Sport PEI hosted the 45th Annual Amateur Sport Awards on Tuesday February 26 at the Florence Simmons Performance Hall. The major award winner of the night was Hartsville’s Mark Arendz who competed in his third Paralympic Games in 2018 and was a dominant force for Canada. The Para Nordic skier took home six medals – the most medals ever won by a Canadian in a single Paralympic Winter Games – including one gold, two silver and three bronze. For his accomplishments, Mark was honored as the 3 Points Aviation Senior Male Athlete of the Year, Lieutenant Governor Award winner and recipient of the Bill Halpenny Award.
Curler Peter Gallant (below, centre) won the PEI Mutual Insurance Company Coach of the Year Award:
CBC team of the Year, the Hunter’s Ale House Mudmen RFC had a year to remember. Winning the McCudy Cup for the second year in a row and then defeating the Fredericton Loyalist 32-21 to win their first ever Caledonia Cup. The Mudmen’s success in 2018 was a true testament of nearly 20 years of hard work from the club’s players and coaching staff.
PEI Rugby president Craig Inward had this to say about the evening, “PEI Rugby is humbled to be recognized by the Premier and Sport PEI as the Sport Organization of the Year. It was a great evening of celebration, and this was an unexpected honour. It comes on the heals of a very successful year for our athletes, clubs, volunteers and supporters. We are particularly proud of the recognition shown by Sport PEI to our members, Alysha Corrigan, Natalie Bulger, and The Mudmen Rugby Football Club, and we congratulate them on their awards. We are looking forward to a great 2019, and working closely with our Sport PEI partners.”
The winners list from the 2018 Sport P.E.I. awards:
Lt. Governor’s Award – Mark Arendz, Para Nordic & Biathlon
Senior Female – Veronica Keefe, wrestling
Senior Male – Mark Arendz, Para Nordic & Biathlon
(Curling’s Brett Gallant was a finalist in this category)
Junior Male – Noah Dobson, hockey
Junior Female – Hannah Taylor, wrestling
(Curling’s Lauren Lenentine was one of the finalists in this category)
Intercollegiate Male – John Patrick Stevenson, baseball
Intercollegiate Female – Alysha Corrigan, rugby
Administrator – Natalie Bulger, rugby
Bill Halpenny Award – Billy Bridges, sledge hockey & Mark Arendz para nordic & biathlon
Coach – Peter Gallant, curling
Event – Special Olympics Bowling Championship
Inspiration Award – Heather Moyse, bobsleigh
Masters Athlete – Steve Reeves, ultra running
Official – Mike French, softball
Premier’s Award – PEI Rugby
President’s Award – Brenda Beaton, ringette
Team – Hunter’s Ale House Mudmen RFC
PCE Awards
All winners were from the Special Olympic National Summer Games-
Teams:
10 Pin Bowling, Softball and Soccer
Athletes:
Teri Cudmore – athletics
Janet Charchuk & Jennifer Hickox – bocce
Kolton Doucette – powerlifting
Rachael Loggie – rhythmic gymnastics
Ellen MacNearney & Roy Paynter – swimming
Jenna Smith & Paul Phillips – 10 pin bowling
Kaitlyn MacKinnon, Degan Hackett, & Jonathan Watts – 5 pin bowling