The following is being distributed at the request of Sport Newfoundland and Labrador:

Finalists announced for athlete of the year

Dave Brenton, president of Sport Newfoundland and Labrador, today announced the finalists for the Molson Provincial Athlete of the Year Awards for the province. Brenton said that the winners will be announced at the presentation banquet in St. John's on Saturday, March 20. Tickets for the announcement banquet will be available on March 3 from Sport Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Provincial Junior Female Athlete of the Year is presented the Margaret Davis Memorial Award. The three finalists are: Paula Barker of Deer Lake in basketball, swimmer Laura Murray of St. John's and Samantha Ralph of Eastport in badminton.

The Junior Male Athlete of the Year is presented Joe Mullins Memorial Award and the three finalists are: diver John Daley of St. John's, skater Joey Russell of Labrador City, and baseball player Ronnie Sweeney of Mount Pearl.

The Senior Female Athlete of the Year receives the Elizabeth Swan Memorial Award and the three finalists are St. Bride�s native Janine Browne of basketball, Julia Howard of St. John's in athletics, and bowler Susan Russell of St. John's.

With the Ferd Heyward Memorial Award for the Provincial Senior Male Athlete of the Year, the three finalists are Mount Pearl's George Colbert in swimming and Alec Turpin in soccer as well as Trevor O'Brien of Paradise in athletics.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Team of the Year receives the Edward Browne Memorial Award. The finalists are the Mount Pearl Challenge Cup Men's Soccer Team, the MUN Varsity Women Basketball Team and Team Cunningham Ladies Curling team.

The John Drinkwater Memorial Award for the Newfoundland and Labrador Coach of the Year finalists are soccer's Walt Mavin of Mount Pearl, volleyball's Terry Mosher of Conception Bay South, and basketball's Doug Partridge of St. John's.

The finalists for the Provincial Executive of the Year for the Graham Snow Memorial Award are Atlantic University Sport Basketball Finals Organizing Committee in St. John's, Lise Rowe of swimming in St. John's, and Joe Wadden of Mount Pearl in baseball.

Media contact: Todd Martin, Sport Newfoundland and Labrador, (709)-576-4932 Fax: (709)-576-7493, e-mail tmartin@sportnf.com , www.sportnf.com

2004 02 24                                        9:55 a.m.