Harris, Scott named MSSA athletes of the year
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- Published on Sunday, January 27, 2013
myWestman.ca
The Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association doled out its yearly award winners on Sunday night in Winnipeg.
Andrew Harris, this year's runner-up for outstanding Canadian honours in the CFL, is the male athlete of the year for 2012.
Harris led the CFL in yards from scrimmage with 1,830, and with a total of 1,112 yards, was third in the league in rushing to earn a running back all-star selection. He scored 11 touchdowns, seven rushing and four by receiving. This is Harris' second straight athlete of the year, taking home the MSSA award in 2011.
Harris edged out Canadian Hockey League player of the year Brendan Shinnimin for the award. Other finalists for the award were Glenboro product Josh Wytinck, 20, who won the Manitoba men's amateur golf championship in July, volleyball player Dane Pischke and wheelchair basketball player Joey Johnson.
Joining Harris as the female athlete of the year is soccer sensation Desiree Scott, who was a prominent midfielder on Canada's bronze medallist women's soccer team in the London Summer Olympics. She played every minute in Canada's six games, and preserved the 1-0 victory over France in the bronze medal game, blocking a shot on the goalline. She was named the player of the match in Canada's two-all draw with Sweden to qualify for the quarter-finals. and now has played over 50 games for Canada in her soccer career.
Scott edged out rower Janine Hanson for the award. Other finalists were racquetball player Jennifer Saunders, women's hockey player Jocelyn Larocque and wheelchair racer Michelle Stillwell.
Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball club, who won the American Association championship, took home team of the year honours.
Led by playoff MVP Amos Ramon, the Goldeyes clinched their first championship by a Winnipeg professional sports franchise since a Goldeyes team won the Northern League baseball title in 1994.
The Pembina ValleyHawks, the Esso Cup Midget women's national hockey champions, finished in second place. The other finalists were Neepawa's Kelly Robertson and his curling team, the runners-up in the World senior men's championship after winning two straight Manitoba senior crowns, the Allan Cup winning South East Prairie Thunder and the FC Northwest soccer team that won city, provincial, and national titles in the under-18 division.
The Goldeyes were also in the spotlight as recipients of the Cactus Jack Wells Memorial Award for creating the largest impact on the Manitoba sports scene for their baseball championship last year. Completing the special night for the
Goldeyes, their veteran play-by-play announcer, Paul Edmonds, was inducted into the MSSA Media roll of honour, recognizing his lengthy service to the
sports community.
Meanwhile, Morris Glimcher, the executive director of the Manitoba High School Athletic Association, was saluted with the presentation of the Dallis Beck
Memorial Good Guy Award, for exceptional commitment to boosting high school athletics, and major support of the sports media in the province.
With files from MSSA release
