The Nanaimo Sport Achievement Awards are just days away and the finalists are a deserving group again this year.
With the 14th annual gala event coming up on Feb. 22, a panel of judges made up of sports media members has determined finalists in each of the awards categories.
The Nanaimo Sport Achievement Awards will be held at the Coast Bastion Hotel. To make a donation to the silent auction (money raised benefits local high-performance athletes), or for ticket information, please call event chairwoman Marilyn Sullivan at 250-716-6110.
In addition to the awards categories listed below, there will be a presentation of the Michael Rhode Memorial Award for longtime dedication to sport and the Steve Smith Memorial Award for contributions to extreme sport.
This year’s finalists include:
Male Team Athlete of the Year - Patrick Bajkov, hockey; Braydon Brouwer, volleyball; Usama Zaid, basketball.
Female Team Athlete of the Year - Hannah Boas, lacrosse; Cara Dunlop, soccer; Taylor Wickson, volleyball.
Male Individual Athlete of the Year - Shelby Drope, running; Raf Korkowski, weightlifting; Hunter McGill, BMX.
Female Individual Athlete of the Year - Monica Bonczak, jiu-jitsu; Alex Foston, golf; Melissa Ross, running.
Male Junior Team Athlete of the Year - Isaac Prochnicki, field lacrosse; Zach Taylor, football; Josh Zary, hockey.
Female Junior Team Athlete of the Year - Isabella Bortolotto, baseball; Jayden Saywell, volleyball; Brianna Gray, basketball.
Male Junior Individual Athlete of the Year - Tayden de Pol, swimming; Cam Laturnus, swimming/triathlon; Blake Mould, trampoline gymnastics.
Female Junior Individual Athlete of the Year - Olivia Lundman, track and field; Dakota Plensky, boxing; Jordan Singer, bowling.
Masters Athlete of the Year - Chris Cameron, cycling; Sean Lunny, cycling; Patti Rogers, track and field.
Partners of the Year - Jackson Ali and Remus Wyse-Morris, paddling; Maranda Eby and Natalie McCallum, bowling; Pete Korvin and Anna Edgar, pickleball.
Team of the Year - Nanaimo Timbermen, senior B lacrosse; Team Van Osch, curling; VIU Mariners, women’s volleyball.
Junior Team of the Year - John Barsby Bulldogs, junior boys’ cross-country; Nanaimo Timbermen, midget A2 lacrosse; NDSS Islanders, field lacrosse.
High Performance Coach of the Year - Kevin Lindo, soccer; Shane Hyde, volleyball; Kaleb Toth, lacrosse.
Grassroots Coach of the Year - Rick Hart, cross-country; Ryan Orton, volleyball; Terry Palfrey, volleyball.
Sport Administrator of the Year - Rick Bevis, volleyball; Selena Pellizzari, equestrian; Breanne Quist, Nanaimo Christian School athletic department.
Official of the Year - Eric Labas, hockey; Colton Merner, lacrosse; Garrett Watson, soccer/lacrosse.
Sports Story of the Year - Baseball Week in Nanaimo; Presidents Cup national lacrosse championships; Czech-Slovak junior hockey game.