Lenentine, Jinks, McQuaid, Boyd get recognized
The recipients of four scholarships handed out to graduating high school student-athletes have been announced.
Sport P.E.I. awards three student-athlete scholarships valued at $1,000 on an annual basis. The 2018 Sport P.E.I. scholarship recipients are Lauren Lenentine (Bluefield), Emma Jinks (Charlottetown Rural) and Chris McQuaid (Colonel Gray). Each of the student-athletes have excelled in the classroom, their sport and community. This year, the scholarships were made possible thanks to donations from Sport Centre Physiotherapy, Gemini Screen Printing and Embroidery, and Discount Car and Truck Rental.
In addition to the three Sport P.E.I. recipients, Ethan Boyd of Three Oaks Senior High School has been awarded the Earl F. Smith scholarship. The honour is named after the P.E.I. Sports Hall of Famer, and recognizes a high school graduate embodying the spirit of multi-sport and competition.
Lenentine, a Bluefield graduate, will be studying science at Dalhousie University in the fall, and has plans to become a physiotherapist. This past year, she was an alternate for Team Canada at the world junior curling championships in Scotland, where Canada won gold.
Lenentine is a nine-time P.E.I. provincial curling champion, and was runner-up at the 2018 P.E.I. Scotties Tournament of Hearts. She was recently selected as a recipient of the Sandra Schmirler scholarship, one of the most prestigious accolades in Island curling. The selection process for this scholarship is rigorous and competitive. Winners excel both athletically and academically. They also need to show community engagement aligned with a commitment to giving back and keeping Schmirler’s legacy alive. Jinks, a four-time Canadian squash champion and graduate from Charlottetown Rural, was the top recruit for the University of Virginia in the NCAA. She will play as the No. 1 or No. 2 spot on the varsity squad. and plans on competing all four years with the Division 1 school.
This past year, Jinks won her third consecutive Sport P.E.I. junior female athlete of the year award. She competed in the No. 1 spot for Canada at the world junior squash championships in New Zealand, and finished ninth with 35 countries in attendance.
At the Canadian Junior Open, which hosted 18 countries and 273 athletes, Jinks managed to win the top tier Under-19 Women’s Division. She was the only Canadian to win a division in the entire tournament.
With all her travel, Jinks still kept a 94-per-cent grade average. and has her Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.
McQuaid may not spend much time on P.E.I. while competing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, but with hard work he will graduate from Colonel Gray this year with a 95-per-cent grade average.
He plans to continue playing for the Gatineau Olympiques this fall while studying business online at UPEI.
When he has time, McQuaid also competes as a track athlete, and is undefeated at all events he has participated in during the school year.
A community volunteer on P.E.I. and in Quebec, McQuaid has a bright future ahead of him.
Boyd has his sights set on making the Dalhousie men’s volleyball team this fall while studying business management.
As the top male volleyball and basketball player in the province this year, Boyd leads by example with a quiet personality but explosive skill. This was never more evident than when he helped Three Oaks High School win three volleyball championships in a row and a basketball championship for the first time in six years.
Boyd is also involved in the community with Big Brothers/ Big Sisters, and spent time in Mozambique, Africa helping those in small communities.