Athlete of the Year 2019 Nominees Drew Becker Horseshoe Pitching
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2018 2019 NOMINEES NOMINEES Garrett Rank Tyler Miller Murphy Burnatowski Mike Poulin Alyssa Mason Loren Gabel Drew Becker Golf Basketball Basketball Lacrosse Ultimate Ice Hockey Horseshoe pitching Kaitlyn Weaver Andrew Poje Ben Flanagan Howard Armitage Pat Pytlik Samantha McCrory Foster Malleck Alec Elliot Figure Skating Figure Skating Track & Field Squash Martial Arts Field Hockey Track & Field Swimming Welcome to the 2020 Virtual Recognition Event Greetings from The Chair 2020 COMMITTEES VOLUNTEERS It’s good to be back following a one-year hiatus (2019) and the challenges of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Organizing Committee John Thompson, Waterloo (Chair) This year’s innovative virtual recognition program is in keeping Mike Aultman, Kitchener (Vice-Chair) with the unusual circumstances that everyone is facing (enduring) Ann Bilodeau, Kitchener as the world responds to the global health challenge. Steve Brown, Elmira Mary Ann Burke, Kitchener This recognition of the outstanding performances and achieve- Gord Dearborn, Kitchener ments of our community’s elite athletes is important and is an Tim Forsyth, Kitchener Craig Herner, Kitchener appropriate thank you to the nominees who represent Kitchener- Jean Howitt, Cambridge Waterloo, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich locally, nationally and Dave McLelland, Kitchener internationally throughout the world. Bill Pegg, Kitchener Bill Poje, Waterloo Special appreciation to our community’s leaders – Regional Chair Bob Stebbings, Cambridge Karen Redman, Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic and Waterloo Darren Stevenson, Waterloo Penny Swinston, Kitchener Mayor Dave Jaworsky for publicly acknowledging our 15 nominees as part of our event. Nomination Committee A huge cap-tip to Darren Stevenson of 519 Sportsonline for his Jean Howitt, Cambridge (Chair) Joe Allen, Waterloo production experience in co-ordinating the virtual program in Mike Aultman, Kitchener collaboration with KW Habilitation’s Ann Bilodeau and Jeremy Tim Forysth, Kitchener Heatherington. Ruth Ann McBride, Waterloo Bill Poje, Waterloo As well, the sports community appreciates David Agular for Nancy Stayzer, Conestogo producing a replay of the event as part of Rogers TV local Roger Tupling, Kitchener programming. Selection Committee During the past year, dozens of volunteers listed in the committees John Thompson, Waterloo, (Chair) worked tirelessly to nominate, select and recognize this great Ann Bilodeau, Kitchener (Vice-Chair) Keith Baulk, Kitchener roster of awesome local athletes. Wayne Berwick, New Hamburg Sheila Brown, Waterloo Congratulations to each of the 2018 and 2019 nominees – and Steve Brown, Elmira special thanks to their families, coaches and support teams - your Marg Burnett, Heidelberg hometown community is in awe of your dedication and spirit, and Jerome Freiburger, Waterloo proud of your achievements. Zoe Hahn, Linwood Sandra Hanmer, Waterloo Leon Martin, Elmira John Thompson Philip Salubi, Waterloo Steve Singer, Waterloo Bob Stebbings, Cambridge Thank you Kelvin Tran, Waterloo to our major Communications Committee funding Bob Stebbings, Cambridge (Chair) sponsors Gord Dearborn, Kitchener Craig Herner, Kitchener 2 Athlete of the Year 2018 Nominees as he placed 1st in both of the Ontario Masters Squash Howard Armitage Championships 75+ and 70+ categories, en route to being ranked number one in Canada, prior to Squash capturing his world championship. Howard Armitage, Armitage also played football for the Ottawa Rough PhD, MBA, BSC of Riders and learned squash while living in Kenya in his Waterloo is the founder twenties. He is an active member at Northfield (now of the Conrad School of Greystone) Racquet Club and is looking forward to Entrepreneurship and competing again at the world level. Business at the Uni - versity of Waterloo, and a 2018 World Squash Champion! Armitage captured gold in the masters division (75-79 years old) by dispatching five worthy opponents to capture his first world champion - ship in Charlottesville, Virginia. 2018 was a sterling year for the classy competitor Before embarking on his professional career, Murphy Murphy Burnatowski played for the Canadian Senior National Team (2011- 17) as well as the University National Team Basketball in 2013. Murphy Burnatowski of Waterloo is a travelling basketball phenom. Following an outstanding career at Sir John A Macdonald Secondary School in Waterloo, Murphy played NCAA Division I basketball (2009-14) at the University of Maine and later Colgate University before embarking on a professional career that has seen him play for teams in the Czech Republic, Poland, Switzerland, Cyprus, Vietnam and now Canada. In 2018, Murphy played 37 games with the cham - pionship Fribourg Olympic squad of the Switzerland Basketball League averaging 30.2 minutes and 14.6 points per game. As a result of his stellar play, he was name to the Eurobasket.com Swiss All-Imports Team. His play in Asia resulted in travelling to exotic destinations that included Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Macau. 3 Athlete of the Year 2018 Nominees to the University of Michi - Ben Flanagan gan, Ann Arbor where his success con tinued. Track & Field In June 2018, in his final NCAA T&F Champion ship, Ben Flanagan of Kitchener had an illustrious career (4- he had a me mo rable final time MVP) at St. Mary’s High School before advancing lap in the 10,000m to become a National Colle - giate Champion. Other race results included gold in the PAC-12 Cardinal Classic 10,000m and the Canadian 5K Road Race National Championship (new Ca na - dian record at 13.56); 2nd place finishes in Quad City Times Bix 7 km Road Race and Iowa State Classic 5,000m and a Bronze medal in the 5,000m at the Canadian Track & Field Championships. Based on his successes, Ben was the recipient of three US Track & Field Cross-Country Coaches Association awards and recognition as a Division I Outdoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year and the University of Michigan Male Athlete of the Year. member of the Tyler Miller Toronto Rollin Rap - tors where he was Basketball named an All Star. With Team Canada, Tyler Miller of Kitchener was introduced to wheelchair he and his team- basketball in 2007 with Twin City Spinners. He had mates finished 3rd always been a keen athletic competitor, and he at the Mitsubishi focused to excel in this new-found and challenging Electric World Chal - sport. lenge Cup in Tokyo, Japan; 5th at the 2018 was a busy year competing, domestically and Continental Clash in internationally with a 5th place finish at the National Sheffield, Great Wheelchair Basketball Championship (Div 1) as a Britain and 12th at the 2018 World Wheelchair Basket - ball Cham pionships in Germany. Tyler’s story is about excellence, endurance, dedi - cation, hard work, success, elation, disappointment, joy leadership and community advocacy. Tyler was the community’s Athlete of the Year in 2012, and his career spans more than a decade competing at the highest level on the National and Inter national stage. 4 Athlete of the Year 2018 Nominees in Milan, Italy. They did Andrew Poje & earn a gold medal at the Autumn Classic International hosted in Kaitlyn Weaver Oakville, ON. During their spec ta cu - Figure Skating lar pairs’ career, Kaitlyn Andrew Poje and Kaitlyn Weaver of Waterloo and Andrew are three- represented Canada at the 2018 Olympics in time world medalists in Pyeongchang, Korea, and dazzled the world in their ice-dance and are two- Olympic dance to the music of “Je Suis Malade”that time local Athlete of was performed live by Lara Fabian days previously. the Year recipients They finished 7th, dupli - (2014 and 2010). cating their Olympic debut in Sochi, Russia four years previously. The pair finished as bronze medalists in the Canadian Figure Skating Championship in Van - couver and earned an other bronze at the ISU World Championship 5 Athlete of the Year 2018 Nominees Garret Rank Golf Garrett Rank of Elmira has balanced a two-sport career as a referee in the National Hockey League and as an accomplished amateur golfer during hockey’s “off-season”. Garrett’s 2018 highlights were qualifying for the US Amateur Open in Pebble Beach, CA as well as being one of 19 amateurs who qualified for and played in the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, NY. Other successes included winning the Ontario Men’s Mid-Amateur in Burlington and the Investor’s Group Ontario Men’s Amateur in St. Thomas. Garrett also carded third-place finishes in the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in Duncan BC and in an international tournament in Lima, Peru. Garrett is a graduate of the University of Waterloo, and has been a nominee for our community’s Athlete of the Year program four times previously (2017, 2016, 2012 and 2011). A Look Back… From humble beginnings in 1999 as part of the Big Brothers 31st Annual Sports Celebrity Dinner, and 21 years later the Athlete of the Year program is a stand- alone event with a legacy of recognizing the best of the best in our sports community. Thanks to supporters who have been with the Athlete of the Year program since inception – Civitan Sports Waterloo Region, Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club, Rogers TV and Rogers Radio Group. 6 Athlete of the Year Nominees 1998-2017 2017 2012 2008 2003 Dan Benvenuti . .Ultimate Chelsea Aubry . .Basketball Mandy Bujold . .Boxing Jason Douglas . .Boxing Alec Elliot . .Swimming Maddie Buttinger . .Track & Field Katie Harnock . .Basketball Amanda Overland . .Short Track Speed Chris Ernst . .Track Cycling Kory Lorentz . .Standing Lisa Hutson . .Mountain Biking Skating Tim Grant . ..Adventure Racing Amputee Hockey Alyssa Lagonia . .Soccer Sarah Pavan . .Volleyball Brandon Horn . .Fastball Dustin Miller . .Long Track Speed Andrew Poje . .Figure Skating/ Megan Poss . .Synchronized Boris Katchouk . .Ice Hockey Skating Ice Dance Swimming Alyssa Lagonia . .Soccer Tyler Miller . .Wheelchair Kelly VanderBeek . .Alpine Skiing Jamal Murray . .Basketball Miranda Ranieri . .Squash Basketball Richard Singh . .Powerlifting Paige Nosal . .Ringette Garrett Rank . .Golf 2002 Jaimie Phelan . .Track & Field Kelly VanderBeek . .Alpine Skiing Mike Poulin .