HIGH ACHIEVERS: Ottawa athletes, officials, medical personnel earn piles of recognition in piles of sports

By Martin Cleary

Have you noticed the days of the week aren’t just Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday anymore?

It seems every day has a subtitle to honour a certain something. Many events are put on the pedestal every day for their annual viewing, some serious and some funny. The website daysoftheyear.com has the complete daily list.

Sunday of this week was Christmas Book Day and National Eat a Red Apple Day, among others. Monday’s lengthy list included National Mutt Day and Cyber Monday. Tuesday’s honour roll featured International Day of Persons with Disabilities, World Trick Shot Day and Giving Tuesday.

Did you celebrate National Cookie Day and National Sock Day on Wednesday? Thursday touched a significant part of our population as International Volunteer Day and National Sacher Torte Day. (I made a Sacher Torte cake many years ago for my wife’s birthday.)

On Friday, we stepped back for a moment and reflected about the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women to commemorate 35 years since the Montreal Massacre, where 14 women were killed and 13 others were injured at Polytechnique Montréal.

High Achievers would like to celebrate Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, as ‘Ottawa Sports Recognition Day’ for the wide variety of people in our community, who recently have been honoured in some way. Here are the ones we know about. I’m sure there are many more out there. If so, please let us know.

JIM DAVIDSON, golf

It was rather fitting Jim Davidson was named Golf Quebec’s volunteer of the year for 2024 on Thursday, which was International Volunteer Day.

Two years ago, he also was honoured with a similar volunteer award by Golf Ontario, when he received the Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Award.

“It’s a great honour for me to be recognized by Golf Quebec. It came as a big surprise,” Davidson, 64, said in a phone interview on Friday. “Most of the work I do is focused on the Ottawa Valley Golf Association (which is part of Golf Quebec).”

Davidson has spent the past 10 years on the OVGA board of directors. The director of player development from 2017 to 2022, he has performed a variety of operational and administrative roles with the association.

Junior golf was one of his main targets. He was the OVGA junior development team manager for five years and spearheaded First Tee – Premier Depart – Girls Golf to attract more young females into the game.

Davidson also was instrumental in developing the OVGA Regional Junior Tour and establishing an Introduction Tour for new players.

Golf Canada recently welcomed Davidson onto its rules committee, after he sat on the Golf Quebec rules committee from 2016 to 2024.

Davidson also is a qualified golf referee and attended his first United States Golf Association event in July, when he served at the U.S. Adaptive Open Championships near Wichita, Kansas. In September, he was the referee at the Canadian All Abilities Championship at Timber Ridge Golf Course.

HUGO DJEUMENI, football

For the second straight year, Tabor Academy football running back Hugo Djeumeni was named the MVP of the Independent School League for prep schools in New England. He shared the award in 2023.

Djeumeni’s stats were out of this world for his nine-game 2024 season. The former St. Matthew High School student-athlete carried the ball 224 times for an amazing 2,140 yards and 35 touchdowns.

He also led the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council with his rushing and touchdown numbers for a second consecutive year. The council selected Djeumeni to its All-New England all-star team for a second straight time.

After Tabor finished second in the ISL at 7-1 this season, the Seawolves defeated Dexter Southfield 48-20 in the Kevin MacDonald Bowl game. Djeumeni scored the first three touchdowns of the bowl game and ran for 195 yards on 18 touches.

In 2023, Djeumeni rushed for 2,026 yards on 190 carries in nine games and made 32 receptions for 327 yards. He finished with 32 touchdowns.

Djeumeni has committed to attend Yale University for the 2024-25 academic year and play for the Bulldogs.

SAM McKAY, baseball

Two years ago, Sam McKay played for Watson Elite Baseball and was the youngest player at 16 years old during the Canadian Futures Showcase at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

The right-handed pitcher has committed to attending Canisius College and play NCAA Division 1 baseball for the Golden Griffins for 2025-26. McKay, whose fastball is approaching 90 miles an hour, played this past season for the Toronto Mets of the Canadian Premier Baseball League.

ALEX CATAFORD, cycling

Ottawa’s Alex Cataford has returned to his former team, Israel-Premier Tech, but he won’t be riding in the peleton.

This time, Cataford has signed a contract to be one of the team’s two new sports directors. His new role will be to sit in the team car and provide guidance for his riders during races. Cataford competed with Israel-Premier Tech for four years.

GRACE STREEK and QUINN COUGHLIN, athletics

A product of the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club, Grace Streek has agreed to attend Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and compete for the Redhawks’ cross-country and track teams.

In 2024, the Peak Centre Academy student won gold medals at the Athletics Ontario U18 championships in the 2,000-metre steeplechase and 3,000-metre races. She also captured gold at the 2024 OFSAA high school championships in the 2,000-metre steeplechase and was the silver medallist over 3,000 metres.

Opeongo High School’s Quinn Coughlin is heading to Fort Collins, Colorado, to attend Colorado State University and race for the Rams.

This past outdoor season, Coughlin, who also wears Lions colours, was first in women’s 400-metre hurdles at the Canadian U20 track and field championships and also was a gold medalist at the Athletics Ontario U20 meet in the 400-metre hurdles and the 400 metres.

CANADA EAST HOCKEY PLAYERS

Five players from the Central Canada Hockey League or Ottawa have been named to the Canada East team for the seven-day 2024 World Junior A Hockey Challenge, which will start Monday in Camrose, AB.

The team will include forwards Shaan Kingwell of Ottawa and the Navan Grads, Brayden Besner of Casselman and the Hawkesbury Hawks, Cameron Menard of Carp and the Espanola Rivermen, and Kimani Eccleston of Brampton, ON., and the Brockville Braves.

The defence will have Nolan Turnbull of Ottawa and the Rockland Nationals.

HOCKEY EASTERN ONTARIO OFFICIALS

In advance of the International Ice Hockey Federation world junior U20 championships at the Canadian Tire Centre, there will be plenty of pre-tournament action.

Hockey Eastern Ontario has announced its officiating assignments for one Team Canada controlled scrimmage, two games between Team Canada and the U Sports All-Stars and seven exhibition matches between various countries.

The HEO referees are: Jacob Lamothe, Dave Borden, Tyson Stewart, Brendan Schreider, Charlie Millen, Pat Smith, Sean Reid, TJ Courtney, Brendan Bujold, Chad White, Matt MacPherson, Marco Azzano, Simon Boudreau, Scott Loney and Derek Loney.

The linesmen are: Antoine Bujold-Roux, Geremi Cote St-Cyr, Marcus Almeida, Shane Nakic, Bryson Beauchamp, Noah Bouchard, Charlie Millen, Hunter Gaspar, Mateo Donato, Niall Carkner, Joey Kramar, Matt MacPherson, Shawn Oliver, Jacob Lamothe, Zach Moulton, Rayne Cram and Garrett Merrill.

The games will be played at TD Place, the Canadian Tire Centre, Nick Smith Centre in Arnprior, the Brockville Memorial Centre and the Bob Hartley Arena in the Hawkesbury Sportsplex.

PARA HOCKEY CUP PLAYERS

A trio of past local Paralympians have again been selected to represent Canada internationally. Sledge Hockey of Eastern Ontario products Rob Armstrong, Anton Jacobs-Webb and Tyrone Henry will be wearing the maple leaf from Dec. 8-14 in Charlottetown.

The Canadians are the reigning world champions after their upset earlier this year of Team USA, which has won the last four Paralympics.

REGAN RATHWELL, swimming

The University of Tennessee’s Regan Rathwell of Ashton, ON., has been named to the Canadian team for next week’s world short-course swimming championships in Budapest.

A backstroke swimmer, Rathwell raced for Canada at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris and was 22nd in the women’s 200-metre backstroke.

NADINE SMITH and CRISSY McPHEE, FISU Games

For the fifth time in her career, Nadine Smith of Carleton University will be part of the Canadian medical team for a FISU World University Games. Her next assignment is the Winter Games in Torino, Italy, Jan. 13-23.

Smith will serve as the chief therapist on the national team for a second time.

The University of Ottawa’s Crissy McPhee will be a core medical team member.

“I’m looking forward to working with this fantastic team of medical professionals,” Smith said in a U Sports press release. “We are going to provide the best care and give every Canadian athlete an opportunity to perform to their optimum. We can’t wait.”

BRIANNA HENNESSY, James Worrall Flag Bearer Award

Canada’s first-ever Paralympic paracanoe medallist Brianna Hennessy received the Petro-Canada James Worrall Flag Bearer Award on Tuesday evening at the Canadian Museum of History after carrying the maple leaf at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Closing Ceremonies.

Canadian Olympians and Paralympians also received rings at the event and over 180 were feted the next day at snowy Parliament Hill by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of Sport Carla Qualtrough and many other Members of Parliament.

Hennessy, who paddled to silver at the Paralympics in the women’s VL2 va’a canoe 200 metres, quickly caught a plane after the ceremony, headed back to Paris to participate in the Women’s Cup international wheelchair rugby tournament.

Hennessy won bronze with a Canadian entry in the last Women’s Cup, which provides a rare elite-level competition for female players. Wheelchair rugby is a mixed sport in the Paralympics, but most teams are made up almost entirely of male players.

Canada did not send its own team to the Cup this year, so Hennessy will be part of an at-large entry along other international players, who speak several different languages. Hennessy planned to take an overnight flight so she could first attend the festivities back at home, and then play her first game the same day as she arrives.

“Never done anything like this before,” Hennessy reported by email. “Travel is very hard for me and I always take a full day off after travel before doing anything. I am the high-pointer ball carrier, so the pressure will be on!

“Will do my best though. I’m going there to support the movement of women in rugby/sport/having opportunities like the guys.”

– with files from Dan Plouffe