After five long years of after-school practices, countless numbers of games, tournaments, races and competitions, four Grade 12 HSSS students were awarded for their hard work and dedication to high school athletics.
Normally, only one student from both the boys and girls high school sports walks away with Athlete of the Year honours, but with competition so tight, the awards were shared by the top two athletes in each category.
In the female division Lori Woodman and Heather Rochetta received the trophy for the top athlete during the 2003/04 school year, while Grade 12 students Jens Ourom and Max Roy shared top male honours.
Although the students excelled in one sport during their high school careers, they are all known as excellent all-around athletes, competing and participating in many other sports in Squamish and throughout the Lower Mainland.
Lori Woodman
Sports: basketball, soccer, volleyball, track & field
One of the best athletes of all time to attend HSSS, Woodman is the only athlete who has won Athlete of the Year every year since Grade 8. Throughout this incredible five-year run, Woodman has played all four sports with basketball as her number one.
"I'm very athletic - I can apply my natural skill to all the sports I play," she said.
Her favorite high school sports memory is playing on the senior girls basketball team in Grade 9. "The one year we had a really good team."
After she finishes up at HSSS, Woodman will be attending the University of Victoria on a basketball scholarship, and will be studying mechanical engineering as her major while minoring in biology.
Although Woodman was an outstanding athlete during her five years at HSSS, she couldn't have done it alone. Lori's twin sister Marnie was a driving force in her athletic life.
"My sister's been a great influence and an asset to all of our school sports - I think she deserves more recognition because she's a great athlete," Lori said.
Heather Rochetta
Sports: Mountain biking and cross-country running
Heather was a truly dominant force on the high school mountain bike circuit this year. She captured an impressive seven out of seven races on the North Shore Mountain Bike League series - a clean sweep of every single race in the girls division. At one race, she beat the next closest competitor by a whopping 12 minutes!
"I have big dreams," she said of her plans after high school. "I want to go to the World Championships in France next September."
To get there, Rochetta will have to place in the top five at the Canadian Nationals in July in Mont St. Anne in Quebec, a feat she is confident of accomplishing.
"If everything goes well, it shouldn't be a problem."
Rochetta plans to shape up for the Nationals by riding in all BC Cup events throughout the province this summer, and by competing in the Test of Metal.
"There's so many people to thank I can't even start. Paul Kindree's done a lot for me and my dad really takes care of me - he does everything for me," she said.
Rochetta is a fully-sponsored rider, who competes with the help of Tantalus Bike Shop, Giant bikes, Flash 5 and Vetta. She will also be attending UVic in the fall, studying in the faculty of humanities.
Max Roy
Sports: basketball, cross-country running, swimming and triathlon
"I grew up playing sports," said Roy. "I thoroughly enjoy playing them. It's not just to stay in shape, it's a way of life for me."
Max Roy won the male Athlete of the Year in 2003, and repeated the accomplishment again this year due to his strong all-around athletic ability. As the co-captain of the senior boys' basketball team, Roy led his team to a strong season and has been active in many other school sports.
"I didn't expect to win this year but I was glad to - it was very nice to be recognized again," he said.
Roy is another one of the athletic all-stars who will be undertaking his post-secondary education at UVic, studying Human Kinetics/ Kinesiology. Roy also swims competitively for the Squamish Pirates swim club, and competes as a triathlete. Last year, Roy took home the silver medal in his age group in the Squamish Triathlon.
"All of the sports have been great - it's been a good ride," Roy said of his time at HSSS. "Hopefully I'll be able to continue in the future."
Jens Ourom
Sports: basketball, soccer, cross-country running, mountain biking, swimming
For Jens Ourom, winning the Athlete of the Year honours was a long time in the making. After being denied a spot on the senior boys' basketball team in both Grade 10 and Grade 11, Ourom was given a position on the team in his final year and proved he was worthy of the designation.
Ourom was named co-captain of the team, and went on to win team MVP honours and was also named to the first-team all-star.
"It's nice to finally be recognized for a lot of hard work," said Ourom. "I'd like to thank my parents and teammates, and the teachers and coaches at HSSS - because without them nothing would ever happen at this school. I enjoyed everything here."
Ourom hopes to try out for the UBC basketball team, but will be heading to Capilano College in Vancouver to study exercise science.
Although he plays many other sports, he says he is most serious about basketball, because "it's the complete sport. You need endurance, strength, skill, intelligence and lots of hard work. It's a challenge because you have to work really hard to get good at it."
Other winners:
Female
Grade 8 - Michelle Rosser, Briana Ainsley
Junior - Melissa Johnstone
Senior - Lori Woodman, Heather Rochetta
Male
Grade 8 - Brett Miller
Junior - Brenden Rosser
Senior - Jens Ourom, Max Roy
Tim Dowler Service Award - Scott Yang, Gagandeep Kaler
