Squamish's Maëlle Ricker, who in 2010 won an Olympic gold medal in the sport of snowboard cross, will again be up against some tough competition next month when the winners of the annual Sport B.C. Athlete of the Year Awards are announced.
Ricker on Friday (Jan. 14) was named a finalist for Senior Female Athlete of the Year as Sport B.C. announced the finalists. The two other contenders are Ashleigh McIvor, the 2010 Olympic ski cross gold medallist from Whistler, and Danielle Lawrie, the two-time NCAA softball player of the year from Langley.
In Friday's statement, Sport B.C. announced the nominees in 13 of the 17 categories including Athlete with a Disability, College Athlete of the Year, high school and junior athletes of the year and coach, official and team of the year.
Finalists for Senior Male Athlete of the Year included speed skater Denny Morrison of Fort St. John, hockey player Duncan Keith of Penticton and swimmer Ryan Cochrane of Victoria.
Lauren Woolstencroft of North Vancouver, who won five gold medals in alpine skiing, is among the nominees in the Athlete with a Disability category.
"Following the unprecedented success of B.C.'s athletes at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the strength of the finalists announced today stands as a testament to the quality of the programming and development initiatives available through B.C.'s sport sector," said Tim Gayda, Sport B.C. president and CEO.
Award winners will be announced at Sport B.C.'s annual awards gala on Feb. 24 in Richmond.
