Adam Prudhomme
Editor
NDSS’ athletic clubs reflected on successful Golden Hawk teams and incredible individual performances at its year-end banquet on June 11.
Each team celebrated its top players with the major trophies handed out at the end of the ceremony.
The program’s top award, the C.S. Froud, went to Luke Paul and Ella Rickard. This award goes to Grade 12 athletes who contribute to NDSS’ athletics as a whole while maintaining a good academic standing.
At the opposite end of their high school careers were the D.E. Thompson Award winners, given to the top female Grade 9 athletes. This award was shared by Carley Uens and Kaiah Weese. The Andy Egan Award, given to the top Grade 9 male, went to Quintin Whaley.
The Eric Bartlett Award, given to athletes who exemplify an ongoing involvement in NDSS’ Physical Education program, was presented to Ethan Boutilier and Marley Lambert.
The Heart Award, handed to students who maintain a 75 per cent grade average while showcasing exceptional dedication, leadership and athletic spirit was shared between Derek Li and Rickard.
Among the many highlights of the year for the Hawks came in March, when the girls hockey team clinched an OFSAA bronze medal. This marked the first time the school had ever medalled at an OFSAA tournament in any sport.
In February NDSS’ junior girls volleyball repeated as KASSAA champions and were a win away from once again playing for an EOSSAA title.
More recently, the varsity girls rugby team repeated as KASSAA champions and placed fourth at OFSAA. The junior girls soccer team reached an EOSSAA tournament for the first time in decades.
It was a similar story for the track team, which posted one of its best showing in the history of the school’s program with nine athletes qualifying for regional OFSAA and another four going to provincials.
On the hill the NDSS alpine snowboarding team placed 14th in the province.
NDSS was close to perhaps adding one last trophy to its case this year as the Hawks baseball team was just one run shy of a return to the KASSAA championship, losing 7-6 to Sydenham in the semifinals on June 10.
NDSS’ senior football team made great strides in the fall with four players-Max Van Hoek, Nate Gifkins, Connor Birney and Joe Evans all selected as KASSAA all-stars.
With a great deal of success at the junior level in many of their clubs, there is good reason for plenty of optimism next September when the Golden Hawks begin another cycle of KASSAA sports.
This year’s banquet was also a chance to bid farewell to Jill Ardern, who has both taught and coached at NDSS for 30 years and will retire at the end of the school year. She has played a pivotal role with NDSS’ athletics program over the years, coaching teams in every season while also serving on the athletic committee in several roles, including director.