Triathlete up again for male athlete of the year
Triathlete Lionel Sanders is again nominated for the Windsor/Essex Sports Persons of the Year Awards as male athlete of the year. Nominees for this year’s 13th annual WESPY Awards were announced Tuesday at Grill 55. Winners will be announced March 20 at the Caboto Club.
“This year was really tough, especially in the major awards,” WESPY founder Dominic Papa said. “It’s amazing what they do. It seems to get tougher every year. We say that every year, but it’s true. Our teams keep excelling as well as our athletes.”
Also up for the male athlete of the year award is Windsor Spitfires goalie Mikey DiPietro, who guided the team to a Memorial Cup title and was named the tournament’s top goalie, and lacrosse player Andrew Garant, who won a league scoring title last year while becoming the Windsor Clippers’ all-time leading scorer.
Windsor Lancers women’s basketball team captain Emily Prevost is up for the female athlete of the year award along with Villanova hockey and soccer standout Kristen Swiatoschik, who also competes for the Southwest Wildcats, and Sandwich track and field star Karlie Moore, who also competes for the Border City Athletics Club. St. Clair College baseball coach Dave Cooper, who guided his team to a national title, is up for coach of the year along with former Spitfires head coach Rocky Thompson and Rob McIntyre, who guided Holy Names to an OFSAA Bowl title. Spitfires co-owner John Savage, Windsor Essex County Soccer’s Maladen Moric and Winstars Gymnastics’ Carey Vigneaux are the nominees for executive of the year.
St. Clair’s Shannon Kennedy, Windsor AKO Fratmen’s Adam Slikboer and Amanda Simke, from the Lancers softball team, are nominated for the captain’s leadership award.
The Holy Names football team, St. Clair’s baseball team and the Spitfires are nominated for team of the year.
A few award winners were announced Tuesday. Sandwich’s Melanie Cardinal is the female volunteer of the year, while Caboto soccer’s Egidio Mosca and the Clippers’ Jim Morgan will share the male volunteer of the year. McIntyre won the community service award. Marilyn Holland is this year’s recipient of the female legacy award and Eddie Chittaro the male legacy award. There are 10 categories for men who will receive awards: Tyler Jones, Corey Bellemore and Noah Costa are nominated for track and field; DiPietro, Liam MacDougall and Tyler Scott for hockey; Jamar Kelly, Korede Adepita and Kyle Vizirakis for soccer; Jack Zimmerman, Connor McKenna and Kyle Breitner for baseball; John Moate, Brad Gyemi and Jorden Fehr for volleyball; Luca Chandussi, Samuel Zang and Ethan Fazekas are up for the swimming award; Slikboer, Daniel Metcalfe, Michael Herzog and Brandon Reaume for football; Dante DeLuca, Alex Dufour and Anthony Papia for wrestling; Thomas DeMarco, James Hill and Bryce Evon are nominated for golf; and Ali Mansour, Mike Rocca and Maurice Jones for the basketball award.
Another nine categories will be awarded on the women’s side: Jasmine Scott-Kilgo, Moore and Chloe Walker are nominated in track and field; Swiatoschik, Krystin Lawrence and Savannah Bouzide in hockey; Madisyn Clark, Megan Lumley and Lauryn Debono in softball; Emma Collins, Melanie Jubenville and Jade Samping are the nominees for soccer; Paige Phills, Caylee Parker and Carleigh Bailey in volleyball; Maddie McDonald, Julia Marcuzzi and Maddy Lavoie are the swimming nominees; Jessica Hodgkin, Ella Doornaert and Brookie Fletcher are nominated in golf; Melanie Burgess, Jasmine Ly and Meagan Schauer are the golf nominees; and Prevost, Lucia McElwain and Kennedy are the basketball nominees.
In other categories, Alexandra Jubenville, Lindsay Chia and Daniel Hodare are nominated in gymnastics; Tim Myers, Gord McDonnell and Lindsey Kerr are up for the Horsemen’s award; and Corbin Watson, Jessica Matassa and Mathew Debly for the parasport award.