SportNL 2025 Provincial Annual Awards Finalists Announced
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
St. John’s, NL – Sport Newfoundland and Labrador (SportNL) is proud to announce the finalists for the 2025 Sport NL Annual Provincial Awards, taking place on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at the Delta Hotel St. John’s. This year’s celebration recognizes the extraordinary achievements and contributions of athletes, coaches, teams, officials, executives, and volunteers during a historic year for sport in our province, highlighted by St. John’s hosting the 2025 Canada Games.
The 2025 awards honour a milestone season defined by excellence, leadership, and community impact across all levels of sport.
“The 2025 season will be remembered as one of the most significant years in our province’s sporting history,” said Sport Newfoundland and Labrador Board President Raeleen Baggs. “From outstanding performances on the competition field to the incredible leadership behind the scenes, our finalists represent the very best of Newfoundland and Labrador sport. Congratulations to all nominees and finalists on their remarkable contributions.”
Sport NL received a strong number of nominations across multiple categories, reflecting the depth of talent and dedication within the province’s sport system.
“The energy and excellence demonstrated throughout 2025, particularly during the Canada Games, showcased the strength of our athletes, the professionalism of our coaches and officials, and the commitment of our volunteers and sport leaders,” said Sport Newfoundland and Labrador Executive Director Troy Croft. “Earning a nomination is an outstanding achievement. Being named a finalist in such a historic year is truly exceptional. We congratulate all finalists for their impact on sport in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Three finalists in each category were selected based on voting results from a committee representing the media and sport community.
Junior Female Athlete of the Year (Margaret Davis Memorial Award)
Falon McLoughlan – Volleyball
Isabelle Quinton – Kickboxing
Avery Strong – Ball Hockey
Junior Male Athlete of the Year (Joseph P. Mullins Memorial Award)
Gavin Baggs – Para Sport
Jared Picco – Softball
Ben Veitch – Hockey
Senior Female Athlete of the Year (Elizabeth Swan Memorial Award)
Kate Bazeley – Athletics
Molly Gill – Ball Hockey
Jaida Lee – Baseball
Senior Male Athlete of the Year (Ferd Hayward Memorial Award)
Ryan Greene – Hockey
Jason Hill – Softball
Chris Weeks – Swimming
Female Coach of the Year
Carmel Casey – Special Olympics
Duffy Earle – Swimming
Devonne Ryan – Gymnastics
Male Coach of the Year (John Drinkwater Memorial Award)
Brian Casey – Hockey
Christopher Roberts – Swimming
Jake Stanford – Soccer
Rising Star Coach of the Year
Abby Evans – Soccer
Maddi Healy – Baseball
Jayden St. Croix – Volleyball
Senior Male Team of the Year (Edward P. Browne Memorial Award)
Deer Lake Red Wings – Hockey
Galway Hitmen – Softball
Holy Cross Challenge Cup – Soccer
Senior Female Team of the Year
Holy Cross Nutra Holdings Jubilee Trophy – Soccer
NL United – Ball Hockey
Open Starlites – Skating
Youth Male Team of the Year
13U AA Pasadena Pirates – Baseball
U15 High Performance Program Team NL – Hockey
Youth Female Team of the Year
Team NL 14U Black – Baseball
Paradise Girls U17 – Soccer
U15 AAA Eastern IceBreakers – Hockey
Senior Official of the Year Award
Dave Dove – Skating
Norm Higdon – Swimming
Kiana Laundry – Taekwondo
Junior Official of the Year Award
Isabelle Crocker – Taekwondo
Lewis Holwell – Hockey
James Ryan – Baseball
Executive of the Year (Graham Snow Memorial Award)
Kristyn Coley – Baseball
Jesse DeVilla – Basketball
Steve Power – Ball Hockey
Volunteer of the Year (Frank W. Graham Memorial Award)
Susan Dean – Skating
Michelle Healy – Baseball
Christa Skinner – Hockey
The finalists represent 15 sports from communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador demonstrating the strong talent and leadership that we have within the province’s sports community.
About Sport Newfoundland and Labrador:
Sport Newfoundland and Labrador is the professional organization that is central to supporting the development and delivery of organized sport in Newfoundland and Labrador. Representing 55 member organizations, as well as 70,0000 individual members, Sport NL is a volunteer-run organization that promotes amateur sport throughout our province – for everyone.
—————————————————-
Softball NL Would Like To Take This Opportunity To Congratulate All Of The Finalists For The SportNL 2025 Annual Provincial Awards.
—————————————————-
Softball NL Would Like To Take This Opportunity To Congratulate Softballers Jason Hill (Senior Male Athlete of the Year Finalist), Jared Picco (Junior Male Athlete of the Year Finalist) And Galway Hitmen (Senior Male Team of the Year Finalist) On Being Named Finalists For The SportNL 2025 Annual Provincial Awards.
Congratulations Jason, Jared and Galway Hitmen!
