SHS awards fall athletes

Justin Seward
Times Reporter

 

For many of the graduating players it was one last chance to be rewarded for their hard work and dedication to their school sport, while for others it was a chance to be recognized for their tremendous improvement made over the course of the season at the Strathmore Spartans fall athletic banquet on Dec. 1.
“It was pretty sweet,” said Maria Fanning, who won the MVP award in her last year on the cross-country team.
She said the most noticeable improvement she made from starting her career at the Strathmore High School until now was being eager to go out and beat everyone to playing more a support role to her teammates this year.
“My Grade 12 year was my best running year, I got the best running time,” said Fanning.
She will always remember her teammate Ann Smeyers beating her to the finish line this year being the highlight of the year.
“When Ann beat me,” said Fanning. “At the very end she beat me and that’s when I knew she trained so hard and she came up to me and gave me a big hug and said ‘I beat you finally.’ I was just so happy for her.”
Fanning would always carry in the back of her mind going into racess what her coaches Jerry Flaws and Paul Sonsteby said to her about never giving up and finish the races despite it being hard physically and mentally.
Flaws said her consistency of getting better over the three years and being naturally motivated is what gave her success in running through those tough courses.
“The ‘never give up’ is the good part,” said Flaws. “Even if she has a bad race, she shook it off real quick and got ready for whatever is coming next.”
Other cross country awards on the night saw Gunnar Raycroft also taking home the MVP honours, Ann Smeyers took home most improved and Jourdyn Sammons earned the Spartan Pride award.
Ayden Fisk was honoured to win the Most Improved Player on the junior varsity boys volleyball team in his first year in the sport and credits coach Darrel Hargrove for helping his overall game.
“I never played volleyball before and coach Hargrove helped me improve and contribute to the team,” said Fisk. “Everyone else on the team was really fun. It worked out.”
Being the Libero, he said his passing got better and it became easier when he got a feel for the game.
Hargrove remembers when Fisk first came in , he was being timid and shy but as the season progressed there was something that let him know that he wanted to improve.
“There was no stopping him,” said Hargrove. “He basically battled through everything he did and just took everything in stride. Any sort of drill, technique or motion, he practiced it not just during the drills but even so afterwards on his own.”
Ryan Edwards was nominated for the MVP and Spartan Pride went to Ryan Heemeryck won the Spartan Pride to round out the other junior varsity boys volleyball awards.
Junior Varsity Girls Volleyball – MVP: Pacey Strangling Wolf; Most Improved: Rachel McCollister; Rookie of the Year: Kirsten Whalen and the Spartan Pride went to Kaliey Leys.
Senior Girls Volleyball – MVP: Alicia Kennedy; Most Improved: Olivia Smail; Rookie of the Year: Tatum Wathen; Spartan Pride: Jayda Stewart.
Senior Boys Volleyball – MVP: Dion Moncayo; Most Improved Player: Mackenzie Bain; Rookie of the Year: Grayson Wright; Spartan Pride: Tomas Moncayo.
Girls Soccer – MVP: Danielle Morrison; Most Improved: Jemma Warrack; Rookie of the Year: Josefine Brekelmans; Spartan Pride: Meg Warrack.
Football – MVP: Owen Wegner; Most Improved: Isaiah Simwamu; Defensive Player: Kobe Holloway; Rookie of the Year: Kristian Freund; Spartan Pride: Zach Stewart and Bailey Hawes.
Golf – MVP: Korbin Allan; Spartan Pride: Alicia Kennedy.