2014 Provincial Annual Award Winners Announced

The 2014 Provincial Annual Award Winners were announced Saturday night (April 11th) at the 2015 Stars and Legends Awards Gala at the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland in St. John’s, NL.

The Provincial Annual Awards recognize the best athletic achievements in the past year. The Awards comprise eight categories: Senior Male and Female Athlete of the Year, Junior Male and Female Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year, Team of the Year, Executive of the Year, and Volunteer of the Year. Three finalists from each category have been selected by Sport Newfoundland and Labrador’s selection committee, from a list of nominees compiled by 18 Provincial Sport Organizations across the province.

2014 Provincial Annual Award Winners
Junior Female Athlete of the Year: Heather Healey (Baseball)
Junior Male Athlete of the Year: Clark Bishop (Hockey)
Executive of the Year: Mark Healy (Baseball)
Volunteer of the Year: Mark Healy (Baseball)
Coach of the Year: John Hill (Softball)
Team of the Year: Memorial University Women’s Soccer
Senior Female Athlete of the Year: Jillian Forsey (Runner)
Senior Male Athlete of the Year: Sean Cleary (Softball)

Junior Female Athlete of the Year
(Margaret Davis Memorial Award)

Winner: Heather Healey (Baseball)

Conception Bay South baseball player Heather Healey had a historic 2014. Locally, Heather became the first ever female to be drafted and to compete in the St. John’s Amateur Baseball Association’s Intermediate League. Her outstanding play lead to an invitation to play with Team Nova Scotia at the Baseball Canada Senior Women’s Championship where she was one of the team’s top hitters with a .500 average. Following the National championships Heather was invited to the Baseball Canada National Senior Team selection camp with 30 of the top players in the country. Heather was successful in making the team and in the process became the first female from Newfoundland and Labrador to play for Team Canada when she participated in 2014 World Senior Women’s Championship in Mayazaki, Japan.

Junior Male Athlete of the Year
(Joseph P. Mullins Memorial Award)

Winner: Clark Bishop (Hockey)

Hockey Player Clark Bishop of St. John’s had an eventful 2014 that saw him represent Canada on the international stage and be selected in the annual National Hockey League entry draft. As a member of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League he was named “Hardest Working Player” for the 2014 season. During the season he was named to the Quebec league all-star team which competed in an exhibition series against the Russian all-star team and also named to the Canadian Hockey League’s “Top Prospects Game” which features the top draft eligible players in the CHL. Clark also had the opportunity to play for Team Canada at the U18 World Championships and took home a bronze medal. His year was topped off by being selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 5th round of the 2014 NHL draft.

Executive of the Year
(Graham Snow Memorial Award)

Winner: Mark Healy (Baseball)

Baseball executive Mark Healy was influential in the success of St. John’s hosting the 2014 National Senior Men’s Baseball Championships. As Co-Chair of the planning committee, he spent countless hours meeting with Federal, Provincial and Municipal government officials to ensure the fields were prepared and renovated for the tournament. His hard work and dedication has given so much to the sport of baseball from technological advancements at the ball fields to extensive media coverage and fundraising for amateur baseball programming. In addition to his role with the Nationals, Healy also served as president of the St. John’s Amateur Baseball Association as well as its Senior and Intermediate Leagues. He was co-chair and organizer of the Annual Provincial Senior Club Teams Tournament and was the 2014 recipient of the Les Noseworthy Award for outstanding contribution to baseball growth and development in Newfoundland and Labrador. Mark Healy is a pioneer in the sport of baseball as an athlete, advocate, coach and executive.

Volunteer of the Year Award
(Frank W. Graham Memorial Award)

Winner: Mark Healy (Baseball)

Mark Healy of St. John’s has been instrumental in the growth and development of Baseball in the province and has many roles in its community. Along with his role as president of St. John’s Amateur Baseball Association he is also head coach of the Trapper Johns Holy Cross Senior Team and Chief Instructor of St. John’s Minor Baseball’s winter and spring indoor training programs. Healy is a learning facilitator and evaluator with National Coaching Certification Program courses and head instructor for the NL 16 and under Bantam Girls Team Identification Camp. Mark Healy was co-chair of the 2014 National Senior Baseball Championships hosted in St. Johns and head coach of the St. John’s Winmar Capitals that won the provincial Senior A and B Championships and competed in the 2014 Nationals. It is evident that Healy is a vital part of the baseball program in St. John’s and in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and his dedication and commitment to the sport is outstanding.

Coach of the Year
(John Drinkwater Memorial Award)

Winner: John Hill (Softball)

Softball coach John Hill has seen his share of success in 2014 on the field. As head coach of the 3Cheers Pub Bud Light Senior “A” Fastpitch Team, he led them to an 8-1 record at the Canadian Men’s Fastpitch Championships. Hill was also the Field Manager of the Hill United Chiefs where he guided them to a perfect 4-0 record at the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) National Championships and a perfect 6-0 record at the International Softball Federation (ISF) World Tournament. John Hill was named 2014 Softball Canada Coach of the Year, Softball Newfoundland and Labrador Coach of the Year and was named an Assistant Coach to Softball Canada’s Seniors Men’s National Team. John Hill has devoted his life to the game of Softball and through his professionalism and dedication his teams are always well prepared both on and off the field, which has proven him to be a world class coach.

Team of the Year
(Edward P. Browne Memorial Award)

Winner: Memorial University Women’s Soccer Team

The Memorial University Women’s Soccer Team had an outstanding 2014 on the field. Finishing second in Atlantic University Sport (AUS) regular season league play earned them a bye to the semi finals. The club defeated the University of New Brunswick in the final, winning its first ever AUS women’s soccer title and earning them the right to represent the Atlantic Conference in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) National Championships. The Ladies Soccer team was also named Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association’s (NLSA) Team of the Year.

Senior Female Athlete of the Year
(Elizabeth Swan Memorial Award)

Winner: Jillian Forsey (Runner)

Kippens runner Jillian Forsey was the first Newfoundland and Labrador woman to ever be selected to compete at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Track and Field event, which was held in Oregon on July 22, 2014 where she placed 9th in the 5000m and currently ranks as the top Canadian runner. Leading her to the Worlds was a stellar performance at the National Cross Country Championships, where she chose to move up and run the 8km senior race, where she placed 6th out of 64 and was named to the Worlds. At the North American Central American Caribbean Cross Country Championships she placed 2nd individually, while helping her team to a gold medal finish. An excelling honors student in her sophomore year at the university of West Virginia, Jillian raced at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Mid Atlantic wining a silver medal individually, leading her team to a second place finish overall. At the NCAA National Cross Country Championships she finished 14th out of 254 runners. Jillian is an exceptional runner who has a tremendous work ethic to achieve and excel in both athletics and education.

Senior Male Athlete of the Year
(Ferd Hayward Memorial Award)

Winner: Sean Cleary (Softball)

Harbour Main softball player Sean Cleary continued to shine at the local, provincial, national and international level in 2014. In the St. John’s Senior Men’s Fastpitch League Sean lead his team to the regular season title, playoff title and provincial championship winning the MVP award in all three. As a member of 3Cheers Bud Light team, Sean won his 3rd consecutive national title and was named playoff MVP. Sean also had the privilege of suiting up for Team Canada at the Men’s Pan Am Championships and where he was a member of the bronze medal winning squad. In December 2014, Sean was named to the Senior Men’s National Team Athlete Pool for 2015. In recognition of his fine season, Sean was named the Softball Newfoundland and Labrador Senior Male Player of the Year.

Bio’s From: Sport NL

Softball NL Would Like To Take This Opportunity To Congratulate All Of The 2014 Provincial Annual Award Winners.

Congratulations!

Softball NL Would Like To Take This Opportunity To Congratulate Sean Cleary On Being Named The Senior Male Athlete of the Year – Ferd Hayward Memorial Award.

Congratulations Sean!

Softball NL Would Like To Take This Opportunity To Congratulate John Hill On Being Named Coach of the Year – John Drinkwater Memorial Award.

Congratulations John!

Softball NL Would Like To Take This Opportunity To Congratulate NL 3Cheers Pub Bud Light On Being Named A Finalists For The Team of the Year Award – Edward P. Browne Memorial Award.

Congratulations NL 3Cheers Pub Bud Light!