Lucas Punkari
After being involved in high school sports throughout their entire tenures at Fort High, Jess Caul and Brandon Sinclair officially wrapped up their time with the Muskies with one of the top honours an athlete can receive.
The two Grade 12 students were rewarded for their efforts over the past year by capturing Fort High’s male and female athlete-of-the-year awards, which were handed out during the Muskies’ annual athletic awards banquet last Tuesday night at the Townshend Theatre.
“It really is an honour to get the award,” said Sinclair.
“I’ve put in a lot of hard work throughout the five years that I have been here, and to be recognized and receive the compliments from the coaches tonight is something that I will remember,” he added.
“I was really surprised, actually, to get the award but I’m so happy about it,” said Caul.
Having played both basketball and soccer during her four years at Fort High, Caul built a strong bond with both her coaches and her teammates that she will remember the most from her time as a Muskie.
“The coaches are really kind and they really take the time to get to know you as a player and as a person, which made things very enjoyable for me,” noted Caul, who will be playing soccer at Providence University College in Otterburn, Man. this fall.
“And my teammates are all life-long friends that I will definitely cherish, especially with how close I have got with them,” she added.
Sinclair’s final year at high school, meanwhile, saw him add golf and hockey to his athletic activities, in addition to playing his final seasons for the Muskie boys’ volleyball and soccer squads.
“Winning the soccer title for a third-straight year was probably one of the biggest achievements I’ve had here, and being a part of the team that won the hockey title this year was awesome, as well,” enthused Sinclair, who is unsure where he will be this fall.
“For me, the team bonding is something that I will always remember, as the time you get to spent together with the boys was such a great experience,” he remarked.
“Whether it was travelling on the road or out on the field, it was always a good time,” he smiled.
Both Caul and Sinclair were multiple award winners last Tuesday, with Caul also winning the Struchan Gilson Award for outstanding contribution to the girls’ soccer team.
Sinclair also received the senior boys’ volleyball MVP trophy and the Jim Curr Senior Memorial Trophy for outstanding contribution to the boys’ soccer team.
At the other end of the spectrum, two Grade 9 students were lauded for their contributions in their inaugural Muskie campaigns as Claire Hyatt and Taylor Whitehead received the female and male rookie-of-the-year awards.
“It was really a surprise for me as I didn’t see this coming, so it was just a burst of happiness for me once I realized I had won,” enthused Whitehead, who also won the senior badminton MVP award.
“This was something that I worked hard all year to try and get, and I really appreciate the fact that I was the one that was chosen to receive the award,” noted Hyatt.
For Hyatt, who was a member of the girls’ basketball, soccer, and volleyball teams, the transition from elementary school athletics to high school sports was one that she had to make adjustments to.
But it was a challenge she enjoyed.
“It was a lot more competitive than elementary school sports, and I liked that a lot,” she remarked.
“I was able to get lots of playing time, though, which I was surprised to see, and I was really happy to make the teams themselves, especially in soccer as I was playing with Grade 12s,” Hyatt added.
Whitehead’s initial year of high school sports was a little bit different than most, going undefeated in NorWOSSA senior boys’ badminton play and capturing the NWOSSAA championship en route to winning the antique bronze medal at OFSAA.
“It really is a big difference when you are out there on the court by yourself against older guys,” admitted Whitehead, who also was a member on the Muskie junior boys’ volleyball team.
“One of the things that I learned this year is that the high school sports are a whole different level of play compared to elementary school, and takes a lot more dedication and hard work to get at that top level,” he stressed.
