The Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association, on the occasion of celebrating its 50th anniversary (1962-2012) is pleased to announce the Male and Female High School Athletes of the half Century.
Nominations were invited from schools and the community at large. The criteria considered, was the activities, sports, and accomplishments while the student athlete was in high school. After reviewing submissions, the MHSAA compiled a shortlist of 4 males and 4 females and submitted this to members of the Media for voting.
The two athlete's selected as the High school Athletes of the Half Century are Tammy Mahon of Treherne and Rick Watts of Dakota Collegiate.
The Female Finalists were:
1. Megan Cyr – Lord Selkirk Regional Secondary School
Basketball and Volleyball
2008 MHSAA Female Athlete of the Year
2006 & 2007 Provincial AAAA Basketball Final Four - Selected All-Star
2005, 2006, 2007 Provincial AAAA Volleyball Champion - MVP and All-Star
2005 Provincial AAAA JV Girls Basketball Finalist - Provincial All-Star
2. Sami Jo Small – College Jeanne Sauve
Volleyball, Badminton and Track
1994 MHSAA Female Athlete of the Year
1994 AAA Provincial Volleyball Champions - Selected MVP
1994 Provincial ladies singles Badminton Champion
1994 Still holds Varsity Girls record in Discus (44.98m) and Javelin(44.80m)
3. Tammy Mahon – Treherne Collegiate (former Manitoba Bisons)
Track, Volleyball, Basketball and Baseball
1998 MHSAA Female Athlete of the Year
1997 Junior Varsity High Jump Record (1.75m)(still holds today)
1997 Provincial A Girls Volleyball Champion - Selected All-Star
1998 Provincial A Basketball Champion - Selected MVP
1998 Varsity Girls High Jump Record (1.76m)(still holds today)
4. Susan Boroski – River East Collegiate
Basketball, Badminton, Track
1977 Varsity Girls Basketball Provincial Champion - MVP
1977 Provincial Badminton Champion – Girls Doubles
1976-77 Provincial Girls Hurdle Champion
The Male Finalists were:
1. Garth Pischke – Silver Heights Collegiate (former Manitoba Bisons)
Volleyball, Basketball, Track
1969-1971 An outstanding high school Volleyball player.
Selected MVP at every tournament his high school team participated in
Participated in Basketball
Participated in Track
2. Rick Watts – Dakota Collegiate (former Manitoba Bisons)
Basketball, Volleyball, Track and Field
1969 Provincial Finalists Basketball - Provincial All-Star.
1970 Provincial Basketball Champions - selected All-Star.
1970 Provincial Volleyball Champions – selected All Star.
1970 Varsity Boys High Jump (Provincial Record)
1970 Most Valuable Player at prestigious Luther Invitational Basketball Tournament
1971 Provincial Volleyball Championships – selected All-Star
1971 Provincial Finalists Basketball team – Provincial All-Star
3. Toon Van Lankvelt – Neelin High School (Brandon) (former Manitoba Bisons)
Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer
2001-2002 MHSAA Male Athlete of the Year
2001 Provincial AAA Volleyball Championship (2nd Place) – Provincial All-Star.
2002 Provincial AAA Basketball Champion - Selected All-Star
2002 Ranked as #2 Volleyball player in Province
4. Jon Hanec – Dakota Collegiate
Volleyball, Basketball, Badminton, Track
1991-1992 MHSAA Male Athlete of the Year
1991 Provincial AAAA Volleyball Champion - Selected All-Star
Dennis Nord Award for Volleyball
1992 Provincial Basketball Champion - Selected All-Star - Carl Ridd award for Basketball
1992 3rd in Javelin at Provincials
1992 2nd in Badminton at Provincials
While in high school,
Tammy Mahon didn\'t only excel in volleyball, where she was a provincial champion and all star but was also a star in track and field competing in the high jump, where she still holds the high jump record in both the junior varsity (1.75m) and varsity girls (1.76m). She won the provincial high jump championship four years in a row! She also played basketball, winning the "A" girl's provincials in 1998 and being named MVP. That same year she was also named basketball player of the year.
As her graduation approached in grade 12, she had to make the decision to either focus on the high jump in university, or play university level volleyball or basketball. She ultimately chose to play volleyball at the University of Manitoba.
When describing this decision, she actually says that volleyball chose her and not the other way around. She contributed to two back-to-back CIS Championships for the Bison's. Tammy also played high school girls baseball. When she graduated in 2003, she was named the Female Athlete of the Year for all Bison sports. Tammy was inducted into the Manitoba High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. She had played professionally in Europe for a number of years, and retired from the National Team this past summer.
Rick Watts - was a multi sport athlete at Dakota Collegiate who played Basketball, Golf, Volleyball and Track and Field. While at Dakota, Rick was a member of the Provincial Finalists Basketball team in 1969 and 1971 and was captain, and Provincial All-Star, of the Provincial Champion 1970 team. In Volleyball he was captain and Provincial All-Star of both the 1970, and 1971 team that captured the Provincial Championship. In Track and Field Rick was a gold medalist in the 1970 high jump where he set a provincial record.
Rick went on to his chosen sport of Basketball where he captained the U of M Bison's from 1974 – 1976 and graduated as the U of M's all time leading scorer. Rick was also a member of the 1976 University of Manitoba Basketball team which captured the CIAU/CIS Championship game and he was selected as first team CIAU All Canadian and a tournament All-Star. He was inducted into the Manitoba Sports hall of Fame in 2006 and the Manitoba High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
The awards were presented at a Media reception by founding father and past president of the MHSAA, Frank McKinnon as well as current President Scott Kwaznitza, who is Superintendent of the Lord Selkirk School Division.
