Congratulations Lauryn Hovey and Trinity Shadd-Ceres on your nominations!

Waterloo Region athletes from wide range of sports up for annual recognition

The full list of nominees for both 2020 and 2021 was released Monday. The two winners will be announced June 15 during a ceremony at the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum in Kitchener

By Waterloo Region Record

Mon., June 6, 2022timer2 min. read

KITCHENER — Lacrosse player Ryan Benesch and soccer standout Alyssa Lagonia are among the nominees for the Kitchener-Waterloo and area athlete of the year.

The full list of nominees for both 2020 and 2021 was released Monday, following months of research by the selection committee. The two winners will be announced June 15 during a ceremony at the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum in Kitchener.

2020 Nominees

Mandy Bujold, Boxing — Represented Canada at the 2020 Olympic Games and finished 17th.

Mark Scheifele, Hockey — Led the Winnipeg Jets in scoring, averaging over a point per game in the regular season and playoffs, and was named to the 2020 NHL all-star team.

Alec Elliot, Swimming — Represented Canada at the 2020 Paralympic Games, placing fifth in the 200-metre medley and ninth in the 50-metre freestyle

Ryan Benesch, Lacrosse — Led the National Lacrosse League’s Halifax Thunderbirds in scoring with 18 goals and 33 assists in a shortened 12-game season

Shelina Zadorsky, Soccer — Captain of the Football Association Women’s Super League Tottenham Hotspur and Olympic gold medallist

David Edgar, Soccer — Team leader on the Hamilton Forge, which won the Canadian Premier League championship

2021 Nominees

Keith Preisman, Badminton — Won gold in the men’s doubles 60 and silver in men’s single 60 at the Badminton World Federation senior championships

Garrett Rank, Golf — Placed second at both the Porter Cup and Dogwood International amateur tournaments and ninth at the Canadian mid-amateur championship

Kelly Rudney, Long Drive — Won the women’s amateur long drive championship with a 263-yard effort. Also had drives of 283, 337 and 355 at other ALDC events

Alyssa Lagonia, Soccer — Leader on the Swiss Women’s Super League champions, Servette Chênois

Keira Hickox, Squash — Ranked as the top U15 player in 2021 after placing third at the U15 junior nationals and second at both the adult provincial and U15 Canadian junior open

Ben Flanagan, Track and Field — Canadian 10-kilometre champion after placing first in five races in 2021 in a variety of distance events

Lauryn Hovey, Volleyball — Led Canada in scoring at the 2021 Fédération internationale de volleyball Girls’ U18 world championship

Dhane Smith, Lacrosse — National Lacrosse League MVP, scored 135 points in 18 regular-season games for the Buffalo Bandits, two short of the record he set in 2016

Tyler Pasher, Soccer — A leader on the MLS Houston Dynamo, and played for Canada in the CONCACAF Gold Cup

Trinity Shadd-Ceres, Track and Field — At 14 years old, placed first in three provincial-level U20 championships

Mike Daly, Football — A defensive leader with the Grey Cup finalist Hamilton Tiger-Cats