Best in sports honoured at Tim Hortons Awards

Jagger Williamson called it a “true honour,” and “a cherry on the top” of his B.C. Hockey League career.

The retiring Vernon Vipers captain was presented with the Athlete of the Year award at the 26th annual Tim Hortons North Okanagan Sports Awards Thursday evening at Lakers Clubhouse.

A couple dozen family members and supporters of the 20 year old Lumby native were on hand for the ceremony.

The centre scored 54 goals and 173 points in 233 regular season games, tying the club record for career games played, and playing a big role in the Vipers reaching the BC Hockey League Final this past season.

BCHL playoffs

Vipers fall to Vees in OT series opener

1h ago

Update

'We are scared': family of homicide victim leaves home

18h ago

Infrastructure Upgrades

New Vernon roundabout put off until 2025, funding could go to another project

18h ago

Williamson was also honoured for his contributions in the community and his dedication to the game.

Other nominees were Landon Currie (volleyball), Elena Gaskell (freestyle skiing), Trinity Hansma (high jumper), and Charles Lemay (football).

The awards, which has been handed out since 1994 to recognize achievement in sports and community contributions, were presented at Lakers Clubhouse Thursday evening.

The winners are chosen by a panel of media and community reps.

“We we’re very pleased with the calibre of nominees this year, and the award winners are very deserving,” said Committee Chair Jack Gilroy.

The Vernon Secondary Panthers Senior football team was named Team of the Year after an undefeated season, capped off by defeating Abbotsford’s Robert Bateman Timberwolves 48-12 to win the 2018 BC ‘AA’ championship at B.C. Place last December.

It was the first provincial football title for a Vernon senior football team, coming on the heels of the junior Panthers winning the provincial title in 2017.

Running back Charles Lemay, who scored five touchdowns in the title game, says the team was very talented, but also lucky.

“For us to stay all healthy throughout the season was a blessing because obviously injuries happen, and we didn’t really get injured that much, and we were better than everyone else,” Lemay told Vernon Matters.

Quarterback Thomas Hyett says it pleased him that all the work they put in, resulted in something big.

“Being a small team we had to rely on each other a lot, so it feels good to get rewarded for that.”

Defensive lineman Trey Defoor says he has played football since he was seven years old.

“I’m not very big, and I’m not the fastest or the strongest, but something about the Panthers, we were able to get talent out of everyone and everyone was able to reach their potential.”

Other nominees for the team award were the VSS Panthers Senior Boys basketball team which finished second at the B.C. ‘AAA’ Championships, the Vernon Christian School team that won the ‘A’ volleyball provincials, and Erik Colwell’s Under 18 curling team with Ben Morin (both from Vernon) that won the Under 18 B.C. gold medal and silver at the nationals

Denis Murdoch was presented with the Leadership Award for he and his wife Barb’s dedication and service to high school and club volleyball over several decades, with the two affectionately known as “Mr. and Mrs. Volleyball.”

In 1972, Denis was teaching at Fulton Junior Secondary, and was asked to take over coaching the Fulton girl’s volleyball team, says a bio provided by the Murdoch’s daughter Denise. Knowing very little about the sport at the time, he attended the B.C. Volleyball Camp to learn coaching from Moo Park, former Korean National Team setter and Canada’s National Team Coach. He states he “survived” three days, and then went back to teach basic skills to the Fulton girls’ team.

In 1975 Denis started up Spring Club Volleyball for Vernon girls interested in learning more volleyball than the eight week fall program that the school teams provided.

In 1980, Denis moved his teaching to Vernon Secondary School for a change to coaching boy’s volleyball for three seasons. Dale and Larry Olson were a part of the first year strength, followed by the next two years with Rick Kaufmann and Chris Bennett leading them to a third place in B.C. Championships, and they went on to college level play.

One of the biggest highlights for Denis and his wife Barb was in the summer of 1987 when Vernon hosted the Canadian National team against the West Germany team in a series of games for a week, with matches in Kamloops and Kelowna, highlighted by a final in the old Vernon Secondary gym, with at least 1000 spectators. They were also honored to have former player Sharon Shaigec (nee Weitzel) playing with the Canadian team.

When Denis retired from teaching in 1997, he also chose to retire from coaching volleyball……for a while. In 2002 when three of his grandchildren returned from living in West Africa, he spent five more years as assistant coach to a variety of school and club teams. B.C. Volleyball honored Denis with a lifetime membership in 2016.