The Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association announced the 2023-2024 High School Athletes of the Year Tuesday at the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. The Association has four competition categories A, AA, AAA, and AAAA which are based on school populations. A male and female Athlete of the Year was selected from each category, along with the overall High School male and female Athlete of the Year.


A Girls 

Sydney Burak of Arborg Collegiate – participated in volleyball, badminton, and track & field. She captained her volleyball team, and in track & field she captured a silver medal in varsity girls high jump at the 2024 Provincial Track & Field Championships. Sydney was Arborg’s female athlete of the year in 2023 and 2024, while maintaining an academic average of 90%. She is a volunteer coach for the school’s JV basketball and track and field teams, vice president of the ACTION school group, teaches Ukrainian dance, is a member of Winnipeg Optimist Athletics, involved with the school’s dance club and grad committee, and is this year’s class valedictorian.

 

AA Girls

Maria Gundrum of Prairie Mountain High School – maintained an academic average of 88% while participating in cross country, volleyball, basketball, curling, badminton, fast pitch, and track & field. She was a nominee for the 2024 Manitoba’s Credit Unions Scholar Athlete of the Year. Maria was the captain of her Zone 6 championship winning volleyball team, captain of her Zone and Provincial Championship winning basketball team and won the MVP award at the Provincial Basketball Championships. In curling she skipped her team to a Zone 6 Championship and made it to the semi-finals at Provincials. At the 2024 Provincial Track & Field Championships she won a bronze medal in varsity girls long jump. Maria is the school’s yearbook editor, girls sports rep on student council, scorekeeper for basketball and volleyball, and a referee for middle school basketball and volleyball. She is the president of the Swan Lake Leos, plays and coaches for the U19 Swan Lake Lightening fastball team, and has won several local curling bonspiels.

 

AAA Girls:

Ivy Bestland of Sanford Collegiate – participated in volleyball, hockey, badminton, and track & field. She was a nominee for the 2024 Manitoba’s Credit Unions Scholar Athlete of the Year and maintained an academic average of 90%. In volleyball she received several player of the game and tournament MVP honours. As part of her basketball team, she received the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba Athlete of the Week Award in January 2024, captured the Zone IV banner and placed 2nd at the Provincial AAA Championships. Her hockey team won the Winnipeg Free Press Division of the Manitoba Women’s High School Hockey League. Ivy was named Basketball Manitoba’s AAA female player of the year, Sanford Collegiate’s varsity female athlete of the year, and received the school’s varsity female scholar athlete medal.

 

AAAA Girls:

Danika Nell of Vincent Massey Collegiate – holds academic average of 97.4% while participating in basketball, volleyball and fast pitch. Last week she was awarded the 2024 Manitoba’s Credit Unions Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. She is a graduating all-star for volleyball, member of the volleyball all-Manitoba team and ranked as a Winnipeg Free Press Top Ten Player in grade 12. In fast pitch she was part of three provincial champion teams, declared provincial MVP three years in a row and the Boissevain Collegiate female athlete of the year in 2022. Danika was selected to play for the Canadian U18 softball team in a World Cup qualifying tournament in Columbia where her team finished with a silver medal and will play with the National team again in Dallas later this summer in the WBSC World Cup Group Stage. She also takes the time to give to the community of both sport and her city. She volunteers with the Osborne Village clean up, is a peer tutor at Massey and coaches/mentors younger athletes in both volleyball and softball. Danika plans to become a doctor, working towards a medical degree while playing Division I softball at Boston University.

 

A Boys:

Sam Gurke of Alonsa School – participated in soccer, volleyball, curling, badminton, and track & field while holding an academic average of 93%. Sam was co-captain of his volleyball team that captured the A Provincial Volleyball Championship banner where he was named tournament MVP. He is a Volleyball Manitoba Graduating All-Star and a recipient of the Stefan Savoie Memorial Scholarship. Sam was also a member of student council and participated in the school’s Remembrance Day service and Christmas concert. He was won a silver medal as a member of the U19 volleyball team that participated at the 2023 North American Indigenous Games.

 

AA Boys:

Lachlan Cuthbert of Lac du Bonnet Senior School – holds an academic average of 91% while participating golf, hockey, volleyball, basketball, badminton, and track & field. He co-captained his volleyball team, and captained and was the MVP of his golf and hockey teams. Lachlan was the team captain and MVP of his basketball team that won several tournaments, was a Zone 13 finalist, and a bronze medalist at the AA Provincial Basketball Championships. He was named a Provincial all-star, won the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba Players Choice Award, and was selected to the Basketball Manitoba A-AAA graduating all-star team and AA All Manitoba team. Lachlan officiated events at middle year’s track meets, coached grade 7 and 8 boys basketball, score kept for JV and varsity volleyball and basketball games and assisted in painting murals in the school. He has volunteered with the community’s annual ice fishing derby, elementary age basketball camps, and local youth hockey programs.

 

AAA Boys:

Elijah Falade of St. Boniface Diocesan High School – participated in volleyball, basketball, soccer, and track &field while maintaining an 85% average. He either captained or co-captained his school’s volleyball, basketball, and track & field teams. Elijah led his volleyball team to the Zone 12 final, where he was the leader in kills. His basketball team won the Zone 12 championship where he led in steals and was the 2nd leading scorer. In soccer, the team was crowned Zone 12 champions, and he was the leading scorer, scoring both goals in the finals. At the Zone 12 track & field meet, Elijah was the gold medalist in the 100m, long jump, 4 x 100m, and won silver in the 200m. At the 2024 Provincial Track & Field Championships Elijah won a bronze medal in the varsity boys 100m. He is a member of the school’s grad committee, yearbook club, and sustainability club while also volunteering at Riverview Health Centre.


AAAA Boys:

Owen Weekes Vincent Massey Collegiate – maintained an academic average of 80% while participating in golf, volleyball, and basketball. He was an advocate for starting the baseball program at the school, however, he could not play due to training commitments for volleyball. Owen was co-captain of the school’s AAAA Provincial Championship winning volleyball team that went undefeated with a record of 49-0. He was the Provincial Championship MVP, ranked as the top volleyball player in the province in the 2023 Winnipeg Free Press Coaches Poll, named Volleyball Manitoba’s 2023 Volleyball Player of the Year and was a member of Volleyball Manitoba’s graduating all-star team. He was also a part of the school’s basketball team that captured the AAAA Provincial Championship banner. Owen was the only high school athlete named to the 2024 U21 Canadian Men’s Indoor Volleyball Team that recently captured silver at the U21 NORCECA Championships in Mexico. Owen is also a member and co-captain of the Junior Bison’s volleyball club where he also helps coach the U15 boys volleyball team. He also plays competitive baseball where, as part of the program, volunteers his time to assist students with special learning needs.


The 2024 overall High School Male and Female Athletes of the Year are:
Male - Owen Weekes of Vincent Massey Collegiate
Female - Danika Nell of Vincent Massey Collegiate