HUMBOLDT — Humboldt Collegiate celebrated its student athletes in a different way this year.
Usually, the high school hosts an athletic banquet at the end of each school year that features a meal and a guest speaker. That wasn’t possible this year due to health restrictions.
“We still wanted to celebrate our athletes, even though we couldn't do it in person, so we've just followed suit with what a lot of the universities did earlier in the year and just did a digital awards presentation this year instead,” said Kerri Archibald, the school’s athletic director.
The sudden end of in-person learning at schools saw sports like badminton and track and field cancelled for the year.
“The awards that were selected and given were only based on the seasons that got to complete this year, which was up to the end of basketball and curling season.”
The senior female athlete of the year was Juliana Engele-Lueke, a Grade 12 student involved in cross-country, volleyball and basketball. She also won the $150 Football Reporters of Canada most prepared athlete award and won the cross-country award.
Jay Eichorst received the senior male athlete of the year of the year award. The Grade 11 student played soccer, volleyball, curling and basketball. He also won the senior boys’ volleyball and curling awards.
Katie MacLean, a Grade 10 student, received the junior female athlete of the year. She did cross country, volleyball and basketball.
The junior male athlete was Ben Yungmann. The Grade 10 student did cross-country, volleyball and basketball.
Logan Stumborg won the $1,100 Jacob Leicht Memorial Minor Hockey Award. Lauryn MacLean and Deryck Bagui each got $300 from the Brody Hinz and Tyler Bieber AHL Broadcasting award.
Olivia Lee received the golf award, Cody Bergermann senior football, Finlay Hart boys’ soccer, Carter Pavelich junior football, Zoe Schlitz senior girls’ volleyball, Jocelyn Durand junior varsity girls’ volleyball, Jayda Hoppe junior girls’ volleyball, Luke Eagles junior varsity boys’ volleyball, Abbie Sperling senior girls’ basketball, Sabrina MacLean junior varsity girls’ basketball, and Wyatt Flory junior boys’ curling.
Archibald also acknowledged the time and efforts of the teacher and community coaches, as well as the officials.
“It's a huge time commitment and people do it because they're very passionate about it, but it does take away from their time with their work and their families and whatnot.”