PECI honours athletic excellence on the Regent stage

Sue Capon | Jun 07, 2017 | Comments 0

PECI’s major athletic awards were presented Wednesday night to senior female and male athletes of the year Vanessa Willis and Carter Whitteker; junior athletes of the year Alex Arsenault and Mikayla Leavitt; Gd 9 athletes of the year Sydney Davies and Cooper Rogers; Jeremy Vincent Award winner Aidan Wallwork and Joe Scott Award winner Lindsay Stakes.

Prince Edward Collegiate Institute athletes replaced their sports wear for business casual Wednesday night as they graced the Regent Theatre stage to be honoured for individual and team efforts over the school year.

“The statistics show that an alarming number of girls are opting out of sports at an earlier age than ever before,” said Rob Garden, honoring all those who were nominated for the Senior Female Athlete of the Year award. “You ladies are a testament to the contrary, and you should be commended on your dedication, commitment and love for sports.”

Nominees were: Abby Terpstra, Brooke Roche, Kylie Moyer, Allison Hegadorn, Casey Hegadorn, Vanessa Willis, Lynsey Corbin, Kelli Anne Maycock, Celina Fox, Olivia Crouse and Chloe MacDonald.

Vanessa Willis with coach Rob Garden

Vanessa Willis was named Senior Female Athlete of the Year as an all-round competitor who was a three sport athlete this year. She won a Bay of Quinte Gold, a COSSA Gold and competed at OFSSA in basketball. She qualified for East Regionals in track and field and almost advanced to OFSAA in tennis.

Nominees for Senior Male Athlete of the Year were: Matt Dobson, Chase Eaton, Dan Seguin, Andrew Ward, Iain Cameron, Aidan Wallwork, Ben Clarke, Cole St. Pierre, Carter Whitteker, Wyatt Gilbert, Jordan Stacey, John McHugh, Chase Lavender, Braedan Kelly, Ryan Kelly and Lucas Clarke.

Carter Whitteker with Hugh Cameron

Carter Whitteker was named Senior Male Athlete of the Year for his winning attitute and offensive action in soccer and for his contributions with the hockey team helping to end the season fourth overall, and competing at COSSA.

“It is no easy task to have the PECI coaches come to consensus on the Senior Male Athlete of the Year,” said presenter Hugh Cameron. “Whitteker has shown a desire to win, as well as extreme growth in both skill and leadership with each successive game he played… And after each game and practice he planned the steps that would be required for a better performance next time. His efforts paid off.”

Mikayla Leavitt with Jen Travers

Mikayla Leavitt was named Junior Female Athlete of the Year for her demonstration of fierceness and intensity when competing, and emergence as a leader demonstrating dedication and coachability.

“The desire to learn and grow has been paramount in the world of coaching and this athlete demonstrates these qualities in basketball, volleyball, tennis and soccer,” said presenter Jen Travers.

Alex Arsenault with Pam Goad

Alex Arsenault was named the Junior Male Athlete of the Year for his successes in soccer, basketball and rugby.

“He was new to PECI this year, but from the moment he stepped on the soccer pitch in September, coaches knew he was special. His coaches commented on his athletic ability and his intensity. He followed that up with having a stand-out year on the basketball court and became a key cog in the COSSA championship win.”

Sydney Davies with Athletic Director Laurie Spencer

The Grade 9 Female Athlete of the Year award was presented to Sydney Davies, for her contributions to the Athletic Council, basketball, hockey, soccer, track and field and OFSAA competitor for Cross Country.

“Sydney jumped in with both feet to the world of high school athletics representing PECI in five sports, all while maintaining strong marks in her classes and giving back to the school community through various leadership roles,” said Laurie Spencer.

Cooper Rogers with Rob Garden

The Grade 9 Male Athlete of the Year award was presented to Cooper Rogers for excelling in hockey and maintaining academics and a AAA hockey schedule.

“He also volunteered for the County Clippers basketball this spring where he gave back and was an excellent role model for younger students,” said Rob Garden.

“He is a fierce competitor who works hard in practice, is very coachable and is a great teammate.”

OPIE Award winners for 2017 Lucas Clarke, Lindsay Stakes, Wyatt Gilbert, Casey Hegadorn,
Vanessa Willis, Monica Lindsay.

The OPIE Award for those who unselfishly contribute to interschool sports, or the life of sports in the school, was presented to Lindsay Stakes, Vanessa Willis, Casey Hegadorn, Lucas Clark, Wyatt Gilbert and Monica Lindsay.

Aidan Wallwork with Heather Monroe

Aidan Wallwork was named this year’s recipient of the Jeremy Vincent Award, awarded to an athlete who shows excellence in track and field.

Lindsay Stakes with Lisa Fraser and Jen Travers

Lindsay Stakes received the Joe Scott Award, as the athlete who displayed specialized excellence in their event – in her case, gymnastics, where she was the All Around Champion at Level 8; ranked 17th all-round provincially and was first all-around champion at Level 9 in North Bay.

“She excelled in her sport at PECI as well as provincially. In both Bay of Quinte and COSSA, she was by and large the highest leveled competitor as she was competing at Level 8 and more recently at level 9 provincially,” explained presenters Jen Travers and Lisa Fraser. “In addition to the hours spent at her home club in Napanee, in which she is the highest-levelled competitor the club has ever had), she has also taken on coaching…. She exemplifies what sport is all about: dedication to practice, perseverance when times are tough and finding a healthy balance in your life.”

Earning medals for 80 points Mikayla Leavitt, Brooke Roche, Abby Terpstra, Chloe McDonald, Lydia Snider, Kelli-Anne Maycock, Iain Cameron, Joey Monroe, and Cole St. Pierre.

Medals for achieving 80 athletic points were presented to Abby Terpstra, Chloe MacDonald, Mikayla Leavitt, Kelli-Anne Maycock, Joey Monroe, Brooke Roche, Cole St. Pierre, Jimmy Kuipers, Lydia Snider and Iain Cameron.

Receiving medals for achieving 100 athletic points Casey Hegadorn, Olivia Crouse, Jordan Stacey, Matt Dobson, Chase Lavender, Kylie Moyer, Allison Hegadorn, Lynsey Corbin and Braedan Kelly.

Medals for achieving 100 points were presented to: Chase Lavender, Josh Stechnicki, Jordan Stacey, Olivia Crouse, Walker DeRoche, Casey Hegadorn, Alison Hegadorn, Dryden Norton, Matthew Dobson, Braeden Kelly, Kylie Moyer and Lynsey Corbin.

Receiving plaques for 120 points Brodie Byford, Lucas Clarke, Lindsay Stakes, Wyatt Gilbert, Daniel Seguin and Hailey VanRossum.

Plaques honouring 120 points were presented to Daniel Sequin, Wyatt Gilbert, Hailey Van Rossum, Brodie Byford, Lindsay Stakes and Lucas Clarke.

CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS:

Thomas Davies, Alex Arsenault, Joey Monroe, Ian Forsythe, Gabe Goad, Case McFarland, Jack MacCool, Bruce Reynolds, Andrew Houston (coach) and Pam Goad (coach)

Junior Boys Soccer:
The Junior Boys Soccer team won a gold medal at the Bay of Quinte Championships and narrowly missed out on a COSSA gold after two overtime periods and losing in a shoot-out.
The Most Valuable Player award was presented to Joey Monroe, leading goal scorer on the team and a versatile player moving from striker to defense with speed and skill.
The Most Improved Player award was presented to Bruce Reynolds, for being a valuable force with a passion to put the ball in the back of the net. He scored the tiebreaking goal to win gold at the Bay of Quinte championships.

Mackenzie Leavitt, Hannah Smith, Allanah Burris, Allison Hegadorn, Kylie Moyer, Vanessa Willis, Casey Hegadorn, Leah Matthews, Chloe McDonald, Lydia Snider, Hailey VanRossum, Maddison Turpin, Lynsey Corbin, Abby Margetson,Kelli-Anne Maycock and coach Rob Garden

Girls’ Basketball (Sr)
The Senior Girls’ BAsketball team made history this year. They played 40 games, competed in five tournaments and won PECI’s first Bay of Quinte Gold and COSSA Gold and were the first basketball team to compete at OFSAA, where tehy won a game and gave the #1 seed all they could handle. This team also competed at the World Youth Basketball Tournament in Hawaii where they won two games against teams from Alaska and North Dakota.

“To choose a most dedicated player out of this group was very difficult,” said coach Rob Garden. “These girls played more games in one season than most high school athletes play in four years.”

Most Dedicated Player: Vanessa Willis
Most Valuable Player: Hailey VanRossum.

Logan Stark, Ben Wells, Devon Wilton, Thomas Davies, Ian Forsyth, Joey Monroe, Brodie Byford, Rob Garden (coach), Alex Arsenault, Ernie MacMillan (coach), Dylan Morrow, Cooper Rogers, Gabe Goad and Jack MacCool

Boys Basketball (Jr)
The Junior Boys Basketball team won 23 of 28 games and went undefeated in Bay of Quinte league play. They won two tournament gold medals, a Bay of Quinte silver medal and captured a COSSA gold for the first time in 21 years.
Most Valuable Player: Brodie Byford
Most Improved Player: Alex Arsenault

Jen Travers (coach), Alix Brodin, Lindsay Stakes, Hannah Brummell, Lisa Fraser (coach)

Gymnastics
Lindsay Stakes was named MVP as the backbone of the team and the reason the school has been able to field a team over the past three years. She created routines for teammates and motivated them to try different moves. At Bay of Quinte she placed first all-around; at COSSA was first all-around and at OFSSA she earned a repeat gold on vault and a gold on bars.

Hugh Cameron (coach), Ben Wells, Brodie Byford, Kaleb Stacey, Drayden McQuaid, Matt Dobson, Jordan Stacey, Chase Lavender, Nolan Dawson, Logan Stark, Will Ronan, Dan Seguin, Nolan Steen, Iain Cameron, Dylan Morrow, Max Manlow, Cooper Rogers, Johnathon McHugh, Ryan Kelly, Braedan Kelly, Dave Lunn (coach)

Baseball
Dan Seguin was named MVP for the team he helped continue its unbeaten streak in Bay of Quinte Baseball for the fifth consecutive season. The team came up short in its fifth COSSA appearance.
Matt Dobson was named MDP as one who conditioned all year round for baseball.

INDIVIDUAL SPORT AWARDS

Cross Country
Most Valuable Runner: Sydney Davis – represented PECI at OFSAA Cross Country
Most Dedicated Runner: Amanda Johnson.

Girls’ Rugby (Varsity)
Most Dedicated Player: Erica Algar
Most Improved Player: Sage Miller

Boys’ Soccer (Sr)
MVP: Lucas Clarke
MIP: Carter Whitteker

Boys’ Volleyball (Jr)
MIP: Will Ronan
MDP: Jackson DeBoef

Boys’ Volleyball (Sr)
MVP: Max Manlow
MIP: Matt Gilbert

Girls Basketball (Jr)
MVPs: Mikayla Leavitt and Emma Lamorre

Boys’ Basketball (Sr)
MVP: Johnathon McHugh
MIP: Jordan Stacey

Girls’ Volleyball (Jr)
MVP: Mikayla Leavitt
MIP: Breanna Channell

Girls’ Volleyball (Sr)
MVP: Olivia Crouse
MDP: Brooke Roche

Girls’ Hockey
MVP: Maddy Rowbotham
MIP: Kim Pothier

Boys’ Hockey
MVP: Carter Whitteker and Andrew Ward