Murray, Walker receive top honours at Rotary Awards (13 photos)

Murray, Walker receive top honours at Rotary Awards (13 photos)

Pat Murray put an exclamation point on the end of a solid high school athletic career at St. Mary's by capturing the Walter Lowe Memorial Trophy at the 50th Annual Rotary Sports Awards Dinner at the Marconi Hall on Tuesday night.

Previous Next

1 / 1 <b>Cross-Country winner Dominik Graf</b>

Expand

As a standout in both basketball and football, Murray combined that with solid efforts in badminton and track and field to capture the Lowe Trophy as the top male high school athlete in Sault Ste. Marie.

Murray, who will move on to play basketball at the university level next fall and study business administration, also captured the sports award in basketball.

"I was really surprised and shocked especially when I was told that I was nominated because it was my first year in some sports," said Murray. "It really hasn't sunk in yet. I would like to thank my football coaches for their support and (Loris) Pecile has always been there for me."

Lucas Walker of Sir James Dunn also walked away with top honours by capturing the B'Nai B'Rith Award for the graduating student who best combines athletics with academics. Walker, who will major in engineering at Western in September, was also a nominee for the football award.

"I really like track and that's the one sport I've done throughout," said Walker, who also played hockey and wrestled. "I saw some of the names on (the trophy) and it's honour to win this and it's the biggest honour I've had in high school."

Capping the night was the awarding of the H.P. Broughton Award, symbolic of the Sault Ste. Marie Sportsperson of the Year, to alpine skier Brigitte Acton, who represented Canada at the Winter Olympic Games in February.

The 20 year-old Acton, who also captured the award in 2003 and has been nominated four times, edged out nominees Adam Kates and Mike Hall.

Hall led the North Stars to their third straight Great North Midget League regular season and playoff championships before capturing a bronze medal at the regional championships in North Bay.

Kates, meanwhile, captured a national championship at the Canadian Senior Men's Cross-Country Ski Championships in March by finishing third in the 10K classic, 15K freestyle and sprint along with a 5th place finish in the 50K classic.

Acton represented Canada for the first time at the Olympic Winter Games this past February and placed 10th, 11th and 17th in the combined, slalom and giant slalom events, respectively.

"When I got the phone call last week when I was at home I was shocked," said Acton from her training site in Mont Tremblant, Quebec.

"Alpine skiing isn't as big in Canada as hockey or football but we're getting there. Coming from the Sault and getting that support knowing the whole city is behind me is a great honour.

"(At the time of the Olympics) I didn't realize how much support I was getting from Sault Ste. Marie until my parents came over and were giving me all these cards and stuff from some of the elementary classes. Then I came home and it was almost emotionally overwhelming with signs local businesses put up and the signs and support from my old school Sir James Dunn. I couldn't believe all the people I would run into and I have people coming up to me still congratulating me and they are people I don't even know."

The Korah Colts repeated as winners of the Ross Winslade Trophy which is awarded to the school accumulating the most points within the city for all boys and girls sports sanctioned by the Local Athletic Association.

Also highlighting the night was the induction of John Fagen and Art Jarrett into the Russ Ramsay High School Hall of Fame, which recognizes individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to the high school athletic program.

Jarrett utilized his outstanding athletic talents and interests in assisting the secondary school athletic program for over two decades. Athletes in football, basketball and hockey, in particular, were among the benefactors.

Fagen joined Bawating as a math teacher in 1970 and stayed until his retirement. Fagen humbly describes himself as only a fan, but his colleagues laud his valuable contributions to Bawating and the secondary school athletic program.

Other individual sport winners included Korah's Ben Ginter (badminton), Sir James Dunn's Dominik Graf (cross-country running), White Pines' Andy Downing and Korah's Clint Cudmore (curling), St. Mary's John Mullin (football), White Pines' Kevin Sawyer (hockey), SJD's Michael Grant (soccer), St. Mary's Richard MacLennan (track & field) and Bawating's Mike Storozuk (wrestling).

*** The following is a complete list of award winners with nominees:

BADMINTON

Winner: Ben Ginter - Korah

Nominees:

Jordan Fresque - Bawating Brett Davey/Ian Connell - Sir James Dunn Craig Apostle - St. Basil Ben Oliver - St. Mary's Josh Graber - White Pines

BASKETBALL:

Winner: Pat Murray - St. Mary's

Nominees:

Christian Johnson - Korah Jamie Weldon - Sir James Dunn Nick DiDonato - St. Basil Mike Wiemer - White Pines Tim Young - Bawating

CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING:

Winner: Dominik Graf - Sir James Dunn

Nominees:

Brian Bonnel - St. Basil John Harvey - St. Mary's Kevin Sawyer - White Pines David Dutkiewicz - Bawating Spencer Hogan - Korah

CURLING:

Winners:

Andy Downing - White Pines Clint Cudmore - Korah

FOOTBALL:

Winner: John Mullin - St. Mary's

Nominees:

Alanzo Clarke - White Pines Daniel Vaz - Bawating Christian Johnson - Korah Lucas Walker - Sir James Dunn Rob Amadio - St. Basil

HOCKEY:

Winner: Kevin Sawyer - White Pines

Nominees:

Geoff Olar - Bawating Callahan Spurway - Central Algoma Shawn Bibeau - Korah Luke Wilson - Sir James Dunn Mike Wozny - St. Basil Guy Barzan - St. Mary's

SOCCER:

Winner: Michael Grant - Sir James Dunn

Nominees:

Colin Nickel - Korah Luke Ruicci - St. Basil Mark Thorburn - St. Mary's Tommy Swystun - White Pines

TRACK & FIELD:

Winner: Richard MacLennan - St. Mary's

Nominees:

Domink Graf - Sir James Dunn Dustin Supak - St. Basil Alanzo Clarke - White Pines Mike Storozuk - Bawating Matt Glibota - Korah

WRESTLING:

Winner: Mike Storozuk - Bawating

Nominees:

Steven Lapointe - St. Basil Evan Staite - White Pines David Jackson - Central Algoma Allan Middleton - Korah Jordan Fryia - Sir James Dunn