Sunday, March 27, 2011

Runners in the running for a Sport PEI award





A number of athletes, coaches & administrators will be recognized on April 6 at the Sport PEI annual awards banquet, to be held at the Rodd Royalty in Charlottetown.

Tickets for the banquet priced $30, are available from Sport PEI, by calling 368-4547.
Emcees for the evening will be JoAnne Holden, and Matt Rainnie, host of CBC’s Island Morning show.

Among this year's nominees are a few Island runners...

In the Paperflow Intercollegiate Female Athlete of the Year category, Susan Sobey, Track & Field athlete from Dalhousie University is a finalist.


Susan Sobey
Searletown’s Susan Sobey of Dalhousie reached her fifth straight CIS championship in 2010, concluding a varsity career which has seen the track athlete win countless AUS medals and awards.
The team captain, Susan led the Tigers to its 21st conference track title by winning four medals – gold in the 60m sprint and 4x200m relay, and silver in the 4x400m and long jump. For her efforts she was named an AUS all-star.
At the CIS championships in Windsor, Susan showed she was one of the fastest in the country, finishing in 5th place, equalling her best-ever finish while setting a new provincial indoor record of 7.61 seconds, lowering her own mark of 7.65 seconds set in 2007.
A graduate of the kinesiology program, Susan also earned her third Academic all-Canadian selection.
In the Masters Category, both Scott Clark and Paul Dalton are finalists, both being recognized for their distance running and triathlon events.


Scott Clark
Linkletter’s Scott Clark pushed himself hard in 2010, achieving outstanding results in some of North America’s toughest races.
In October, 47-year old Scott cut through the wind and rain to claim his second BMO Nesbitt Burns Island Marathon title in 2:44:42, rounding off a successful season which saw him win the OCALA marathon in Florida, finish 3rd in the Bluenose International in Nova Scotia, and finish 10th in his masters category in the prestigious Boston marathon, crossing the line 287th overall and leading the Island runners.
In addition to his impressive running, Scott turned to triathlon for an additional challenge, and his choice was the tough Ironman event in the Gulf of Mexico.
Scott finished the race – which consisted of 3.8km open swim, 180km bike ride and 42.2km run, with no break – in a time of 10 hours, 36 minutes and 4 seconds, where he was 274th overall in a field of 2700 from 48 countries.


Paul Dalton
St. Edward’s Paul Dalton loves the endurance events, and there is no greater sporting test on the planet than the Ultraman, a three-day, 320 mile challenge which consists of a 6.2 mile swim, 261.4 mile bike ride, and a 52.4 mile ultra-marathon run.
52-year old Paul competed in two of these events in 2010. At the Canadian event in BC in July, which is by invitation only, he recorded a time 33 hours, 17 minutes and 15 seconds, for 29th in the 39 person field.
Three weeks later Paul competed in the Canadian Ironman Triathlon, approximately half an Ultraman, which he finished in 12 hours 54 minutes, before embarking on his greatest challenge, the World Ultraman in Hawaii.
Again he finished the test in just over 33 hours, in the process becoming one of only 495 athletes to complete the race in its 26-year history, and one of only a handful to do the Canadian, and world Ultraman, in the same year.
As an aside, Paul also ran the Boston Marathon in a time good enough to qualify for the 2011 race, showing that he really is the King of Endurance.
In the Male Varsity Athlete Category, Anthony Bernard, a runner and jumper.

Anthony Bernard
The co-captain of the Dalhousie track and field team, Alberton’s Bernard has had a stellar varsity career, one which concluded in 2010 with a five medal haul at the AUS championships.
An outstanding jumper, Anthony set a new Atlantic indoor record at the championships with a leap of 7.07m in the long jump, giving him his 4th consecutive conference title, and he also won gold in the triple jump, 4x200m and 4x400m relays, and was second in the 300m.
Anthony’s performance gave the Tigers the AUS title and himself conference all-star honours, and he enjoyed a fine competition at the CIS championships in Windsor, Ontario, finishing the long-jump in 5th place.
Graduating from kinesiology and currently enrolled in the masters of science physiotherapy program, Anthony was also honoured with his fourth Academic all-Canadian award.


In the Senior Male Athlete category, Jared Connaughton is recognized for his 100m & 200m placings on the International stage.


Jared Connaughton
New Haven’s Jared Connaughton continues to run fast, and he enjoyed another fine season in 2010, one which saw him win another national title and reach the 200m final at the Commonwealth Games.
The first half of Jared’s year saw him compete at some prestigious international meets, highlights being a 2nd place at the Osaka Grand Prix, and two wins, and five top-five finishes, in the European Diamond League.
At the nationals in Toronto, Jared re-claimed his 200m title and finished 2nd in the 100m, confirming his selection for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
In India, Jared again had a fine championship, even though there was disappointment in his 4th place in the 200m final, not helped by a poor lane placing despite running fast heat and semi-final times.
All told it was still a fine year for Connaughton, who ran Canada’s fastest 200m in 2010 in 20.60s, and is setting himself up nicely for a huge year as the London Olympics approach.

2011-04-05

Awards banquet set this Wednesday, April 6th

The province’s outstanding performers will be recognized this Wednesday evening as Sport PEI hosts its annual awards banquet, honouring those athletes, coaches, officials and administrators who enjoyed success in 2010.

In addition to the 11 awards categories that have been highlighted in the local media over the past month, Sport PEI will also be presenting the Premier’s Award for Sports Organization of the Year, the President’s Award for Long-time Contribution to Island Sport, the Lieutenent Governor’s Award for Island Athlete of the Year, and for only the 10th time in 37 years, the Bill Halpenny Award for Outstanding International Performance will be presented.
The banquet will begin at 6:45pm at the Rodd Royalty in Charlottetown, and tickets for the evening have now sold out. Emcees for the event are Jo-anne Holden and Matt Rainnie.
The full list of finalists is as follows:
ADL Administrator of the Year – Nancy Connolly (Tennis), Shirley Lank (Curling), Mary Ellen McInnis (Figure Skating)
SCORE Team of the Year – Churchill Arm’s Men’s Soccer, Kathy O’Rourke Curling Rink, Robert Campbell Curling Rink
Masters Award – Scott Clark (Distance Running/Triathlon), Paul Dalton (Triathlon/Ultraman), Tom Nicholls (Powerlifting)
Coach of the Year – John Diamond (Soccer), Al Ledgerwood (Curling), Mike Redmond (Soccer)
Paperflow Intercollegiate Male Athlete – Anthony Bernard (Athletics), Kurt McCormack (Athletics), Colby Pridham (Hockey)
Paperflow Intercollegiate Female Athlete – Sarah MacAulay (Field Hockey), Tessa Roche (Soccer), Susan Sobey (Athletics)
PEI Mutual Official of the Year – Gardiner MacNeill (Swimming), Roy Main (Tennis), Cliff Poirier (Curling)
Junior Male Athlete of the Year – Kevin Cudmore (Powerlifting), Matthieu D’Amour (Gymnastics), Brandon Gormley (Hockey)
Rodd Hotels and Resorts Junior Female Athlete of the Year – Paige Crowell (Swimming), Ryan Drum (Kickboxing), Lorena Ellis (Judo/Wrestling)
Senior Female Athlete of the Year – Katie Begley Baker (Field Hockey), Erin Carmody (Curling), Heather Moyse (Bobsleigh/Rugby)
Bell Aliant Senior Male Athlete of the Year – Mark Arendz (Paranordic Skiing), Scott Chandler (Gymnastics), Jared Connaughton (Athletics)

Congratulations to these and all the finalists!

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