Margo Blumel and Shadynn Smid were crowned Senior Athletes of the Year as Cowichan Secondary School capped off the 2021-22 school year with its 41st Annual Athletic Banquet on Tuesday, June 14.
Blumel was named Senior Female Athlete of the Year after a busy year that saw her earn MVP honours for the Thunderbirds senior girls volleyball team and win a bronze medal at the track and field provincials, as well as taking part in soccer, rugby, basketball, Athletic Council, and Leadership. Blumel is heading to the University of Ottawa next year to study languages.
Senior Male Athlete of the Year Smid was MVP of the senior boys basketball team as he earned a scholarship to play for the UVic Vikes, and was also part of Athletic Council and Leadership.
The Sportsperson of the Year was Zoe Johnson, who was named MVP for senior girls basketball and played volleyball, earned the Eric Thomas Memorial Award for Outstanding Participation in Athletic Council, and was part of Leadership.
Mona Johnston received the G.D. Corsan Scholar Athlete Award after putting up a 4.0 GPA while earning MVP honours in senior girls volleyball and soccer and the Pat Duncan Torch Award in rugby, and also taking part in basketball, Athletic Council and Leadership.
The Junior Female Athlete of the Year was Ellie Irvine, who was the MVP for junior girls basketball and Rookie of the Year in soccer, and the Junior Male Athlete of the Year was Owen Watson, who participated in rugby, golf, ice hockey and cross-country.
Cowichan Secondary athletic director Wendy Charles expressed her thanks to all the staff members who helped make the banquet a success, and to all the coaches for their efforts throughout the year.
The guest speaker at the banquet was Sara Goodman, a 2017 Cowichan Secondary graduate who is now an integral part of the national field hockey program. Goodman helped Canada to gold at the 2021 Junior Pan American Championships last summer, and is set to play for the senior women’s team at the World Cup in Spain and the Netherlands this July.
“As athletic director, it is an honour to be a part of this event, and to carry on the tradition that has been going on for 41 years,” Charles said. “The team effort that makes this event successful creates some amazing memories for these students. We are so proud of our athletes. Go T-Birds!”