Ethan Egert (2) is seen in the undated file photo. The Hat High Mohawks multi-sport athlete took home the male athlete of the year award, while Kwahommies star Taya Karsten took top honours for female athletes.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken
Medicine Hat High School celebrated its athletes with an online video banquet, peppered with highlights and tributes to the accomplishments of students through a COVID-19 shortened athletics season.
Ethan Egert and Taya Karsten led the way as athletes of the year after a pair of dominating multi-sport seasons at Hat High.
“It feels good. I don’t really have any regrets about anything that I did. My teammates put me in a position to be successful so I’ve got to give them a lot of credit,” said Egert, who recently committed to continue his basketball career with the University of Alberta Golden Bears. “It was a lot of fun playing three years, and playing senior sports all three. In Grade 10 it was an adjustment, but in Grade 11 and 12 it was just a lot of fun. I had really good coaches and really good teammates.”
Egert was also named the most valuable player on the varsity boys basketball team, while Karsten – who has committed to Medicine Hat College’s basketball program – was named varsity girls volleyball MVP.
Egert says Thursday’s 45-minute video presentation – which featured segments from coaches of each sport, comedic montages and, of course, awards – was a nice consolation for the typical in-person banquet that had to be cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I wasn’t really expecting that but it turned out very well,” said Egert. “I’m happy that they put something together for us because it does suck, what’s going on right now, but I’m glad that they’re still thinking about us.”
Sam Henderson and Keegan Kolody took home Special Olympic Awards for their outstanding athletic performances this season, while Jaxson Bos earned the Brian Drefs Memorial Award for spirit and Hannah Salman won the Tony and Anna Grisonich Grit Award.
The awards presentation also focused on the most dominating performances of the year – a new category at the banquet. Egert’s 50-point game, the junior varsity basketball program’s 30-0 record, the varsity boys volleyball team’s undefeated season and the football squad’s sixth consecutive Rangeland Football Conference championship were all recognized.
The evening closed out with a series of videos from student-athletes, reminiscing about the season and sharing what being a member of the Mohawks and Kwahommies means to them.
“Being a Kwahommie is more than just wearing a green jersey. It’s all about the bonds you make with your teammates and your coaches, who over the past three years, have become a close family to me,” Karsten said in her video. “Just because we are done high school, doesn’t mean we are done being Kwahommies, because once you’re a part of the Mohawk family, you’re always a part of it.”
Hat High Team Athletic Awards
MI: Most Improved; CA: Coach’s Award; MVP: Most Valuable Player
Girls cross country
MI – Tori Kaczynski
CA – Hannah Salmon
MVP – Maggie Carriere
Boys cross country
MI – Truman Bartman
CA – Gage Smith
MVP – Eli Smith
Varsity football
MI – Robert Wainwright
CA – Will McDougald, Anthony Hullah
MVP – Piercen Meier
JV football
MI – Brody Fink
CA – Dylan Callan
MVP – Aayden Callan
Varsity girls volleyball
MI – Emma Bennett
CA – Janelle Stegen
MVP – Taya Karsten
Varsity boys volleyball
MI – Josh Penner
CA – Tory Nelson
MVP – Jaxson Bos
JV girls volleyball
MI – Nyla Knodel
CA – Tyra Moch, Amaly Bartman
MVP – Sophie Currie
JV boys volleyball
MI – Ty Aasman
CA – Brodie Sisko
MVP – Jehan Robles
Varsity girls basketball
MI – Janessa Bitz
CA – Janelle Stegen
MVP – Hailee Parker
Varsity boys basketball
MI – Elijah Kaba
CA – Aiden Gripp
MVP – Ethan Egert
JV girls basketball
MI – Hannah Fisher
CA – Janine Jonker
MVP – Abby Watson, Whitney Parker
JV boys basketball
MI – Sebastian Perez
CA – Jordan Mulder
MVP – Jayce Smith and Connor Appell
Girls wrestling
MI – Alecia Dominguez Martinez
CA – Bailee McNaughton
MVP – Jaylaina Callan
Boys wrestling
MI – Sam Bjarnason
CA – Aidan McKinnon
MVP – Kaiden Lowe
Badminton
MI – Alexa Alino
CA – Josh Fraser
MVP – Ethan Knodel
