MASRC: Announcement – 2018 Aboriginal Award Winners
The MASRC would like to present the 2018 Aboriginal Athletes, Coaches, and Volunteers of the year!
Click for following links to view the Media Releases:
Athlete of the Year Media Release
Coach of the Year Media Release
Volunteer of the Year Media Release
Female Aboriginal Athlete Award – Kennesha Miswaggon from Cross Lake First Nation
Kennesha has had a long list of achievements under her belt already as a Hockey athlete and 2018 was no surprise as that trend continued. Kennesha has played with Balmoral Hall Blazers for the last three years where she was unanimously voted as team Captain by both her teammates and coaches for her grade 12 year. Kennesha is commended as a natural born leader both on and off the ice, a wonderful role model and as having a compassionate spirit. She has played on Team Manitoba for the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships every year for the last 4 years where her team took home the Gold medal for both 2017 and 2018. She aims to have the same outcome this year as the team heads to Whitehorse, Yukon. In 2018 Kennesha was selected as part of the U18 Hockey Team Manitoba for the 2019 Canada Winter Games and was also invited to and attended the Hockey Canada U18 Canadian Women’s National Training Camp.
Male Aboriginal Athlete Award – Trey Friesen from Kleefeld, MB (Key First Nation)
Trey has had an outstanding year of achievements in 2018. He competes in both indoor and outdoor track and field, cross country, soccer and futsal. Trey received an Athletic Achievement award from his school Steinbach Regional Highschool for competing in multiple sports. Here he is captain of the Steinbach Regional Sabres AAAA varsity boys’ soccer team which took home the title of Provincial champions in Swan River this past October. In track and field Trey has long list of achievements this year. Starting off 2018 with winning a gold medal in the 400m and bronze medal in the 800m at the Regina Indoor Track Games in February. In July he won a Silver medal in 4×400 relay for Team Manitoba at the Tri Province Western Canadian Championships in Sherwood Park Alberta. Trey also traveled to Ottawa in July to compete in the Canadian Jr. and SR. Track and Field Championships. In August Trey competed at the Canadian Youth National Track and Field Championships in Brandon where he placed 5th in 400m hurdles, for which he was awarded the 2018 Male Hurdler of the year award from the Optimist Track and Field Club.
Female Aboriginal Coaching Award – Lezley Sutherland from Peguis First Nation
*Coach write up to follow at later date.
Male Aboriginal Coaching Award – Keith Mason from Winnipeg (Fisher River Cree Nation)
Keith started his coaching career off 14 years ago at the Y here in Winnipeg. His love for coaching continued to evolve from there. He is currently assistant coach for the U of W Wesmen Men’s Basketball team as well as a player-coach for the Anishinaabe Pride Basketball Club Men’s team. Keith found himself coaching his Anishinaabe Pride team in the finals at both the WMBA League championships in the Spring as well as at the U of W Fort Garry Men’s league championships this fall. Keith has also taken on coaching and mentoring a new group of athletes for a youth team of 12-13-year-old boys with Anishinaabe Pride.
He also dedicates his time to traveling to Indigenous communities throughout Manitoba to help spread his passion for Basketball while mentoring aboriginal youth and helping them to develop their skills.
Keith is looking forward to leading the Team Manitoba U-14 Boys Basketball team in the North American Indigenous Games in July of 2020.
Female Aboriginal Volunteer Award – Marilyn Murdock from Fisher River (Koostatak)
Marilyn dedicates her time to the coordination of numerous sporting events in her community of Fisher River. For the last 10 years she has been an integral part of the Summer events for both canoe and York Boat. She does everything from gathering the people, making announcements, organizing teams, rallying more volunteers and every other coordinator responsibility you could possibly think of. She is so willing help to everyone in the community that as the season changes it is not unusual for Marilyn to be shuttling hockey players to and from practices. She has come to be known as a person you can always go to when you have questions about volunteerism for Sport and recreation in her community. Her dedication has inspired a sense of strength and pride in the community of Fisher River.
Male Volunteer Award – Tristan Dreilich from Gonor, MB (Metis)
Tristan volunteers much of his time to developing the skills of young aboriginal athletes in the sport of Volleyball. He has spent most of the year in 2018 working with Jayme Menzies in the process of dreaming up, developing and implementing a Volleyball program for female Indigenous athletes called Agoojin Volleyball, meaning “she hangs in the sky”. He has been a volunteer coach for NAIG in the past and will once again be assistant coach for Team Manitoba’s U-19 Female Volleyball Team at NAIG 2020. Tristan brings intention and compassion to all his interactions, he has the ability to meet people where they need both emotionally and spiritually. Tristan is always searching for ways to incorporate culture into everyday activities.
The athletes and volunteers will be officially recognized at the 2019 Sport Manitoba’s Night of Champions on Saturday, April 13, 2019. Click here for event details.
The coaches will be officially recognized on the morning of Saturday, April 13, 2019 at the Coaching Manitoba Impact Awards. Click here for event details.
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