The Chronicle Herald
Published: May 27, 2018 – 8:19 PM
The Kaitlyn Jones rink that won the world junior women’s curling championship was named team of the year at the Support4Sport Awards at the Halifax Convention Centre on Saturday night.
Joining Jones on the team that captured the world title in Scotland were Kristin Clarke, Karlee Burgess and Lindsey Burgess.
Andrew Atherton was the coach and Lauren Lenentine was the fifth.
Gymnast Ellie Black was one of the honourees on Saturday when the Halifax native was named the female individual athlete of the year by Sport Nova Scotia after making history at the 2017 World Championship in Montreal in October.
Black won silver in the all-around competition to become the first Canadian woman ever to make it to the podium. She is now the country’s most decorated female gymnast of all-time.
Snowboarder Liam Moffat was the male individual athlete of the year and hockey players Blayre Turnbull and Drake Batherson were the female and male team athletes of the year, respectively.
Moffat made his first-ever World Cup appearance in Turkey and later won the North America Cup at Mont-Orignal in Quebec.
Stellarton’s Turnbull won a silver medal with Canada at the Olympics in South Korea and Batherson captured gold at the World Junior Tournament in Buffalo. The official of the year was Mark Penfound (canoe) and the coaches of the year were Atherton (curling) and David Kikuchi (gymnastics).
Also handed out were Support4Sport Sport Makes a Difference awards to the Halifax Para Multisport Program (athletics), Jeff Houser (canoe kayak) and ISANS New Canadians Hockey Program (hockey). The Burgess family (curling) from Truro received the Nova Scotia Chair’s award.
“The sport world is as chaotic as it is cherished,” Sport Nova Scotia CEO Jamie Ferguson said in a news release. “Demanding practice schedules and travelling for games doesn’t leave much time for leisure. This is a unique opportunity to take a night off, relax and reflect. The people here tonight have dedicated so much of their lives to sport and we are humbled to honour them.”
