Multi-faceted athletes saluted
The ability to score transcends the field of play for the best high school student-athletes in Windsor-Essex.
And when they’re not pulling down a rebound or an A-plus, these young men and women are making their community a better place as volunteers for any number of service organizations, food drives and fundraisers.
For them, 40 hours of mandatory community service was just a starting point.
Belle River’s Ashlynn Quimby and Riverside’s Paige Phills are the 2017 winners of the Repko Cup given for the top female student-athlete in the large and small school divisions respectively of the Windsor Essex Secondary Schools Athletic Association.
Holy Names’ Juan Jaramillo and Kingsville’s Nathan Leili are the 2017 recipients of the Hadre Cup for top male student-athletes.
All four were selected by a vote of 24 physical education department heads and each will receive a $375 bursary.
Phills excelled as an outside hitter and led the Riverside Rebels all the way to an OFSAA silver medal in volleyball.
She also ran the 800-metres in track and was team MVP in both sports. She maintained a 90 per cent average while racking up 175 hours of community service.
“It’s amazing to win this award,” the 17-year-old said.
“It makes it feel like all the hard work has paid off. “
Phills is headed to the University of Windsor this fall where she’ll play volleyball for the Lancers.
Quimby maintained a 95 per cent average while playing tennis, badminton, hockey and slow pitch. She went to OFSAA championships in two sports, finishing seventh with her mixed doubles partner in tennis and earning a bronze in mixed doubles in badminton. As for community service, Quimby logged 50 hours this year alone as a tutor for math and science.
She’s headed to Conestoga College where she was one of only two or three high school graduates to gain direct acceptance into a freshman class of 25 for respiratory therapy.
“After they look at your grades if they accept you, then you do an online interview and they look at your personal portfolio for anything you’ve done in academics, athletics or as a volunteer,” Quimby said of the admission process.
“They want an all-around person.”
Quimby’s desire to work with patients of all ages has led her to
respiratory therapy. “I want to be there for a baby’s first breath and to comfort the family who’s losing someone,” the 18-year-old said.
Leili played basketball, volleyball and soccer for the Cavaliers and was honoured as Mr. Basketball in the Tier II division.
He maintained a 91 per cent average while volunteering for just about everything that happens at school.
“I definitely want to get involved in whatever I can to improve the school and the community,” the 18-year-old said.
Leili plans to try out for the varsity soccer team at Western University this fall where’s he’s received advanced entrance into the Ivey School of Business.
Jaramillo finishes high school with a 95 per cent average and a WECSSAA soccer championship. He led his team to a bronze medal at OFSAA and was named the Tier I MVP. The 18-year-old also played basketball and volleyball and ran track and cross-country.
“My parents got me into sports because they heard it helps you focus on your academics,” he said.
“It definitely kept me pretty disciplined.
Jaramillo will continue playing
soccer on scholarship at Lawrence Tech this fall where he plans to study biomedical engineering.
At the same meeting of department heads held last week, two athletes were recognized with the Grant Zavitz Award for volunteerism outside of athletics. The 2017 recipients are Tecumseh Vista’s Keith Wonsch and Villanova’s Alanna Sauve.