2013 Awards
2013 Athletes of the Year
Kirsten-Moore Towers &
Dylan Moscovitch – Figure Skating Pairs
Waterloo
Since teaming up in February 2008, Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch have been one of the most exciting teams in pairs’ figure skating, thanks to their energetic programs and sensational lifts. Known for having a great sense of humour and being hard workers, they will head to their first Olympic Winter Games amongst the teams aiming for the podium after finishing fourth at the 2013 World Championships.
The duo made their international debut together at Skate Canada in the fall of 2009 and went on to finish fifth at their first national championships. In 2010-11 they enjoyed their breakthrough, winning a pair of silver medals on the Grand Prix circuit, making them one of the six teams to qualify for he Grand Prix final. They also won their first national title before finishing eighth at their first world championships.
2013 was a turning point for the pair, particularly in the latter half of the season when they won silver at the Canadian Championships and the Four Continents Championships, finishing closely behind fellow Canadians Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford at both events. By finishing one spot behind the bronze medalists Duhamel and Radford at the 2013 World Championships, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch 2013 year was complete by securing a place on the 2014 Canadian Olympic Team.
Nominees:
Jenna Blasman – Snowboarding
Kitchener
Jenna Blasman competed in speed skating as a child, but when her older brother Josh was given a snowboard for Christmas she soon switched sports. “Every time I hit a new jump, the feeling of flying through the air, I just wanted to scream. I cannot really explain it. It is just excitement, it is love” (The Record Oct. 2013).
2013 was an exceptional and exciting year for Jenna. The Slopestyle Snowboard competitor is currently ranked 10th in the world, and incredible rise from 109th at the start of 2012. Jenna has had great success on the contest circuit for the Canadian Shield and Billabong Flaunt It events, and made her FIS World Cup debut in March 2013. In only her second World Cup start, she finished 5th in New Zealand and 5th in the World Junior Championship.
In slopestyle, riders are judged on the difficulty of tricks pulled of on a series of jumps and railings along a downhill course. Slopestyle Snowboarding made its Olympic debut in Sochi, Russia and Jenna’s 2013 hard work and success earned her a place on the Canadian National Team.
Emily Brown – Soccer
Waterloo
Emily Brown is a star forward of the Wilfrid Laurier University women’s soccer team. In 2013 she broke her own single season scoring record with 18 goals reaching 42 goals in 46 games played in her three years on Laurier’s soccer team.
A native of Waterloo, business major at Wilfrid Laurier and a striker for the Golden Hawks, this decorated athlete’s 2013 success included West Ontario University Athletics (OUA) MVP, CIS leading scorer, OUA Champion, OUA First Team All-Star and CIS First Team All-Canadian.
Emily’s 2013 leadership efforts, on and off the field, were recognized when named as a finalist for Outstanding Women of Laurier (OWL) which combines athletic and academic excellence with community development. Brown has enjoyed a standout athletic career with the Golden Hawks in her three years with the team and has been involved with coaching youth locally at her former high school, St. David Secondary, as well as through the Golden Hawks co-ed soccer camp.
After being named CIS First team All-Canadian “It feels great but at the same time I think there’s a couple of girls on my team that could have been up there with me. I think it’s a symbol of my team’s success and they’re the ones that enabled me to get the award, so I thank them.”
Maddie Buttinger – Athletics
Waterloo
Maddie Buttinger is a member of the Canadian National Athletics Team specializing in the Heptathlon and Pentathlon. This grueling two-day multi-discipline event includes 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m, long jump, javelin and 800m.
2013 was a year of personal bests for Maddie, earning a Bronze at Canadian Nationals, Gold in the Pentathlon at Cornell University, Gold at Virginia Challenge, Bronze at Mt. Sac Relays and Silver at the Francophone Games, her first international medal.
A finance graduate from Notre Dame University, Maddie considered leaving amateur athletics to commence a full time career in finance but all was deferred and Maddie moved to Toronto to continue her pursuit of excellence in athletics. “At the end of university, you have to make that choice anyway: Am I going to keep pursuing athletics post-collegiately and try to be a professional athlete or is it time to pursue a job? So I guess I was at that crossroads, but it taught me a lot; that I’m still extremely passionate about track, I can’t even imagine going out on those terms and not having as opportunity to do what I think I am capable of.”
2013 outstanding results will help Maddie build toward her goal of competing at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland, the 2015 Pan-American Games in Toronto and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.
Javon Masters – Basketball
Kitchener
When there is a rare accomplishment, such as a freshman that leads a league in scoring at any level, NBA, NCAA or CIS, it must be celebrated. Javon Masters, a freshman basketball player with the University of New Brunswick, became the first player to lead the Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) in scoring with an incredible 27.4 points per game.
Javon Masters’ 2013 success on the basketball court included total points of 547, coming 28 points short of the Atlantic Univers9ty Sports (AUS) conference record of 575; incredible 270 free throw shots made while attempting 314, for an average of 15 attempts per game; topped AUS three point shooting percentage 42.4; named AUS Rookie of the Year, named to CIS All Rookie Team and CIS Rookie of the year.
“Masters has made a major impact on our program and will continue to do so as he progresses through his career at UNB. Leading the country in scoring as a freshman is a rare and special accomplishment” (Brent Baker, Coach UNB)
Jason Masters, a native of Kitchener, Ontario and a former basketball star for Forest Heights Collegiate Institute, is the first University of New Brunswick player to win the Dr. Peter Mullins Trophy, CIS Rookie of the Year Award and only the third recipient from AUS Conference.
The 19-year-old, who was the most utilized player in the Maritimes and the second most in the country during the regular season with an average of 35.4 minutes per game, helped the UNB Varsity Reds with a .500 record for the fist time since 2003-04 season and advance to the playoffs for only the second time in eight years.
Andrew Poje & Kaitlyn Weaver – Figure Skating Ice Dance
Waterloo
Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje have been aiming for the podium at Sochi 2014 four years after they narrowly missed qualifying for Vancouver 2010 by just three-tenths of a point.
Weaver and Poje began their partnership in August 2006. They knew each other from competing against each other with previous partners. When they both became available at the same time they had a tryout and found an immediate connection.
The new duo decided to compete for Canada, a big move for the American-born Weaver, at age 17, but one that she was willing to make to follow her Olympic dream. Just five months later they debited at the Canadian Championships where they won the bronze medal. They also won bronze at the 2007 World Junior Championships. After competing in the 2007 and 2008 World Championships, they came up short of qualifying for the global event in 2009 and 2010.
2013 was a year of remarkable efforts for the team that found their preparations for 2013 World Championships in London, Ontario stalled when Weaver broke her right fibula in December 2012. Weaver and Poje returned to the ice in February 2013 finishing an incredible 5th. “To come in fifth in the end was very overwhelming. It was in incredible moment and I think really speaks of our determination and our love for what we do to be able to come back”, stated Kaitlyn.
From there Andrew and Kaitlyn placed no less than 5th in each of their events, earning them their coveted place on the Canadian Olympic Team and an opportunity to live their dream.
Josh Williams – Golf
Kitchener
Josh Williams won his third consecutive Canadian Amputee Golf Association championship in July 2013.
Josh stated that “It was really exciting. Winning one can be lucky, winning two shows you can do it, and a third is that you’re in the right place and it’s up to someone else to take it from you. I’m the first to win three in a row. I’m very proud to be part of amputee golf.”
Winning the Canadian Championship in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan was not Josh’s only success in 2013. He won his 2nd consecutive U.S. Amputee Golf Championship in Lincoln, Nebraska; won the Michigan State Amputee Golf Tournament in Three Rivers, Michigan and finished 3rd in the World Para Sports Long Drive Championship in Mesquite, Nevada, driving 319 yards.
Williams has been a long-time ambassador of the game of golf, both for amputees and able bodied people. His goal is to raise the status of amputee golf to a broader audience and closer to the goal of competing in the 2020 Paralympics Games.
Sports have always played an important role in Josh’s life, including soccer, baseball, basketball, racquetball and track and field competing in the World Disabled Track and Field Championship (1999) in Barcelona Spain. “Then I discovered golf, and I’ve been in love with the sport ever since,” shares Josh.
Amanda Woodcroft – Field Hockey
Waterloo
Amanda Woodcroft, a member of the Canada Senior National Field Hockey Team, had an outstanding 2013. Named to the Senior National Team in 2013, Amanda competed in National Team 9s Tournament in Australia; Junior World Cup in Germany and Pan Am Cup in Argentina.
Amanda, in her first year playing with Team Canada Senior Team, contributed in both the Bronze medal results at the Team 9s Tournament in Australia and Pan Am Cup in Argentina, beating Malaysia and Chile respectively, adding more international caps to her impressive resume.
Currently Amanda is training wit the Canadian National team in Vancouver, British Columbia in preparation for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and Pan American Games hosted by Toronto in 2015.
A third year student at the University of Toronto, with the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, Concurrent Education, Amanda continues to support the Varsity Blues women’s field hockey team when she is not travelling and competing internationally. Her performances have earned her a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) First Tam All-Canadian; an Ontario University Athletics (OUA) All-Star; CIS Rookie of the Year and OUA Rookie of the Year (2011)and helped lead her team to a Silver medal at the CIS Championships in 2012.
When asked what’s in your future, Amanda replied “represent Canada again and again and then become a teacher, coach a high school team or club team and give back to kids.”
Awards of Excellence
INDIVIDUAL:
Carolyn Fedy, Waterloo
The Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club is one of the largest, longest standing and most successful skating clubs in Canada, and for over forty years Carolyn Fedy has been instrumental in its success and in promoting skating in Kitchener-Waterloo.
At five years of age, Carolyn joined the K-W Skating Club and advanced quickly to achieve her gold medal in figures and free skate at the age of sixteen. She became a top level skater in both ladies’ singles and pairs with partner Fred Yanke, competing in singles at the Canadian Championships in Vancouver and winning an international pairs event in Buffalo.
When her competitive skating career ended, her community involvement in skating began.
Carolyn has dedicated countless hours to helping others enjoy the sport of skating as a coach, mentor, teacher, choreographer, program designer, curriculum innovator, guidance counsellor, supporter, adviser, board of director and leader.
Carolyn’s footprint on the sport of skating in Canada is vast. In addition to developing teaching programs, conducting tests for competitive skaters, coaching prevision teams, designing and supervising conditioning classes, Carolyn developed the first Canadian pre-school-mother skating program; Canskate/Canfigureskate program for the Canadian Skating Association, and for several years she directed and choreographed Kitchener-Waterloo’s Annual Ice Show, which is remembered as Kitchener-Waterloo’s Ice Capades!
Carolyn has received the title of Master Conductor of the National Canskate Program and in 1999 the K-W Skating Club’s home, Rink in the Park, was named the Carolyn Fedy Skating Centre, and followed it to its new home at RIM Park.
Congratulations to Carolyn Fedy, the 2014 Individual Award of Excellence Recipient.
ORGANIZATION:
Kitchener Minor Hockey Association, Kitchener
The Kitchener Minor Hockey Association (KMHA) was born in 1933 – eighty years of service and contribution to the Kitchener-Waterloo Region Community.
The Association has been a leader in the local not-for-profit sector, partnering with the City of Kitchener and Region of Waterloo promoting a culture of community health and physical activity.
Currently KMHA has over 4,000 participants spanning all skill levels and age categories of boys, girls and special needs hockey and are looking for the opportunity to form a partnership with sledge and ball hockey,.
All KMHA teams are involved in the community. Countless teams have assisted in raising money, donated time, organized events, promoted sport, encouraged physical activity and supported community leadership. Reading to children in hospitals, cleaning parks, caring for outdoor rinks, and through the Donna’s Kids program, providing the opportunity for over 100 kids to play the game of hockey each year, are only a few examples of KMHA contribution.
Over the years, KMHA has developed numerous individuals who have achieved success as players, coaches and administrators at provincial, national and international levels. Many have also gone on to successful careers outside of hockey. The liFe skills learned through the KMHA have prepared them to become contributing community leaders.
Congratulations to Kitchener Minor Hockey Association, the 2014 Organization Award of Excellence Recipient.
TEAM:
Kitchener Jr. Rangers Peewee Select Hockey Team, Kitchener
The Kitchener Jr. Rangers Peewee Select Hockey team collectively decided early on in heir season that participating in some form of community services was the right thing to do.
Their first volunteer opportunity focused on the Hyundai Hockey Helpers program – this program provides hokey equipment for needy families. The team supported the Hyundai program charity barbeque and car wash. Although washed out by inclement weather, the team took to the streets and collected $150 in change from generous motorists.
Their mindfulness of giving to others was quickly adapted by all team members and their parents.
Adopt-a-Family, a charity that provides Christmas gifts to families in need, was the team’s next event. The boys had a budget, offered creative gift ideas and purchased gifts for the adopted families.
Jeff Heibein, coach of the team believes “as a coach, we have a unique opportunity to not only help a player learn a sport, develop appropriate skills to succeed in that sport, but teach valuable life skills – selflessness and pride in community.”
One parent confirmed – “I always liked Jeff’s philosophy about skating for the name on the front of the jersey not the back. With 11 and 12 year-olds the world’s usually about them and yet our boys saw past themselves and used the strength that they found in teamwork both on and off the ice.”
Congratulations to Kitchener Jr. Rangers Peewee Select Hockey Team, building community leaders and yhe 2014 Team Award of Excellence Recipient.
