Image credit: CFJC Today/Curtis Goodrum

By Marty Hastings

AT THE BANQUET

Memorable moments for Kamloops Sports Council awards winners, Kamloops Sports Hall of Fame inductees

Apr 7, 2025 | 5:24 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops Sports Hall of Fame welcomed new members and the Kamloops Sports Council announced its 35th annual athletic award winners on Saturday (April 5) at Colombo Lodge.

Among the Hall of Fame inductees are Greg Hawgood, who has the second-most points in Kamloops Blazers’ history, Olympic bronze medallist and world champion mountain biker Catharine Pendrel, influential boxing coach Gary Oakden and the 1980 to 1984 Kamloops Zinetti Furtown Merchants men’s soccer team.

Olympic and world champion hammer thrower Ethan Katzberg snared the International Award and the Male Athlete of the Year Award.

His coach, Dylan Armstrong, earned coach of the year honours.

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Maddy Gobeil became a two-time winner of the Female Athlete of the Year Award, thanks to her exploits with the Fraser Valley Cascades women’s basketball team.

TRU WolfPack women’s soccer defender Raiya Rumo took home the University Award for the second consecutive year.

The WolfPack men’s volleyball team was handed the Presidents Award for the perseverance it showed following a tragic motor-vehicle collision.

Lyle Dos Santos spearheaded the creation of Kamloops United — the merger of Rivers FC and the Kamloops Youth Soccer Association – and was named sports person of the year.

Kamloops Track and Field Club multi-discipline athlete Sunette Lessing – who set Canadian outdoor records in high jump and decathlon – was named master athlete of the year.

The event included a moment of silence for Tony Parker, a sportswriter and dedicated volunteer who died in February.

A crowd of about 270 people was on hand for the banquet.

List of award nominees:

Female Athlete of the Year Nominees Sponsored by LN Group
• Mischa Grover – Canoe Kayak
• Lienke Raath – Track and Field
• Maddy Gobeil – Basketball

Male Athlete of the Year Nominees Sponsored by Kamloops Minor Baseball
• Logan Stankoven – Hockey
• Greg Stewart – Para shotput
• Ethan Katzberg – Olympic Hammer Throw

Coach of the Year Sponsored by Stags Head Liquor Store
• Stan Marek – Canoe Kayak
• Dylan Armstrong – Athletics
• Liam Rihela – Baseball

Team of the Year Sponsored by the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society
• Team Canada ICF Junior Dragon Boat Team – Dragon Boat
• Riverdogs 18U College Prep Team – Baseball
• Hafeli Rink – Curling

Sport Person of the Year Sponsored by Nutech Fire Protection and Safety Services
• Lyle Dos Santos – Soccer
• Alejandra Carrol – Rugby
• Judy Armstrong – Track and Field

International Excellence Sponsored by PacificSport Interior BC
• Mischa Grover – Canoe Kayak
• Greg Stewart – Para shot put
• Ethan Katzberg – Olympic Hammer Throw

University Award Nominees Sponsored by TRU Athletics
• Maddy Gobeil – Basketball
• Raiya Rumo – Soccer
• Marcus D’Andrea – Soccer

Master Athlete of the Year
• KJ Klontz – Pickleball
• Sunette Lessing – Track and Field
• Amy Tucker – Triathlon