2014 Sport PEI Awards

The major awards went to Hartsville’s Mark Arendz (senior male, Lieutenant Governor’s Award) for his silver- and bronze-medal wins at the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Games and to Summerside native Heather Moyse, who won senior female and shared theLieutenantGovernor’s award with Arendz, after earning her second career bobsleigh gold medal at the Sochi Olympics.

Further, the pair defended their shared 2013LieutenantGovernor’s award.

Equally delighted was soccer standout Jared Murphy, who helped the UPEI Panthers men’s soccer team win its first medal at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championship last fall in Charlottetown.

Murphy won the intercollegiate male athlete award and although the fifth-year striker nailed the crucial goal in the 2-1 victory over the UQAM Citadins in the bronze medal game, he was quick to credit his mates.

“Any recognition is very nice to get. A lot of hard work went into the year and I’m very fortunate,” said Murphy, “but none of it was possible without the coaches and my teammates and they deserve as much credit.”

Murphy’s Panthers also won the team of the year.

The Charlottetown native scored six times in the regular season and was named a second-team Atlantic University Sport all-star and a CIS tournament all-star.

Wrestler Lorena Ellis won the junior female athlete of the year award.

The Kingston native had a monster year, including winning the national junior title in 67 kg, wrestling for Team Canada in tournaments in Europe and earning silvers at the Junior Pan Ams and the Canada Cup.

Despite all the victories during the season, Ellis admitted with a laugh she wasn’t prepared to win on Wednesday.

“I felt so bad. They ask you to prepare a speech just in case. I never thought I’d have to get up,” said Ellis, a second-year economics student at St. Thomas University.

The Fredericton, N.B. school didn’t have a varsity wrestling team, but made Ellis a team-of-one so she can wrestle for the Tommies at the CIS championships next month.

Moyse was slated to attend the awards, but left the province early to beat a pending snowstorm in Atlantic Canada. She was scheduled to leave the next morning for a speaking presentation in Windsor, Ont., but the storm forced those plans to change.

The winners list from the 2014 Sport P.E.I. awards:

Lt. Governor’s Award – Heather Moyse and Mark Arendz.

Intercollegiate Male – Jared Murphy, UPEI men’s soccer.

Intercollegiate Female – Shannon MacAulay, Clarkson University women’s hockey.

Junior Male – J.P. Stevenson, baseball.

Junior Female – Lorena Ellis, wrestling.

Senior Female – Heather Moyse, bobsleigh.

Senior Male – Mark Arendz, biathlon.

Premier’s Award – Karate P.E.I.

President’s Award – Najam Chishti, table tennis.

Administrator – Justin Ellis, rugby.

Official – Darryl Boudreau, rugby.

Coach – John Power, squash.

Masters Athlete – Brad Kennedy, powerlifting.

Team – UPEI Panthers men’s soccer.