NANAIMO— Local track and field athletes were honoured at a recent ceremony at the Nanaimo Yacht Club.
The close to 150 people who attended saw 27 awards given out at the Nanaimo Track and Field Club’s annual event.
NTFC spokesperson Wanda Urbanowicz said there are impressive results and stories behind every award.
“One of our newer athletes Connor Hengstler won outstanding male field athlete of the year and also the outstanding U20 male for 2023. He’s a thrower and went to nationals and came in fourth in discus. We also have Haley Martin who won outstanding U18 female and outstanding female track athlete of the year. She went to nationals on the BC team and won a silver medal in the 400 metre hurdles and also a bronze medal on the 4×400 relay team.”
Urbanowicz also singled out Tessa Bell who won the outstanding U16 female award.
“She is a combined events athlete and finished first in the Grade 8 BC high school pentathlon.”
Two of the awards are set aside for volunteers who have made a special contribution to the club.
“There’s so many volunteers and our coaches put in so much time,” Urbanowicz said. “We can never recognize them enough.”
The Erin Bell Volunteer of the Year award was given to Peter Sinclair and The President’s Award went to Robert Shurniak who runs the a key soil sale fundraiser for the club.
2024 will be a special year for the Nanaimo Track and Field Club with four meets being hosted in Nanaimo.
Urbanowicz said the work for those events is already underway.
“We’re doing BC high school’s and that’s the biggest track meet in the province. We did it in 2016 and we’re hosting that again this year. We’re also hosting the North Island high school championships and we’re hosting the club provincials in July and our own Elwood Wylie Meet.”
Below is a complete list of Nanaimo Track and Field Club awards winners for 2023.
Outstanding Masters Female – Sandie Bissessur
Outstanding Masters Male – Glenn Befus
Outstanding Female Track Athlete – Haley Martin
Outstanding Male Track Athlete – Niall O’Hara
Outstanding Female Off Track Athlete – Ava Gauthier
Outstanding Male Off Track Athlete – Rhys Beaudoin
Outstanding Female Field Athlete – Katelyn Putz
Outstanding Male Field Athlete – Connor Hengstler
Most Improved Female Athlete – Arleta Sadlikova/Annika McMinn
Most Improved Male Athlete – Gavin Esleyer
Outstanding Athlete Elwood Wylie Memorial Meet – Carter Cunning
U11 Awards – Imisiulowa Oyenuga/Owen Ryan
U13 Awards – Katie Hill/Kailo Grain
U14 Award – Carter Cunning
U16 Awards – Tessa Bell/Rhys Beaudoin
U18 Awards – Haley Martin/Niall O’Hara
U20 Awards – Serenna Drake/Connor Hengstler
Sportsmanship Award – Lucy Russell/Zachary Croome
Erin Bell Volunteer of the Year – Peter Sinclair
President’s Award – Robert Shurniak
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