Sport PEI Announces Awards Winners, Finalists

Sport PEI has announced the winners and finalists for its 2015 amateur sport awards, to be held on Wednesday, February 3 at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel.

Vying for the Bell Aliant Senior Male Athlete of the Year award will be softball’s Jeff Ellsworth, who captained Canada to two international gold medals last year, along with Brett Gallant, second stone on the Brad Gushue Rink that has enjoyed great success over the past twelve months, with three grand slam wins. Biathlete Carsen Campbell is also a finalist, having represented Canada on the IBU circuit, and winning national medals.

Special Olympian Jenna Smith is a finalist for the Senior Female award, having won three gold medals at the World Games in Los Angeles in bowling, while also contesting this award will be hockey player Shannon MacAulay, who won a gold medal as part of the Canadian Women’s Development team at the Nations Cup, and Caitlin Campbell of biathlon, who recently won races at the national team trials and will travel to Romania later this month with Team Canada.

Many of the awards have the winner pre-chosen, including the Masters Athlete of the Year award which will be presented to Tom Nicholls, following gold medal powerlifting performances at the Worlds, Commonwealth and Canadian championships, and the Team of the Year award, which will go to the Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders, a senior team of all-Island talent who won the New Brunswick Senior Baseball League title in 2015.

In addition to the listed finalists, Sport PEI will also be introducing a new award, the Inspiration Award, to be presented to an Island athlete considered to be an inspiration to his or her peers in the Island sporting community.

Other awards to be announced on the evening include the Lieutenant Governor’s Award, which will be presented to be the Island best overall athlete in 2015, while the President’s Award will recognize a long-time contributor to sport in the province. The Premier’s Award, for organization of the year, will also be presented.

Tickets for the awards evening are available by calling Sport PEI at 368-4110.

Bell Aliant Senior Male Athlete: Finalists – Carsen Campbell (Biathlon), Jeff Ellsworth (Softball), Brett Gallant (Curling)

Bell Aliant Senior Female Athlete: Finalists – Caitlin Campbell (Biathlon), Shannon MacAulay (Hockey), Jenna Smith (Bowling)

Rodd Hotels and Resorts Junior Male Athlete: Finalists – Brandon Bernard (Judo), Connor Jinks (Squash), Martin Sobey (Triathlon)

Rodd Hotels and Resorts Junior Female Athlete: Finalists – Emma Jinks (Squash), Abbey MacLellan (Field Hockey), Hannah Taylor (Wrestling)

Intercollegiate Male Athlete: Finalists – Trevor Banks (Concordia, Wrestling), Ibrahima Sanoh (Holland College, Soccer), JP Stevenson (Canisius, Baseball)

Intercollegiate Female Athlete: Finalists – Quincy Beck (Brown, Squash), Veronica Keefe (Concordia, Wrestling), Keirstin Visser (UPEI, Hockey)

PEI Mutual Official of the Year: Kent Walker (Baseball)

SCORE! Team of the Year: Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders (Baseball)

ADL Administrator of the Year: Mike James (Ringette)

ADL Masters Athlete of the Year: Tom Nicholls (Powerlifting)

PEI Mutual Coach of the Year: Judy Hale (Biathlon)

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