Centre Stage
HeCTOR Vergara was named the Manitoba official of the year at the Sport for Life Gala on April 28 at CanadInns Club Regent. Vergara, the Manitoba Soccer Association executive director, was selected to represent Canada on the FIFA International List of Assistant Referees for the 18th consecutive year and worked as an assistant ref for three matches at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa last summer.
The Calm Air Junior Team of the Year was the Manitoba Junior Baseball All-Stars who won the Canadian Junior AAA National Championship.
The Great West Life Volunteer of the Year Award went to Joanne Bell in Special Olympics, while the Great West Life Youth Volunteer of the Year Award was won by Alex Warburton, a grade 12 student at Sanford Collegiate.
Manitoba Lotteries Female Coach of the Year was Tanya Pilat in figure skating while the Male Coach of the Year was Robert Persechino in gymnastics.
Male Junior Athlete of the Year was baseball pitcher Anthony Friesen and the Female Junior Athlete of the Year was swimmer Chantal Van Landeghem.
The 2010 Tom Longboat Award winners were Alyssa Bertholet (athletics) and Theoren (TJ) Constant (hockey).
EMMA Leipsic of Panthers Gymnastics won the all-around title in the national novice female category and placed first in two events at the 2011 Western Canadian Gymnastics Championships in Grande Prairie, Alta over the weekend.
Leipsic placed first in both the vault and the uneven bars, placed second on the beam and fifth on the floor exercise.
Manitoba earned a total of 26 medals at the competition.
In the national open male category, Tyler Franklin from Flairs placed third all around after earning two silver (rings, vault) and two bronze medals (floor, pommel horse). Taran Barrett of Flairs won three bronze while Qayum Hassini of Fantastic Gymnastics won a silver and a bronze.
In the national open female category, the Springers Gymnastics team placed third in the team event, with Natalie Gervais earning a silver and a bronze. Sydney McEachern won a silver and Madeleine Arbuckle won a bronze.
In the provincial 5 novice female category, Meaghan Boulanger of Fantastic Gymnastics won a bronze while Tyro Team placed third and Bailee Rochon of Springers won a gold.
In the pre-novice elite division, Sydney Alexander of Panthers Gymnastics won a silver and a bronze. Amy Hryshko earned a bronze in the pre-novice aspire category.
KURTIS Cullen of Brandon was double trouble on his 19th birthday Saturday, winning two gold medals at the 2011 Junior National Racquetball Championships in Burnaby, B.C.
Manitoba won a total of four gold medals at the REVS Health Club and Fitness Centre.
Cullen won both the boys' 18-and-under singles and doubles titles. Max Paddock of Brandon won gold in the boys' 10-and-under division while Connor Madill of Brandon won gold in the boys' 12-and-under division with partner Graham Frattinger of Martensville, Sask.
Competing at the Junior Nationals for the 13th time, it was his last year of eligibility. Cullen is the first player to win both boys 18-and-under singles and doubles titles since Tommy Murray of Baie Comeau, Que. in 2007.
In singles, Cullen defeated Coby Iwaasa of Lethbridge, Alta., 15-11, 8-15, 11-5. Cullen earned the doubles title with partner Kevin Caouette of Edmonton by defeating Samuel Murray of Baie Comeau, Que. and Sebastien Juteau of Boucherville, Que., 15-11, 15-6.
Madill and Frattinger beat Kaleb Osborne of Penetanguishene, Ont., and Nadav Dinur of Vancouver 15-4, 15-1.
FORWARD Natasha Kostenko of Fannystelle, a member of the Esso Cup national female midget champion Notre Dame Hounds, has committed to join Bemidji State this fall for the 2011-2012 season.
Kostenko, also a member of Manitoba's team in the 2011 Canada Winter Games, will join fellow Manitoban Kayleigh Chapman of Virden, who recently signed with Bemidji.
