Athlete of the Year: This award is given to one Male and Female athlete from this year’s graduating class who consistently demonstrates the following characteristics: leadership, sportsmanship, community involvement, academic achievement, and a desire to do their best both on and off the field.

Female Athlete of the Year: Jordynn McPherson

Hard-working, dedicated, driven, gritty: these are all words that describe Jordynn McPherson. Whether it’s an early morning practice or dryland session, Physics class, or back to back soccer and basketball practices, Jordy always brings her best effort and an unwavering positive attitude. 

Relentless in her pursuit for improvement, Jordy approaches every practice and training session with focus and a positive mindset. Attacking hills on a cross country course, or putting shots up before basketball practice, she is consistent in her effort to be the best athlete than she can be. 

Whether it’s going through a warm-up with younger athletes at a cross country meet and making sure they’re at the start line on time or leading her basketball team in a 3-game series against Prince George, Jordy is a leader both on and off the court. She works just as hard in class as at practice and consistently demonstrates the qualities that many of our younger student-athletes strive for. All of her hard work over the years of high school sports has paid off, with a commitment to play soccer at SAIT in the Fall. Congrats Jordy! 

Jaime McPherson (2017/2018 Female Athlete of the Year): “When I think of an athlete, these 3 words cross my mind: resilience, dedication, and determination. I believe these words perfectly encompass my younger sister. Jordynn has always been dedicated to being the well-rounded student-athlete my parents raised us to be. She is one of the most self-determined athletes I have met. She uses her free time to shoot hoops at the school gym, practice ball-handling skills in our garage, and crushes out multiple workouts throughout the week. She is determined to be the best player on the court. Jordynn is a role model that many people look up to, and she always leads by example. You knock her down, and she’ll get right back up. There is no one who is more deserving of this award, and I am more than excited to have my sister play varsity soccer alongside me this Fall”

Celine Quigley (2018/2019 Female Athlete of the Year): “Jordynn is very hard-working and always positive, constantly trying to improve in any sport she participates in. She is always sacrificing so much and dedicating so much of her life to sports! I’ve never heard her once complain about something being too hard. With her attributes she’s gained through being dedicated to sports her whole life, you can see it paid off many ways, especially in her commitment to the women’s soccer team at SAIT. Congrats Jordy!”

Dan & Jaimelia Turner (Senior Girls Soccer): “After coaching Jordynn for 11 years, we are proud to see her join her sister at SAIT. Jordynn has grown into a midfield playmaker that is difficult to contain. Her exceptional footwork and surgical passing will make her an invaluable part of her new team. I predict a freshman all-star team appointment”

Jaclyn McNicol (Senior Girls Basketball): “From the coach’s perspective, Jordynn led the team on and off the court. She continuously strived to be the best leader for her team by actively demonstrating what hard work and commitment look like. Jordynn demonstrated growth in her mental toughness this year, starting out all over the place and growing into being able to channel her emotions to become a competitive beast. Jordy: We are proud to have had you as captain of the Sr Girls basketball team. Remember as you move forward in your athletic career, “You fuel your heart with six things: what you watch, what you read, what you listen to, who you surround yourself with, how you talk to yourself and what you visualize” – Joshua Medcalf. 

Male Athlete of the Year: Tristan Hynes

Between Cross Country, Volleyball, and Wrestling, Tristan Hynes put in over 150 hours of practice throughout the Fall and Winter seasons. Outside of practice time, he could be found lifting weights, sitting outside the gym studying and/or eating dinner, or reffing basketball. It’s highly likely that he put in more 12+ hour days at the school than anyone else, all in the pursuit of being the best student-athlete that he could be. 

Even though he might not have been the best runner, Tristan always approached Cross Country with an open mind and a positive attitude. He consistently worked hard to improve, knowing that every ounce of improvement he made on a run would help him out on the volleyball court or on the wrestling mat. When he qualified for Provincials, it was never a question about whether or not he would go. Of course he would; he would never be able to pass up such a challenge. 

Aside from his involvement in school sports, Tristan is always looking for a way to push his body and mind to the limit. This could be anything from a 35KM row, 42KM bike, or hitting a PR on his clean and jerk. He is never satisfied and always looking for that next challenge, an attitude that will take him to the University of Toronto in the Fall. Congrats Tristan! 

Jerad Neufeld (Grade 7/8 Teacher): “I had the pleasure of teaching Tristan Hynes for both his grade 7 and 8 years at Upper Pine Elementary/Secondary School and he was a really fantastic and unique student who excelled in both athletics and academics, with equal aplomb and aptitude! When he started off in my class, Tristan was a quiet young man who played local hockey and also played some school basketball and volleyball. By the end of his grade 8 year, he was a very vocal team leader who pushed himself to excel in every sport put in front of him –from rugby to ultimate and every other sport in between– Tristan excelled as both an individual athlete and as a team player. I have not been surprised in the least to see all of Tristan’s athletic accomplishments and accolades pile up over the years! Which is not to say that I have lost track of Tristan over the years; he has often returned here to visit and to help me run our district rural school volleyball tournament (where he has worked his way up, year after year… from reffing, to coaching to becoming the tournament organizer this past year). I know that many of the younger students in our school rightfully look up to him as the role model that he is! While at NPSS, Tristan has starred for his school and served as captain of his rugby, volleyball and wrestling teams… but then also decides to go to Provincials in Cross Country just for the challenge? Dang. Perhaps the divergence of all of these sports will give the reader an accurate picture of what a great athlete he is, but he truly is just as impressive as a young man with a big heart and big things ahead of him, starting off next year at the University of Toronto. Well done, Tristan!”

Clayton Woodruff (Senior Boys Rugby): “I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Tristan Hynes for his most recent achievement as North Peace Secondary School male athlete of the year. It has been my privilege to know and coach Tristan at rugby. I know it was disappointing for him to miss his grade 12 season due to all the unusual circumstances going on. Despite this unfortunate turn of events, I know that Tristan will go on to succeed at whatever he decides to put his mind to. Tristan is very driven and serious about his education and his athletics. Tristan has a passion for rugby that infects and inspires the whole team. He is team-orientated, never misses practice, takes direction well, and above all works at keeping his mind and body in top shape. He is his own worst critic and will accept only his best efforts. He is competitive, humble, and leads by example. Tristan has definitely earned the title of 2020 NPSS male athlete of the year. He has put hours and hours into the 7 am workouts pushing his teammates and coaches to new levels at weights and rowing in the gym. Throughout the year Tristan has excelled in volleyball, track, rugby, and wrestling. Tristan is also an excellent student and is an above-average citizen. I will truly miss having this fine young man around and I look forward to seeing where his ambitions lead him.   Congratulations Tristan, I wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors”

Tyson Lyons (Senior Boys Volleyball): “Coaching Tristan was an honour. Every step he took in my gym was a step towards a goal he’d set for himself personally. He would show up early to practice to work on his academics or help out with the team practicing before us, and I would see him in the gym lifting weights before practice as well. He’s a multi-sport athlete as well, and would balance his other sports while playing volleyball. Tristan is a very focused and determined person and I know that he will excel in whatever the future holds with him. Good luck at U of T and congratulations on Athlete of the Year and graduating from NPSS!”

Outstanding Athletic Performance: Kane Schreiner 

This award is given to a student who was able to contribute and display outstanding, consistent, performance throughout the school season or who achieved outstanding recognition for their level of play. 

In our first cross country race of the season, Kane Schreiner sustained a potentially season-ending calf injury. While he still managed to finish the race in 3rd place, the injury sidelined him for most of the season. At first, he was barely able to walk, let alone run or train. Even though it was a disappointing start to the season, Kane maintained a positive mindset and the attitude that he was going to be well enough to compete at Zones. This positive attitude and willingness to persevere carried him through a handful of practices at the end of the season, and eventually to the North District Zone Championships… where he finished in 2nd place on a wet, snowy course and qualified for Provincials. 

At the BC Provincial Cross Country Championships in Abbotsford, there were 281 athletes competing in the Junior Boys Category. After sitting out almost the entire season, Kane pulled off the comeback of the year and finished in 28th place with a time of 14:06.

Kane: Congratulations on this outstanding achievement. We look forward to watching you grow as an athlete in the years to come!