Nordic skiing

An outstanding all-around athlete, Rob Roy excelled in both hockey and baseball in 1985. He spent the 1984-85 hockey season with the Barrie Colts of the Central Ontario Jr. “B” league. His season appeared headed for disaster when Roy sustained stretched knee ligaments while playing for the Ontario Jr.”A” Richmond Hill Dynes in December. He was leading the league in scoring at the time with 20 goals and 40 assists in 22 games. High-scoring line mate Bruce Stanley had counted 30 goals before Roy’s injury, but managed only 13 in his final 18 games without Roy as his centre man. Despite missing these 18 games, Roy still finished 8th in the league scoring race. The Colts won their first league championship in nine years, and Roy returned for the playoffs. Barrie’s top playoff scorer, he helped lead Barrie past Georgetown, Mimico and Streetsville to the Central Ontario Championship. In the summer of 1985 Rob Roy played shortstop for the Barrie Marrow-Wismer Marauders of the Metro Junior Baseball League. A fine fielder who also hit for both average and power, Roy was a member of the Ontario Junior Selects Baseball Team which won the Gold Medal at the 1985 Canada Games in Moncton, New Brunswick. Roy played the 1985-86 hockey campaign with the Georgian College Grizzlies of the Ontario College Athletic Association’s Tier I league. He led the Grizzlies in scoring with 16 goals and 26 assists, as Georgian finished in third place. He was a dominant player as Georgian eliminated defending champion Seneca Braves in two straight playoff games, before being themselves eliminated by Humber Hawks. Rob Roy was selected to the OCAA Tier I First All-Star Team, and to the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association All-Star Team.

In 1986, Robert James Crossan was a member of both the Ontario Alpine Ski Team and the Canadian National Development Group. He was the 1986 Sealtest Cup Ontario Alpine Overall Champion, winning three of five races and finishing second in another. He finished second overall in the Canadian Alpine Ski Series “Best Ever Cup,” winning a slalom event, and placing second in a giant slalom, two downhill and two super giant slaloms. In February, he won both the Junior and Senior Combined Titles at the Canadian Alpine Championships in Rossland, B.C., finishing 4th in slalom, 16th in downhill and 4th in giant slalom, defeating some national team members. In March, Crossan skied in the American Junior Invitational National Championships in Colorado, for all North American skiers 18 and under, finishing 6th in downhill, 11th in. super giant slalom and 7th in giant slalom. He fared well in eight races in the North American Spring Series in Utah and Idaho, and finished the season with a 2nd in giant slalom and 7th in slalom at F.I.S. races in Quebec. In December, he competed in the Eastern Nor-Am Series for Canadian, American and European skiers, as well as the Western Nor-Ams at Mt. Allan. In the latter series, his three top-twenty finishes, including a 6th in super giant slalom, earned him a spot competing with the national team in Europe. He has been recognized with an Achievement Award Certificate under the Ontario Government Sports Award Program for his 1986 accomplishments. A member of the Huronia Cycling Club, Rob won the Junior Division of the 1986 Collingwood Summerfest 30 km race.

In 2023, Rob Crossan was inducted into the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame.

Ed Doerksen a 37 year-old Barrie resident competed at the Masters level for the Barrie Trojans Swim Club. At the Canadian Masters Swimming championships in May, 1987, Doerksen finished 12th in the 50 metres butterfly (36.00 seconds), 21st in the 50 freestyle (32.54) and 15th in the 100 breaststroke (1:34.26). Later that same month at the Burlington Masters Swim Invitational, Doerksen won the 200 individual medley, and placed third in the 100 butterfly. All of the above is made more remarkable by the fact that Ed Doerksen also competed as a disabled athlete in the A4 class (for athletes with one leg amputated below the knee). At the Ontario Games for the Physically Disabled in July, Ed won two gold medals (in the 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke and 400 freestyle, setting a Games record of 5:48 in the latter event) and two silvers (in the 200 individual medley and 100 freestyle). That performance earned him a spot on the Canadian National Team for the International Games for the Disabled, which took place in August in Nashville, Tennessee. Doerksen’s 1987 season culminated with a sensational performance at the Canadian Foresters Games for the Physically Disabled in late August. He started with a silver medal in the 100 metres breaststroke, and then followed that with a pair of gold medal performances. He established a new Canadian record in the 400 freestyle (6:4.31) for athletes of his class, then shattered the Canadian and World records for the 200 freestyle.

At 43 years old, Terry Martin was one of Canada’s leading ultra marathoners. An ultra marathon is an endurance race, measured in either time or distance, which extends beyond the limits of conventional distance races, including marathons. Terry’s 1988 season began March 5th with a victory in the LaCloche classic, a 50-kilometre race from Espanola to Little Current, Ontario. His time was 3:31:47. On April 2nd he competed in the 100-mile New York Ultra marathon in Queen’s, New York. “Splits” of both time and distance are kept in ultra marathons for the purpose of establishing records at these intermediate times and distances. Terry set five new Canadian Open and Canadian Masters (age 40-44) records at the New York race: 6 hours (50 miles, 1736 yards), 12 hours (92 miles, 477 yards), 60 kilometres (4:11:52), 150 kilometres (12:13:51), and 100 miles (13:18:25). He also established a new Canadian Masters standard for 100 kilometres (7:30:18). On June 4th/5th, Terry won the Sri Chinmoy International 24 Hour Race in Ottawa, Ontario, covering a distance of 201.075 kilometres (124 miles, 1658 yards) despite nursing a painful hip problem. He finished 2nd on September 5th in the Golden Horseshoe Fifty Miler, a 50-mile race from Hamilton to Niagara Falls. His time was 5:52:39. In 1988, Terry Martin was a public school teacher in Barrie.

Jason Ing was a competitive swimmer with the Barrie Trojan Swim Club. Ing competed in both the Ontario Long Course and Short Course Championships in 1989. He won two medals at the Long Course Championships – a gold in the 200 metre Breaststroke, and a silver in the 100 metre Breaststroke. He dominated the 13-14 year-old age group in Ontario in 1989,- and was ranked nationally in a number of events. Ing was ranked 6th in Canada in both the 100 and 200 metre Breaststroke (his best events) , and 9th in each of the 100 metre Backstroke and 200 metre Individual Medley. He also had a top-twenty ranking in the 200 metre Backstroke. In the Ontario rankings, Ing was 1st in the 200 metre Breaststroke, 3rd in each of the 100 metre Breaststroke and 200 metre Individual Medley, and 4th in the 100 metre Backstroke. Jason Ing was also the 1989 winner of the Kempenfest Across-the-Bay-Swim, a race across Kempenfelt Bay without age handicapping. Ing was also a talented distance runner, and in 1989 he won the Georgian Bay Midget Boys’ high school championship. He qualified for the Ontario Championships, although a leg injury hurt his results there.

During the summer of 1989 Ing competed in the “Kids of Steel” Triathlon Series. He won his age group at three different events, and finished 4th overall for the summer series. In 1989 Jason Ing was 15 years old, and a grade nine student at Eastview Secondary School.

Michelle Maria Maizis was an internationally-ranked competitor in the sport of Karate whose 1990 achievements are nearly too numerous to list here. In 17 tournaments between April and November, she won 28 championships in Kumite (fighting), Kata (forms), Weapons, Weapons Kata and Open-Hand Kata. She also had 12 second-place finishes, 7 thirds, 2 fourths, and 4 fifths. Several of these tournaments were extremely prestigious. Maizis swept Kata, Kumite and Weapons at the Karatemania Martial Arts Championships at Conestoga College in April. She won Blue/Brown Kumite at the Canadian Invitational Martial Arts Tournament held in June at Western University, London. Maizis came up with a big performance at the Cabbagetown Open in Toronto, also in June, capturing championships in each of Open Hand Kata, Kumite, Under Black Belt Weapons and Kata. She closed out June with a tremendous effort at the Battle of Chicago Open, winning Open Hand Kata, Kumite and Under Black Belt Weapons. She won three events at the Washington, D.C. Classic and the Buffalo Can-Am Classic, both in August. When the National Black Belt League, North Central Region rankings were released, Maizis was 1st in Ladies’ Kata, 1st in Ladies’ Kumite, and 3rd in Ladies’ Weapons, making her the Ladies’ Adult Points Leader. Maizis was really just beginning at this point, winning titles at six more events between September and November, including the Dixieland Nationals in South Carolina. Her competitive season culminated with the Women’s Fighting Championship at the National Black Belt League World Championships in Niagara Falls, N.Y. on November 8th, where she also finished 2nd in Forms and Weapons.

When the new rankings were released, Michelle Maizis was rated 1st in Fighting Forms by N.A.S.K.A., and 1st in each of Forms, Weapons and Fighting in the Can-Am Ladies’ Adult Points rankings. A student at Kwan’s School of Kempo Karate in Barrie, she received her Black Belt, First Degree, on November 1, 1990.

Also an excellent volleyball player, Maizis plays on the Ontario Provincial Junior Team.

At the time of her award, Michelle was 19 years of age and a grade 13 student at Innisdale Secondary School.

In 1990, Ian Pavlik was a member of the Canadian National Junior Alpine Ski Team. 1990 was a key year for Pavlik, during which he displayed great courage and determination in his continuing recovery from a terrible automobile acci¬dent which nearly brought his young career to a tragic and untimely end. Pavlik suffered internal injuries and a nearly disintegrated femur in the February, 1988 accident, and it was feared he might never walk properly again, much less ski. Reconstructive surgery included the insertion of an 18-inch metal rod into his femur to provide the leg with structure. Undaunted, he undertook a painful and persistent rehabilitation program, showed great progress in 1989, and reached new competitive levels in 1990. In addition to being a member of the Canadian National Junior Team, Pavlik continued to represent the Ontario Provincial Alpine Ski Team. His 1990 Canadian Junior rankings included a 2nd in the Downhill, and 7th in the Super Giant Slalom. In open World rankings, he was rated 229th in Downhill. Pavlik began 1990 with a victory in the Junior Slalom at the Canadian Alpine Ski Series Eastern Canadians, held at Osler Bluff near Collingwood in January. In February, at Lake Louise, Alberta, he won the Canadian Junior Downhill Championship, and finished second in the Super Giant Slalom. On the strength of these performances, he was named to the Canadian World Junior Team.

Pavlik accompanied the Canadian team to Zinal, Switzerland in March for the World Junior Alpine Championships. 14th after time trials, he finished 41st in the Downhill.

He also finished 24th in the Downhill at the NorAm Cup competitions held in Fernie, British Columbia in March. This event included National Team members from both Canada and the United States. At the time, Ian Pavlik was 19 years old, and a graduate of Barrie North Collegiate High School.

Jeff Langdon is a member of the Barrie Mariposa School of Skating and the Canadian Junior Figure Skating Team. The 1991 year  was an outstanding competitive season for him. Langdon won every major Canadian competition in which he competed including the Eastern Ontario Section novice  division, the Eastern Canadian Championships novice title, the men’s division of the Canada Winter Games and the 1991 Canadian Championships novice crown. He capped the year with his selection by the Canadian Figure Skating Association as the lone Canadian male to compete in the 1991 World Junior Figure Skating Championships. Langdon was selected over several eligible junior skaters, marking him as an up-and-comer in the junior ranks. When he stepped onto the ice in Hull in December, he was competing in his first international competition and against skaters up to three years older than himself. The 16 year old opened the competition with a fall during a triple jump in his original program, causing a mandatory reduction of marks which left him in 16th place heading into the free skate. Langdon was able to compose himself before the free skate and went out and performed a superb program, completing six triples and 10 jumps in all. His performance placed him fifth in the free skate and moved him up into ninth place overall. Due to Langdon’s top ten placing. the Canadian Figure Skating Association, were able to send two Canadian men to the world juniors the next year. To say Jeff was dedicated to his sport is an understatement. He has attended many training seminars over the years and also worked as an amateur coach. He has partnered many young skaters for dance tests and spent time with them practicing to achieve the tests. He has been involved in judging club competitions and is interested in pursuing judging in the future.

A graduate of Eastview Secondary School, Jamie Galloway certainly made a name for himself since leaving for Queen’s University in Kingston. Galloway was a walk-on to the school’s varsity football team five years earlier and earned a spot as the place kicker. He graduated as the leading point-scorer not only in the history of the school, but also the Ontario-Quebec Intercollegiate Football Conference. Galloway went into the season already holding the record as Queen’s top point getter, and added the conference record to his list of accomplishments early in the season. With a career total of 313 points scored in regular season and playoff action, Galloway’s scoring feats ranked second only to the immortal Neil Lumsden in Canadian intercollegiate football history. Lumsden amassed more than 400 points as a kicker and running back during his career at the University of Ottawa. Capping off his career at Queen’s, Galloway played a key role in helping the school reach the Vanier Cup Canadian university football championship and in winning the national title. Galloway kicked a field goal and four extra points in the Vanier Cup win. The Barrie native was also an outstanding rugby player and kicker. In fact, rugby was the reason Galloway ended up on the football field. He was playing with Queen’s rugby team in his freshman season when the football coaches saw his powerful leg. Galloway was asked to try out for the football team and almost immediately unseated the club’s established place kicker. He continued to compete in rugby and was an avid golfer. Galloway graduated with a degree in civil engineering. and continued his studies in the faculty of education.

Tonya Rouse was a track and field standout who also branched out into another competitive sport, the grueling triathlon. The 19-year-old Innisdale Secondary School graduate had an outstanding year in 1993, earning a gold medal at the Ontario. Federation of Schools Athletic Association high school track and field championships, and later, a spot on the Canadian junior triathlon team which competed at the world junior championships in Manchester, England. On the track, Rouse won the Ontario high school title in the senior girls’ 3,000-metres and earned a fifth-place finish in the 1,500- metres. She had won the 3,000 and placed second in the 1,500 at both the Georgian Bay and the Central Divisional high school championships, meets which lead up to the Ontario competitions. As a yardstick to measure her accomplishments at the OFSAA meet, the Ontario high school championship ranked among the top three state and provincial championships in North America. Rouse also competed in cross-country during the fall, when she moved on to York University to study for a degree in physical education. She was sixth at the Western University invitational which included runners from U.S. schools, and placed in the top five at three other invitational meets. She had an off day at the Ontario university championships and placed 13th. She attended a Canadian university by choice. Rouse was contacted by as many as 60 U.S. schools interested in offering her a scholarship in track and field. In the triathlon, Rouse competed at the so-called Olympic distance, usually a 1.5 km swim, 40 km bicycle course and 10km run. She placed third at the Ontario championships and was fourth at the Canadian championships. That finish earned her a berth with the national junior team, and a trip to England. At the world junior championships, Rouse placed 33rd.

Tonya was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

Jonathan Chenier, a 15-year-old athlete, became one of Canada’s top young track and cross-country running stars. The South Simcoe/Dufferin Track and Field Club member was arguably the best middle distance and cross country runner in the country in his age group. Chenier, a member of the South Simcoe/Duferin Track and Field Club, had another impressive year in 1994. The Grade 10 student at St. Joseph’s High School gave up participation in hockey and high school basketball after the spring of 1994 to focus on his burgeoning ability as a runner. The sacrifice paid big dividends. He followed up an outstanding year in 1993 with an equally impressive season in 1994. During the indoor track and field season from January to April of 1994, Chenier set an age group record in the 600-metres at the Hamilton Spectator Games (one of two gold medals there); took the midget 800 and 1,500-metres titles at both the Ontario Legion and the Georgian Bay Secondary School championships; won the 1,500 and 3,000-metre gold medals at the Ontario Track and Field Association championships; and won three gold medals in the Quebec Indoor championships. Outdoors, he was virtually unbeatable. Chenier won three titles (800, 1,500 and 3,000-metres) at the Georgian Bay high school championships, took gold in the 1,500 and 3,000 at the Ontario high school, Ontario Legion and Ontario/Quebec championships, and won the 3,000-metres at the Ontario Track and Field Association championships. To top it all off, he won the Canadian Legion midget 800 and 3,000metre gold medals, and was second in the 1,500. During the indoor and outdoor season, Chenier also was a member of two gold medal-winning 4×800-metres relay teams at OTFA events. In cross-country, Chenier won both the Georgian Bay and Ontario high school midget championships.

Jennifer Handley a student at Barrie Central Collegiate, who stars with the South Simcoe Dufferin Track and Field Club, recently returned from the world cross-country championships in South Africa. Handley already has four Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association medals, including a pair of gold’s she won at the provincial high school track and field championships last June in Kingston, when she won the midget girls 1,500 metre and 3,000 metre races. She also has a gold she won in the OFSAA junior girls cross country last fall, to go along with the silver, cross country medal she won as a midget. Handley also won gold in the 1,500 and 3,000 at the Canadian Legion Track and Field championships in the 15 and under division back in August.

Steve Kavanaugh was a Canadian bronze medalist in senior ice dance in 1995 and 1996,  In 1996 he and his partner came second at Silver Medal Pentacup in Budapest. They placed fourth place at both the Karl Schafer Invitational in Vienna and the Nations Cup in Germany. They had ninth place finishes at both Skate America and Trophee de France Along with partner, Christine Fuller, Kavanaugh will represent Canada at Ice Dancing Competition in March, 1997. He competed for five years with partner, Janet Emerson, as part of the Canadian Figure Skating Senior team. Kavanaugh spent his formative years in Barrie skating at Mariposa Skating School and now travels between Toronto and Montreal. He attended Innisdale Secondary School in Barrie, Toronto’s Earl Haig Secondary School and graduated from Northview Heights in North York. he went on to study at Ontario College of Art and moved to Media Arts at Toronto’s Ryerson Polytechnical University Kavanaugh now coaches in both Toronto and Montreal and does television work in commercials and clothing modeling.

Laura Currie – figure skating

Kelly French as a grade 8 student at Assikinak Public School was the Simcoe County Champion in cross-country running. While she was a student at Innisdale Collegiate, she was a GBSSA champion in both track and cross-country. She also won a bronze medal competing in the 1500 m at OFSAA. Kelly was honoured as both the female Junior and the Senior Athlete of the Year at Innisdale. For the last five years, Kelly was on a full scholarship at the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. At SIIJC, Kelly was a member of the cross-country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field teams. Kelly was the team’s top runner in the 1500 and 3000 (outdoor) and the mile and 3000 (indoor). In 1998, Kelly won the SIU Cross-country meet with the school’s second fastest time ever. She was twice named “Athlete of the Week” for the Missouri Valley Conference and was the team captain for the SIUC’s cross-country team. Kelly graduated “Cum Laude” in December 1998 and continued to compete in local races.

Bryan Taylor was a star athlete at Barrie Central Collegiate where he excelled in many sports including tennis and swimming and was the school’s male athlete of the year in 1999. In rugby, Bryan was the captain and the MVP of the undefeated Central Collegiate’s Senior Rugby team that won the GBSSA Championship and the “AAA” OFSAA gold medal in 1999. Bryan was selected as a member and a starter of the Canadian Under 19 Rugby team that competed in the Junior World Cup held in France in March, 1998 and he again represented Canada in the 1999 Junior World Cup of Rugby in Wales. Bryan has earned nine Canadian caps. The caps are presented to competitors that play in an international competition. As a basketball player, Bryan was the captain of Central’s Senior Boys Basketball team that won a silver medal at OFSAA this season He led all scorers in the tournament. In 1998 Bryan was selected to join the Ontario Under 19 team to compete at the National Championships. He has ranked in the Toronto Star’s Top 30 provincial players for the 1998 and 1999 seasons.

Jennifer Robinson is Canada’s top Ladies figure skater. She began her skating career in Windsor when she was 10 and came to Barrie at 13 as a member of Mariposa School of Skating. Robinson, a Barrie resident for the last 11 years is now a proud Barrie homeowner. Jennifer was the Junior Canadian Champion in 1994. At the senior level she has been the Canadian Ladies Champion in 1996,1999, 2000 and 2001. She placed fourth in the 2000 Skate Canada International competition and fifth at the Trophée Lalique in Paris. At the 2000 Women’s World Figure Skating Championship in Nice, France, Jennifer placed eighth. This high finish allowed Canada in enter two skaters in the 2001 Worlds in Vancouver. Upon her return to Barrie, the city honored Jennifer with a plaque for bringing honour and recognition to the city. She also received the “Paul Hams Fellowship”, the highest honour that Barrie Huronia Rotary Club bestows for her unselfish contribution to local community charities. Jennifer Robinson freely gives her time to many benefit shows. In her spare time, Jennifer is a part time University student.

In 2011, Jennifer was inducted into the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame.

Amanda Brewer: An exceptional athlete with Barrie Central Collegiate and the South Simcoe Dufferin Track and Field Club. As a student a Barrie Central she was named as the Track teams’ female MVP in both 2000 and 2001. Amanda was selected as the Athlete of the Year in the last two years with the South Simcoe Dufferin Track & Field Club. At the OFSAA Championship, one of the largest meets in North America, in May, 2001 she finished 3rd in the 300 m Hurdles. Although she was disappointed with her time, it was just the beginning of a great track season. Representing her club at the Legion Provincial Championships in Belleville she won in the 400 m Hurdles            and was selected as a member of Team Ontario. Next came Calgary and the Junior Nationals where Amanda competed in the 19 and under class against girls who were much older. Here she had a personal best time in the 400 m hurdles and finished 3rd. In doing so she qualified to compete in the Pan American Jr. Games to be held in Argentina. From Calgary Amanda capped her wonderful season by competing in the Legion Nationals in Quebec City. With a season’s best time Amanda won the 400 m Hurdles and finished 4th in the 400 m race. The Ontario coaches put Amanda on the 4×400 relay team that won a gold. Team Ontario went on to win the Canadian Championship. Amanda was able to accomplish this in spite of beginning her track season with the news that her younger brother had been diagnosed with leukemia. “Sometimes it is hard to believe, but no-one is ever given more than they can handle,” Amanda said at the end of a very successful year for her in track.

David Schulze began competitive swimming at 7 years of age and was a member of the Barrie Trojan Swim Club for 12 years. With the Trojans, David won many awards including the Most Outstanding Swimmer Award in 1998. He holds numerous Huronia Region Swimming records and was a four-time Ontario Champion and Ontario Record holder. David was the 1997 Canadian Swimming Nationals Silver Medallist in the 200 breaststroke in 1997 and as a Canadian Junior National Team member he won a gold medal in 1998. Currently David is a senior at Indiana University where he is the Captain of their Swim Team. He is now regarded as one of the top breaststroke swimmers in the NCAA. As well as being an outstanding swimmer, David was a 4-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient. This summer David will continue his training with a goal to swim for Canada at the 2004 Athens Olympics. His Indiana swim coach Ray Looze said that “If you had a child and you wanted him to grow up and be somebody, Dave would be the poster child.”

Jeffrey Buttle was born in Smooth Rock Falls. He began his skating career when he was two years old. When he was 12, Jeffrey and his family moved to Barrie so that he could train with the Mariposa Club under Doug Leigh and Lee Barkell. 1n1998, he finished 2nd in the Canadian Juniors held in Hamilton. At the Senior Level of competition he placed 6th in 2000 and 9th in 2001 in the Canadian Nationals. In 2002, Jeffrey finished a strong 3rd at the Nationals. Two weeks later he competed in the Four Continents Championships in Korea and won this event. Jeffrey was selected to represent Canada at the World Championships in Nagano, Japan. In this his first appearance, Jeffrey finished in 8th place which is remarkable for a first time competitor. Jeffery has a unique perspective when assessing his performances. He is one of very few active skaters who is also a skating judge. Jeffrey has his sights set on the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy.

Jeffrey Buttle was inducted into the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

Laura Maludzinski was a gifted track star at Innisdale Secondary School. She competed in numerous Ontario Federation of School Athletics Association meets capturing Gold in her final year. Graduating from Innisdale in 2002, Maludzinski accepted a scholarship at the prestigious Harvard University. Since arriving at Harvard she has quickly made an impression. In her freshman year she was presented with the Harvard University outstanding Freshman Award. She was also named the Harvard University Cross Country MVP. In 2003 she was Ivy League champion in the 1500m and the 4X800m.

Lesley Hawker, a Barrie resident was a member of the 2004-2005 Skate Canada Senior National Team. The oldest of ten children, Lesley worked very hard to accomplish her dream. Lesley trained 20 to 25 hours a week at the Mariposa School of Skating coached by Doug and Michelle Leigh. Lesley still found time to work on completing her university degree. In 2003 she was the athlete representative on the Skate Canada Central Ontario Board of Directors. In 2003, Lesley was named Skate Canada Central Ontario Section’s “Elite Skater of the Year”. Lesley won the bronze medal at the 2003 World University Games, the first Canadian to ever win a medal in this competion. In 2004 she continued her success by finishing 6th in the Canadian Championships and in 2005 she finished 5th. Hawker’s real claim to fame is her bubbly personality. Last summer she helped teach disadvantaged children how to skate at a camp in Bracebridge.

Stephanie Sherlock was named the top junior girl golfer in Canada by the RCGA. She earned the Future Links Junior Girls Order of Merit title after a stunning season which saw her place third at both the Royale National Junior Girl’s Championship and the Royale Cup National Women’s Amateur Championship. Sherlock also finished third in the 2005 Women’s Amateur Order of Merit Standings. She is the highest ranked junior player in Canada and is ranked No. 23 in the class of 2006 by the National Junior Golf Scoreboard. Stephanie was recently named to the 2006 Canadian Junior National team, the highest honour for female golfers in Canada. She signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Denver and play golf beginning in the fall of 2006.

In 2017, Stephanie was inducted into the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame.

Amanda Truelove’s past accomplishments include 4 time OFFSA medalist, 3 time National  Junior Champion in both the 1500m and 3000m Track and Field. In 2006 Amanda was undefeated in the 1500m and 3000m in all high school competitions and became OFFSA champion and Provincial Legion Champion. She set new OFFSA records in both events. Amanda was named to the Provincial Team and at the Nationals won gold in the 3000m, bronze in the 1500m and anchored the relay team to gold in the sprint medley. She was selected to compete at the IAAF World Youth Championships later this year in the Czech Republic. In addition Amanda helped her South Simcoe/Dufferin Track and Field Club cross country team by winning the silver individual medal and team gold medal at the Provincial Championships. Based on her results Amanda was named to the National Cross Country Team that that will represent Canada at the North America, Central America and Caribbean Cross Country Championships in Florida and the World Championships in Kenya. Amanda was in grade 12 at St Joan of Arc High School.

A recent graduate of St Joseph High School and a member of Team Hardwood, Erin Tribe is a talented athlete in cross country skiing. Tribe was a strong member of the Ontario Nordic Team for the last four years. During the 2006/2007 season she competed in all four regions of the province in pursuit of the Ontario Cup series points. She ended the season as #1 in Ontario Cup Series Points for her age category. Tribe move up one age category, in 2007,  and was Ranked #4 in the province. She qualified for the World Junior Trials in Duntroon and placed 15th Nationally. This earned her the right to travel to Callahan Valley in B.C. for the Nationals. She trains and competes for the Team Hardwood Racing Team under the coaching of Jack Sasselville and has been awarded Top Female ranking for Midget, Juvenile and Junior age groups in Southern Ontario. She was elected by her peers to represent skiers on the Cross Country Ontario High Performance Committee. This committee is the governing body for the sport and regulates and sets guidelines  for all sanctioned events across the province. This was a great honour that signal her growth and respect within the sport.

Matt Beleskey’s hockey career began with the Barrie Icemen where he was a member of two silver and one bronze medal teams at OMHA Championships. From there he went on to play with the Collingwood Blues Provincial Jr A team where at age fifteen he won the Rookie of the year award. He was then signed by the OHL’s Belleville Bulls where, over four years, he earned several honours including Captain.  In the 2007-2008 season Matt led his team to the Eastern Conference, the OHL and the Memorial Cup championships. He was selected Bulls MVP for both regular season play and the playoffs. He was the Eastern Conference winner as hardest worker, best body checker and hardest shot.The Bulls awarded Matt the 2007/08 Belleville Humanitarian Award for his community work. During his OHL career Matt was a 2007- 08 Eastern Conference and OHL All Star and was a two-time OHL player of the month. He played in the ADT Canada-Russia challenge and represented Canada in both the World Under 18 Championships and the CHL Canada /Russia series. Drafted by the Anaheim  Ducks in the forth round Matt began the  2008-2009 season playing for the AHL Iowa Chops.

Brandon MacDonald was born and raised in Midhurst. He played AAA Minor Hockey in Barrie and competed with Eastview Wild Cat hockey team for 5 years. The team won the Georgian Bay AAAA championship twice to represent this area at the OFSSA provincial championships. MacDonald, also excels at Lacrosse. He was on the 2007 Barrie Tornado Provincial Championship Under 19 Box lacrosse team. He also helped the 2007 Barrie Tornados Intermediate Field lacrosse team win a provincial championship. His Midget Box Lacrosse team represented Barrie in the Ontario Provincial Summer Games. In 2008 he was selected to play for the Ontario Provincial U-19 Field Lacrosse team. This team competed for the prestigious Brogden Cup, an unofficial North American Junior Field lacrosse playoff. The Ontario team won the Cup, in Florida, by defeating the USA National Junior Lacrosse team 3 games to none. In 2009 MacDonald played for the Eastview Hockey team at the OFSAA championships in North Bay. The team played well but was defeated in the semi finals by the eventual silver medalists.

Alexandra Paul and Mitchell Islam have only been together as a figure skating dance team since February 2009. They have had tremendous results both Nationally and Internationally. During their first few months, as a new team, they entered the Minto Summer Skate competition. They edged out the reigning Junior champions of Canada in the Free Dance and won the competition overall. This earned them an invitation to participate in a Grand Prix event in Poland. They finished a very strong fourth just less than one point shy of third. Their strong showing allowed them to skate in a second competition in Turkey where they placed a respectable fifth.

Coached by David Islam (Mitchell’s father) Kelly Johnson, Pavol Porac and Tyler Myles of the Mariposa School. Paul and Islam entered their first Canadian championship as a team and won the Junior Dance Championship of Canada. They received a BMO Possibility Award – a training grant for their amazing programs at Canadians. They were named to the Junior World team and headed for The Hague. Their ambition was to finish in the top five. They exceeded that goal by making the podium to be presented with the 2010 Junior World’s Ice Dance Silver medal. This was a huge accomplishment for a team that had barely been together a year. In the fall of 2010 they finished a commendable fourth at Skate Canada in their first senior event as a team. Competing recently in their first National figure skating championship, at the senior level, they were awarded the Bronze Medal in the Senior Dance Championship of Canada. Both Skaters are members of the Barrie Figure Skating Club.

Alexandra and Mitchell were inducted into the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame in 2024.

Taylor “Tay” Paris is a Barrie Central Collegiate teenage rugby star playing beyond his years. As an underage player, in 2009, he competed with the Ontario Under-18 team that won Gold at the Canada Summer Games in Summerside, PEI. He became the youngest Canadian to play on the Canadian Men’s 7’s team in the International 7’s World Series, with stops in New Zealand and Las Vegas. Paris was a member of the Ontario Under-18 team that won gold at the National Championships. Paris became an “A Carded” athlete for Rugby Canada. He was invited to join the Canadian Men’s 7’s Team to participate in the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. He was invited to join the Canadian Men’s 15’s team on their European Tour, where he became the youngest Canadian to play international Men’s 15’s – he had just turned 18. The Northampton Saints Academy in England invited Paris to a four month trial. The Academy is the development arm of the Northampton Saints professional rugby club, located in England. Paris is the first Barrie player to get an invitation to a professional English Academy. In 2011, Taylor was a member of the Canadian team that competed at the Pan-Am games in Mexico. At the ripe old age of 19, he was a contributing member on a team of men and seasoned veterans for the Rugby 7’s, a much faster game than the regular rugby game of 15’s. The team concluded the Games by winning gold and positioning themselves to be favourites when the game is introduced at the 2016 Olympics in Argentina. In August 2011, Paris was selected to Canada’s senior national side for the 2012 Rugby World Cup.

• Barrie Examiner Article #1 – Taylor Paris
  
• Barrie Examiner Article #2 – Taylor Paris

Since the start of his CIS career, Kyle Graves was 2011 AUS Most Valuable Player and CIS Hec Creighton nominee, as well as a 2011 AUS all-star (Quarterback and Punter) and 2011 AUS Loney Bowl Player of the Game.

The University of Acadia Axemen quarterback / punter is the AUS Football Most Valuable Player for a second straight year in 2012. He is also a second team All-Canadian quarterback and first-team All-Canadian punter.

Kyle led the AUS in total offense, touchdowns, yardage and completion percentage and was by far the best player in the conference during the 2012 season. He led his team to another 7-1 record and named as AUS All-Star and CIS All-Canadian as both quarterback and punter. He led the league in passing yards with 2012; 156 pass completions; passing for 14 touchdowns; a passing completion percentage of 57.1 percent and punting average of 40.3 yards per punt. Graves also rushed the ball 28 times for 167 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Kyle, who attended the Montreal Alouettes training camp this past summer, is now 6th in all-time passing yardage with 5,433 yards, 3rd in Acadia school history. He wraps up his 5 year career in the top ten of every career AUS passing list. He ranks 4th in career completions, 5th in attempts and his 39 career touchdown passes are 10th all-time.

Noted by head coach Jeff Cummins, “Kyle is the best Quarterback I have coached in my 12 years at Acadia. In my opinion, Kyle is quite simply the most athletic and versatile quarterback in the country. The skill set that Kyle brings to the table is rarely found at this level, is very unique and honestly I think we have taken it for granted now that he is finishing his final season. His ability to throw, run, punt and lead his team makes him a constant threat whenever he touches the field. His arm strength combined with accuracy and an ability to put touch on both the short and deep ball give Kyle the tools he needs to pick apart defences. We’re very excited to see him continue his football exploits in the CFL, as he has signed a free agent contract with the Montreal Alouettes.”

Zach Nastasiuk started playing hockey at the age of 9 with the Barrie Minor Hockey Association. He was drafted by the Owen Sound Attack of the O.H.L in the 1st round of his Minor Midget year. In his 3rd year with the ‎Attack, he was team Captain. This was quite an accomplishment and honour for an 18 year old.

In 2013 he had 20 goals and 20 assists in 62 games. He was also top scorer for the Owen Sound team in the playoffs. His play earned him a spot playing for Canada at the World Under 18 Championships helping the team earn a Gold Medal. His year was completed by being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2nd round of the NHL draft, 48th overall.

As captain of the Attack, Nastasiuk is very active in the community and prides himself on giving back to the community.

Taylor Cartwright began her amateur wrestling in grade 5 at Hillcrest P.S. and the “K-Bay” Wrestling Club. Cartwright went on to high school at Barrie Central under the excellent coaching of Mr. Kyle Sweezey. Through her high school years she won a number of GBSSA individual titles, Provincial and National Age Group titles; along with her OFSAA Championship in 2014. Cartwright has made the Canadian National Cadet Team. She recently completed her grade 12 year at Barrie Central C.I. with many options open to her at post-secondary institutions in Canada. Cartwright was also named Barrie Central Female Athlete of the Year.

She now trains with Barrie Central and the Mariposa Wrestling Club, with extra practice sessions at Team Impact, Wrestling Canada’s National Training Centres at Brock and Guelph Universities.

Taylor Cartwright is a Canadian carded athlete. This past year was significant for Cartwright (aged 16 years) as a Canadian National “Cadet” Wrestling Team Member. She attained (Gold) at the “2014 Canadian Juvenile (17-18 years) Championships” (Women-56kg). This accomplishment was followed a month later in May by a 2nd place (Silver) at the “Pan-Am Cadet Championships” (Women-56kg), in Racife, Brazil.

Over the 2013-2014 International Wrestling Season Cartwright accomplished the following :
In December 2013 – 3rd at the International “Nordhagen Classic” (18-l9 years) in Calgary; in February 2014 – 1st at “Ontario Provincial Championships”; in March 2014 – 1st at “OFSAA High School Championships” and 2nd at “Canadian Junior (18-l9 years) Championships” in Edmonton AB; in April 2014 – 1st at “Canadian Juvenile Nationals” in Guelph ON; and 1st at “FILA Cadet World Team Trials” in Guelph ON; in June 2014 – 2nd at “Austrian Grand Prix” (18-19 years) and 2nd in “Austrian Grand Prix” Senior Division) in Gotzis, Austria; in July 2014 – 3rd at International “Canada Cup” (18-l9 years) in Guelph ON; and competed in the World Cadet Championships” in Snina, Slovakia, ranking 12th in the world.

Victoria Pickett moved to Barrie when she was four years old and started playing house league soccer. She continued to develop her skills with the Barrie Soccer Club and St Pete’s Panthers. At the age of 15 years old, she made her entrance into the Canadian youth program. At the 2012 Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), Women’s Under 17 Championships, in Guatemala, Pickett helped Canada win a silver medal. This allowed Canada to compete in the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan. She was also with Canada’s team that finished sixth at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada.

Highlights of her 2015 season are:

• Competed with Canada’s team in the Pan American Games in Toronto. They finished out of the medals with 2-1 loss in the bronze medal game.
• Won a silver medal with Canada at the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship in Honduras. This win qualified the team for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua, New Guinea.
• Signed with the University of Wisconsin women’s soccer team.
• She appeared in all Wisconsin games, receiving the following recognitions :
  
  • Selected Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2015)
  • Named to the All-Big Ten Freshman First Team (2015)
  • Named to the All-Big Ten Second-Team (2015)
  • NSCAA NCAA Division 1 All-Great Lakes Third Team (2015)

Victoria Pickett has also participated in local basketball, volleyball and hockey.

Jacob Graves is a native of Barrie. He was born in Barrie in 1995 to a family with hockey running through their veins. His father played Junior hockey, 2 brothers play Junior ‘A’ and Junior `C hockey, his mother was a professional figure skater, her father a professional hockey player and 4 aunts or uncles who played Junior hockey or higher.

Jacob’s hockey career began in 2010/11 with the Toronto Titans Midget ‘AAA’ team. He split the 2011/12 season between the Mississauga Chargers of the Ont. Jr. Hockey league (OJHL) and the Mississauga St. Mikes Majors of the Ont. Hockey League (OHL) at the Jr. ‘A’ level. He spent the next 2 seasons with the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL and then was traded to the Kingston Frontenacs for the 2014/15 season. The 2015/16 season was split between the Oshawa Generals and the London Knights. Known as a big, rugged stay at home defenseman, Graves had a career year in 2015/6. He played in 69 games, collected 21 points, 104 penalty minutes and was a plus 34. He had 18 assists in the playoffs and helped London capture the Memorial Cup, emblematic of Junior “A” hockey supremacy in Canada.

Jacob Graves was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets and signed to a 3 year entry level contract in 2016. He spent the 2016/17 season alternating between the Cincinnati Cyclones (of the East Coast Hockey League) and the Cleveland Monsters (of the American Hockey League), honing his skills in anticipation of a shot with Columbus in the NHL.

https://chl.ca/ohl/article/knights-graves-signs-with-blue-jackets/

Ryan Spataro was born in Barrie in 1982. He is a valuable member of the Barrie Baycats Baseball Club that plays in the top level amateur baseball league in Ontario, the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL). This league serves as a valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff. More than 40 IBL players have advanced to Major League Baseball or returned to the IBL following their major league careers.

Ryan Spataro broke the stolen base record this past season and is now the IBL all-time stolen base leader with 193 in just 380 games. The previous record of 179 stolen bases was accomplished in 834 games, more than twice the number of games it took Spataro. Besides the stolen base record, Ryan has been honoured with many individual awards in his career with the Baycats. His .374 average (regular season), 592 hits, and 141 extra base hits (regular season) are all highest on the Baycats. He was the IBL Batting Champ in 2005 and 2010, as well as the IBL MVP for those same years. He has been an IBL 1st Team All Star 7 years; an IBL 2nd Team All Star 4 years; and has been on 5 IBL Championship teams.

Ryan is presently a fireman in the City of Barrie, married with 2 children. He participates in many charitable events representing the Barrie BayCats organization.

Jessica Brouillette is a wrestler from Barrie. Born in 1995, she began her amateur wrestling in Grade 7 at Prince of Wales School and at the K-Bay Wrestling Club. She continued to wrestle very successfully while attending high school at Barrie Central Collegiate Institute. She won several GBSSA individual titles as well as Gold at the provincial level (OFSAA). This success led to International opportunities representing Canada as a member of the Cadet, Junior and Senior National Teams.

In her first 3 years at Brock University, Jessica won 8 Gold, 3 Silver and 4 Bronze medals at various University, Provincial, National and World Wrestling Championships.

In 2017, Jessica won Gold at the World Francophone Games (Women – 63 kg.) in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. She also dominated her weight class at the Canadian University level by placing first at both the OUA Tournament and the CIS Tournament and was named 2017 Outstanding Female Wrestler at the CIS Championship. In 2016 Jessica won Bronze at the 2016 World University Games in Corum, Turkey; won Bronze at NYAC / Bill Farrell International Open; won Silver at the Ontario Senior Championships; won Bronze at the International Canada Cup Tournament in Guelph; and placed 5^th at the XXI Torneo International Tournament in Sassari, Italy. In Oct. of 2017, Jessica was selected for “Next-Generation” Funding Support (targeting athletes with evidence of podium success at the 2024 Olympic Games). In 2018, Jessica competed for Canada at the World Championships in Budapest. She achieved a 7^th place standing in the 62 kg. weight class. She also became “Female Athlete of the Year” at Brock University in 2018. She was the first female wrestler to capture 5 consecutive team National Championships in a career. She was named a USPORTS First Team All-Canadian for the fourth time in her career and an OUA First Team All-Star. During the regular season, Brouillette placed 1^st at the Brock Open, 1^st at the Guelph open, and 3^rd at the Commonwealth Games Trials. She also represented Team Canada at the 2018 Women’s World Cup in Japan. Moreover, Jessica took 1^st place at the International Canada Cup Tournament in Guelph, and 1^st place at the SFU International Tournament in B.C.

Jessica has completed her Undergraduate Degree in Sociology. She continues to train hard as a member of Canada’s National Team. Jessica also runs an after-school active-play program for young children at the YMCA in St. Catharines, as well as refereeing local tournaments and running “Wrestling Clinics” throughout Ontario.

Brianna Prentice began to play Ultimate Frisbee at Innisdale High School having played on several teams at every level where her teams were conference and national title winners.

Brianna enjoys the team aspect of ultimate frisbee as opposed to her previous sport of ski racing. She finds the social aspects of team play to be very rewarding to sharpen her skills and fitness level

In 2019, Brianna received a tryout for the under 20 National team but unfortunately did not make it. She worked really hard to become a better player, and that hard work and endurance paid off as she was selected to play on the Canadian National Ultimate Team that competed in the United Kingdom in the summer of 2023. Brianna was thrilled to represent her country at the highest level in ultimate frisbee.