Premier Furey Presents Annual Awards to Newfoundland and Labrador’s Top Young Athletes

Executive Council
Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation
October 4, 2023

The Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, this evening presented awards to 126 young athletes from across the province at the 19th annual Premier’s Athletic Awards.

Established in 2005, the awards program recognizes athletic excellence and provides financial support to help offset the costs of training and competition. Grants ranging from $500 to $1,500 are awarded based on the level of competition and the athletes’ respective accomplishments.

The Team Gushue Awards, established in honour of Team Gushue’s Gold Medal win at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games were also presented at the event. Two athletes are selected annually to receive the awards, valued at $5,000 each, and recipients are chosen based on athletic and academic excellence. This year’s recipients are Abby Newhook (hockey) and Nathan Luscombe (Para swimming).

Abby Newhook of St. John’s is an accomplished and talented hockey player, currently attending Boston College in Massachusetts in the United States, and has a 3.33 Grade Point Average. Abby was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team, named Hockey East Rookie of the Year, and was a National Finalist for Rookie of the Year. She was selected to represent Canada at the 2023 National Women’s Program Summer Showcase and attended the Hockey Canada National Women’s Team Selection Camp. She was recently announced co-captain of the Boston College Eagles women’s hockey team for the 2023-24 season.

Nathan Luscombe of Grand Falls-Windsor is a Para swimming athlete, who graduated high school in 2022 with a 91 per cent average. Nathan won three silver medals at the Eastern Canadian Championships, a silver medal in the 50m freestyle and a bronze medal in the 200m/400m freestyle at the 2022 Canada Summer Games. Nathan also participated in the Swimming Canada NextGen camp.

For a complete list of 2023 Premier’s Athletic Award recipients, please see the backgrounder below.

Quotes
“It is an incredible honour to present the Premier’s Athletic Awards each year. It is so inspiring to see such dedicated and passionate young athletes achieving their goals. Their ambitions are seemingly endless, and I have no doubt that we will continue to see their names in the future as they pursue and compete in provincial, national and even international competitions. Congratulations to each and every one of the Premier’s Athletic Award recipients.”
Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

“Participation in sport offers so many benefits to young people. Beyond the physical, mental, social and emotional health benefits, it teaches them what it means to commit to something and give it their all; it shows them that hard work often leads to success; and, it provides them with broad social networks. I commend all the young athletes being recognized here today, as well as their families and support systems for helping them get to where they are today.”
Honourable Steve Crocker
Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation

BACKGROUNDER

2023 Premier’s Athletic Awards Recipients

SPORT ATHLETE’S NAME HOMETOWN
Alpine Kate Murphy Corner Brook
Artistic Swimming Amelia Coady Mount Pearl
Athletics Daniel Earles Conception Bay South
Shae LeDevehat Mount Pearl
Grace Mack St. John’s
Levi Moulton Paradise
Alexandre Nunes St. John’s
Badminton Jessica Willcott St. John’s
Ball Hockey Brent Broaders Tilting
Kieran Burke St. John’s
Renee Faulkner St. John’s
Jack Keough Mount Pearl
Brooke Lannon Placentia
William Scott St. John’s
Jenni Simpson Glovertown
Alyson Thomas L’Anse Au Clair
Baseball Molly Healy St. John’s
Jaida Lee St. John’s
Jay Miller Corner Brook
Kayla Musseau St. John’s
Cameron Pennell Mount Pearl
Nicholas Smith Flatrock
Basketball Abby Carpenter Torbay
Kelsey Crocker St. John’s
Sophie Fowler St. John’s
Alyssa Jenkins St. John’s
Brooke LeDevehat Mount Pearl
Sarah Reid St. John’s
Caleb Sooley Mount Pearl
Cameron Stanford St. John’s
Biathlon David Adey St. John’s
Bicycle Yaroslav Drukarenko St. John’s
Boccia Terrie Hefford Mount Pearl
Stephen Westcott Conception Bay South
Bowling Carter Belbin St. John’s
Connor Belbin St. John’s
Amy Harris Paradise
  Jack Walsh Goulds
Boxing Michael Gosine Tors Cove
Cross Country Skiing Jillian Coates Clarenville
Alexander Merrigan Corner Brook
Curling Sam Follett Paradise
Cailey Locke Conception Bay South
Nathan Young Paradise
Diving Merrick Noel Logy Bay
Golf Taylor Cormier Corner Brook
Karsen Best St. John’s
Gymnastics Michael Drover St. John’s
Gleb Evstigneev Paradise
Gabe Flynn St. John’s
Grace Hill St. John’s
Jirah Hiscock St. John’s
Sarah Pace St. John’s
Kyla Piercey Middle Cove
Megan Skinner St. John’s
Handball Rahul Asokan St. John’s
Jasper Short Outer Cove
Hockey Matthew Butler St. John’s
Will Carroll Conception Bay South
Jordan Chaulk Bonavista
Jennifer Murphy St. John’s
Abby Newhook St. John’s
Maria Shea Stephenville Crossing
Michael Strapp Harbour Main
Leah Wicks St. John’s
Karate Faith Collier St. John’s
Ian Fraser St. John’s
Alexander Hollett Logy Bay
Emma Pittman Outer Cove
Emily Reglar Flatrock
Para Athletics Cori Hicks Flat Bay
Jeremy Jones St. John’s
Para Sailing Hayley Redmond St. John’s
Para Swimming Gavin Baggs Paradise
Nathan Luscombe Grand Falls-Windsor
Powerlifting Lucas Wiseman St. John’s
Rowing Kaitlyn Hall Portugal Cove–St. Phillip’s
Alex O’Brien Torbay
Rugby James Clarke St. John’s
Seamus Goodyear St. John’s
Jack Marshall St. John’s
Jessie Penney Clarke’s Beach
Dakota Snow Paradise
Tyson Snow Paradise
Shooting Naomi Tucker St. John’s
Skating Mark Butt Bloomfield
Lily Evans Pouch Cove
Jonathan Flynn Conception Bay South
Katie Slaney Paradise
Kaitlyn Smith Blaketown
Rachael Tuff Witless Bay
Jasmine Wheadon Carbonear
Snowboard Cody Kennedy Massey Drive
Soccer Sarah Baker St. John’s
Madison Burke St. John’s
Hannah Neville Paradise
Lauren Rowe Conception Bay South
Jack Turpin Paradise
Emma Whalen Conception Bay South
Claire Windsor St. John’s
Emma Yabsley St. John’s
Softball Shilo Chislett Kippens
Adrian Green Carbonear
Halle Joy Harbour Main
Ryan Maher Petty Harbour
Sophia Penney Clarenville
Liam Shea Dunville
Special Olympics Michael Budden Stephenville
Samantha Walsh Stephenville
Squash Carter Lake Conception Bay South
Swimming Abigail Andrews St. John’s
Darcy Butler Paradise
Lindsey Goodland St. John’s
Daniel Pearce Conception Bay South
Table Tennis Divine Aseo St. John’s
Taekwondo Ethan Crocker Paradise
Tennis Aiden Drover-Mattinen Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s
Liam Drover-Mattinen Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s
Jasmine Rahman St. John’s
Declan Walsh St. John’s
Triathlon Abby Pace St. John’s
Ultimate Cameron Penney St. John’s
Andrew Workman Paradise
Volleyball Kaejie Aguilar Corner Brook
Karen Greek Mount Pearl
Nathan Marshall Mount Pearl
Kalan Noonan St. John’s
Claire Whiffen St. John’s
Wrestling Abbigayle Lee Carbonear