Sport NL Name Finalists For Provincial Annual Awards

ST. JOHN’S – Sport Newfoundland and Labrador has announced the finalists for this year’s Provincial Annual Awards. The awards will be presented during the 2019 Stars and Legends Awards Gala slated for April 27, 2019 at the Sheraton Hotel in St. John’s, NL.

“Sport NL’s annual awards celebrate the highest level of sporting achievement in Newfoundland and Labrador. We honour exceptional athletes who are helping put this province on the map with their skill and dedication” said Doug Fowler, President, Sport Newfoundland and Labrador. “Recognizing these deserving athletes makes us very proud. It’s a powerful event with a room full of inspiring individuals.”

The Provincial Annual Awards recognize the best athletic achievements in the past year. The Awards comprise nine 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, Official 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 16 Provincial Sport Organizations across the province. The list of finalists can be found below and their biographies are in the backgrounder attached.

Junior Female Athlete of the Year Award
Maggie Connors (Hockey)
Shae LeDevehat (Athletics)
Kate Sullivan (Swimming)

Junior Male Athlete of the Year Award
Brent Broaders (Ball Hockey, Ice Hockey)
Campbell Clarke (Rugby)
Noah Cumby (Swimming)

Volunteer of the Year Award
Finton Gaudette (Volleyball)
Michelle Healy (Baseball)
Maria Mackey (Soccer)

Executive of the Year Award
Judi Kelloway (Soccer)
David Liverman (Cricket, Skating, Soccer)
Gerry Rideout (Cross Country Ski)

Coach of the Year Award
Trevor Budgell (Ball Hockey, Ice Hockey)
Kyle Murphy (Gymnastics)
Jake Stanford (Soccer)

Official of the Year Award
Joan Butler (Swimming)
Ryan Langdon (Basketball)
Bruce Watson (Golf)

Team of the Year Award
Galway Hitmen (Softball)
Holy Cross (Soccer)
Team Gushue (Curling)
U18 Rock (Rugby)

Senior Male Athlete of the Year Award
Liam Hickey (Sledge Hockey, Basketball, ParaSport)
Jason Hill (Softball)
Patrick Parfrey (Rugby)

Senior Female Athlete of the Year Award
Jenna Connolly (Softball)
Teri Murphy (Soccer)
Sydney Stewart (Basketball)

Sport Newfoundland and Labrador is again combining two major events – the Newfoundland and Labrador Annual Awards Ceremony and the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony – into the 12th annual, Stars and Legends Awards Gala.

“The Stars and Legends Awards Gala celebrates the accomplishments of Newfoundland and Labrador’s sport community,” said Troy Croft, Executive Director of SportNL. “It’s about paying tribute and preserving their legacy to inspire future generations. Sport NL is proud to celebrate our province’s athleticism encouraging participation, physical activity and a love of sport for everyone.”

Tickets for this year’s Stars and Legends Awards Gala are available for purchase by contacting Sport Newfoundland and Labrador by phone at (709) 576-4932 or by email at sportnl@sportnl.ca.

Sport Newfoundland and Labrador is a volunteer organization committed to the promotion and advancement of amateur sport throughout the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Annual Award Finalist Biographies

Senior Male

Liam Hickey represented Canada in both sledge hockey and wheelchair basketball in 2018. Most notably, he completed a rare feat to become a dual Paralympian, competing in his first Winter Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. In basketball, he helped Canada to a silver medal finish in a hard-fought overtime Gold Medal Game. His Hockey Canada peers recognized him in late 2018, having the honor to wear both the “A” and the “C” for the national team at the 2018 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup. Liam has continued to be active in both national team programs, and is a strong contender for the Men’s Wheelchair Basketball team for Tokyo in 2020. He continues to live and train in St. John’s, and continues to be an impact player in both sports.

Jason Hill of St. John’s turned in an outstanding performance at the Local, Provincial and National levels in 2018. Jason was instrumental in leading his 3 Cheers Pub Bud Light Dodgers to the Triple Crown of Championships (Senior St. John’s Day Tournament, Senior Provincial Tournament & Senior League Playoffs). Hill was also a solid contributor in helping Galway Hitmen reclaim the Canadian Senior Men’s Fastpitch Championship. Hill was named Regular Season MVP, Top Batter, RBI Leader, Golden Glove winner and All-League Team Selection, and was also named MVP of the Senior Provincial Tournament. Jason was named to the 2019 Men’s National team that will be participating in the 2019 WBSC Men’s World softball Championship from June 13-23 in Prague/Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic. Hill was named Softball NL’s Senior Male Player of the Year for 2018.

Patrick Parfrey has been referred to as the model of hard work and consistency; at the provincial level he captured gold with the Swilers Rugby Football Club. The team’s success continued with another gold medal at the Charron Cup, a silver medal at the Atlantic Super League Championships, and silver medal at the Easter Super League Championship. In 2018 Patrick was a member of the National Senior Men’s Team and represented Canada over 10 times as a key player on the international stage.

Senior Female

Jenna Connolly of Goulds enjoyed success on the local, provincial and national level in 2018. Jenna led her team to a perfect 5-0 record at the Molson Women’s Fastpitch Provincial Championship playing multiple positions while also dominating on the mound. She finished the tournament with a 2-0 record and a 0.00 ERA. She helped lead her team to a strong third place finish at the Lloyd Poirier Memorial Women’s Invitational and was a leader for her team at the Women’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship, which was Newfoundland and Labrador’s first appearance at nationals in 24 years. Jenna was one of the youngest pitchers in the tournament and pitched the majority of her teams’ innings. Jenna was named 2018 Softball NL Senior Female player of the year for her performance on the field.

Teri Murphy plays with Holy Cross Avalon Ford in the Jubilee Trophy League, and the Memorial Seahawks Women’s Soccer Team. Her dominant play with Holy Cross as a holding midfielder where she not only defends, but initiates punishing attacks resulted in her finishing with 13 goals in league play, good enough for second in league scoring. In a rebuilding year for Memorial in the AUS, Teri’s strength down the middle continued to show as she helped her team reach the playoffs. Scoring some timely goals, while being responsible on defence, Teri was named AUS first Team Allstar. In 2018, Teri represented the province as the National Championships where her leadership and two-way play was a major factor in her team qualifying for the Bronze medal game. Teri was named NLSA Senior Female Player of the Year and her strength down the middle is a major factor in her teams making championship runs. Her ability to control the game by stalling the opposing attack and initiating a counter attack are a testament to Teri’s valuable skill set.

Sydney Stewart, from Sarnia, Ontario has helped lead the Memorial Seahawks Women’s Basketball team for the past 4 years. With a stat line of 16ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.1 apg and 2spg, second team AUS all-star, Sydney is a multi-talented athlete who is one of the best scorers in USPORT, finishing in the top ten, and also a high-level defender. Sydney is a central piece on the women’s team that allow the Memorial Seahawks to be a consistent playoff performer. As Coach Mark English says, “We ask her to play a number of different positions for us, and she is always up to any challenge.”

Team of the Year

The Galway Hitmen reclaimed the Canadian Senior Men’s Fastpitch Championship with a convincing 8-0 win over BC Sooke Loggers in St. Croix, NS.
The Galway Hitmen finished the tournament with a perfect 9-0 record (6-0 Round Robin & 3- 0 Playoffs) and outscored the opposition 68-2 (+66) along the way. With team success comes individual success and the Galway Hitmen were no exception. In 2018 they received 5 individual awards: 4 All-Star Team Selections: Stephen Mullaley (1st Base), Blair Ezekiel (3rd Base), Mathieu Roy (Outfield), Colin Walsh (Utility) & Top Player Championship Round – Ryan Boland. The Galway Hitmen have quite the impressive record as they have captured six national championships in seven years.

Holy Cross Kirby Group has been a powerhouse in soccer in Newfoundland and Labrador during the past 10 years, having won 8 of the last 10 championships. In 2018 their hard work and dedication paid off as they won the Challenge Cup. At the national level they battled hard in the bronze medal match, losing only to kicks from the penalty mark. Holy Cross Kirby group can be described as a team built to compete at the Nationals.

Another remarkable year for Team Gushue as they defended their title and claimed back-to-back Brier Championships. At the national level, Team Gushue qualified for a number of Grand Slam events, which resulted in many first-place finishes. Internationally, Team Gushue was part of Team North America, which defeated Team World in January; in April Team Gushue represented Canada at the Men’s World Curling Championship and earned an impressive second place finish. Team Gushue concluded another superb year with another strong second place finish at the China Open in October.

In 2018 the Rock U18 Rugby team worked hard to sweep the Atlantics and Eastern Canadian Championships for an unprecedented undefeated season, earning gold medals at both events. The success of the U18 team resulted in many players being selected for National team honours.

Junior Male

Brent Broaders made his mark both on and off the ice in 2018. Brett took home the Maritime Junior A Hockey League 2018 Rookie of the Year as well as being named the Rookie of the Year for his Yarmouth Mariners. Off the ice Brent proved he was amongst Canadas best Ball Hockey Players winning a Gold Medal at the 2018 ISHBF U-20 World Junior Championships as a member of Team Canada on home soil here in Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition to winning gold Brent was the tournament’s Top Scorer. On the National scene Brent helped his Provincial team take sliver at the 2018 U-19 Canadian Ball Hockey Junior Nationals. In recognition of his outstanding play Brent was given the distinct honour of being named the first recipient of the Logan Schatz Award as Team Canada Junior Ball Hockey Player of the Year.

Campbell Clarke continued his impressive play on the Rugby Pitch in 2018. Campbell was selected to represent Canada as a member of the National U20 team competing at the Junior World Trophy in Bucharest, Romania as a 17-year-old. On the national level Campbell continued is outstanding play helping the Rock U19 win a National silver medal. Here at home Campbell helped his Swilers club win gold at the provincial championships. Campbell is currently attending St. Andrew’s College where he plays both Rugby and Hockey.

Noah Cumby continued to put his name on the map in 2018 as a rising star in Canadian Swimming. Noah was named to the Canadian team for the 2018 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Suva, Fiji where he earned his first international medal anchoring the men’s 4×100 medley relay team to a bronze medal. Noah continued to solidify his place on the National scene also representing Canada at the 2018 TYR Pro Swim Series in Austin, Texas. At the 2018 Canadian Swimming Championships Noah finished with a personal best 6th overall finish in the 100FR amongst Canadas elite swimmers. Noah was a multi event winner at the Provincial championships and continued to raise the bar by breaking 17 Provincial records in the 2018 season. As a captain of the Legends he led his club to team Championships at both the 2018 Newfoundland and Nova Scotia Provincial Championships.

Junior Female

Maggie Connors had a very successful year in Hockey at the 2018 U18 World Championships claiming the bronze medal and picking up 3 points in 6 games representing Team Canada. The team lost in a shootout in the semi-final to the eventual gold medal winning Team USA. Later in the year, Maggie was announced to attend the U22 National team summer show case in August. Maggie had a great 2018 and is certainly on the Team Canada national team radar. This fall, she began her studies at Princeton in the NCAA where she was third in team scoring on the Women’s Hockey Team with 24 points.

Shae Ledevehat is a multi-sport athlete from Mount Pearl NL. Shae’s hard work yielded results at the highest level of competition available to any athlete her age in Canadian Track and Field. Shae is a recipient of the 2018 Pearlgate Track and Field Youth Athlete of the Year, 2018 SSNL Sportsmanship award for MPSH, 1st place finish at the Athletic Canadian Championships in the U18 Heptathlon, 3rd place finish at the Youth Legion National Championships Heptathlon, 1st place in the Pentathlon at Atlantic Track and field indoor Championships, and 1st place in the NLAA age class championships in Javelin and Discus. Shae is one of the most coachable, hard-working, and intelligent athletes we have encountered. Besides excelling in track and field, she competes provincially and nationally in Ultimate Frisbee as a stand out on her team.

Kate Sullivan excelled this past year provincially and internationally. This O’Donel High student had a very decorated year with Team NL in many events including competitions in Alberta, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and an international invitational in Florida. This included a Bronze medal at the Canadian Junior Championships in the 3km Open Water event. She also secured a 1st place finish in all of Canada for 15-year-old females. Kate raced her way to a bronze medal in the 200m freestyle at Eastern Canadians and set 7 provincial records posting numerous personal best times in 2018. She also has a perfect attendance record for never missing a practice or workout. She is ranked top 10 in the country for Junior Swimming and is on track for a successful future in sport with no signs of slowing down. Kate is identified as a high-performance swimmer, and has received carding status by Swimming Canada, having the greatest potential to achieve results at Olympic Games/World Championships.

Coach

Trevor Budgell spent most of his year on the ice or at the rink guiding his large group of athletes and teams to great success. Trevor led the Tricom Thunder Peewee AAA team to a Provincial championship and a bronze medal at the Atlantic championships while taking home coach of the year honours. His U13 ball hockey team claimed a Provincial championship and Trevor also led the U17 Provincial ball hockey team to a National championship at the U-17 CBHA Junior Nationals. In addition to his coaching efforts Trevor was a leader in the creation of a minor ball hockey program under the assistance of the NLBHA that runs in the Goulds Arena for kids 8-15 years that provides countless children with the opportunity to participate in sport.

Kyle Murphy guided his gymnasts to many outstanding performances during the 2018 season. Kyle had a busy year attending Atlantic, Eastern and National championships as a Provincial team coach and was named coach for Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Alberta. Kyle’s athletes excelled on the Atlantic stage as his 16 athletes came home with 5 All Around Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze, as well as 12 Individual Gold, 10 Silver and 8 Bronze. Competing at the Eastern Canadian and National Championships Kyles athletes earned 2 individual bronze at Eastern’s with 3 athletes attending Nationals, 2 of which moved onto the finals following qualification.

Jake Stanford had an amazing year on the soccer pitch coaching the Holy Cross Kirby Group Men’s Team and the Holy Cross Avalon Ford Women’s Team. Jake led the Holy Cross Avalon Ford Men’s Team to a perfect record going undefeated for the season and claiming its third straight title with a record of 17 wins and 0 losses. To cap off this amazing accomplishment, Stanford’s Holy Cross Team had an amazing 99 goals for with 5 against. In Challenge Cup action Stanford led his team to their eighth title in 10 years and was named the NLSA Coach of the Year for 2018. With the Challenge Trophy and Jubilee Trophy Nationals set to take place in Newfoundland and Labrador, Jake is eager to bring home a medal in his home province in 2019.

Official

2018 was an extraordinary year for Joan Butler as she was one of just seven officials to be nominated by the Swimming Canada Technical Swimming Committee and was appointed the title of a F.I.N.A. official. This makes Joan eligible to officiate at international level swim meets for the next four-year term. As a swimming official, there is no higher designation than that of a “FINA Official”. To be considered as such is an indicator of Joan’s skill, her dedication, character and vast contribution to swimming locally, nationally and worldwide. As a FINA official, Joan was invited to be a referee at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championship in Tokyo, Japan this past summer. Nationally, Joan is regarded as one of Canadas top swimming officials and she was asked to officiate at the Canadian Pan Pacific Trials in Edmonton in July 2018. Locally, Joan volunteered her time to referee at various club level meets throughout the year as well as the Swimming NL Provincial Championships.

Ryan Langdon of St. John’s had a very successful 2018 with 9 assignments in the NBL Canada league. At 23, Ryan is one of the youngest U Sport officials f and has passed various standards to be assigned this position. He was a consistent presence at the University Sport level, officiating games for every Sea-Hawk home game. He was awarded the gold medal U19 game at the Max Audette elite officials camp in Montreal and as an official at the U17 women’s national championships was named crew chief. Ryan gives back to the basketball community helping to develop officials serving as an evaluator for NABO and running basketball officials clinics in Gander.

Bruce Watson has been involved as a golf official for the past 19 years attaining the highest level of official certification. He has officiated both provincial championships, a number of Tely Tour events and the Future Links Atlantics in 2018. Bruce is a major driving force behind the continued development of rules education in Newfoundland and Labrador and has been appointed to the National Rules Committee for Golf Canada. With the introduction of the new rules of Golf 2019, Bruce has been busy revising and preparing a new online education program which owes much of its success to his dedication. Bruce Watson is highly regarded for his knowledge, dedication and positive attitude awarding him with the Golf NL Official of the year award in 2018.

Executive

Judi Kelloway of Burin Bay Arm has been volunteering with the Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association for over 20 years. In 2018, she was an executive member with a keen interest for growing soccer in Newfoundland and Labrador as well as throughout Canada. The NLSA leans heavily on Judi for her expertise and guidance. Judi serves on multiple committees aiding in the development of rules and regulations, scheduling for provincial tournaments and youth leagues, and risk management practices. As a constant professional with dedication at the youth level and governance of Soccer, Judi was named NLSA executive of the year in 2018.

In 2018 David Liverman was involved with three PSO’s and two national sport organizations. He was on the board of Skate Canada NL responsible for club liaison until stepping down in May 2018. He remains active with skating as a date input operator with the officiating group and helped recently at the provincial sectional championships. As director of officials for the NLSA and a national instructor with Soccer Canada, David has an active role leading the development of new policies, assisting in instruction, coordinating referee development and he is working to improve referee standards across Canada with a focus on materials for new referees. As president of Cricket NL, David has seen membership nearly double under his guidance and has had expansion in both summer and winter cricket leagues. He also acted as provincial coach when the team traveled to Montreal and placed 4th at the Eastern Canadian championships. As director of Cricket Canada until May 2018, he was instrumental in the development and approval of 15 new policies related to safe sport, athlete development and committee structures.

Labrador City’s Gerry Rideout has volunteered with Cross Country NL for over 30 years serving as their president for close to 20. Gerry oversees 13 ski clubs with approximately 3500 members and has offered his expertise and guidance to support these clubs in respect to fundraising, equipment and trail grooming. His fundraising efforts supported our Provincial coach and team and helped get multiple initiatives off the ground such as dry land camps, NL Cup series and Kids Fest. Gerry has helped 8 clubs recruit strong trial groomers helping to improve their trails and has worked with clubs in Pasadena, Grand Falls, Birch Brook, and Menihek to apply for funding grants for chalet and equipment upgrades. He was heavily involved in the success of Pasadena’s Cross Country participation in the NL Games. Gerry’s dedication has lead to a full executive in 2018 with 50% women and he is a leader in the community promoting master skiing and keeping seniors active on the trails.

Volunteer

Finton Guadette has provided leadership in many capacities in the Volleyball community in Newfoundland and Labrador. Finton has coached many indoor volleyball teams in 2018. He helped the Humber Volleyball Club 17U male team to a provincial championship, provided weekly coaching sessions for the Corner Brook ladies league, and helped coach the Georges Ski World and Veitch Physiotherapy teams at the Provincial Senior Championships. Finton also coordinated officiating for VolleyWest, the 17U, 16U, and 14U championships, and refed the local women’s league. Finton has served as tournament convener for VolleyWest, 17u male provincials, Volleyfest, and the Molson Senior Championships. He is the Corner Brook Ladies League chair, coordinating all aspects of the 14-team league, and handles all website result updates while continuously promoting all local and provincial volleyball through social media. In beach volleyball, Finton coached at 8 different tournaments with a number of first, second and third place finishes. He was head coach of the Corner Brook Beach Volleyball Association with approx. 100 athletes training twice per week in the 12U, 13U, 16U age groups for both male and female. Finton is also chair of the Corner Brook Ladies Beach League handling all administrative duties. On the international stage, Finton was assigned Court Manager duties for 2 world-class events; the Beach Major Five Star Event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the Dela Confederation of European Volleyball, European Championships in the Netherlands. He was responsible for the court personnel crew coordination, activities on their court, crew swaps, daily court preparations, equipment, and maintenance. In the fall of 2018, Finton became a member of the Atlantic Beach Tour Advisory Committee whose responsibilities are to make recommendations to the PSO’s from all Atlantic provinces for Atlantic Beach Tour Events and the Atlantic Beach Championships. His level of dedication to volleyball is astounding.

Michelle Healy – Although not an official executive member for any association, Michelle is a key asset to the St. John’s Amateur Baseball association, the St. John’s Minor Baseball Association, and Baseball NL. Michelle volunteered in numerous capacities for the St. John’s Amateur Baseball Association including canteen services, score keeping, field maintenance, custodial, and grill master; anything needed to make the day-to-day operations of the league possible. Many nights Michelle could be found locking doors and turning off the lights at 11:30pm, long after most of the players, coaches, and other personnel had gone home for the night. Her primary responsibilities for St. John’s Minor Baseball Association revolve around her multiple team manager roles and she is assistant coach for the St. John’s Capitals 18U. As Chef de Mission for Baseball NL, Michelle helped to provide an incredible experience for the players, parents, and coaches on the 16U Female Provincial Team. Michelle’s key responsibilities included coordinating fundraising efforts for travel and accommodations. Without her fundraising efforts and creativity, these experiences would not have been possible for the players. Michelle’s passion and commitment to volunteer initiatives is unparalleled. Her constant ability to balance and manage any number of roles and responsibilities is unmatched.

Maria Mackey has volunteered her time with soccer at the regional, provincial, and national level. She is chair of the St. John’s Youth League where she looks after the scheduling of games for over 700 players. In addition, she coordinated officiating and helped keep league statistics. Maria organized a number of youth officiating clinics ensuring there were enough available officials for the metro and St. John’s Youth Leagues. Maria also organized and ran a development camp for Memorial University for females age U10 and U12. Maria chaired and organized the Provincial U8 Jamboree, and ensured officials were assigned to all games while working diligently to ensure a smooth process for everyone. She also chaired the hosting committee for the U18 Boys and Girls Atlantic Championships coordinating all aspects of the tournament. Maria served as assistant coach with the provincial U13 girls’ team, earning a bronze medal at Atlantic Championships. Lastly, Maria served as an assistant coach with the Whitecaps high performance group when they traveled to Vancouver for a high-performance training camp. In 2018, Maria has demonstrated she is more than capable of taking on very demanding projects while ensuring they are successful for the many people involved. Her ability to work closely with people of all ages is highly regarded as a volunteer in our community.

Source: Sport NL Website

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Softball NL Would Like To Take This Opportunity To Congratulate All Of The Finalists For The 2018 Sport NL Provincial Annual Awards.

Congratulations!