Sask Sport has announced the finalists for the 40th Annual Saskatchewan Sport Awards Coach of the Year Award, including Ryan Jones, Mary Carroll and Tyrell Sawatzky, as well as Carla Nicholls, David Calam and Denise Fernandez as recipients of this year’s Coach Dedication Awards
In 2024, Sawatzky was recognized as Saskatchewan Athletics’ Coach of the Year for his effort in guiding Para athletes to set Canadian records in the F13 javelin, as well as the F56 javelin and shot put events. As one of two, Canadian diving coaches at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Carroll led one of her two athletes to claim an Olympic bronze medal. And Jones attended the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games as part of Team Canada’s coaching staff, along with three of his Para swimmers—one of which who claimed bronze—in addition to leading athletes to set 16 individual Canadian records and a world record.
Nicholls has been involved been involved in athletics for three decades, expanding the University of Regina’s track & field club and attending multiple Olympic and Paralympic Games in that time. Lawn bowling’s Calam has spent 31 years coaching multiple athletes through their time as youth participants to claiming national titles in adulthood. Meanwhile, Fernandez has guided numerous tennis athletes to achieve success on the international stage, while also focusing on provincial and high-performance development. The annual program celebrates the success and dedication of those in the province’s amateur sport community through two categories – Excellence Awards and Recognition Awards. The Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding event performances or a series of performances by a Saskatchewan athlete, coach or team within a given calendar year, while the Recognition Awards include the Volunteer and Coach Dedication Awards which honour individuals who have devoted their time and effort to the growth of sport in Saskatchewan.
The 40th Annual Saskatchewan Sport Awards will be celebrated with a gala on Jan. 30 at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon. Event details and ticket information can be found on the Sask Sport website.
The gala will honour the eight Recognition Awards recipients, as well as announce the recipients of the six Excellence Awards and celebrate those named as finalists.
The Coaches Association of Saskatchewan applauds all finalists and recipients.
The Saskatchewan Sport Awards will also be available for viewing live on Sask Sport’s YouTube and on SaskTel maxTV Local on Demand at a later date.
