The junior athlete award recipients praised their parents, the senior recipient his family, and all three praised their coaches.
Michael Hawco, as Senior Athlete of the Year; Shilo Chislett as Junior Female Athlete of the Year; and Nick Butt, the Junior Male Athlete of the Year, were presented their Stephen Awards at a banquet on Sunday at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 35 in Stephenville.
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“Thanks to my wife and kids for the time they let me put into sports,” Hawco said.
Hawco also expressed appreciation to his coaches and teachers from the past that led him to become a coach and teacher himself.
“It feels nice here tonight to be recognized for the time I put into it (sports) and for recognizing my athletic ability,” he said.
Hawco was nominated by the Stephenville Minor Broomball Association, a sport that he is especially dedicated to.
Butt, who was nominated by Stephenville Athletics, said it felt really good to be named for the award, especially since he was up against another really good candidate in Ryan Parsons, who was nominated by the Aqua Aces swim team.
While his favourite sport is hockey, he is also involved in track and field and thanked his coach Rosie Ryan for her support there. He also praised his parents Cindy and Craig Butt for being behind him in his athletic endeavours.
Chislett, whose favourite sport is baseball, said she was pretty excited when she first heard about being the only nominee in her category and even more excited at receiving the Stephen Award at the banquet.
She is a well-rounded athlete as she also plays hockey, track and field, volleyball, basketball, ball hockey and badminton.
Chislett also had praise for coach Rosie Ryan and for the support of her parents Bernadette and Jerry Chislett.
