List of contenders for top local athletes in the years 2018, ’19 is a very strong one
KITCHENER — After months of whittling down a list of more than 1,000 suggested names, the nomination committee for the Kitchener-Waterloo, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich athlete of the year has released its finalists for both 2018 and ’19.
The program was founded in 1997 but was discontinued in 2019 because of insufficient funding. The Kitchener Sports Association resurrected the athlete of the year program earlier this year and opted to go back one year to honour the top athlete of ’18.
The organizing committee is monitoring the pandemic situation and has to decide when, where and how the winners will be honoured.
“The Athlete of the Year program is appreciative of the 30 dedicated community sports volunteers who have been enthusiastically fulfilling their commitments during the COVID-19 pandemic,” program chair John Thompson said in a release. “At this time, we’re optimistic that a public recognition event will be scheduled within the next few months to celebrate the achievements of these amazing local athletes.”
Here are the nominees for both years.
2018
Howard Armitage, squash — Won gold medals at the club, provincial and world masters championship for singles in the 75-and-over age category
Murphy Burnatowski, basketball — Won championships with Fribourg Olympic (Switzerland) and the St. John’s Edge of the National Basketball League of Canada
Ben Flanagan, track and field — Finished first in the prestigious 10,000-metre race at the 2018 NCAA Track and Field Championship
Tyler Miller, basketball — Led the Toronto Rollin Raptors and represented Canada at the world wheelchair basketball championship in Germany á Andrew Poje and Kaitlyn Weaver, figure skating — Won bronze medals at both the Canadian and ISU world championships and placed seventh at the Olympic Games
Garret Rank, golf — Was the winner of the Ontario amateur, Ontario mid-amateur and Canadian amateur golf championships and qualified for the U.S. Open
2019
Drew Becker, horseshoe pitching — The club, provincial and national champion placed first or second in six events
Alec Elliot, swimming — Was a bronze medallist at the 2019 world para swimming championships and also won two gold medals at the Canadian trials, earning a spot with Team Canada
Loren Gabel, hockey — Led her team to bronze at the NCAA championship with 69 points in 40 games, played for Team Canada and won the Patty Kazmaier Award as top NCAA Division 1 player
Foster Malleck, track and field — Won a gold medal at the Pan Am U20 championships and also captured a medal at the Patriot League Championship for Boston College
Alyssa Mason, ultimate — A leader on Team Canada who achieved bronze at the U24, also led Toronto 6ixers to gold at both Canadian and USA Northeast Championships
Samantha McCrory, field hockey — A leader on the Canadian U21 team and selected as an underage member of the national senior squad
Mike Poulin, lacrosse — All-star goaltender led teams to championships in the National Lacrosse League, World Indoor Lacrosse Championship and Mann Cup
Pat Pytlik, martial arts — With a Unified MMA record of 7-1-0, he has set the stage to compete in the UFC
Past winners: Fitzroy Vanderpool (boxing), 1998; Lennox Lewis (boxing) and Laura Nicholls (swimming), 1999; Scott Stevens (hockey), 2000; Jennifer Fratesi (swimming), 2001; Colin Doyle (lacrosse), ’02; Kelly VanderBeek (skiing), ’03; Dana Ellis (pole vault), ’04; Amanda Overland (speed skating), ’05; Sarah Pavan (volleyball), ’06; Luca Congi (football), ’07; Mandy Bujold (boxing), ’08 and ’15; Ron Vankoughnett (duathlon), ’09; Andrew Poje and Kaitlyn Weaver (figure skating/ice dance), ’10 and ’14; Miranda Ranieri (squash), ’11; Tyler Miller (wheelchair basketball), ’12; Kristen MooreTowers and Dylan Moscovitch (figure skating/pairs), ’13; Mark Scheifele (hockey), ’16; and Jamal Murray (basketball), ’17.