SASKATOON (Jan. 12, 2022) – From Olympic and Paralympic athletes and coaches to national champions and international competitors, there’s no shortage of all-star talent in the 2021 Saskatchewan Sport Awards.
The annual program celebrates the success and dedication of those in the province’s amateur sport community through two categories – Excellence Awards and Recognition Awards. The Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding event performances or a series of performances by a Saskatchewan athlete, coach or team within a given calendar year, while the Recognition Awards include the Volunteer and Coach Dedication Awards which honour individuals who have devoted their time and effort to the growth of sport in Saskatchewan.
New for the 2021 Saskatchewan Sport Awards is the Inspire Through Sport Award. It recognizes an individual or team who demonstrated courage, determination, and/or perseverance and whose unwavering sprit serves to inspire other across the amateur sport community and beyond.
Astrid Baecker, Megan Penno, Erin McCormick, Jocelyne Moe, Jonathan Mudryk, Jamie Schneider and Marj Walton are honoured for their contributions to sport in the 2021 Recognition Awards class, while 18 deserving finalists have been named in the six Excellence categories.
“Saskatchewan has many highly-talented and devoted individuals who have represented our amateur sport system at all levels of competition and achieved many great accomplishments not only this past year, but throughout their lifetimes,” said Lance Dudar, Volunteer Board Chair for Sask Sport, which serves as the provincial federation for amateur sport.
“Sask Sport is excited and proud to celebrate the finalists and recipients for their contributions to sport in Saskatchewan. These individuals lead by example daily to show everyone that sport, truly, is more than a game.”
Other changes for the 2021 Saskatchewan Sport Awards include a nomination process that expanded from previously accepting nominations from Sask Sport members only, to now open to sport community groups, media or the general public, as well as the celebration date moving from March to January, annually.
The 2021 Saskatchewan Sport Awards will be celebrated through a virtual celebration gala on Thursday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. on YouTube Premiere. The gala will honour the seven Recognition Awards recipients, as well as announce the recipients of the six Excellence Awards and celebrate those named as finalists. Visit Sask Sport’s YouTube channel to view.
The Saskatchewan Sport Awards will also be available for viewing on January 28 on SaskTel maxTV Local on Demand feature channels 46/346.
Recognition Awards Recipients
INSPIRE THROUGH SPORT AWARD
Jonathan Mudryk
Saskatoon • Special Olympics
Nominated by Special Olympics Saskatchewan
Marj Walton
Regina • Swimming
Nominated by Swim Saskatchewan
COACH DEDICATION AWARD
Astrid Baecker
Regina • Soccer
Nominated by Saskatchewan Soccer Association
Erin McCormik
Osler • Para Dressage
Nominated by Melanie Rempel (supported by Saskatchewan Horse Federation)
VOLUNTEER DEDICATION AWARD
Jocelyne Moe
Humboldt • Weightlifting
Nominated by Ken Trofimuk (supported by Saskatchewan Weightlifting Association)
Megan Penno
Regina • Special Olympics
Nominated by Special Olympics Saskatchewan
Jamie Schneider
Regina • Curling
Nominated by Lorraine Schneider (supported by CURLSASK)
Excellence Awards Finalists
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Shelby Newkirk
Saskatoon • Para Swimming
Nominated by Swim Saskatchewan
Keely Shaw
Midale • Para Cycling
Nominated by Saskatchewan Cycling Association
Savannah Sutherland
Borden • Athletics
Nominated by Saskatchewan Athletics
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Scott Joseph
Regina • Athletics
Nominated by Saskatchewan Athletics
Rylan Sokul
Regina • Football
Nominated by Regina Thunder Football Club
Rylan Wiens
Pike Lake • Diving
Nominated by Dive Sask
COACH OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Mary Carroll
Saskatoon • Diving
Nominated by Dive Sask
Kim Folk
Regina • Special Olympics
Nominated by Special Olympics Saskatchewan
Eric Kramer
Saskatoon • Swimming
Nominated by Swim Saskatchewan
Scott MacAulay
Regina • Football
Nominated by Regina Thunder Football Club
YOUTH FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Isabella Brown
Saskatoon • Weightlifting
Nominated by Saskatchewan Weightlifting Association
Teah Chavez
Regina • Tennis
Nominated by family (supported by Tennis Saskatchewan)
Abby Goddard
Swift Current • Equitation
Nominated by family (supported by Saskatchewan Horse Federation)
YOUTH MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Carson Hindmarsh
Saskatoon • Baseball
Nominated by Baseball Saskatchewan
Chase Pochylko
Saskatoon • Golf
Nominated by Golf Saskatchewan
TEAM OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Team Sherry Anderson
Curling
Nominated by CURLSASK
Max Pally/Grayson Laycock
Rowing
Nominated by Saskatchewan Rowing
Team Sask 15U Girls
Water Polo
Nominated by Water Polo Saskatchewan
Read the bios of the Recognition Award recipients and the finalists of the Excellence Awards, as well as an FAQ of the Saskatchewan Sport Awards here.