No matter what, this year’s Nanaimo Sport Achievement Awards will recognize some worthy winners.
This week Pacific-Sport announced the finalists for this year’s awards and judges have their work cut out for them to determine the winners leading up to the banquet Feb. 5.
This year’s finalists include:
Team Male Athlete of the Year - Robbie Cochrane, VIU Mariners men’s soccer; Andrew Kaban, VIU Mariners men’s basketball; Tony Theriault, adaptive rowing.
Team Female Athlete of the Year - Bronte Fitzsimmons, VIU Mariners women’s soccer; Kayla Gromme, VIU Mariners women’s basketball; Aileen Holder, VIU Mariners women’s volleyball and soccer.
Male Individual Athlete of the Year - Kelly Aspinall, University of British Columbia swimming; Adam Rahier, Nanaimo Riptides swimming; Steve Smith, downhill mountain biking.
Female Individual Athlete of the Year - Andrea Dziewior, para-alpine skiing; Haleigh Lloyd, track and field; Wendy Simms, cyclocross.
Male Junior Athlete of the Year - Marshall Cook, Team B.C. U18 football and Nanaimo Redmen midget football; Elan Jonas-McRae, rock climbing; Matthew Landry, taekwondo.
Female Junior Athlete of the Year - Jane Mortlock, Nanaimo Riptides swimming; Katelynn Ramage, Nanaimo District Islanders track and field; Jade Richardson, Nanaimo District Islanders track and field.
Masters Athlete of the Year - Heidi Bromley, B.C. Seniors Games swimming; Joe Giegerich, B.C. Seniors Games track and field; Rhonda Heaslip, weightlifting.
Team of the Year - Vancouver Island Baseball Institute Mariners; Vancouver Island University Mariners golf; VIU Mariners men’s soccer.
Junior Team of the Year - Barsby Bulldogs AA varsity football; Nanaimo Rowing Club; Nanaimo Island Stone Supply Timbermen junior women’s lacrosse.
High-Performance Coach of the Year - Bryan Baxter, lacrosse; Stephen Epp, Nanaimo Volleyball Club; Bill Merriman, Malaspina Mariners soccer.
Grassoots Coach of the Year - Tammy Leslie, taekwondo; Sean Roden, Nanaimo Redmen midget football; Rob Stevenson and Larry Cooper, Barsby Bulldogs football.
Sport Administrator of the Year - Leo Beier, futsal; Mike Benker, softball; Joanne Russell, Football Nanaimo.
Sports News Story of the Year - Barsby Bulldogs AA varsity football; Canadian Masters Long Course Swimming Championships; VIU Mariners men’s soccer.
The Nanaimo Sport Achievement Awards will be held Feb. 5 at the Coast Bastion Inn. Tickets cost $60 per person or $500 for a table of 10. Tickets may be purchased at the hotel, at the PacificSport building on Vancouver Island University campus or by calling 250-716-6110.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com