7th Annual WESPY Awards a Slam Dunk!

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Welcome to the 7th Annual WESPY Awards!

The 7^th Annual WESPY Awards Banquet took place last night at the Caboto Club of Windsor to recognize and celebrate local athletes around the community. With the lights dimmed, and lovely dinner music from a local singer, the mood was set and everyone in attendance was sitting with anticipation, ready to commence the ceremony.

Athletes, families, coaches and other guests begin to file in to Canada Hall at the Caboto Club.

The event began with Major John Hodgins paying tribute to the local military troops, followed by a “thank you” to the sponsors of the ceremony. AM800s Kathie McMann hosted the show and began to call out the awards. The full list of winners can be found below.

Guests in attendance prepare to sit for dinner.

Midway through the award ceremony, WESPY Keynote Speaker Christian Laettner went up to the podium, and spoke to the athletes in attendance. He talked about different topics, even sharing some humorous anecdotes from his past to the crowd’s enjoyment. The speech was mainly about one thing: the importance of sports in life.

“You’re gonna fail on the athletic field, just like in life. But you’re also gonna have successes. On the athletic field, you’ll have to work hard for success, just like in life. You’re gonna need dedication, commitment, perseverance on the athletic field, and you’re gonna need that in life. You’re gonna be embarrassed on the athletic field. It’s about how you recover from embarrassment.”

Laettner continued with 2 points for the young athletes:

“Don’t specify into one sport until 15 or 16 years old.” With that point, he compared how volleyball spikes are the same jumps for a slam dunk in basketball. He also explained that running for a full soccer game will build endurance and agility on the basketball court. Lastly, baseball will help hand-eye coordination.

His second point was to actively pursue the best coach, as he did (with the help of his parents) in high school, and again in university. He thanked his coaches for the lessons they taught, and the ones he learned.

To conclude, Christian Laettner added, “Give back to the community: you have to remember where you came from. Don’t ever forget about the WESPYs, don’t ever forget about Windsor.”

The night continued with more awards being presented, such as the swimming awards, the soccer awards and female and male athlete of the year. Kathie McMann and Angelo Aversa thanked the crowd and bid everyone farewell until next year. Athletes, families, coaches and other guests chatted with others as the sports community came together once again.

WESPY Award Winners:

Female Athlete with Disabilities – Virginia McLachlan, Windsor Legion Track & Field Club

Male Athlete with Disabilities – Mike LaRochelle, Windsor Bulldogs Disabled Sports Club

Female Fastball – Melissa Bowyer, St. Clair Saints/Windsor Lady Expos

Male Baseball – Brett Siddall, Holy Names Catholic High School/Windsor Jr. Selects

Female Boxing – Mary Spencer, Windsor Amateur Boxing Club

Male Boxing – Samir Adnan El-Mais, Border City Boxing Club

Female Basketball – Jessica Clémencon, Windsor Lancers

Male Basketball – Isaac Kuon, Windsor Lancers

Male Football – Austin Kennedy, Windsor Lancers

Female Golf – Laura DeMarco, Essex Golf & Country Club

Male Golf – Bryce Evon, Roseland Golf Course

Coach of the Year – Chantal Vallee, Windsor Lancers

Mickey Renaud Captain’s Award – Emily Abbott, Windsor Lancers

Ed Jovanovski Female Hockey – Kayla Raniwsky, Southwest Wildcats

Ed Jovanovski Male Hockey – Ryan Ellis, Windsor Spitfires

John Ferguson Circle of Seven Horseman of the Year – Ashley Nostadt

Female Soccer – Bojana Kovacevic, Caboto Club

Male Soccer – Mike Pio, Holy Names Catholic High School/Windsor Lancers/Windsor Hellenic

Female Swimming – Kylie Masse, Windsor Essex Swim Team

Male Swimming – Aaron Rodé, Windsor Essex Swim Team

Female Track & Field – Noelle Montcalm, Windsor Lancers

Male Track & Field – Brandon McBride, W.F. Herman Secondary School

Team of the Year – Windsor Lancers Women’s Basketball

Female Volleyball – Alee Brecka, St. Clair College

Male Volleyball – Kyle Williamson, Windsor Lancers

Female Wrestling – Josée Tremblay, l’Essor Wrestling Club

Male Wrestling – Noel Tremblay, l’Essor Wrestling Club

Female Knobby Knudsen Volunteer of the Year – Betty Gagnon, Sun Parlour Female Hockey, WMHA

Male Knobby Knudsen Volunteer of the Year – Scott Holland, Leamington Flyers Hockey Club

Female Athlete of the Year – Jessica Clémencon, Windsor Lancers

Male Athlete of the Year – Ryan Ellis, Windsor Spitfires

Sports Executive of the Year – Gord Grace, University of Windsor

Female Legacy Award – Cherie Martin

Male Legacy Award – Bob Weepers, St. Clair College