A trio of Okanagan athletes have been selected as finalists for the upcoming Sport B.C. 56th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards.
The event, hosted in Vancouver on March 7, recognizes the province’s best in amateur sport including athletes, coaches, teams and officials for outstanding performances in their sport in the 2023 season.
Vernon’s Mark Johnson, who plays both football and basketball for the Vernon Secondary School (VSS) Panthers was nominated in the High School Male Athlete of the Year category.
Joining him in the category is Kelowna’s Nash Semeniuk, who plays both volleyball and basketball for the Kelowna Secondary School (KSS) Owls.
Johnson, at a towering six-foot-five-inches and 255-pounds, was the MVP at the AA provincial varsity football championships, helping his Panthers win their third in five seasons. VSS went undefeated, led by Johnson’s strong blocking from offensive tackle, along with defensive tackle, middle linebacker and long snapper. He signed to Eastern Washington University for next year, in the NCAA.
Johnson also mans the post for the Panthers in basketball, leading the team in points per game.
Meanwhile, Semeniuk is also a dual-threat, playing volleyball, but is known for his basketball prowess. The six-foot-one inch point guard leads the Owls in scoring, and is looking to pace the team to finish strong. Last season, KSS won the Valley Championships then made it all the way to the provincial semifinals, before getting drubbed by the eventual champions, the Semiahmoo Thunderbirds. The Owls will be looking to snag the sole Okanagan spot to provincials again this year, and Semeniuk will be leading the way.
In the Master Athlete of the Year category, Kelowna’s Malindi Elmore was nominated. The 43-year-old long distance runner is a two-time Olympian and recently claimed second in the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon in May. She blazed to a 2:23:30 time at the Berlin Marathon in September, which was a new personal best and puts her in the driving seat of her third Olympic berth in the 2024 Paris competition.
Elmore, who is the current Canadian marathon champion, coaches the UBCO Heat cross-country team and was nominated for Coach of the Year in the previous awards event in 2023.
Also nominated was the B.C. Female U18 hockey team, who won bronze at the national championships in Dawson Creek in November. The team featured six Okanagan athletes: Holly Magnus (Vernon), Scarlett Jones (Coldstream), Kennedy Sisson (Lake Country), Kaitlyn Mallette (Kel0wna), Brielle Kelly-Paquet (Kelowna) and Gracie Graham (Kelowna).
The ceremony will be hosted by the CBC’s Scott Russell, with 19 awards to be given out among three nominees in each category.
Each finalist was nominated by their provincial or multi-sport organization, high school, college or university. The selection committee, led by long-serving chair Bernie Pascall, included a diverse group of highly experienced B.C. sport leaders and media members.
“The Athlete of the Year Awards is a true celebration of sport in our province,” said Sport B.C.’s president and CEO Rob Newman. “The finalists will be honoured at the event and represent exceptional efforts and accomplishments in 2023. We congratulate our finalists and the organizations they represent.”
Below is the full list of nominees:
Athlete with a Disability
- Yuka Chokyu (Vancouver, B.C.) – Badminton
- Bo Hedges (Wonowon, B.C.) – Wheelchair Basketball
- Mel Pemble (Victoria, B.C.) – Para Cycling (Track)
Female Coach of the Year
- Jane Gumley (Victoria, B.C.) – Rowing (UVIC)
- Sarah Hunter (Surrey, B.C.) – Wheelchair Tennis
- Keri Moffat (Richmond, B.C.) - Golf
Male Coach of the Year
- Dylan Armstrong (Kamloops, B.C.) – Athletics
- Victor Gantsevich (Richmond, B.C.) – Fencing
- Graham Thomas (Calgary, AB) – Ice Hockey (UBC)
High School Female Athlete of the Year
- Amelia Kristen (Vancouver, B.C.) – Athletics (Crofton House)
- Keira Pemberton (Langley, B.C.) – Basketball (Walnut Grove)
- Eva Ruse (North Vancouver, B.C.) – Basketball and Volleyball (Mulgrave)
High School Male Athlete of the Year
- Mark Johnson (Vernon, B.C.) – Football (Vernon Secondary)
- Yemane Mulugeta (Surrey, B.C.) – Athletics (L.A. Matheson)
- Nash Semeniuk (Kelowna, B.C.) – Basketball and Volleyball (Kelowna Secondary)
Junior Female Athlete of the Year
- Lauren Kim (Surrey, B.C.) – Golf
- Emmy Lan (Comox, B.C.) – Cycling
- Chloe Primerano (North Vancouver, B.C.) – Ice Hockey
Junior Male Athlete of the Year
- Nicholas Bennett (Parksville, B.C.) – Para Swimming
- Gavin Dodd (Kamloops, B.C.) – Gymnastics
- Tyson Philpot (Delta, B.C.) - Football
Senior Female Athlete of the Year
- Gabby Flynn (Burnaby, B.C.) – Gymnastics
- Megan Kinna (Maple Ridge, B.C.) – Lacrosse
- Camryn Rogers (Richmond, B.C.) - Athletics
Senior Male Athlete of the Year
- Jack Crawford – Alpine Skiing
- Dylan French (Richmond, B.C.) – Fencing
- Ethan Katzberg (Nanaimo, B.C.) - Athletics
Post Secondary Athlete of the Year
- Theo Benedet (North Vancouver, B.C.) – Football (UBC)
- Rowan Hamilton (Chilliwack, B.C.) – Athletics (UBC)
- Michael Henman (Victoria, B.C.) – Soccer (UNBC)
Team of the Year
- BC Female U18 Hockey
- TWU Spartans Men’s Volleyball
- UVIC Vikes Women’s Field Hockey
Master Athlete of the Year
- Betty Brussel (New Westminster, B.C.) – Swimming
- Malindi Elmore (Kelowna, B.C.) – Athletics
- Melanie McQuaid (Victoria, B.C.) - Triathlon
Official of the Year
- Shanda Assmus (Vancouver, B.C.) – Rugby
- Melanie Stewart (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) – Ringette
- Trevor Walmsley (Vancouver, B.C.) - Karate
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