The Hunting Hills Lightning male and female athletes of the year came down to honouring two of the school’s biggest leaders.
Evan Petriew received the boys’ top honour while Jaden Robinson was tabbed for the girls at their athletic awards banquet on Tuesday at Hunting Hills High School.
Petriew showed his potential early at Hunting Hills, earning the Grade 9 boys’ athlete award four years ago, competing in football, basketball, badminton and community baseball.
As he wrapped up his career at the school, he was a captain of the football team, a league all-star and winner of the Fighting Hard Award in senior football and still a starter in basketball while also competing in badminton, tennis and soccer.
“It’s pretty cool, I’ve never really won anything this big before and it’s pretty nice to be recognized in front of everyone like that,” said Petriew, 17. “I know I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”
Petriew, however, isn’t a stereotypical, hulking athlete — he is five-foot-six and 137 pounds. But he never let his size hold him back. Instead he turned it into a strength.
Especially on the football field where he was one of two players on the team who played both ways, lining up at wide receiver on offence and defensive back on defence. In the process, he helped the team to two league championships.
His leadership was front and centre in everything he did.
“This year, whenever you needed a player or someone to do something that was demanding, he was the guy to do it,” said football head coach Kyle Sedgewick. “He never had limitations and his athletic ability was still far beyond most players, even if they were bigger or taller than him. He always found a way to get things done, regardless of his smaller stature.”
Petriew is also a good student and he will be heading to the University of Saskatchewan next year for engineering.
Robinson was a leader on all of the teams she played, participating in just about every sport offered at the school, including basketball, volleyball, handball, golf and tennis.
She was also named the MVP of the girls’ basketball team and was awarded the coaches award for the volleyball team.
“I’ve been working really hard with all my sports since I got her in Grade 9 and it’s just an honour to receive (this award) in my final year,” said Robinson, 17.
Her favourite memory goes back to Grade 9 when the junior varsity volleyball team ended arch-rival Notre Dame’s long run at the top.
Pride in being a Lightning was something she took seriously, and the example she set spread to her teammates.
“She’s somebody right from Grade 9 through Grade 12 has just excelled ... and she just keeps picking up more and more,” said athletic director Jackie Waisman. “She’s a five- or six- sport athlete, plus all her school work ... and she does that all with as much enthusiasm and juggling as she possibly can. She’s a leader, she’s a role model, she’s a mentor.”
Robinson plans to take the year off to work and travel before going to college, with plans to go to SAIT and become an EMT.
But the lessons she learned as an athlete at Hunting Hills will help form her future.
“It taught me the value of teamwork and hoe working hard as a team gets you far,” she said. “I’ve made so many amazing friends that will keep me going through out the years.”
Honoured as the Grade 9 athletes of the year were Sarah Stahl and Seth Kuz.
Haley Kitt was presented with the Andre´ Sather Memorial Award and Sandy Johnson picked up the Lightning Athletics Advocate of the year Award.
The Stacy Larsen Memorial Bantam Football Award was won by Peter Larsen and Madi Nimmo and Jesse Ross were selected as the co-winners of the Ross Towers Award.
The Lightning Pride Award went to the Lightning senior boys basketball team.