Community Recognition Award Recipients 2024

Stratford City Council presented its Community Recognition Awards on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at the Stratford Rotary Complex Community Hall.

The annual awards night is an opportunity for City Council to recognize and congratulate local individuals and teams on their outstanding accomplishments over the past year.

Here are the award recipients for 2024:

Girl Guides, Canada Cord Award
Audrey Riehl, Lily Milliken

Beavers, North Star Award
Gus Belford, James Chartrand, Ethan Trussler, Logan Trussler

Swimming
Amiera Black, Silas Campbell

Special Olympics Stratford and Area
Special Olympics Canada National Winter Games
5-pin Bowling - Mike Keleman
Floor Hockey – Mike Hitchcock
Curling – Jane Larkworthy (Coach), Dorie Woolrich (Coach), Tiffany Keller, Curtis Bender, Dylan Haynes, Meghan O’Donovan, Jacob Ponsford

Tennis - Stratford Tennis Club - 54th Annual Regional Doubles Tournament:
Kim Straus & Heidi Pope-Kis – Ladies “A” title
Joan Aitcheson & Stacy Smith – Ladies “B” title
Liam Benton & Mark Barton – Men’s “B” Final

Gymnastics
Lydia Pyzowski, Silver Medal at Gymnastics Ontario

Canada Senior Games
Velma Hansford – Silver in 65+ Pickleball
Janet Shivas – Silver in 65+ Pickleball
Mary Dingman – Silver in 80+ Low Gross Golf

Basketball
U13 Boys – Stratford Revolution – OBA Gold Championship
Head Coach- Dave Faulhafer, Assistant Coach Rob Mogk, Assistant Coach Graham Heaton
Players: Mason Douglas, Caleb Faulhafer, Ethan Faulhafer, Archie Francis, Will Heaton, Ledoux Keumoe, Jack Lichty, Blake Mogk, Brayden Peters, Dilip Singh, Brent Van nes
 
U17 Boys – Stratford Revolution – OBA Gold Championship
Team Coaches: Scott Brookshaw, Nathan Brookshaw, Julia Brookshaw
Players: Adit Mishra, Nate Bannerman, James Aul, Hunter deBoer, James Villapando, Noel Hallman, Dylan Murray, Gurveer Singh, Declan Dumas, Liam Eddleston, Owen Carr, Josh Villapando
 
U19 Boys – Stratford Revolution – OBA Silver Medalists
Head Coach: Joe Lewis, Assistant Coach: Avery Lewis, Team Manager: Jen Lewis
Players: Kody Eisler, Andrew Leitch, Kabir Aulakh, Charlie Kuepfer, John McCormick, Will Korver, Emerson Lewis, Josh Boyd, Jake Hawkeswood, Edmund Sauder, Jacob Tuling, Lincoln Perrie

Fencing  - Stratford Fencing Club Athletes
Blake Degroot, Spencer Orr, Ellie Davies, Quintin Vollmer, Scott Bell, Cohen Bernard, Joshua Kim, Gordon Ye

Stepdancing
First Place – 18 and Under ‘Solo’, Ontario Open Competition
Kensington Ische

First Place – “In Step”, Ontario Open Stepdance Competition
Kensington Ische, Ellie Shantz, Julie McEvoy

First Place - Tip Tap Toes – Jr Group Stepdance, Canadian Open Contest
Sabelle Ische, Zephy Goodwin, Eden Goodwin

Kart Racing
Aristeides (Ari) Theodoropoulos

Ontario Music Festival
Gordon Scot Miller & Gordon Paul Miller, 1^st Place in Contemporary Piano
Emile Grimes, 1^st Place in Classical Brass Level 6

Volleyball
Tyson Cassone, represented Canada at the NORCECA Championships on Team Canada U19 Volleyball Team

Stratford Stingers Volleyball
18U Girls – Gold in Division
Head Coach - Chris Parson, Assistant Coach - Jenna Lange
Players: Emelyn Collins, Virgina Will, Eva Patterson, Breanna Van Nes, Ella De Graaf, Ellen Thorup, Ella Spicer, Aydrie Groenestege, Lauren McKay, Ella Van Bakel, Milayna Mulder, Pihu Sharma, Summer Emms

Slingshot Softball
Robbie Gibson, Mike Lamers, Bevan Mathieson

Boys Baseball
Stratford Minor Baseball Association
Ontario Baseball Association Provincial Championships 

10U “B” Provincial Championship
Coach Jon Paola, Coach Jeff Molenhuis, Coach Scott Leyser, Coach Mark Bell
Coach Chris Smith
Players: Bentley Cunningham, Bentley Paola, Brady Casey, Dylan Hansen, Henry Leyser, Korben Bowles, Louie Domm, Louis Molenhuis, Maddux Groenestege, Maddux Smith, Roman Bell
 
18U “A” Provincial Championship
Coach Don Grasby, Coach Matt Berger, Coach Ryan Wagler
Players: Andrew Leitch, Beckham McLeod, Blake Hodgson, Brett Knechtel, Brynley Vogt, Carter Koch, Colin Slattery, Grady Murphy, Hutton Patterson, Jackson Campbell, Kieran Butler, Liam McEvoy, Nick Betto, Noah McIlwain, Noah Roth, Nolan Trainor
 
22U “B” Provincial Championship
General Manager Dave Graff, Field Manager Brian Hawley, Coach Barry Grasby, Coach John McIntosh, Coach Jeff Morris
Players: Nathan Graff, Spencer Eidt, Jack Whitehead, Evan Heinbuch, Owen Akey, Hunter Reid, Sam Bolger, Nole Musselman, Jacob Hall, Will Murphy, Carson Habel, Trent Dearden, Connor McIntosh, Jake Heinbuch, Conor Davis, Liam Parsons, Drew Tessmer, Luke Murray, Kale Murray

Softball
Karlee Satchell, Qualifying for the U17 Girls Canadian Championship 

Stratford Minor Girls Softball – Stratford Flames Championships
U11 – Ontario Provincial Championship
Coaches: Courtney Canal, Matt Roberts, Ross Herold, Tyler Canal
Players: Avery Canal, Avery Kelly, Pierce MacNeil, Kiyah Marshall, Mya Herold, Lenna Roberts, Aubrey Vail, Nora Frayne, Sydney Hall, Emily Ewing, Lauren Masselis
 
U13 – Eastern Canadian Championship
Coaches: Jenn Marshall, Barb Wilhelm, Carolyn Quehl, Lori Hartman
Players: Avree Marshall, Alyssa Graham, Delia Buchholtz, Abby Herold, Alise Crawford, Ciana McLaren, Reese Flanagan, Julia Glitz, Milana Verellen, Hallee Priestap, Gracie Neumeister, Scoty Lewis

Soccer – Stratford Strikers, League Championships
U13 – League Championships
Coach Catherine Walsh, Coach Scott Herman
Players: Elena Hogger, Jessica Blake, Lilly Harrigan, Janey Van Straaten, Edie Murray, Reese Campbell, Kinsley McIntosh, Grace Elliott, Bailey Fergus, Payton Herman, Madison Brisbois, Myla Burdett, Hazel Shantz-Walsh, Ava Langis, Peyton Ward, Ashley Van Straaten, Peyton Van Straaten
 
U15 – League Championships
Head Coach - Lindsay Marshall, Assistant Coach - Mike Janmaat
Players: Addison De Groot, Chloe Rison, Emma Groenestege, Emma Van Nes, Eve Binns, Julia Luk, Krista McMahon, Lydia Janmaat, Maeve Moss, Maren Marshall, Meghan Jongert, Mollie Hannam, Paige Witschi, Savanna Pereira, Sophia Pereira, Sophie Smith, Sutton Olmstead

Stratford Junior Warriors – U10 Alliance AA Championship
Head Coach Jeff Molenhuis; Assistant Coaches Kyle Casey, Chris Smith, Mike Holmes
Manager Jon Paola, Trainer Dalton Smith
Players: Roman Bell, Oliver Berg, Brady Casey, Louie Domm, Archer Ehgoetz, Lucas Holmes, Ethan Hummel, Nash Knight, Finley McKee, Louis Molenhuis, Bentley Paola, Connor Parsons, Josh Peck, Beau Smith, Maddux Smith, Cater Van Nynatten, Finley Welsh

Dragon Boating
Stratford Women’s 2.0 – 100m Sprint – Stratford Dragon Boat Festival
Melissa Rood, Ruth Lacey, Deborah Lount, Alexandra Stephens, Chelsea Raymond, Heidi Flikkema, Heather Herman, Cathy Russell, Leah Carinci, Veronica Miller, Mary Brunk, Ann Sills, Jessicca Macintosh, Rachel Chamberlain, Sue Wakelin, Heather Martin, Gabby Arkett, Claire Boles, Julia McLeod, Georgina Zaharuk, Michelle Good, Steve Herman, Don Kirkpatrick, Ken Gene, Jutta Pearson

Ritz Dragons – A Final & Community Cup Winner – Stratford Dragon Boat Festival,
Amanda Martin, Yanick Bourassa, Jaxon Martin, Paige Holdsworth, Clara Leney, Jodi McLean, Jennifer Clements, Claire Heckman, Rhiannon Ball, Phil Phillips, Alex Boersen, Dean Heckman, Josh Forbes, Bryan Tyler, Matt Theoret, Mike Graff, Adam Boersen, Sarah Pukal, Sarah Beluzic, Melissa Theoret, Erica Sayles, Kathleen Hickson, Pati Fader, Nick Pauli, Gulam Rhotumatally