Outstanding Accomplishments of Provincial Athletes Honoured
More than 95 of the province’s elite male and female athletes were honoured at the 8th Annual Premier’s Athletic Awards, hosted last evening at the Holiday Inn St. John’s by the Honourable Kathy Dunderdale, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Every year Newfoundland and Labrador continues to produce outstanding athletes who compete provincially, nationally, and internationally,” said Premier Dunderdale. “It is an honour to acknowledge their tremendous accomplishments once again. I commend all the athletes for their commitment to their chosen sport. Their dedication and passion will be an inspiration for many years to come.”
The Premier’s Athletic Awards Program provides grants in the amounts of $500, $1,000, and $1,500 to assist young athletes with the costs of training and competition at the elite level. The amount each recipient receives is dependent on the level of competition in which they are engaged and the training requirements.
“Athletic excellence in Newfoundland and Labrador continues to flourish,” said the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. “The Provincial Government is committed to the continued development of the province’s young athletes and to providing them with every opportunity to reach their athletic goals.”
A complete list of recipients can be found in the backgrounder below.
Yesterday’s ceremony also included the presentation of Team Gushue Scholarship Awards, valued at $5,000 each, to target shooter Ben Taylor of St. John’s and to competitive sailor Rebecca Power of St. John’s. Applications for the Team Gushue Scholarship Awards, which were first awarded in 2007, are made through the Sport Newfoundland and Labrador Scholarship Program.
A native of St. John’s, Mr. Taylor has been shooting for 10 years and competing for three. He was named provincial champion and three-time junior champion at the 2010 Provincial Air Rifle Championships. At the 2011 Canada Winter Games, Mr. Taylor was a double medalist, winning a bronze in both individual and team air rifle categories. Most recently, he was selected to represent Canada at the 26th Summer Universiade 2011, an event being hosted by the International University Sports Federation this August in China.
Ms. Power is in her third year of studies at the University of British Columbia. This past year she competed at the Canadian Olympic Regatta and placed seventh in the female category and 19th overall. She also competed in the 2010 Laser North American Championships, an event which was attended by 20 countries. In this competition, she was the first Canadian female, third female overall, and 17th out of a field of 98. Most recently, she qualified to become a member of the Canadian National Sailing Team’s training squad. This is the second time Ms. Power has received this award, making it the first time the Team Gushue Scholarship has been awarded to a repeat athlete.
The Premier’s Athletic Awards Program was established in 2005 and has provided more than $490,000 to support athletic excellence in Newfoundland and Labrador. For eligibility requirements and detailed information about the program, visit: www.tcr.gov.nl.ca/tcr/sports/premieraa.html.
Budget 2011 Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For Newfoundland and Labrador provides $11.5 million to support recreation and sport in the province. Since the launch of the Provincial Government’s recreation and sport strategy, Active, Healthy Newfoundland and Labrador (2007), more than $70 million has been committed to recreational and sport infrastructure, programming, and athlete development throughout the province.
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Media contacts:
Milly Brown Press Secretary Office of the Premier 709-729-4304, 631-8477 millybrown@gov.nl.ca |
Diana Quinton Director of Communications Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation 709-729-0928, 631-8155 dianaquinton@gov.nl.ca |
BACKGROUNDER
2011 Premier’s Athletic Awards Recipients
SPORT | NAME | HOMETOWN |
ATHLETICS | Ryan Brockerville | Marystown |
Stephen Bursey | St. John's | |
Thomas Faour | St. John's | |
Jillian Forsey | Kippens | |
Daniel Kelloway | Mount Pearl | |
Shaughnessy O'Driscoll | Bay Bulls | |
Jesse Walsh | Burnt Cove | |
BADMINTON | Emily Alexander | Kippens |
BASEBALL | John Blackmore | St. John's |
Stefan Lono | St. John's | |
BASKETBALL | Sydney Ezekiel | St. John's |
Grace Fishbein | St. John's | |
Daniel Foo | Massey Drive | |
Alexandria Forsey | St. John's | |
Mitchell Hearn | St. Mary's Bay | |
Hannah Jardine | St. John's | |
Aaron O'Brien | Pasadena | |
Jason Shepherd | St. John's | |
Rosemary Stanoev | St. John's | |
BOWLING | Geoff Breen | St. John's |
CROSS COUNTRY | Kathryn Boland | Corner Brook |
Philip Mcllroy | Portugal Cove-St. Phillip’s | |
Kyle Power | Labrador City | |
CURLING | Colin Thomas | St. John's |
Erica Trickett | St. John's | |
CYCLING | Zachery Garland | Broad Cove |
FIGURE SKATING | Emily Benson | Labrador City |
Robyn-Lynn McGrath | Conception Bay South | |
Matthew Power | Conception Bay South | |
Grace Woodland | Conception Bay South | |
Alexandra Young | Corner Brook | |
Matthew Young | Corner Brook | |
GOLF | Jayne Hamlyn | Grand Falls-Windsor |
Andrew Smith | Clarenville | |
GYMNASTICS | Erica Devereaux | Logy Bay |
Jessica O'Dea | St. John's | |
Jeannie Weir | Conception Bay South | |
HANDBALL | Leslie-Claire Amminson | St. John's |
Michael Gaulton | St. John's | |
Colin Pumphrey | St. John's | |
Peter Walsh | St. John's | |
HOCKEY | Kristen Cooze | Kippens |
JUDO | Scott Wood | St. John's |
POWERLIFTING | Justin Miller | St. John's |
Stacey Price | St. John's | |
Steve Price | St. John's | |
Ryan Rowsell | Massey Drive | |
ROWING | Maria Clift | Outer Cove |
Ben Colbourne | St. John's | |
Megan Fitzgerald | St. John's | |
Michael Noel | St. John's | |
Mitchell Thomas | St. John's | |
Kiersten Van Gulick | St. John's | |
Tyler Young | St. John's | |
RUGBY | Christopher Burt | St. John's |
Patrick Parfrey | St. John's | |
Jordon Power | Paradise | |
Deidre Rees | St. John's | |
Robert Rogers | Portugal Cove-St. Phillip’s | |
Shane Stratton | Goulds | |
Casey Thorburn | St. John's | |
Geoff Warden | St. John's | |
Matthew Whittle | Conception Bay South | |
Robert Wilson | St. John's | |
SAILING | Rebecca Power | St. John's |
SHOOTING | Rene De Haitre | St. John's |
Jason Harnum | Paradise | |
Samantha Marsh | Mount Pearl | |
Emma Meulenkamp | Portugal Cove-St. Phillip's | |
Benjamin Taylor | St. John's | |
SOCCER | Alyssa Armstrong | St. John's |
Emily Bailey | Mount Pearl | |
Connie Lewis | Outer Cove | |
Maria Mackey | St. John's | |
Jane Pope | St. John's | |
Alexander Pretty | St. John's | |
Melissa Reid | St. John's | |
SOFTBALL | Shane Boland | Goulds |
SWIMMING | Owen Daly | St. John's |
Rebecca Dyer | Portugal Cove-St. Phillip's | |
Gavin Dyke | Mount Pearl | |
David Forbes | St. John's | |
Theoron Goosney | Corner Brook | |
Dayna Hogan | Kippens | |
Erica Noonan | Stephenville | |
Kelsie Rogers | Badger | |
Catherine Silotch | St. John's | |
Leah Tomblin | St. John's | |
SYNCHRO SWIMMING | Jessica MacDonald | Corner Brook |
TENNIS | Matthew Bendzsa | St. John's |
Ian Connors | St. John's | |
Josh Lehr | St. John's | |
Cynthia Williams | St. John's | |
TRIATHLON | Jordon Baird | Lewin's Cove |
VOLLEYBALL | Cohen Chaulk | Corner Brook |
Krista Hogan | Kippens | |
Nathan Tilley | St. John's | |
Sasha Wilkins | Gambo |
2011 05 26 11:50 a.m.