January 29, 2015 – Sport BC, on behalf of the BC Sport community, proudly announced the outstanding amateur athletes, coaches, and officials, named as finalists for 13 of the 18 award categories to be presented at the upcoming Athlete of the Year Awards, founded by Sport BC.

The 49th Annual Awards Ceremony and Gala dinner is set for Thursday, March 12th, 2015 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The ceremonies will recognize BC’s best in amateur sport including athletes, coaches, and officials for outstanding performances in their sport over the 2014 season. Each finalist was nominated by their Provincial or Multi-Sport Organization, High School, College or University. The 2014 Selection Committee, chaired by Bernie Pascall, included 15 highly regarded sportswriters, broadcasters, and amateur sport leaders in British Columbia.

“A significant number of very strong nominations for each of the categories were received this year,” notes Sport BC President & CEO, Rob Newman. “The Athlete of the Year Awards provides a great opportunity to recognize these talented and deserving athletes, coaches and officials. In 2013, Sport BC partnered with ProMOTION Plus in adding the Female Coach of the Year Award category, ensuring that we continue to strive for gender equity in sport while encouraging girls and women to take on strong leadership roles in our community.

“This year’s nominees in all of the award categories are certainly a testament to the strength and depth of sport in our province. So too is the amazing support that we have received this year from our sport and business partners. In celebration of 2015 as the Year of Sport, we are excited to kick off the New Year with recognizing the extraordinary athletes that represent our country and province through sport.”

Cycling finalists for the 49th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards are noted as follows:

Female Junior Athlete of the Year Maggie Coles-Lyster (Maple Ridge) Male Junior Athlete of the Year Alex Tougas (Pitt Meadows) Male Senior Athlete of the Year Tory Nyhaug (Coquitlam) Team of the Year Canadian Team Pursuit (Laura Brown, Jasmin Glaesser, Stephanie Roorda)

TICKET INFORMATION: For information on the purchase of a table or individual tickets for the 49th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards, please visit www.sportbc.com

About the Athlete of the Year Awards

The Athlete of the Year Awards, founded by Sport BC, is the longest standing amateur sport recognition event in the country. Awards in 18 different categories are given each year to athletes, coaches, and officials on their performance and contribution to sport in the province of British Columbia. The awards play a valuable role in nurturing athletic success while recognizing extraordinary accomplishments in BC.