WESPY Awards Announce Early Winners, Nominees and Soccer Award Renaming
With the 19th annual Windsor/Essex County Sports Persons of the Year (WESPY) Awards just three weeks away, organizers have unveiled a series of early announcements that include nominees, initial winners, and a significant renaming of a key award. The announcements were made on Tuesday during a breakfast event at the Mercuri Room at Caesars Windsor, setting the stage for the main ceremony scheduled for April 21 at the Caboto Club.
Soccer Award Renamed in Honor of Sasho Cirovski
In a notable development, the WESPY Award honoring the region's top soccer players has been renamed in honor of Sasho Cirovski. The 63-year-old Windsor native has built an impressive legacy as the head coach of the University of Maryland men's soccer team, guiding them to three NCAA national titles. Cirovski was also a standout player locally before his coaching career took off.
"With the soccer theme, we were looking at the best to come out of Windsor," said WESPY founder Dominic Papa, explaining the decision to honor Cirovski with the award's naming rights.
Legacy Award Winners Announced
The legacy awards recipients have been confirmed, with former Canadian Para Rugby standout Mike Whitehead earning the nod on the men's side. On the women's side, Yvette Temple received the award for her countless years of dedicated work with Windsor West Baseball.
In the volunteer categories, Nicole Coffey was named female volunteer of the year for her work with the Windsor Clippers and Windsor Warlocks lacrosse organizations. Ben Balkwill earned the male volunteer of the year award for his contributions to track and field and swimming programs.
Additional Award Winners Revealed
Frank Jeney received the Ken Dryden executive of the year award for his stewardship of the University of Windsor Lancers' baseball squad. Meanwhile, Brent Webster and Bruce Carter will share the official of the year award, recognizing their contributions to sports officiating in the region.
Athlete of the Year Nominees
Finalists for the prestigious athlete of the year awards were also announced. On the women's side, nominees include track and field standout Ella Steel-Douglas, Victoria Walsh from the St. Clair Saints' women's soccer team, runner Anieu Chan from Massey High School and the Windsor Legion, and Anna Pozzi from Holy Names High School.
The men's side features Mazin Tiea from St. Clair basketball, Markus Law-Heese from Lancer volleyball, boxer Jayden Trudell, and quarterback Matt Guenette from St. Clair football.
Coach of the Year Nominees
Three coaches have been nominated for the Joel Quenneville coach of the year award: the Windsor Selects' Al Bernacchi, St. Clair women's soccer's Steve Vagnini, and Laurie Horne-Klassen from the Leamington Skating Club.
Selection Process Challenges
WESPY founder Dominic Papa acknowledged the difficulty of the selection process, noting that some categories presented particular challenges for the committee.
"It's always tough," Papa said. "Some categories are pretty straightforward, but some are tougher than others. There were some tough decisions. There are always three or four categories that the committee just pulls their hair out over and they do a lot of research and homework."
The awards ceremony will feature Alessandro Del Piero, who helped Italy win the FIFA World Cup in 2006, as the keynote speaker. The event promises to celebrate the best of Windsor/Essex County sports talent across multiple disciplines and age groups.
