Source: The Telegram
Harris, Cleary Named City’s Best For 2014; Sea-Hawks Women’s Soccer Squad Earns Team Of The Year Honours
A softball player who dominated at every level of the game and a soccer player who starred at the Canadian senior women’s championship and in local play, were named St. John’s Molson Coors athletes of the year Wednesday night at City Hall.
Sean Cleary, who helped pitch 3Cheers Pub Bud Light to its third straight national senior softball championship and Malorie Harris,the leading scorer at the national Jubilee senior women’s soccer championship, were named the best athletes of 2014.
The Memorial Sea-Hawks, who won the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) women’s soccer championship, earned team of the year honours, beating out the 3Cheers Pub Bud Light softball team and Brad Gushue’s curling rink.
Male winner Cleary earned MVP honours at the nationals and was also named most valuable player of the St. John’s senior league and provincial championship tournament.
Cleary’s overall pitching and batting stats in 2014 were impressive to say the least. He posted a 32-11 won-lost record with a 1.72 earned run average that included 522 strikeouts and eight shutouts with one no-hitter. He also batted .291 with six home runs and 19 runs batted in.
He was presented with the Tom “Dynamite” Dunne Memorial Award.
The other finalists were hockey player Clark Bishop, powerlifter Josh Hancott and shooter Ben Taylor. There were four male finalists since there was a tie for third place in the voting
Female winner Harris earned the Margaret “Mag” Davis Memorial Award.
She was MVP in the Breen’s Jubilee Women’s Soccer League regular season and playoffs while winning the scoring race with 31 goals in 15 games. She was also a first-team league all-star.
Harris helped her Kirby United team to its seventh straight Breen’s Jubilee Trophy title and to a fourth-place finish at the nationals.
The other finalists were baseball player Heather Healey and soccer player Jessie Noseworthy.
The Sea-Hawks soccer team made history becoming the first MUN female soccer team to win an AUS title. It was MUN’s first soccer crown since the men’s team won in 1973.
The team finished in second place in the AUS standings before knocking off Cape Breton Capers on penalty kicks in the semifinal. The Lady Hawks then defeated number-one seed University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds 3-1 in the championship game.
The 2014 athlete of the year selection committee included Don Power (chair), John Browne, Troy Croft, Terry Hart, Tanya Haywood, Roger Head, Michelle Healey, Joe Lake, Brendan McCarthy, Kenn Oliver, Doug Redmond, Robin Short and Rod Snow.
THE VOTES
Female
1. Malorie Harris (34 points)
2. Heather Healey (20 points)
3. Jessie Noseworthy (15 points)
Male
1. Sean Cleary (49 points)
2. Josh Hancott (17 points)
3. Clark Bishop (16 points)
3. Ben Taylor (16 points)
Team
1. MUN Women’s Soccer (53 points)
2. 3Cheers Pub Bud Light Softball (37 points)
3. Brad Gushue Curling Rink (17 points)
