The Delta Sports Hall of Fame has announced its Sports Champions winners — recognizing excellence and contribution in athletics over the past year.
The recipients will be honoured at this month’s gala banquet on Friday, Oct. 26 at the Coast Tsawwassen Inn. The evening’s festivities will also include the induction of the newest members to the Delta Sports Hall of Fame.
Tickets are $75 and can be purchased until October 19 by calling Rick or Carlene at 604-943-0469.
Established in 2005, there is a nomination process for the Hall of Fame and Sports Champions winners. More information can be found by visiting www.deltasportshalloffame.ca.
Here’s a brief look at the Sports Champions winners:
Youth Athlete
Jarvis Dashkewytch
Rugby
Dashkewytch took his promising career to the Canadian Sports School in Victoria this past school year where he continued to solidify his status as one of the country’s top up-and-coming players.As a member of the U18 Team Canada Rugby Sevens, his team finished fourth at the Youth Commonwealth Games in Bahamas, competed at the World Student Games in Auckland, NZ, and the Youth Olympic Games Qualification in Las Vegas where he served as team captain. In addition to his time with the 7s, Dashkewytchwas also a member of the U18 Team Canada Rugby 15s for their Hong Kong 2018 tour.
When he wasn’t in national team colours, he served as captain for Team B.C. that finished second at the U18 Rugby Sevens Nationals in Vancouver.
Brendan Guraliuk
Field Hockey
This Delta Falcons product continues his rapid progress with the national field hockey program. Last spring, he captained the Canadian U18 team to a bronze medal at the Pan Am Qualification Tournament, which resulted in a berth for this month’s Youth Olympic Games in Argentina.
Guraliuk was also invited to train with the senior men’s national team and earned his first international cap in a match against China. He is now a carded athlete and juggles his national team commitments with attending UBC and even finds the time to coach and umpire with his hometown Falcons.
Rowan Childs
Field Hockey
Just like his longtime teammate and friend, Childs has established himself as a top up-and-coming player with the national team program. At just 16, he was the youngest player named to the Canadian team for the Junior World Cup. That achievement helped earn him B.C. Field Hockey’s U23 Player of the Year Award. He will be one of the counted leaders for the next tournament in 2020.
Childs is also is on the Canadian team at the Youth Olympic Games and credits his work ethic for his success.
“Just making sure I never give up. I’m always putting in 100% every single time.”
The UBC student’s future goals include winning a medal at the Youth Olympics this fall and playing for Canada at the Olympics.”
Athlete
Devy Dyson
Gymnastics
This Ladner resident and Delta Gymnastics member has taken advantage of his dual citizenship to compete for New Zealand on the international stage.
Dyson finished eighth overall at the 2018 Elite Canada competition in Quebec and sixth at theGold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia.
Dyson is a unique athlete that has been able to balance his work as an engineer in mining extraction and will soon compete at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar and the World Championships in Germany. His ultimate goal is to compete in the 2020 Olympics.
Hayley McKelvey
Water Polo
This Seaquam graduate started playing water polo when was nine and was a member of the Canadian senior national team by the time she was 16. She is the youngest girl from BC to ever play with the National team. S
“I loved the teamwork and speed of the game. I loved that everyone on the team needs to be on the same page and working seamlessly together in order to play the sport well,” she said.
McKelvey concluded her collegiate career at the University of Southern California where she helped the Trojans win the NCAA national championship for the second time in three years.
At the international level she played for Canada at the 2017 FISU University Games and the 2018 FINA World Championships.
Gurpreet Sohi
Water Polo
Another Seaquam graduate who has been playing water polo since she was nine and a member of the national team for the past eight years. Sohi took her career to Stanford University where she was a three-timeACWPC All Academic winner and helped the Cardinals won national titles in 2014 and 2015.
Besides continuing her national team commitments, Sohi played professionally last season CS Plebiscito Padova, helping the club win the Italian championship. She was also named Revelation Player of the Year. She will be taking her pro career to France next season.
Masters Athlete
Landon Kitagawa
Field Hockey
This Tsawwassen resident had the opportunity to represent his country on Canada's National Masters team that competed 2018 Exin Master's 50+ World Cup in Spain.
Kitagawa’s exposure to field hockey is relatively recent. It started as a parent on the sidelines watching his sons 15 year years ago. Motivated to play alongside them in a men’s league, he stepped onto the field eight years later for the Falcons. It took a series of tryouts to earn his spot on the national team.
His inspired play at the World Cup earned him his team’s most improved player award.
Volunteer
Fred Wells
Fastpitch
This Ladner resident has enjoyed a remarkable 45-year run coaching and volunteering for girls fastpitch in his hometown. Along the way there has been plenty success as a coach and significant developments too like helping to bring together Delta’s three softball associations to merge into one.
More recently, he teamed up with fellow longtime coach and friend Doug Harris to start up a mentorship program that focusesoncharacter development for players and the importance of giving back.
His latest endeavour is the non-profit 140 Sports Associations with the goal of maintaining mental health and wellness for young athletes.
Players love his enthusiasm, his passion for sport, and his fun nature. Wells’ continued participation has been inspired by his friends in the various associations he’s worked with and even more so by his players.
Team
South Delta Sun Devils
Rugby
It was a historic season for a school that has enjoyed plenty of success in other sports. The Sun Devils captured their first-ever provincial rugby title with a 35-22 win over Abbotsford’s Robert Bateman in the 3A tier one championship game.
A key injury early in the season motivated the team to work even harder. That experience set the tone for the entire season. As head coach Spencer Baines notes, “The way the boys carried themselves embodied what rugby is all about – the brotherhood, the pride, the camaraderie.”
Baines also did a terrific job of attracting multi-sport athletes to the program including standout quarterback Michael Calvert who thrived on the rugby field too, earning MVP honours at provincials.
Baines is very proud of the boy’s accomplishment and even prouder at their unwavering efforts all season.
The team also featured:Max Cantlon, Ryan Choi, Jesse Conroy, Niall Cummins, Arda Elmasulu, Dimitrios Goulas, Dylan Hampton, Cole Carter-Howes, Douglas Jameson, George Johnston, Jacob Kirk, Kaedin Konowalchuk, Andrew Kraft, Ben Lingham, Chase Marshall, Colton McDougall, Keldon Olmstead, Evan Paterson, James Plante, Ethan Prasad, Deverin Saubert, Maverick Silveira, Riley Storey, Ethan Troniak, Caleb Van Til and Morgan Wolsey.
