Team of Year Award winners: VSS Panthers Senior Girls basketball team. L-R: Malcolm Reid (former coach), Dan Currie of Tim Hortons, Kelsey Watts (player) , Lonny Mazurak (former coach), Chad Butler (current co-coach) and Dave Tetrault (current co-coach). (Photo credit: Pete McIntyre/Vernon Matters)

By Pete McIntyre

28th annual

Best in North Okanagan sports honoured

Jun 24, 2021 | 5:00 AM

The COVID-19 pandemic may have slowed down sporting activity last year, but there were still some outstanding achievements that deserve to be recognized.

The 28th annual Tim Hortons North Okanagan Sports Awards were handed out Wednesday night in a ceremony outside Vernon City Hall.

The Vernon Senior Secondary Panthers senior girls basketball team was named the Team of the Year, due to its amazing record of qualifying for provincial championships for 16 straight years. The team, under current co-coaches Dave Tetrault and Chad Butler, finished sixth at the B.C. championships this past season.

Police Presence

Police convene at the Days Inn Friday evening

19h ago

Advisory In Place to Dec. 20

Water Quality Advisory extended for Delcliffe area due to more reservoir work

Nov 22, 2024

15 centimetres of fresh snow

Snowfall warning issued for the Coquihalla

Nov 22, 2024

“In the 16 years, we finished in the top ten 15 times. We’ve gone to the championship game twice and lost. We’d love to, before it’s all over, to win it, but for all of our teams, we’re just looking for them to do the best that they can,” Tetrault, a teacher at VSS, told Vernon Matters.

Several former Panthers coaches, and player Kelsey Watts, joined Tetrault and Butler in accepting the award

Ben Hladik of Vernon was named Athlete of the Year.

Hladik, an all-star linebacker from the UBC Thunderbirds, was chosen by the BC Lions in the third round of the Canadian Football League 2021 Draft with the 22nd overall pick.

With Hladik away at a BC Lions event, his dad, Scott Hladik, accepted the award on his behalf.

Scott Hladik, father of Ben Hladik (centre), accepts the award for Athlete of the Year, from Dan Currie of Tim Hortons (left) and Jack Gilroy, chair of the selection committee, at ceremony outside Vernon City Hall. (Vernon Matters photo)

Don Friesen was presented with the Leadership Award for his contributions to the development of pickleball in Vernon, including spearheading fundraising and construction of a covered facility for the Vernon Pickleball Association’s (VPA) 12 courts in Marshall Field Park.

Don Friesen (centre) is presented with the Leadership Award for his efforts with the Vernon Pickleball Association by Dan Currie of Tim Hortons (left) and Ann Holmes of the selection committee. (Vernon Matters photo)

“Don Friesen’s dream of a 12-court enclosed pickleball facility in Vernon began five years ago and now, under his volunteer management, expertise and direction is an amazing reality,” Patricia Andrews, VPA President, said. “The building is nothing short of impressive, spectacular and breath-taking when you enter.”

The awards are chosen by a media and community panel with representatives Dan Currie from sponsor Tim Hortons, Jack Gilroy (chair), John Topping, Ann Holmes, Betty Selin, Roger Knox and Pete McIntyre.