Red Deer's Jeremiah Lauzon was named as a recipient of the Alberta government's 2023 Sport Recognition Awards.
On Friday night at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame ceremony at Red Deer Polytechnic, the local track star was awarded the Open Male Athlete of the Year for his athletic accomplishments last year.
He was unable to be there in person because he was competing at the NCAA Championships but his coach Ronald Hewer was there to accept it on his behalf.
Last year, Lauzon represented his country at the Pan-Am Games and competed for his school, West Texas A&M, at the NCAA Championships.
Earlier in the year at the Lone Star Conference Championship, he beat his provincial record in the 200m finals with a time of 21.09. This beat his previous record of 21.14 he broke in 2022 that was held for 18 years.
Lauzon's award was one of nine handed out to some of the province's top athletes, teams, coaches, and officials. The Alberta Sport Recognition Awards were created in 1987 to acknowledge the achievements of all involved in the sports in the province.
“These high-performance athletes, coaches, and officials have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in International and National competitions and are deserving of recognition for their efforts. I am proud of their contributions and grateful for their leadership in making Alberta a province that lives the spirit of sport,” said Joseph Schow, Minister of Tourism and Sport in a media release.
Among the other award winners were Junior Male Athlete of the Year Nikita Ciudin (sprint canoe), Junior Female Athlete of the Year Julia Bartlett (biathlon), and Open Female Athlete of the Year Alexandria Loutitt (ski jumping)
The Junior Team of the Year was awarded to Team Tao (curling) including Johnson Tao, Jaedon Neuert, Ben Morin, Adam Naugler, Zach Davies, and Skip Wilson (coach).
The Open Team of the Year was given to Team Canada 3x3 Basketball women's team including Michelle Plouffe, Katherine Plouffe, Paige Crozon, Kacie Bosch, Jamie Scott, and Kim Gaucher (coach)
The Coaching Recognition Awards were given to Rachel Koroscil (biathlon) and Marty Birky (basketball). In addition, the Technical Official Recognition Award winners were Barb Bush (springboard diving) and Matthew Kallio (basketball).
“The award recipients have demonstrated dedication, passion, and excellence which have set them apart as true champions in their respective fields. Many have reached the pinnacle of performance and each of the recipients has demonstrated unparalleled commitment and skill, inspiring others to reach for excellence in all they do,” said Dale Henwood, chair of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.