Sarah Pruys
Players who had “heart” seemed to be the theme of the Muskie athletic awards banquet last Tuesday night.
The various coaches also spoke of their players’ positive attitude, teamwork, leadership, and setting and achieving goals as almost 30 awards were handed out.
Students who stood out on their respective teams, and who always worked hard and did their best, were honoured with MVP and outstanding contribution awards while others took home hardware based on the number of sports they participated in or for their overall performance.
Soccer coach and Fort High teacher Shane Beckett summed it up by saying, “We love you guys.”
The most prestigious awards—for the Muskie male and female “Athlete of the Year”—went to Gavin Moorhouse and Erika Moffitt, who both played soccer, volleyball, and basketball throughout their high school careers.
“She devoted a lot of time and effort each year in practice, and was a pleasure to coach,” coach and Fort High vice-principal Dan Bird said prior to presenting the award to Moffitt.
“I guess this girl took advantage of her height and athleticism,” he noted. “And after four years of hard work and effort, it is a pleasure to call upon Erika Moffitt as ‘Female Athlete of the Year.’”
“It’s a great honour,” said Moffitt, who graduates this year and plans to take education and social work at Lakehead University this fall.
“I’ve worked hard so it’s nice to be appreciated.”
On her high school athletics career, she remarked, “It was good, enjoyable, the coaches were good,” and it is something she will miss.
Moffitt also collected the Patti-Jo Reid Awards as MVP for both the senior girls’ volleyball and basketball teams, as well as an Athletic Certificate (for playing on eight teams) and a Letterman Award (for playing on 10 or more teams).
Beckett, who presented Moorhouse’s award, said being an athlete is more than just having natural talent.
“An athlete spends years honing their skills and working towards their goals,” he noted. “An athlete can only be truly considered great if they have the right combination of athletic dominance, the ability to transcend the game, a set of mental intangibles to create success both on and off the field.
“As an athlete, you must have desire, perseverance, leadership, heart, work ethic, poise, and most of all character,” Beckett stressed.
“He exemplifies everything that a Muskie should be and is.
“He’s done it all throughout the years with that special smile on his face,” Beckett said of Moorhouse.
“Awesome. I wasn’t expecting it, it’s great,” enthused Moorhouse, who also received the award for outstanding contribution to boys’ soccer, the Grade 12 Male for Academic and Athletic Achievement (the Douglas Morrow Memorial Award), and a Letterman Award.
“I’m sad to be done, and I’m honoured to get all this,” added Moorhouse, who also be going to Lakehead University this fall to take mechanical engineering.
In addition to the “Athlete of the Year” awards, one
student also was inducted into the Muskie Hall of Fame at last Tuesday’s banquet.
“Every few years, Fort High likes to recognize an athlete that stands apart,” noted coach and teacher Dany Michaud.
“Usually this athlete has had an outstanding athletic career throughout his or her four years of high school as a Muskie,” he noted.
“But this year, the Fort Frances coaching staff decided to make an exception. Despite having had a short Muskie athletic career, this individual had a successful one.”
Michaud then presented the award to swimmer Donovan Taylor, who has placed in every meet he has been to in the past four years.
Taylor also won the MVP award for swimming.
Other multiple award recipients were:
•Tim Metke—Tim Callaghan Memorial Trophy as senior boys’ basketball MVP and the Jim Curr Sr. Memorial Trophy as boys’ soccer MVP;
•Chantal Jodoin—girls’ soccer MVP, the Brent Ogden Memorial Trophy for Sportsmanship & Perseverance, an Athletic Certificate, and a Letterman Award;
•Mary Strain—Patti-Jo Reid Award as senior girls’ basketball MVP and track and field MVP;
•Emily Drouin—the Stuchan Gilson Award for outstanding contribution to girls’ soccer, an Athletic Certificate, and a Letterman Award;
•Brandon Sinclair—senior boys’ volleyball MVP and a Letterman Award;
•Braedon Keast—senior boys’ volleyball MVP and a Letterman Award; and
•Hailey Beaudry—cross-country MVP and Female Rookie of the Year.
Other award winners last Tuesday included:
•Caitlyn Sande—Athletic Certificate;
•Scott Parsons—Athletic Certificate;
•Will Anderson—Athletic Certificate;
•Colton Craig—Athletic Certificate;
•Reece Jones—boys’ curling MVP;
•Karleigh Wright—girls’ curling MVP;
•Sarah Bagacki—jr. girls’ basketball MVP;
•Cassandra Moffitt—Most Improved Player (jr. girls’ basketball);
•Darren Lundgren—jr. boys’ basketball MVP (Tim Callaghan Memorial Trophy);
•Derek Kaemingh—jr. boys’ volleyball MVP;
•Maryam Seid/Celia Berry—jr. girls’ volleyball MVP (Horban Award);
•Joey Onichuk—jr. badminton MVP;
•Bryson Skirten—sr. badminton MVP;
•Sophie Potvin-Begin—Border Skating Club MVP; and
•Connor Bujold—Male Rookie of the Year.
