Submitted by the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association
The Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association is excited to announce the recipients of the 2021 Alexander Josephson Memorial Scholarships (hockey) and the Garrett Lee Sidor Memorial Scholarship (basketball), All MHSAA member schools from across Manitoba were invited to nominate individuals from their respective high school hockey and basketball teams.
The Alexander Josephson Memorial Scholarship is awarded in honour of Alexander Josephson, a student at St. John’s Ravenscourt School, who tragically passed in a car accident in 2005. Alexander was a member of the 2003 Provincial Hockey Championship team and was selected as a Provincial All-Star. The recipients of this scholarship are students who demonstrate strong leadership and team play, high scholastic standing, a hard-working attitude, and who are proceeding to a post-secondary institution. A male and female high school hockey student athlete each receive a $2,000 scholarship.
Trinity Grove of Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary School maintains a 98% academic average while participating with the Lord Selkirk Royals in hockey and basketball. She is a multi-sport athlete and a multi-positional hockey player. Trinity was named the 2020 WWHSHL CTV Division Defenseman of the Year. Trinity also competes with the Winnipeg Avros, at centre, where she has been recognized numerous times for her hockey accomplishments. Her hockey IQ and relentless work ethic has landed her spot on both the power play and penalty kill. Trinity has signed with the University of Regina Cougars Women’s hockey team for 2021-2022. She has the younger players on her team looking up to her and you can see they want to have the same impact on the ice that she has. Trinity understands the game of hockey and can break it down for others. Trinity was also named to Team Manitoba’s 19U female basketball team for the 2020 North American Indigenous Games.
Ben Talbot of Dauphin Regional Comprehensive Secondary School maintains an academic average of 85%. Ben has an infectious positive and upbeat attitude that made him a very popular teammate. During league play over Ben’s three seasons with the high school team he was a perfect 15-0 with a 1.36 GAA. Ben is always one of the first members of the team to volunteer for team activities in the community no matter how big or small. He is well known at the local Dauphin Lake Golf Resort where you can find him over the summer working on his game and doesn’t hesitate to offer younger golfers tips and advice. Ben works at Parkland Source For Sports and takes pride in helping everyone in the Parkland area find the equipment they need to enjoy the sport they play. Ben has led by example in the dressing room and on the ice. He is the hardest worker in practice and games doing whatever the coaches ask of him. The younger players on the team looked up to him and he helped mold the next goalies for future Dauphin Clippers’ teams.
The Garett Lee Sidor Memorial Scholarship is named after Garrett, who was a student athlete at Windsor Park Collegiate. Garett tragically passed in May 2007, just a couple months after his Windsor Park Royals captured the AAA Provincial Basketball Championship, where he was selected as an All-Star. Garrett was an all-around athlete who participated in hockey, volleyball, and basketball. Garett’s friends and family have come together to put a $750 scholarship in his name to be awarded to a male high school basketball student athlete each year.
Daren Watts of Miles Macdonell Collegiate: “Daren is an outstanding basketball player whose skill, passion, commitment, and attitude embody the characteristics I remember fondly in Garett” says coach Jeff Shaddock. Manitoba Basketball Great Martin Riley has observed Daren and remarked on how hard, efficient, and focused Daren is when training. Daren has played on the varsity basketball team for two years and played for both for the Attack and Attack Academy Club. He has done scorekeeping in the men’s league and WMBA youth tournaments, a volunteer at Youth Broadway Outreach, and works with elementary children to help them with homework in a mentorship role. Daren also worked with the Attack Academy basketball program training youth players and has done 1 on 1 training with youth for the WMBA. In 2021, Daren was featured in the Winnipeg Sun as one of the top high school players in Manitoba. Daren maintains an academic average of 85% and has signed with the University of Manitoba Bisons’ basketball team.
