The George McDougall Mustangs officially wrapped its 2010-11 athletics season with its annual Night of the Mustang awards celebration last week.
Morgan Schultz, Jeremie Anderson and Eric Whitnack were the big winners, as senior athletes of the year, while MVPs and athletic spirit awards were handed for all 10 sports, during the celebration at the school’s gym on June 8.
Schultz, a graduating basketball and volleyball standout, finishes her Mustang career with a second consecutive senior girls’ athlete of the year award.
“It does mean more because it’s my Grade 12 year,” said Schultz, 18, who will attend Red Deer College this fall. “To finish off my year with this big award is good. It was hard competition with all the girls, but I think it all started with the team success. There was no one person on the team that stood out.”
“You couldn’t pick a more well-rounded girl or a nicer girl,” said Mustang athletic director Kerri King. “She’s getting everything that’s been coming to her. She’s put in so many years of hard work and dedication, but hasn’t stopped being a super good teammate.”
Anderson, a Grade 11 soccer and volleyball player, shared the senior boys’ award with Whitnack, a graduating volleyball, badminton and track athlete. An error occurred during the selection process, with only Anderson being named at the ceremony, but Whitnack will receive his award at George Mac’s graduation ceremony on June 28.
“It’s good to win it as a Grade 11,” said Anderson, 17, who also won the junior boys’ athlete of the year award last year.
“It just shows how tough the competition is in my age group. I think what they (the coaches) noticed most about me is how much of a leader I am on and off the court. I think guys can turn to me when they’re having troubles or need that little kick. I know I’m a good player, but it doesn’t help if we don’t play as a team. That’s how you get success.”
“The best part about our athletics program is that’s it’s constantly building, so to have the top level always be the Grade 12s isn’t necessarily a good thing, because it maybe means the next crop would get overshadowed,” King said. “To have all the Grade 11s eligible just shows how much better it will be next year for this program.”
Anderson said he’s already looking forward to his Grade 12 year and a chance to win the top athlete award for a third straight year.
“I have to keep on doing my hard work,” he said. “The award means I am getting noticed, but I have to keep pushing to take it into next year.”
“It’s wonderful to see that the athletes care to come out, dress up and cheer each other on,” King said.
“There’s a lot of pride in being a Mustang. It’s nice to see a night where we get to celebrate that. It’s something where you get to say ‘we are proud of the GMHS athletes.’”
Other winners from the Night of the Mustang were Michael Hlushak as the junior boys’ athlete of the year and golf MVP; Shaelyn Lewis as the junior girls’ athlete of the year; boys’ volleyball MVP Whitnack; girls’ volleyball MVP Quinn Diaz; cheer MVP Alex Shuttleworth; curling MVP and girls’ track MVP Katie Hlushak; boys’ track MVP Alex Smith; badminton MVP Shannon Cameron; cross-country MVP Jesse Crossley; boys’ basketball MVP Mark MacEachen; girls’ basketball MVP Shultz, football MVP Michael Callaway; boys’ soccer co-MVPs Chris Burton and Matt Wagner and girls’ soccer MVP Jessica Paglinawan.
