The 10th annual Isfeld Ice athletic banquet was a big hit. In more ways than one.
Leading off was Taylor Green, the Ice's first-ever inductee into their newly-initiated Hall of Fame, who sandwiched two big hits of his own around the June 7 high school event.
Green belted his first Major League Baseball home run on June 6 and followed that up with another round-tripper on June 8 in helping the Milwaukee Brewers to a pair of wins.
Green sent a video acceptance speech while his parents, Jacquie and Bill, accepted the award on his behalf. Isfeld athletic director Colin Cunningham said Green's first big league dinger was shown on the big screen at the banquet to rousing applause from all 234 in attendance.
Cunningham said that was one of many highlights noted at the banquet. "We had 296 different students in our athletic program. For a school of just over 900, that is almost one in three students taking part in some way."
Among the highlights for the 34 Ice teams:
• Girls snowboarding team brought home their second provincial championship in three years while boys snowboarding and girls and boys ski teams were Island champions; Lena Hottner was the top girls skier on Vancouver Island all year
• Grade 8 girls and boys basketball teams went undefeated in the district and finished tops in the North-North Vancouver Island Zone
• Senior boys soccer advanced to the Islands for the first time and came within a game of the Provincials
• Senior boys basketball won their own tournament, made the North Island final and finished fifth on the Island
• Senior girls basketball won more games than any previous season and came within a game of qualifying for Islands
• Girls field hockey comprised of mostly Grade 10s and 11s tied the powerhouse South Island teams including Shawnigan Lake who went on to win the provincials
• Senior girls volleyball, a team of seven players, hosted Islands finishing third and went on to finish 11th at provincials
• Junior boys soccer had 38 players and split into two teams, finishing fourth at the Islands
• Junior boys basketball played in seven tournaments totalling over 25 games, won their local league and finished second in the area playoff tournament
• Grade 8 boys volleyball went through their season losing only two games
• Grade 8 girls volleyball dominated local league play and competed in tournaments as two separate teams
• Junior girls basketball won multiple tournaments, finishing third at North Islands, hosting Islands and rallying to finish an amazing second place, losing only to provincial champion Oak Bay and becoming the first Junior team at Isfeld to qualify for a provincial championship
• Junior girls soccer finished second on the Island.
"Another few highlights were recognizing two 'Stars of the Future,' Grade 8 Lauren Carr who won first place all around at the provincial gymnastics competition and Grade 8 Torin Halverson who played junior soccer and ran cross-country, recently running a sub 40 minute 10K.
"As well Nigel Ellsay, a Robson Award winner, is currently in France cycling for Canada's National Team. The night ended appropriately with SD71 superintendent Sherry Elwood presenting a plaque of appreciation to principal Bill Village who is retiring this year and has been a wonderful supporter of athletics in the district throughout his career," Cunningham said.
"Thank you to Plates Catering, Aero Art and Engrave for wonderful service and to Safeway for donating our feature cake for dessert again this year," Cunningham added.
– Isfeld athletics