PECI honours year’s outstanding athletes

Congratulations PECI on another year of excellence in athletics

Trista McKee-Arlidge and support runner Lyndsey Corbin. Trista won a silver medal at the All Ontario Track & Field Championships in the first season for visually impaired runners.

Prince Edward Collegiate Institute honoured its athletes on the grand stage at the Regent Theatre this year with family, friends and peers cheering their accomplishments.

“I am thrilled by the tremendous support we have here tonight to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of our student athletes,” said Laurie Spencer, athletics director. “2013-2014 was a year of exciting changes, numerous championships, amazing individual accomplishments and most of all, a year when we are all ‘Proud to be a Panther’. To all of our supporters here tonight, you should be very proud of your athletes.  Their ability to balance academics and athletics is outstanding.  It is a skill that will serve them very well in the future.”

“This was an exceptional year and we have some serious hardware to hand out tonight,” said Brett Abram, who emceed the evening with Allie Kerr.

“Our junior boys volleyball team won a COSSA silver medal.  Our senior boys basketball team won 30 games this year.  Our boys baseball team advanced to OFSAA for the third time in four years.  Our track and field team qualified three Grade 9 athletes for OFSAA and we had a tennis superstar fly in all the way from Belgium to bring home COSSA gold.”

This school year PECI athletes won 14 gold medals, 12 silver medals and sixbronze medals.  More than 200 students played at least one sport this year and more than 3,600 minutes of lunch time intramural sports.

Five PECI teams captured a gold or silver medal at COSSA competitions – Tennis, Jr. Boys Volleyball,  Sr. Boys Basketball,  Track and Field East Regional participants, Boys Baseball.
Athletic points are earned over an athlete’s career at the school.
Honoured for earning 120 points, and receiving a plaque, were: Wes Stakes, Robert Wilson, Pat MacPherson, Mitch Ried, Melissa Paradis, Andrew Dayton and Amanda Ostrander.
Honoured for earning 100 points, and receiving a large medallion, were: Tye Eaton, Blaine Swackhammer, Wes Stakes and Taylor Reddick.
Honoured for earning 80 points and receiving a small medallion were: Brett Abram, Gavin Ronan, Brittany Snider, Kevin Wilson, James Pero, Kyle Gould, Graysen St. Pierre, Max Manlow and Jordan Strachan.

The OPIE Awards are given to individuals who have contributed unselfishly to athletics at PECI.  This year’s winners are: Jesse Ferriera – (Track & Field);  Lynsey Corbin – (Track & Field) Sarah Kaesmcher – (Basketball); Amanda Whalen – (Basketball); Brett Abram, – (Intramurals); Alex Tucker – (Athletic Council); Blaine Swackhammer – (Intramurals); Andrew Dayton – (Badminton) and Mitchell Reid – (Badminton)

Wes Stakes, Patrick Macpherson and Cailey Jones – senior athletes of the year

Cailey Jones
Senior Female Athlete of the Year
An athlete who truly demonstrates the class and skill of an elite athlete.  This student demonstrated leadership on and off the playing fields.  She displays commitment to balancing fitness, sports and academics and she is a positive role model for her PECI peers. Cailey played basketball, hockey, soccer and track & field

Wes Stakes and Pat Macpherson
Senior Male Athletes of the Year
Pat Macpherson- Southpaw who lit up the baseball diamonds this spring shares the award with Wes Stakes, a long distance runner who dominated the cross-country scene. Pat Macpherson played volleyball, basketball and baseball. Wes also played soccer, badminton and competed in track & field.

Audrey Roloson
Junior Female Athlete of the Year
Intense, driven and hardworking.  These characteristics describe our Junior Female Athlete of the Year.  A five sport athlete, this individual demonstrated the ability to compete at an impressive level in a wide range of sports.  With continued focus and dedication, this athlete will be a force to be reckoned with come her senior year. Audrey played rugby, cross country, volleyball, soccer and track & field

Max Manlow
Junior Male Athlete of the Year
Max played volleyball, basketball, badminton and baseball. He is a talented athlete who is very coachable, eager to learn and strives to improve at all practices and games. Max’s award was presented by Adam Palmer

Major award winners for 2014

Vanessa Willis  
Grade 9 Female Athlete of the year
(Presented by Rob Garden): A three sport athlete, Willis displayed exceptional talent early on on the basketball court.  She was the team’s leading scorer and MVP recipient, and a top five player in the league.  She followed that season up on the volleyball court where she was named the team’s most improved player.  To cap off her year, she did very well on the Track and Field team, qualifying for East Regionals and being named one of the nominees for the Jeremy Vincent award.  This individual only has an upside.

John McHugh
Grade 9 Male Athlete of the Year
(Presented by Rob Garden): Not many Grade 9 athletes are able to play four sports, but McHugh walked into PECI in September and made the volleyball team, he followed it up with the basketball team, the badminton team and finished his year as a member of the baseball team.  Most impressively, this athlete went to COSSA in three out of the four teams he competed on, and won a COSSA silver and a COSSA gold medal.  This athlete is coachable, he works hard and most importantly he is the consummate team player.

The Jeremy Vincent Award presented to an athlete showing excellent in track and field was presented to Keneil Warren – the fastest Grade 9 boy in the Bay of Quinte area and OFSAA participant.

Taylor Reddick

The Joe Scott Award is given to an athlete who displays specialized excellence in their sport outside of school. The award was presented to Taylor Reddick, who played for the U19 Kingston Impact OBA team ranked 9th in Ontario. He is to be playing for St. Lawrence in September.

MOST VALUABLE AWARDS:

Vanessa Willis
Jr. Girls Basketball (presented by Andrew Wentworth): A dominating player from tip off to the final buzzer our MVP consistently lead our team in points. Always striving to expand her game and get out of her comfort zone, she showed the work ethic necessary to go from good to great.

Kevin Wilson
Jr. Boys Basketball (presented by Andrew Wentworth): A true student of the game, this player showed up to every practice and game ready to work. Willing to play in every role we gave him he consistently made an impact.

Brittany Snider
Sr. Girls Basketball (Presented by Rob Garden): A quiet leader, our Most Valuable Player was the team’s best player all season.  She carried the load on offense, and was one of the more dominant post players in the Bay of Quinte.

James Pero
Golf (presented by Laurie Spencer): This player seems to have been born with a hockey stick in one hand and a driver in the other. Golf is a sport that requires patience, dedication and focus and it is clear that this student has all of these traits and we see his efforts on the green.

Alicia Orsborne
Jr. Girls Volleyball (presented by Mr. Palmer): This athlete was the cornerstone of our team and she performed consistently throughout the season. Her teammates were always confident with her ability to take care of the ball and protect our court. They looked to her for leadership, technical examples, and volleyball knowledge.

Melissa Paradis
Sr. Girls Volleyball (presented by Sarah Vader): This athlete loves volleyball. She is a team player and her positive attitude was one of the biggest assets of the Senior team this season. She led by example on the court and we would not have been the same team without her.

Cailey Jones
Girls Hockey (presented by Laurie Spencer): The Girls Hockey team was led by an individual who demonstrated outstanding skill, fantastic knowledge of the game and true leadership. This player came to every practice and game focussed and prepared to excel.

Brad Wells
Boys Hockey (presented by Ron Norton and Greg Verner): This player stood on his head every game. He made many amazing saves in every game and kept us in the game so we could attempt, sometimes successfully, a comeback. Day in day out this player was the leader from behind – when you were on the ice he had your back.  Our MVP goes to Brad Wells.

Kassidie Wood and Blaine Swackhammer
Sr. Badminton (presented by Andrew Holmes): This years senior badminton Most Valuable Player awards are presented to a quiet mixed doubles team who let their play speak for them. They endured a long…very long.. day at Bay of Quinte and endured to capture the silver medal. They then represented PECI and placed 6th at COSSA. They are very coachable athletes who garner many compliments from other schools about their conduct and composure on and off the court.

Cassandra Elliot
Jr. Girls Soccer (presented by Greer Koutroulides): This midfielder was solid and scrappy, always fighting for the ball.  Her endurance and passion for play made her a great asset to the team.

Melissa Corbin
Sr. Girls Soccer (presented by Mr. Everhardaus): This season she was a starting forward and leading scorer. Her communication on the field and perception of the game was essential to the team’s success.  Despite her small stature she was a force to be reckoned with.

MOST DEDICATED AWARDS:

Mackenzie Miller
Cross Country (presented by Laurie Spencer):  Committed, driven and team oriented.  These characteristics describe a talented athlete that received praise from her teammates and opposing coaches this season for her dedication and true sportsmanship.

Wes Stakes
Cross Country (presented by Laurie Spencer) An incredibly focused athlete, this Panther led by positive example for his peers on the Cross Country team.  He challenged himself to meet personal goals and
trained with dedication for his races.

Amanda Ostrander
Girls Rugby (presented by Lisa Fraser): Our most dedicated player has been a member of the team throughout her high school career.  She has developed into a great rugby player through league and provincial play.

Tyler Allison
Jr. Boys Soccer (presented by Paul Pickard): This student continues to prove his athletic prowess every game this year. He worked hard and was always eager to play.

Wesley Stakes
Sr. Boys Soccer (presented by Mr. Windfeld): This athlete has shown a great deal of growth as a team leader over the past three years. He is not only the first to complete every drill, he is willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win.

Andrew Dayton
Sr. Boys Volleyball (presented by Andew Holmes):  First to arrive, last to leave. This athlete demonstrates true dedication to sport. A truly unselfish athlete and teammate. He has always been willing to sacrifice and do what it takes to help his team be successful.

Hailey Van Rossum
Jr. Girls Basketball (presented by Andrew Wentworth): An all around tenacious player, our MDP had an impact every time she stepped onto the court. Playing through bumps scrapes and injuries wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. Completely unaware how small she is in stature, her competitive edge let her play like a giant.

Justine MacDonald
Sr. Girls Volleyball (presented by Sarah Vader): This player showed up with heart, every practice and every game. When she was on the court, she played hard. More than once, she had the whole team laughing uncontrollably with her skillful moves and digs. In a game, she would do anything for that ball.

Brittany Snider
Girls Hockey (presented by Laurie Spencer): This athlete was a consistent force on defence for our Girls Hockey team.  Her fitness, focus and experience were all valuable contributors to the success of the team.

Eric Jackson
Boys Hockey (presented by Hugh Cameron and Anthony Mann): Our MDP was not a flashy player on the ice, he was reliable, skilled and used his understanding of the game of hockey to make the most of his ice-time, both with and without the puck. He was always willing to step up for his team-mates and was a team leader off-ice.

Isaac Cairns and Max Manlow
Jr. Badminton (presented by Denise Reynolds): These two individuals are the “Most Dedicated”  athletes for Junior Badminton. They were both eager to practice and they attended regularly. They were eager to listen, eager to learn and willingly apply strategies and tactics presented to them. Finally, they were eager to compete with class, as they displayed exceptional effort and sportsmanship during each match.

Lauren Matthews
Sr. Girls Soccer (presented by Mr. Everhardaus):  This senior player never missed a practice and always gave 100% effort during tryouts, practices and at the games. She was a complete team player, offering positive advice and would never give up – full steam ahead until the last whistle blew.

Taylor York
Boys Rugby (presented by Rob Furmidge):  This students is a quiet and reliable player and leader both on and of the field. He is willing to take on any position on the field and was instrumental in supporting our younger players.

MOST IMPROVED AWARDS:

Stephanie Polmateer
Girls Rugby – (presented by Rob Furmidge): Trying a new sport for the first time in her Grade 12 year, this most improved player showed determination and perseverance.  She quickly learned the complicated sport and was a force on the field.

Jacob Gibbons
Jr. Boys Soccer – (presented Paul Pickard): Jacob was a quiet and reliable player and leader both on and of the field. He made huge improvements to his skills and really impressed his teammates.

Graysen St. Pierre
Sr. Boys Soccer  – (presented by Chris Windfeld): When this athlete first took on the role of goalkeeper last season, there were some serious concerns. His body was growing so fast, his hands seem to be connected to ropes.  This year, his brain caught up to his body and he was amazing in our net. He kept the game alive for us more than once this year.

Jesse Doornbos
Sr. Boys Volleyball (presented by Mr. Andrew Holmes): This athlete showed consistent improvement all year. Although he missed a year of playing volleyball, he worked very hard to regain his form and became one of our best passers in the back row and was relied in some key situations.

Michaela Jackson
Sr. Girls Basketball (presented by Rob Garden): The Most Improved Player was new to the team this season.  It took her a while to find her groove, but once she did she was a force at the point guard position.  She has a tonne of potential and will be looked on for leadership and scoring next year.

Jared Harley
Golf (presented by Laurie Spencer): This player began the short golf season with some experience but with much determination, focus and definitely a sense of humor he improved his game big time! He was always a much enjoyed member of the team and kept the sometimes serious game of golf…fun and enjoyable for everyone who played with him.

Gavin Ronan
Jr. Boys Basketball (presented by Andrew Wentworth): Although unable to score early in the season, this player earned his starting spot with tenacious, competitive habits. Dedicated to improvement and consistently playing smart this player had a vital role in helping our team overcome some of our biggest obstacles this season.

Vanessa Willis
Jr. Girls Volleyball (presented by Mr. Palmer): This athlete displayed athleticism, intelligence, a desire to improve and learn, and confidence to perform under stress. These are sure signs of a leader and this athlete will continue to fill these roles for years, perhaps decades to come.

Lydia Snider
Jr. Girls Soccer (presented by Greer Koutroulides): This junior player needed the whole soccer field to show her full potential. She was a starting forward who continually put pressure on the opposing goalie following the ball right to the crease. Our most improved player is Lydia Snider.

Corey Larabie
Boys Rugby (presented by Paul Pickard): This student came to us with a strong football and hockey background. He proved his athletic prowess and learned rugby quickly. He demonstrated strong tackling and was always eager to play.  He even brought a kicking game into our repertoire.