The Nanaimo Sport Achievement Awards are sure to go to deserving winners again in 2013 after another outstanding batch of nominees were put forward.
The awards organizing committee released a list of athletes, coaches, teams, officials and sport administrators who were nominated in recent weeks.
From this group, finalists and winners have been selected by a judging panel. Finalists are expected to be announced as early as this Friday (Jan. 25).
The Sport Achievement Awards will take place Feb. 9 at the Coast Bastion Inn. Tickets are $65, with proceeds supporting local high-calibre athletes as well as grassroots sports programs. Tickets may be purchased at the hotel, at Beban Park Golf Course or at the PacificSport building on Vancouver Island University campus. For more information, please call 250-716-6110.
This year it was decided that Olympians and Paralympians would be recognized at the awards banquet, but not eligible to win. So the 2013 Sport Achievement Award nominees are:
Elan Jonas McRae, Ethan Katzberg, Brendan McCarthy, Carter Higgins, Jade Minor, Adin Brenner, Drew Wagner, Lucas Devries, Mackay Leslie, Kevin Robillard, Jim Turley, Dan Rogers, Toni Angell, Dani Smith, Leanna Gildersleeve, Erin Burrett, Katelynn Ramage, Sage Thomas, Victoria Behie, Brooke Shouldice, Wes Richardson, Robbie Calvin, Tara Christensen, Natasha Rygnestad-Stahl, Jordan Yantz, Scott Ranger, Matt Mehrassa, Graham Spencer, Steve Smith, Joel DeSchiffart, Madison Heisterman, Jenaya Pynn, Cheyenne deLaronde, Kimberly van Hest, Shirin Anjarwalla, Rose Plensky, Faye Tuck, Danielle Caron, Shane Hyde, Al Johnston, Jim Newlands, Doug Rogers, Gary Maitland, Randy Cooper, Bob Saunders, Peter McCaffery, Kathy Davidson, Bill Rounis, Claude Bolton, Sandy Harper, Janna Gillick, Joe Giegerich, Hirendra Bhartu, Dan Rogers, Bob Milne, Barry Creswell, Kesa Van Osch’s junior women’s curling team, the Nanaimo Impact U17 rep girls’ soccer team, the Nanaimo District Islanders senior AAA girls’ volleyball team, the Vancouver Island University Mariners women’s volleyball team, the B.C. Special Olympics Nanaimo Tigers floor hockey team, the VIU Mariners men’s soccer team, the Nanaimo Buccaneers junior B hockey club, the Nanaimo White Rapids summer swim club, and Youth Sticking Together street hockey.
