Sport BC has announced the finalists for its 57th annual Athlete of the Year Awards, and athletes from Vernon, Salmon arm and Penticton are in the running.
In the High School Male Athlete of the Year category, Vernon Senior Secondary student Cole Budgen was named a finalist. The versatile athlete was listed for the sports of football, basketball and golf.
Budgen was the starting quarterback for the formidable Vernon Senior Panthers football team, which reached the B.C. AA High School Senior Varsity Football finals, falling to the Windsor Wolves 17-14 in the championship game Nov. 30.
The five-foot-11, 160-pound Budgen was named the Interior Offensive Player of the Year and the provincial MVP in this past football season. He threw 22 touchdown passes and completed 74 per cent of his passes for 1,622 yards in the regular season.
Budgen is up against wrestler Michaeljeet Grewal of Surrey and multi-sport athlete Emmet Ward of North Vancouver for the High School Male Athlete of the Year honour.
Salmon Arm's Maggie Manning, a para ice hockey player, is a finalist in the Female Athlete with a Disability category. Manning was a goaltender on the 2023-24 Women's Para Hockey of Canada roster.
Though she's listed for ice hockey, Manning is also a multi-sport athlete and just missed a medal in wheelchair basketball at the 2023 BC Winter Games in Vernon.
Alongside Manning in the Female Athlete with a Disability category is sitting volleyball athlete Danielle Ellis of White Rock, and Vancouver's Julia Hanes, a para athletics athlete.
Penticton professional soccer player Isaac Boehmer is a finalist in the Junior Male Athlete of the Year category. The 23-year-old is a goaltender for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of the Major League Soccer (MLS) league. He has been with the Whitecaps organization since 2020, and in 2024 he played one game and made five saves with a 71 per cent save percentage.
Also in Boehmer's award category are Surrey judo athlete Lowan le Bris and Vancouver fencing phenom Nick Zhang.
The winners of the Athlete of the Year Awards will be announced at an event at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver on Thursday, March 6. Hosted by CBC's Scott Russell, the event is a chance to recognize the province's best in amateur sport, including athletes, coaches, teams and officials, for outstanding performances in 2024.
Each finalist was nominated by their provincial or multi-sport organization, high school, college or university. The selection committee, led by long-serving chair Bernie Pascall, included a diverse group of highly experienced British Columbia sport leaders and media members.
91裸聊视频淭he Athlete of the Year Awards is a true celebration of sport in our province. The finalists listed below will be honoured at the event and represent exceptional efforts and accomplishments in 2024. We congratulate our finalists and the organizations they represent," said Sport BC91裸聊视频檚 President and CEO, Rob Newman, in a media release. 91裸聊视频淭he finalists represent 29 sports from communities all throughout B.C. demonstrating the collective strength of our province91裸聊视频檚 sport sector.91裸聊视频�
An additional six awards will be presented at the ceremony including the Best of BC, KidSport BC Community Champion, Harry Jerome Comeback, Daryl Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award, In Her Footsteps Honourees and the Bobbie Steen Legacy Foundation Award recipient.
