Saluting our Central Region nominees
[u]Bloor CI[/u]
Patrick Persaud
The dominating force at the net for the boys volleyball team, Patrick helped lead his squad to A OFSAA. When he’s not going in for the kill he’s in the classroom working hard. Fellow Bear, Sandra Duong is also a force on the volleyball court and was nominated as Bloor’s female athlete of the year.
[u]Bishop Strachan School[/u]
Allison Harris
She may be a sophomore in the halls of Bobcat territory, but Allison Harris has already made an impression making it to OFSAA in 2010 for gymnastics (vault, bars, floor and beam). This year she also snagged a gold in the pole vault and silver in hurdles at OFSAA. She also coached St. Clement’s middle school gymnastics team.
[u]Branksome Hall[/u]
Elizabeth Whelan
Volleyball, soccer, cross-country and track and field, these are few of Whelan’s favourite sports. This year, she claimed CISAA gold in cross-country and silver at OFSAA. She also won gold in Sudbury in both the 800-metre and 1500-metre. All of her training and hard work was done along side her International Baccalaureate program at Branksome. She’ll be heading to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall. Branksome also nominated volleyball aficionado Emily Kawaguchi and Nicole Abernethy.
[u]De La Salle[/u]
Ian Fraser
This is Ian’s second trip to the Athlete of the Year awards, and there’s no doubt as to why. This grade 12 Oaklander took part in cross-country, hockey, ultimate Frisbee as well as track and field. Outside of school he played on the midget all-star team for the GTHL, winning the midget AA Leaside Flames MVP. With all that on his schedule he still has time to be on the honour roll and a little bit of video game-playing too.
Cassandra Pilacinski
It’s a six-pack of sports that keeps Pilacinski active. A member of the cross-country, basketball, volleyball, alpine skiing, soccer as well as track and field teams, she still has time to pick up the Wilson at Toronto West Volleyball Club, and hitting the beach. Not to forget, she’s just as academic as she is athletic.
[u]Forest Hill CI[/u]
Falcons territory nominated Keith Lu and Sydney Westgate as their athletes of the year.
[u]Greenwood College School[/u]
Michael Picton
This Grizzly took part on the volleyball, basketball and ultimate Frisbee teams. Described as a capturer of hearts with his “impressive work ethic and resiliency”, Picton led his volleyball team to OFSAA as their setter. He is also a member of DECA, Greenwood’s business club and excels academically.
Carly McDougald
Greenwood’s girls had a great year for volleyball traveling to Belleville for the A girls, and McDougald played a big factor on that team. Not just a fearsome opponent at the net, she took part on the team’s soccer and ultimate Frisbee teams.
[u]Havergal College[/u]
Shannon Flatley
She’s overcome tremendous adversity, suffering a concussion that sidelined her both school and sport. When one door closes, she’ll find another avenue. Due to injury, she couldn’t play soccer, so instead she took up triathlon. The niece of former New York Islander Patrick Flatley will be heading to another island, this time Rhode, to attend Brown University.
Shannon Connolly
Softball, soccer and hockey take up a majority of Connolly’s free time. She’s humble about her talents, preferring to pass on her knowledge to teammates. Known for her green goalie mask, she’ll be taking her trademark with her when she attends St. Scholastica University in Minnesota.
[u]Lawrence Park CI[/u]
Along with Maddie Stephen, Wil Cartar and Gord Elder were nominated as the Panthers’ top athletes.
[u]Leaside HS[/u]
Morgan Moskalyk
A three-sport student, Moskalyk took part in football, rugby and badminton. A winner of the Mike Bradwell Award, named for the Toronto Argos receiver, he was a threat on the gridiron. He is also an excellent artist according to teacher Sara Jones.
Maddie Stock
A member of this year’s dominant field hockey team, one that formed a new rivalry between the Lancers and the Malvern Black Knights, Stock traveled to Ingersoll, for OFSAA. When she wasn’t on turf, she was on the ice, and once winter gave way to spring she was on the diamond.
[u]Loretto College CSS[/u]
Meghan Santos
Picking up silver at TDCAA in tennis was the start of a great season for Santos. The 17-year-old also fought hard at OFSAA this year, giving her racket a good workout. When she wasn’t serving aces, she was indoors with badminton and also running up a Lightning storm in track and field.
[u]Marc Garneau CI[/u]
Rebecca Chang
The perennial honour roll student is TOPS at Garneau. Chang was also a dynamic force in basketball, volleyball and soccer. Her coach Marko Zecevic summed her up: “She constantly portrayed the attitude and abilities of a great athlete, especially her attitude to never give up”. Also nominated was Cougars’ soccer star Kelvon Dominique.
[u]North Toronto CI[/u]
Danielle Im
When Im is not skating circles around on the opposition on the Norsemen’s hockey team, she’s draining hoops for the basketball team and rucking it out on the pitch with rugby. An MVP on countless occasions, Im was also the girls athletic association president. Also nominated as the Norsemen’s top male athlete was Zac Bader-Shamai.
[u]Northern SS[/u]
Andrew Luba
This Red Knight is a very busy man. He skipped the school’s curling team, took time out to shoot 18 holes, played table tennis, participated in both the slalom and giant slalom races, tended the net for soccer and wrapped it up with rugby. He placed fourth at OFSAA in the slalom and was a member of this year’s City Championship rugby team.
Erica Fearnall
A star of the swimming pool, Erica Fearnall, represented her team well at the South Region meet in 100 breaststroke, freestyle and medley. She also qualified for the city in cross-country and captained the ultimate Frisbee team to city champions. When she was not on the field or in the cement pond, she helped out with the smart risk team, was a buddy and helped raise funds for the United Way.
[u]Oakwood CI[/u]
The Barons picked Aidan Handley-Girard and Hannah Runge as their top athletes in 2011.
[u]Rosedale Heights School of the Arts[/u]
An arts school that fends off the stigma that it can’t be sporting, Ravenland still had an impressive year battling it out in the South Region. Their athletic standouts were Rory Warnock and Paige Krossing.
[u]Sir Sanford Fleming HS[/u]
Mosran Durrant
There’s no doubt Durrant has some added charge in him. The anchor on the OFSAA bronze medal basketball team, was also on the undefeated soccer squad and is speedy on the track as he’s been a city finalist in the 100-metre and 4×100-metre relay.
Heather Brown
Soccer and volleyball are Brown’s top sports. She was captain of the varsity girls squads as they made it to the TDSSAA finals this year. Not only a force in sports, she’s a member of the drama club, which earned her the leading role in her school play that went to the Sears Festival.
[u]St. Clement’s School[/u]
Chelsea Hill
Always the team to beat in girls softball, St. Clement’s Hill was a member of the CISAA champion squad in 2010 and 2011. She also won the Division II title in 2011. Not only is she a diamond denizen, but she suited up for the basketball and volleyball teams. She was also a house captain at St. Clement’s.
[u]St. Michael’s College School[/u]
The land of the Blues picked track and field star Brendan Hynes as their number one athlete in the Bathurst and St. Clair area school.
[u]Upper Canada College[/u]
Henry Bloemen
He’s a two-time CISAA champion this year. Bloemen, MVP of both the varsity rugby and soccer, he is also a pillar of the Blues community. Director of athletics, Brent MacKay put it best by writing, “Henry is an outstanding young man, an excellent student and terrific leader.”
[u]Vaughan Road Academy[/u]
Top athletes from the land of Vipers were Andre Harriott and Sandra Amoah. Amoah is considered one of the best cagers in the greater Toronto area. She also went to Sudbury this year from the girls 4 x 100 metre relay. Harriott is also no stranger to the track as he’s competed in hurdles at the OFSAA level.
[u]The York School[/u]
Aidan Mallory
Mallory was busy with soccer, basketball, golf as well as track and field. The big success for Mallory was cracking the starting five on his school’s hoop squad after a three-year absence.
Emma Thompson-Murphy
She may compete in midget-A hockey outside of school, but Thompson-Murphy gives York her all in basketball, volleyball and ultimate Frisbee. She’s on the Head’s list with an overall average of 85 percent. She’ll be on her way to Dalhousie next year with a president’s scholarship.
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