Sport and Recreation
Premier’s Athletic Awards

Elisha Williams, Basketball – Wheelchair Sports

• 2007 BC Wheelchair Basketball Society's Female Athlete of the Year
• BC-Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League Division 1 Most Improved Player for 2008
• Para Pan-American Games – 2^nd Place
• BC Breakers Provincial Women's Wheelchair Basketball Team member – 2008 National Champions

Ross MacDonald, Basketball – Wheelchair Sports

• National Wheelchair Basketball Association – Most Sportsmanlike Player and MVP of the Championship Game
• BC Provincial Men's Wheelchair Basketball Team member – 2008 National Champions
• BC Cable Cars Men's Wheelchair Basketball Team member – National Wheelchair Basketball Association Champions

Robert Couzens, Boxing

• 2008 National Championships – Gold Medal
• 2008 Diamond Belt Champion
• 2008 Recipient of the Jimmy Symes Award (Best Junior Boxer of the Year)

Sabrina Versteeg, Netball

• Member of National Team representing Canada at the Americas Championships
• BC Open Women's Team – Canadian National Champions
• Captain of the Vancouver Women's League Champions

Daniel Longo, Snowboard

• NorAm Cup Halfpipe:
  • 2^nd Place (Day 1)
  • 4^th Place (Day 1)
• FIS Halfpipe – 4^th Place

Peggy Hsien, Table Tennis

• 2008 STIGA Canadian Championships (Under 15 Girls):
  • Gold Medal – Girls Singles
  • Gold Medal – Girls Doubles
  • Gold Medal – Girls Team
• 2008 Stag PanAm Junior Championships – 12^th Place
• National Team Challenge:
  • 11^th Place – Women's
  • 1^st Place – Cadet Girls

Nigel Harman, Taekwondo

• 2008 Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships – Gold Medal, Male Division A Junior: Light Weight
• Represented Team Canada at the 2008 World Junior Taekwondo Championships - 5^th Place
• Junior National Championships – Gold Medal
• BC Provincial Championships - Gold Medal

Jasvir Singh, Weightlifting

• 2008 Olympic Games – 12^th Place
• 2008 Western Canadian Champion (62kg)
• 2008 Canadian Champion
• 2008 Pan American Championships – 7^th Place

Stephanie Ko, College Female – Badminton

• Member of Douglas College Badminton Team and three-time British Columbia Colleges Athletic Association Women's Doubles Champion
• 2008 Canadian Colleges Athletic Association Women's Doubles Champion
• Nominated for the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association Player of the Year for Badminton
• Number One Year-End Provincial Ranking – Women's Doubles

Ruky Abdulai, Athletics – Long Jump

• 2008 Olympic Games (Rising Star Category) – 12^th Place, Qualifying Group B
• 2008 Canadian Championships – Gold Medal
• Azusa Pacific Invitational – 1^st Place, Canadian Olympic Team Qualifying Standard
• Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome International Track Classic – 1^st Place

Charlotte Mackie, Gymnastics – Artistic

• 2008 Pacific Alliance Championships (Junior) – 4^th Place All Around, 3^rd Place Vault, 6^th Place Balance Beam (team), 7^th Place Floor Exercise (team)
• 2008 Gymnix International Championships (Junior) – 4^th Place All Around, 1^st Place Vault, 3^rd Place Balance Beam, 3^rd Place Floor Exercise, 4^th Place Uneven Bars
• 2008 Canadian Gymnastics Championships (Senior) – 7^th Place All Around , 3^rd Place Vault, 6^th Place Balance Beam, 6^th Place Floor Exercise

Bianca Adolf, Cycling – Mountain Bike

• 2008 Women's Junior Canadian Cross-Country Champion
• 2008 Women's Junior World Cross-Country Championships – 6^th Place. Top North American Junior Athlete
• 2008 Women's Junior World Cross-Country Winner, Sea Otter Classic
• 2008 Women's Junior World Cross-Country Winner, Mont Tremblant Canada Cup

Adrian Lee, Table Tennis

• 2008 Richmond Open – Gold Medal, Under 15
• 2008 ACME Open – Gold Medal, Under 18
• 2008 Canadian Championships:
  • Silver Medal – Boys 13 Team Event
  • Silver Medal – Junior Mixed 13 Doubles

Victoria Chong, Taekwondo

• 2008 Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships – Gold Medal, Junior Female A: - 44 Fly Division
• World Junior Taekwondo Championships – Bronze Medal
• Canadian Junior National Championships – Gold Medal, Fly Division
• BC Provincial Championships – Gold Medal

Miranda Dick, Wrestling

• 2008 World University Wrestling Champion (55kg)
• 2008 Canadian Interuniversity Sport National Champion and MVP
• 2008 Canada West Champion and MVP
• 2008 Senior Nationals – 4^th Place

Dustyn Fisher, Wrestling

• 2008 Canada West Champion (90kg)
• 2008 Canadian Interuniversity Sport Champion and Named Outstanding Male Wrestler
• 2008 Senior Nationals – 4^th Place
• 2008 Canada Cup – 4^th Place

Caroline Vietnieks, Boccia

• Member of National Team Program
• 2008 Canadian National Boccia Championships – Silver Medal
• 2008 SportsFest Boccia – Silver Medal

Jackie Trautman, Field Hockey

• 2008 Canadian Interuniversity Sport – Silver Medal
• 2008 Canada West Conference Rookie of the Year
• 2008 Field Hockey Canada U19 National Championships – Gold Medal
• 2008 Field Hockey Canada Senior National Championships – Silver Medal

Derrick Bassi, Soccer

• Member of the Canadian Soccer Associations National Under 17 Youth Team
• Member of the Canadian Soccer Associations National Training Centre West
• Selected to the 2007-08 BC Soccer Association Under 16 Boys Provincial Teams Program
• 2008 BC Soccer Youth Athlete of the Year

Keith Kelleway, Canoe/Kayak

• 2008 Canadian National Championships:
  • 3^rd Place – Juvenile Men's K-2 500m
  • 4^th Place – Juvenile Men's K-4 1000m
  • 5^th Place – Junior Men's K-2 200m
  • 7^th Place – Juvenile Men's K-2 200m
• Represented Canada on the Pre-Junior World Team Tour
• Nominated to the Canoe/Kayak Canada Junior National Development Team

Shawn Marsolais, Goalball – Blind Sports

• Member of Canadian Mixed Team at Colorado Springs International Tournament – 3^rd Place
• Canadian Blind Sports National Goalball Team Member (development team)
• Member of Provincial Team

Matt MacKenzie, Hockey

• Team Pacific Member – U17 World Hockey Challenge
• Invited to Hockey Canada U18 Player Identification Camp
• Member of the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League

Khristina Blajkevitch, Tennis

• Member of the Canadian Junior National Team
• Holds a professional world ranking on both the WTA tour and the junior international circuit
• Junior World Cup competitor
• Major Junior World Individual Championships competitor

Monika Eggens, Water Polo

• Member of Team Canada – Junior Worlds
• 2008 Juvenile National Club Championships – Gold Medal
• Member of Canadian National Senior B Team

Richard Scammell, Archery

• 2007 US National Archery Association Field Archery Championships – 1^st Place
• 2007 Canadian Field Archery Championships – Silver Medal
• 2007 Canadian Target Archery Championships – Bronze Medal
• BC Outdoor Championships (Target & Field) – Gold Medal (2 Canadian Records set)

Kristina Collins, Basketball

• National Juvenile Championships – Bronze Medal
• Member of the Canada Basketball/Basketball BC Centre for Performance
• AAA Girls Provincial Championships – 1^st Team All-Star

Veronica Winter, Synchronized Swimming

• UANA Pan American Age Group Synchronized Swimming Championships:
  • 1^st Place - Team
  • 28^th Place - Figures
• 2008 Western Divisional Championships:
  • 4^th Place – Solo
  • 6^th Place – Figures
  • 1^st Place - Team
  • 2^nd Place - Combo Team
• 2008 Canadian Espoir Synchronized Swimming Championships:
  • 5^th Place - Figures

Jacqueline Roy, Curling – Wheelchair

• 2007 Canadian Wheelchair Champion
• 2008 Canadian Wheelchair Champion

James Gemmell, Sledge Hockey

• Member of Team BC – Gold Medal, London Blizzard Sledge Hockey Tournament
• Western Canada Sledge Hockey Tournament – Bronze Medal

Demetra Mantcheva, Rhythmic Gymnastics

• Ranked 1^st in National Team Ranking
• Pacific Alliance – 5^th Place
• Madiera International – 5^th Place

Shona Guerrero, Softball

• Softball BC Midget A Provincial Championships
• 2008 Batting Average .386
• Team Captain Surrey Storm – Midget A

Tarrah Harvey, Figure Skating

• 2008 BMO Canadian Championships – 4^th Place
• 2008 ISU Junior Grand Prix Merano – 4^th Place
• 2008 ISU Junior Grand Prix Golden Lynx – 5^th Place
• 2008 Skate Canada Western Challenge – 4^th Place

Keith Gagnon, Figure Skating

• 2008 BMO Canadian Championships – 4^th Place
• 2008 ISU Junior Grand Prix Merano – 4^th Place
• 2008 ISU Junior Grand Prix Golden Lynx – 5^th Place
• 2008 Skate Canada Western Challenge – 4^th Place

Jusleen Virk, Karate

• 2008 National Championships – Gold Medal
• 2008 Junior Pan American Championships – Gold Medal (-48kg, 16-17 year old)

Marlene Cleutinx, Lawn Bowling

• Represented Canada on the women's team for the World Bowls Championship
• 2008 Provincial Championships – Gold Medal, Women's Pairs
• 2008 Canadian Championships – Gold Medal, Women's Pairs

Jody Schuurman, Rowing

• U23 World Championships – 4^th Place, National Rowing Team Coxed Eight
• Canadian National Rowing Championships – 5^th Place, U23 Women's Single
• Canadian National Rowing Championships – 1^st Place, Open Women's Quad
• Canada West Rowing Championships – 1^st Place, UBC Coxed Four

Katie Turney, Soccer

• Member of the Canadian Soccer Associations National Training Centre West
• Captain of the 2007-08 BC Soccer Association Provincial Teams Program
• Selected to the Whitecaps FC Full Time Player Program

Mathew Venner, Water Polo

• Member of Canadian Team – Junior Worlds
• Member of Canadian National Senior Team – Pre-Olympic Training Camp
• Member of Canadian Senior B Team – European Tour 2008

Melody Liang, Badminton

• U23 National Championships:
  • Gold Medal – Women's Doubles
  • Gold Medal – Mixed Doubles
• 2008 National Open Championships – Bronze Medal, Mixed Doubles

Toby Ng, Badminton

• 2008 US Open – Semi-Finalist, Men's Doubles
• 2008 Canadian National Championships – Bronze Medal, Men's Doubles
• Represented Canada two times at the Men's World Team Championship

Tommy Nixon, Basketball

• U17 Provincial Team Member
• Member of the Canada Basketball/Basketball BC Centre for Performance
• BC High School Boys Provincial Championships All-Star

Hudson Stewart, Field Hockey

• 2008 Junior Pan American Championships – 4^th Place
• 2008 U19 Team BC – 1^st Place
• 2007 Junior National Team Canadian/USA Challenge Series – 1^st Place
• 2008 Field Hockey BC U18 Men's Club Championships – 2^nd Place

Tik Maynard, Modern Pentathlon

• World Cup #1 – 27^th Place in Semi-Final
• World Cup #2 – 28^th Place in Semi-Final

Savannah King, Swimming

• 2008 Olympic Games – 15^th Place, 400m Freestyle
• Canadian Freestyle Rankings – 1^st Place, 1500m; 2^nd Place, 400m and 800m
• Swimming Canada Summer Nationals:
  • 1^st Place – 1500m Freestyle
  • 2^nd Place – 4x200m Free Relay
  • 2^nd Place – 4x100m Medley Relay
• Swimming Canada Olympic Trials:
  • 2^nd Place – 400m Freestyle
  • 3^rd Place – 1500m Freestyle

Donovan Tildesley, Swimming – Blind Sports

• 2008 Paralympic Games (S11 Category):
  • Bronze Medal – 400m Freestyle
  • 4^th Place – 100m Freestyle
  • 5^th Place – 100m Backstroke
  • 7^th Place – 100m Butterfly
  • 7^th Place – 50m Freestyle
• Canadian flag bearer at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games Opening Ceremonies
• World Records in the 800m Freestyle (S11) and 1500m Freestyle (S11) long course

Nikolai Haessig, Tennis

• Member of the Canadian Junior National Team
• Finished 2008 ranked #1 in Canada in the 16 and under division in both singles and doubles
• National 16 and Under Champion – singles and doubles
• Holds world rankings in singles and doubles on the junior international circuit

Annamay Pierse, University Female – Swimming

• Member of the University of British Columbia Swim Team
• 2008 Canadian Interuniversity Sport National Championship:
  • Gold Medals – 50m, 100m, 200m breaststroke; 200m individual medley; 4x100m medley relay team
  • Silver Medals – 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relay team
• Set two individual and 1 team Canadian National Records – 100m and 200m breaststroke; 4x100m medley relay
• 2008 Canadian Interuniversity Sport Female Swimmer of the Meet
• 2008 Canada West Female Swimmer of the Meet – setting three Canada West records (50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke)
• 2008 Olympian for Team Canada

Alvin Lau, College Male – Badminton

• Member of the Douglas College Badminton Team
• Member of the Canadian National Team – 2008 Thomas Cup
• 2008 Canadian Colleges Athletic Association Mixed Doubles Champion
• 2008 Canadian Colleges Athletic Association Player of the Year – All Sports