Near the end of a high school athletic career full of achievements, Grade 12 athlete Payton Dolyny was given a seldom distributed honour by being recognized with the Fort Frances High School Athletes Hall of Fame Award.
At the school’s annual awards ceremony held on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, FFHS Principal Michelle Mosbeck called Dolyny a strong competitor. Over the course of Dolyny’s high school athletic career, she has been to OFSAA championships seven times across four different sports including Volleyball, three times for Soccer, Badminton, and twice for Cross Country.
“She’s strong, competitive, and full of grit and determination needed to win not just overall championships but moment-to-moment battles in the game,” Mosbeck said.
“She is an outstanding individual athlete and an excellent teammate. Peyton has always been the player you want on your team and she is definitely a student-athlete you want representing the Fort Frances High School Muskies.”
Dolyny played both Junior Girls and 807 Selects volleyball under coach Terry McMahon, who recalled first meeting her during a summer camp.
“I could tell immediately she was a different kind of kid,” McMahon told the audience gathered at the awards.
“She already had the brain of an athlete at age 12, I could see it in her eyes. She understood sports and she was relentless and would never give up. I was running two age groups, one junior and one senior and she did so well I invited her to stay with the senior group, this was co-ed by the way so there she was 12 years old with senior boys hitting balls at her and she was standing in there… This is basically how it’s gone, ever since that day. I challenged her the first day she stepped in the gym and she met the challenge. Every year we raised the bar higher and higher and she exceeds it. Never settling, never complacent, always driving to get better. In five years coaching her I’ve never seen her give less than her best, whatever it was that day. She’s left a legacy, her imprint will live in our programs for many years to come.”
Senior girls soccer coach Chris Sinclair, who has been to OFSAA with Dolyny on multiple occasions, praised Dolyny’s team spirit.
“In a radio interview after winning NORWOSSA soccer, preparing for OFSAA, I recall the host asking a question ‘what was the biggest factor that led to having success?’” Sinclair recalled.
“One of the girls jokingly said Payton. Payton responded quickly by directing the success towards the team as a whole and how we came together, showing her team-first mentality.”
Sinclair also recalled the recent bus trip to southern Ontario for OFSAA soccer in Kingston.
“I just spent 40 hours with you on a bus, it might seem like a little thing but you made an effort to talk to and take time to be with each of your teammates along the way, showing appreciation and respect towards everyone and how truly kind as a person you are,” Sinclair added.
“If last week was your last as a Muskie I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to experience it with you. You should be proud of what you accomplished as an athlete here at Fort Frances High School, because each and every person here is so amazed of what you have done and continue to do for sports in our community. I’m honoured to be part of this special presentation, as we are not just honouring a multi-sport athlete, we are celebrating a legacy and wishing you a much deserved Congratulations on all your achievements.”
As the awards night continued, Dolyny was presented with additional awards following another outstanding year including Senior Girls Basketball MVP, Girls Soccer MVP, Senior Girls Volleyball Co-MVP with Calleigh Councillor, as well as the Female Athletic and Academic achievement award, a Letterman Award given to graduating student athletes who have taken part in 12 sports over the course of their high school careers, as well as being named Female Athlete of the Year for a second year in a row.
Boys and Girls hockey, as well as Football, held their own end of season awards earlier in the school year.
The remaining awards handed out at the annual ceremony are as follows:
Fort Frances High School athletic awards 2024-2025
Leadership Awards:
Alexis Latter
Kali Tessier
Tarran Enge
Athletic Contribution Awards:
Austin Mosbeck
Aiden Jean
Jayna Walter
Athletic Hall of Fame Award:
Payton Dolyny
Cheerleading – presented by Janine Tucker
Outstanding Contribution – Ryleigh Tucker, Skylar Strickland-Mansbridge
Sr. Boys Volleyball – presented by Terry McMahon
Co-MVPs – Austin Mosbeck, Jordan Hunter
Outstanding Contribution – Jack Mosbeck
Jr. Boys Volleyball – presented by Jayna Walter
MVP – Hunter Jean
Most Improved – Reed Ste. Croix
Most Sportsmanlike – Grayson Wright
Golf – presented by Chris Sinclair
MVPs – AJ Armstrong and Calleigh Councillor
Cross Country – presented by John Dutton
MVPs – Paisley Riches and Andrew Booth
Sr. Girls Basketball – presented by Mike Krueger and Dan Bird
MVP – Payton Dolyny
Outstanding Contribution – Rilee Armstrong
Jr. Girls Basketball – presented by Marla Knutsen and Max Williams
Outstanding Contribution – Bella Caul, Aubrey Meeks
Most Improved – Ryleigh Tucker, Taylor Hettinga
Swimming – presented by Tracy Rob
MVP – Carol Tolley
Curling – presented by Ron Silver and Kim Beaudry
MVPs – Collin Howarth and Allie Saciuk
Outstanding Contribution – Adam L’Hirondelle
Nordic Skiing presented by Jordan Baird
MVP – Connor Chwastyk
Girls Soccer – presented by Chris Sinclair and Tyler Ruppenstein
MVP – Payton Dolyny
Outstanding Contributions – Tia Wagar and McKenna McTavish
Boys Soccer – presented by Marlon Douglas, Ian Jodoin, and Max Williams
Co-MVPs – Aiden Jean and Trent Friesen
Outstanding Contributions – Tarran Enge and Ty Smith
Jr. Girls Volleyball – presented by Terry McMahon
Co-MVPs – Molly Tucker, Lia Lowes
Most Improved – Brianne Haver
MVP Team Gold – Kate Mosbeck
Senior Girls Volleyball – presented by Duane Roen and Alex Adrian
Co-MVPs – Payton Dolyny, Calleigh Councillor
PHD Award – Kali McCormick
Jr. Boys Basketball – presented by Alexis Reynolds
MVP – Gage McKinnon
Most Improved Player – Malachi Barkley
Most Sportsmanlike – Jakobe Kempf
Senior Boys Basketball – presented by Cole Kowalski
MVP – Ziigwan Smith
Outstanding Contribution – Everett Aucoin
Coaches Award – Luc Gagne
Badminton – presented by Tyson Grinsell
Sr. MVPs – Peyton Jourdain and Shayna Shute
Jr. MVPs – Reed Ste. Croix and Malachi Barkley, Hannah Pope
Most Improved – Calleigh Councillor and Ophelia Lucas-Engberg
Track & Field – presented by John Dutton, Ellie Petsnick
MVPs – Miranda Wilson, Hunter McLean
Most Dedicated – Paisley Riches, Chase Sinclair
Academic and Athletic Achievement Awards – presented by Tracy Rob
Male: Niko Ruppenstein
Female: Payton Dolyny
Heart and Soul Award – presented by Tyson Grinsell
Senior Girls Volleyball Team
Sportsmanship and Perseverance Award – presented by Tyson Grinsell
Calleigh Counsillor
Athletic Certificates for student athletes participating in eight sports over their high school career presented by Tyson Grinsell:
Miranda Wilson
Jordan Hunter
Aubrey Eldridge
Alexzander Kreger
Ophelia Lucas-Engberg
AJ Armstrong
Luc Gagne
Letterman awards for student athletes participating in 12 sports over their high school career:
Niko Ruppenstein
Brooklyn Machura
Ozzy Hanson
Calleigh Councillor
Blake Kreger
Jack Mosbeck
Payton Dolyny
Taryn Oster
Griffin Webb
Male Rookie of the Year – presented by Tyson Grinsell
Co-winners: Malachi Barkley, Reed Ste. Croix
Female Rookie of the Year – presented by Marla Knutsen
Paisley Riches
Male Athlete of the Year – presented by Chris Sinclair
Niko Ruppenstein
Female Athlete of the Year – presented by John Dutton
Payton Dolyny
Hall of fame pic ID: from Left Chris Sinclair soccer coach, Terry McMahon Volleyball Coach, Payton Dolyny, Tyson Grinsell Athletic Director and Badminton Coach, and Principal Michele Mosbeck
