Rio Games which Brown also competed at. She was the 2021 national champion in the 400m, and set a new personal best in the 400 at an Athletics Canada Qualifier Series event in Montreal.
Basketball: Noah Kirkwood returned to the court with Harvard in 2021 for his senior season which was full of accolades. He was an unanimous All-Ivy League First-Team selection and was a three-time Ivy League Player of the Week, leading his team in scoring with 17.7 points per game.
Bobsleigh: Mike Evelyn’s 2021 season was highlighted by a gold medal performance at the Europe Cup in the four-man event alongside a silver medal in the two-man. He also had top ten performances in both events at a World Cup event in Konigssee, Germany, and at the World Championships where he was part of Canada’s tenth place 4-man crew and ninth-place two-man sled.
Boxing: Emelia Dermott is a four-time national champion and in 2021 was selected to represent Ontario at the Boxing Canada talent identification camps.
Canoe/Kayak Sprint: Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka captured gold medals in the 200m and 500m kayak races at the 2021 Canadian U18 Championships. Besharah-Hrebacka followed that up with a bronze medal performance in the 200m and a fifth place finish in the 500m at the U18 World Championships. A member of the Rideau Canoe Club, she was named to Canada’s 2022 sprint world cup team.
Canoe/Kayak Whitewater: Cam Smedley returned to the Olympics in 2021, making his second appearance. In Tokyo, he placed sixteenth in the C-1 men’s event. This is the eighth Ottawa Sports Award for Smedley as the Canoe/Kayak Whitewater athlete winner.
Cross Country Running: Amelia Van Brabant was the NCSSAA senior girls champion, representing Earl of March. She is a member of the Ottawa Lions U18 team which won the national cross country championship, placing 12th individually at that event. She also won the women’s 3000 metre event at the Ontario U20 Championships, and placed second in the 3000m at the Ontario U18 Championships.
Crossfit: Pierre Cleroux competes in the senior division of crossfit and had a very successful 2021. He ranked second in Canada, tenth in North America, and eleventh in the world.
Curling: Lisa Weagle was named an all-star at the 2021 Scotties Tournament of Hearts after shooting a tournament-best ninety per cent. With Team Jones, Weagle won the 2021 Olympic Qualifier, earning the right to represent Canada at her second Olympic Games.
Cycling: Derek Gee made his Olympic debut in 2021 as member of Canada’s track cycling team. There, he helped Canada to a fifth place finish in team pursuit. Also in 2021, Gee took bronze in two events at the national road racing championships. This is the third Ottawa Sports Award for Gee as the cycling athlete winner.
Diving: Kate Miller placed second in the platform event at the Canada Cup, the Junior World Qualifier, and the Junior Pan Am Qualifier. At the senior level, she was third at the Olympic Trials on the platform. She took fourth in the 3-metre at the Junior World Qualifier and was eighth in the event at the Olympic Trials.
Fencing: Joel Gervais returned to competition in 2021 and captured a bronze medal in the U20 men’s foil at the Canadian Championship. He added an eighth place finish in the Men’s Open event.
Field Hockey: Nityanand Rewankar of the Gloucester Tigers was named to Canada’s NextGen National Program and selected to the Junior Men’s National Team. A defender, Rewankar represented Canada at the Junior Pan American Cup in Chile in 2021, and also plays for the UBC Thunderbirds.
Figure Skating: David Shteyngart was the novice men’s champion at the Skate Ontario Sectionals Championships and the Skate Canada Challenge Event. Overall, he won seven of the eight events he entered in 2021 and qualified for the Skate Canada Novice National Championships.
Football: Jesse Luketa’s senior season at Penn State was full of accolades. He was named a Big 10 second team all-star and was chosen for the senior bowl. He was a quarter-finalist for the Butkus Award for the Top Linebacker in the NCAA, and was rated as the fourteenth best linebacker eligible for the NFL Draft. He was ultimately drafted in the seventh round by the Arizona Cardinals.
Football (Touch): Emilia Edwards quarterbacked her team to the 2021 national women’s class A championship, the first in team history for the Ottawa Pirates.
Golf: James Newton, of the Royal Ottawa Golf Club, won the Ontario U19 Junior Championship with a record -16 and in November he signed his letter of commitment to play D1 golf for Rutgers University where he will compete in the Big 10 Conference. He also placed fourth at the Gold Canada Junior Selection camp in 2021, and also earned a ninth place finish at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship.
Gymnastics (Artistic): James Doucette a member of the Ottawa Gymnastics Centre, Doucette captured first place all-around at Gymnastics Canada’s 2021 Canadian Championships. It was his first Canadian Championships in the Open level, and he took first place in the pommel horse and vault events as well as fourth in the parallel bars.
Hockey: Mason McTavish was named assistant captain for Team Canada at the 2021 U18 IIHF World Championship. At the tournament, he potted five goals and six assists, helping to lift Canada to the gold medal. In July, he was selected third overall in the NHL Entry Draft. He began the OHL 2021-2022 season with the Peterborough Petes, scoring six goals and one assist in five games. He was selected as the Ottawa Sports Awards Male Athlete of the Year.
Para Hockey: Tyrone Henry’s impressive career with Team Canada continued in 2021, as the veteran defenceman was a member of Canada’s silver medal winning squad at the 2021 Para World Hockey Championship. Canada was undefeated in the group stage and allowed just two goals in four games entering the gold medal game.
Lacrosse: Isiah Moran-Weekes was selected second overall in the Ontario Junior A Lacrosse League draft by the Mimico Mountaineers and scored six goals and four assists in eight games played. He also plays for the High Point Panthers in the NCAA, making his freshman debut this fall.
Orienteering: Lukas Raz was named to the 2021 Junior Development National Team. He won the middle distance event and placed second in the long distance event at Orienteering Ottawa’s O-fest in the M18 category.
Rowing: Josh King is a member of Canada’s national team and served as an alternate in the men’s four for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Rugby: Olivia De Couvreur is a Canadian National 7s Team member who returned from injury to make an impact in 2021. She had the most tackles in the 2021 tournament and fifty runs in the Canada Sevens Series.
Wheelchair Rugby: Patrice Dagenais is the co-captain of Team Canada and competed at his third Paralympics in 2021. At Tokyo, he helped the team to a fifth place finish. At home, his leadership within the Ottawa Stingers club has been vital to many athletes.
Running (Road racing): Wade Schwartz placed fourth overall and first in his age group at the 2021 Scotiabank Ottawa Virtual Marathon as part of the Tamarack Ottawa Virtual Race Weekend.
Shooting: Brian LaGroix was successful in a variety of disciplines in 2021, including winning the Canadian 900 pistol and 25 pistol events at one event and the gold medal in the rimfire match at the Canadian Bullseye Championships. He was named to Canada’s Mayleigh Challenge Cup team for international competition. In September, he won two events at the Canadian Muzzleloading National Championships and then placed second internationally.
Skeleton: Mirela Rahneva’s 2021 World Cup season highlight came in December as she stepped onto the podium at Winterbery, Germany with a bronze medal performance. The two-time Olympian also raced at two other World Cup events in 2021.
Skiing (Alpine): Jared Schmidt and Hannah Schmidt are co-winners for 2021, having been named to Canada’s Olympic Team for ski cross. In 2021, Hannah was ranked fifth on the women’s World Cup points list while Jared took bronze medals at two events on the men’s World Cup circuit. Hannah also competed at the 2021 FIS World Championship, placing tenth.
Skiing (Cross Country): Pierre Grall-Johnson had a solid start to his career as a member of Canada’s Senior Development program, achieving several notable international results in 2021. He was 17th at the 2021 U23 World Sprint Championship (Classic), and was 51st in sprint free and 54th in sprint classic at the World Cup event in Sweden.
Soccer: Raphaël Garcia was named a First Team All-Canadian after his stellar 2021 campaign on the back line for the Carleton Ravens. His defensive efforts helped lift the Ravens to a national silver medal. He also contributed two goals and four assists in nine regular season games.
Softball: Joran Graham pitched a no-hitter to help the Micksburg Twins to the Greater Ottawa Fastball League championship. He played for a team in Denmark for the European Super Cup, and competed at the International Softball Congress World Championships in Iowa.
Speed Skating (Long Track): Ivanie Blondin and Isabelle Weidemann are co-winners for 2021 and were also selected as the Ottawa Sports Awards Female Athletes of the Year. The duo each won five team pursuit gold medals and one team pursuit silver medal, combining forces for a dominant overall 2021 season. Blondin was named World Cup Mass Start Champion and Weidemann was the World Cup Long Distance Champion.
Speed Skating (Short Track): Ethan McKinley-Young trained with the Olympic Oval program in Calgary in 2021 and qualified for the Canadian Championships in August, finishing eleventh overall. McKinley is an alumnus of the Ottawa Pacers and is studying at the University of Calgary.
Squash: Iman Shaheen is a rising star in squash who is ranked first in Canada for girls U17. She was named to the Canadian Junior National Team in 2021 and went undefeated at the Squash Ontario Junior tournament, competing at the U19 level.
Swimming: Eli Wall was a Canadian champion in 2021, winning gold at the 2021 Trials in the 200-metre breaststroke. The long-time national team member also took home bronze in the 100m breaststroke, setting a personal best in that event.
Swimming (Artistic): Nanxi Jiang was a 2021 Canadian Champion, winning the U15 solo at the 2021 Virtual Canadian Championship. Nanxi has also devoted herself to be included into the FINA Innovation Group program.
Table Tennis: Eugene Wang won the 2021 Canadian Championship in men’s singles, captured a singles silver medal at the Pan American Table Tennis Championships, and competed in his third Olympic Games. In Tokyo, Wang teamed with Mo Zhang to place ninth in mixed doubles.
Taekwondo: Leonarda Andric repeats as the winner for Taekwondo after her strong debut on the senior circuit in 2021. Andric won gold in Sr. Women Kyorugi 62kg at the French Open.
Trampoline: Philo Malek made his international debut in 2021, representing Canada at the Trampoline Gymnastic World Championships in Azerbaijan. Malek placed 17th at the event.
Triathlon: Joanna Brown wins her tenth Ottawa Sports Award as the top triathlete in Ottawa. She made her Olympic debut in 2021 and recorded a 15th place finish in the mixed relay. At the 2021 World Triathlon Championship Series in Japan, Brown crossed the finish line in 13th place.
Ultimate: Samantha Green helped Ottawa-based team Stella to a fifth place finish at the 2021 National Championships. The team has also earned a berth at the World Ultimate Championships in 2022. Sam is the only female athlete in Ottawa that was selected to the World Games Ultimate athlete pool, with the goal of representing Canada at the World Games in 2022.
Volleyball: Maxime Gratton was invited to the National Excellence Program in Gatineau. He was named the OUA Rookie of the Year for his first season of play with McMaster, helping them to an OUA Championship.
Water Polo: Bogdan Djerkovic is a member of Canada’s Senior National Team and competed at the 2021 Olympic Qualifiers. He was named conference player of the week during the 2021 season at the NCAA’s University of the Pacific, where he is playing his junior season.
Wrestling: Erica Wiebe competed at her second Olympic Games in 2021, placing eleventh in the 76kg category. She opened 2021 by winning a bronze and then gold at a pair of World Wrestling’ Series events in Ukraine and Italy, respectively.
Lily Napier and Joshua Dore – Skate Ontario Novice Pair Champions
Christian Voyer and Luke Strickland – Sail Canada C420 and i420 Youth National Champions
Ottawa Lions U18 Girls Cross Country – Ontario and National Champions
Ainsley Quinn, Paige Quinn, Cara MacDonald, Cassidy Bradley, Ella Lalonde, Chloe Roy, Isabelle Honegger, Camryn Crawford, Freya Hurst, Grace Munro, Morgane McKay, Quinn Coughlin, Laura Cross, Lauren Alexander, Jocelyn Giannotti, Louise Stonham, Amelia Van Brabant, Olivia Baggley, Gillian Porter, Charlotte Murchison, Koree Yach
Rideau Canoe Club – 2021 Ontario Champions
Roster: Elliott Davis, Markus Neuspiel, Kamila Neuspiel, Veronica Rumscheidt, Thomas Clay, Victor Savulescu, Alessandro Pucci, Patrick Harrington, Alexandra Joab, Peter Bradley, Janina Winnicki, Julia Price, Wilson Joab, Cayley Fortier, Dax Morris, Stu Bradley, Vishal Nagpal, Leeya Nagpal, Philip Kravchenko, Sarah Rumscheidt, Wesley Hodgson-Pageau, Mady MacKinnon, Ares Mersereau, Sasha Vinogradov, Claire Gammon, Marisa Vizzari, Emily Best, Avery Conrad, Jozsi Mckee, Macy McDonell, Gillianne Smith, Alexandros Gournakis, Samuel Smith, Aly Whike, Ruby Muhl, Heitor Muhl, Maria Tierrafria, Tai Nguyen, Kyla Drouin, Abby Wojtyk, Zoe Wojtyk, Kate Osborne, Ben Elder, Zoë Stephenson, Ryan Naroditsky, Ruby James, Anna Semeniuk, Henrik Neuspiel, Thomas Beauregard, Callie Loch, Xavier Silveira, Tyler Rennick, Cole Norman.
Rideau Canoe Club – 2021 National Championship Team
Zoe Wojtyk, Abby Wojtyk, Amelia Wojtyk, Janina Winnicki, Aly Whike, Marisa Vizzari, Maria Tierrafria, Zoë Stephenson, Mila Souilliere, Samuel Smith, Gilliane Smith, Cooper Sloan, Fletcher Sloan, Anna Semeniuk, Madeline Schmidt, Victor Savulescu, Patrick Santos-Currie, Sarah Rumscheidt, Spencer Robinson, Lindsy Richardson, Tyler Rennick, Jessica Reddin, Olivia Pucci, Julia Price, Trina Poots, Kate Osborne, Matthew O’Neill, Cole Norman, Tai Nguyen, Victor Neuspiel, Henrik Neuspiel, Ryan Naroditsky, Leeya Nagpal, Ruby Muhl, Heitor Muhl, Dax Morris, Derek Mersereau, Ares Mersereau, Jozsi Mckee, Evie McDonald, Steve Martin, James Marcus, Shane Mahoney, Madison (Mady) MacKinnon, Callie Loch, Philip Kravchenko, Wilson Joab, Alexandra Joab, Ruby James, Marie-Andree Jacques, Ydris Hunter, Sarah Hogan, Alexander Hoferek, Ella Hodgson-Pageau, Wesley Hodgson-Pageau, Brenda Heffernan, Marielle Hawkes, Patrick Harrington, Kieran Graham, Alexandros Gournakis, Logan Gauthier, Isabelle Fradette, Cayley Fortier, Gabriel Ferron-Bouius, Benjamin Elder, Kyla Drouin, Natalie Davison, Jeff Daniels, Avery Conrad, Josiah Clarke, Tyler Chenette, Andrew Chandler, Alessandro Busa, Stuart Bradley, Peter Bradley, Maren Bradley, Emily Best, Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka, Thomas Beauregard.
University of Ottawa Gee-Gees Artistic Swimming – 2021 Canadian University Artistic Swimming League National Champions
Kate Berry, Madeleine Berry, Amy Cameron, Gillian King, Isabelle MacLean, Megan Magro, Danika Maisonneuve, Lauren Stokes
University of Ottawa Gee-Gees Women’s Rugby – 2021 U SPORTS National Finalists
Ritaj Abdoulla , Ogechi Ahunanya , Quynh-Ni Au , Kennedy Banton-Lindsay , Tylo Borsboom , Aurora Bowie, Elisabeth Cherkas , Mercedes Cole, Anna Dodge, Taylor Donato, Jetta Driscoll, Farida Elsharkawy, Emilie Ethier, Paige Fryer, Claire Gallagher, Maddy Grant, Isabelle Grisé, Taelor Hendrick, Talia Hennessy, Camryn Holland, Victoria Hough, Anjali Jagannathan, Ketsia Kamba, Isabel Laroche, Julia Latremouille, Maya Montiel, Ngozi Mosindi, Blessing Okundaye, Deborah Oyetoran, Monessa Pierre, Kaitlynn Sampel, Meredith Sirrs, Rachel Steel, Mikayla Sweeting, Lauren Thibert, Sarah White, Jen Boyd, Patrick Thompson, Asya Bartley, Tori Wyman.
Ottawa Pirates – National A Champions
Emilia Edwards, Angelina Villa, Mel Mayer, Danielle Plaschy, Maddy Wakefield, Maddi Chartrand, Amy Argel, Jackie Pearson, Margherita Bastianelli, Steph Carr, Karyne Jolicoeur, Brittany McVittie, Chantal Albert, Sam Green, Bella Lewkowicz
Ottawa South United Force U14 Girls – Ontario Player Development League Provincial Champions
Annabelle Chukwu, Angela Castranovo, Bianca Hanisch, Brooklyn Menard, Francesca Mureta, Grace O’Grady, Isabelle Chukwu, Isla Dupuis, Kate Thom, Katie Ozard, Kayla Di Tiero, Sienna Caruso, Zoe Mclauchlan
Ottawa TFC U17 Girls – Ontario Player Development League Provincial Champions
West Ottawa Warriors U17 Boys – Ontario Player Development League Provincial Champions
Ottawa Pirhanas – National A Champions
StellaO Women’s Masters – Canadian Masters Champions