Athletics Canada’s 2010 Annual Award Recipients
Thursday, December 09, 2010
OTTAWA - Athletics Canada announced today the winners of its twelve annual awards, the winners are chosen by Athletics Canada’s Awards Committee from the nominee pool as put forward by the Athletics Canada membership. The award recipients will be honoured at a banquet following the 2011 Canadian Championships in Calgary, Alberta.
- Click here to see the full list of finalists
http://www.athletics.ca/display_news.asp?newsid=1077
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep of Whitby, ON is the winner of both the Jack W. Davies Trophy for the outstanding overall athlete of the year and the Phil A. Edwards Memorial Trophy for the outstanding athlete of the year in track events. Priscilla started the indoor season where she left off outdoors in 2009, on the podium at a World Championships. Her outdoor season was pure dominance finishing at the front in almost every race she entered capping things off by claiming the title in the 100-metre hurdles in the inaugural Samsung Diamond League. She finished off 2010 as the IAAF World Leader in the hurdles with the three fastest times of the season.
The Cal D. Bricker Memorial Trophy (outstanding performance of the year) voting ended in a tie with the honour going to both Simon Bairu of Regina, SK and Priscilla Lopes-Schliep of Whitby, ON. Simon finished 13th at the World Cross Country Championships crossing the line as the top non-African finisher. Bairu’s performance at the 2010 World XC Championships ranks up there with the best in Canadian athletics history.
Going into the Diamond League Finale (seventh and final meet) American Lolo Jones held a slight lead over Lopes-Schliep who needed to win to capture the inaugural title. On a starting line that featured the very best of the best, Lopes-Schliep came through and won the race earning the title of Diamond League champion.
As outstanding athlete of the year in off-track events, Simon Bairu is also the recipient of the Fred Begley Memorial Trophy.
Dylan Armstrong of Kamloops, BC is the winner of the F.N.A. Rowell Trophy for the outstanding athlete of the year in field events. Another outstanding year by the Canadian king of throws was highlighted by a 4th place finish at the World Indoor Championships and a Gold medal and new Games record at the Commonwealth Games. Armstrong also set three new Canadian shot put records throughout the season, twice he improved the indoor record and set a new outdoor mark as well.
The Outstanding Para-Athlete of the Year in Wheelchair Events is Nanoose Bay, BC’s Michelle Stilwell. Stilwell made her mark on the 2010 season by setting new World Records in both the T52 classification 100 and 200-metres and established a new Canadian mark in the T52 400-metres.
Windsor, ON’s Jamie Adjetey-Nelson is the recipient of the Combined Events Athlete of the Year. In what was a breakthrough year Adjetey-Nelson broke the magical 8000 point barrier in the decathlon on two occasions; a feat only four other Canadians have accomplished. At the Commonwealth Games he scored 8070 points and won gold.
Sam Effah of Calgary, AB is the 2010 recipient of the Dr. Fred Tees Memorial Trophy as the outstanding athlete enrolled in a Canadian university. Sam laid down the gauntlet early in the season running 10.06 over 100-metres at the NACAC U-23 Championships. This performance cemented him as the fourth fastest man in Canadian history, just behind Donovan Bailey and Bruny Surin’s 9.84 and Nicolas Macrozonaris’ 10.03. Throughout the CIS season he set numerous records and was named CIS and Canada West Track Athlete of the Year. He was also a finalist in the 100-metres and 4x100-metre relay at the Commonwealth Games.
Kyle Pettey of Brampton, ON is named the Outstanding Para-Athlete of the Year in Ambulatory Events. Kyle’s outstanding season was punctuated with a new World Record and a gold medal in the F34 classification shot put at the Commonwealth Games. In March he established a new Canadian record in the F34 discus throw.
The Eric E. Coy Trophy for the outstanding junior athlete of the year goes to London, ON’s Taylor Stewart. Stewart won Canada’s first medal at the 2010 World Junior Championships held on home soil in Moncton, NB. He qualified for the long jump final by jumping a new personal best of 7.75 metres and in that final earned bronze on his last attempt. He set new meet records at the OFSAA Championships and the Canadian World Junior Trials. He ended his season with a bronze medal at the Canadian Championships.
The Myrtle Cook Trophy for the outstanding youth athlete of the year recognized two very deserving recipients; both Katie Reid of Surrey, BC and Chanice Taylor-Chase of Ajax, ON.
Katie earned her spot at the World Junior Championships at the Trials by setting a new Canadian Youth Record in the 400-metres. On top of competing in the 400-metres at World Juniors, Reid was also a member of the 4x400-metres relay team which broke the Canadian junior record at those same championships and went on to finish 5th in the final. At the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore she placed 5th.
Chanice took to the international stage in two very different events at the World Junior Championships qualifying in the 100-metre hurdles and 400-metres. She was also a member of the 5th place 4x400-metre relay squad. Chanice won bronze in the 400-metres at the Canadian Championships.
Dr. Anatoliy Bondarchuk of Kamloops, BC is the recipient of Athletics Canada’s Coach of the Year Award. Dr. Bondarchuk’s athletes all enjoyed outstanding seasons, notably the four under his tutelage who were members of the Commonwealth Games team:
· Dylan Armstrong - Shot Put
o Commonwealth Games Gold and Games Record
o 4th in the Diamond League
o 4th at the World Indoor Championships
o 3 Canadian Records (2 indoor and 1 outdoor)
· Sultana Frizell - Hammer Throw
o Commonwealth Games Gold and Games Record
o Canadian Championship Gold and Meet Record
o Canadian Record
· Megann Rodhe - Hammer Throw
o Commonwealth Games Finalist
· Crystal Smith - Hammer Throw
o Commonwealth Games Finalist
o New personal best
For more Athletics Canada’s Annual Awards information please visit: www.athletics.ca/page.asp?id=54.
-AC-