Cowichan Secondary recognizes top athletes

Cowichan High School’s 43rd and final annual athletic banquet was held recently, honoring the school’s greatest and brightest athletes of the 2023-24 school year.

“This marks a pivotal moment for Cowichan Secondary Athletics as the school’s final athletic banquet as our new school has a new name: Quw’utsun Secondary School,” explained Director of Athletics Wendy Charles. “The Thunderbirds legacy will continue though, with pride and tradition that has been built up over many decades.”

This year’s big winner was the T-Birds’ Ellie Irvine, the epitome of what it means to be a student-athlete. Irvine was a seven-sport athlete in grades 11 and 12 at Cow High and finished her senior year with an 89% academic average to win the GD Corsan Scholar Athlete award and become the school valedictorian in 2024.

In addition to her academic accolades, she was the senior female athlete of the year as captain and MVP of the senior women’s basketball team, won the Pat Duncan Torch Award while on the senior women’s rugby team that won bronze at provincials, captained the senior girls’ soccer team and also played senior girls’ field hockey. The accomplished athlete was also Cow High’s 2022 Junior Female Athlete of the Year.

Jeremy Seymour was Cow High’s senior male athlete of the year after competing on eight sports teams in grades 11 and 12, including five in grade 12: volleyball, basketball, soccer, track and field and rugby.

As the school’s most outstanding male athlete, Seymour was a provincial athlete for both the 200m and relay teams. He was also an integral part of the senior boys basketball team, the provincial qualifying rugby team and was the senior boys volleyball MVP.

Chalaya Lambeth won Junior Athlete of the Year this year and chances are we’ll see her continue to be successful throughout the rest of her high school career.

Lambeth played in the bronze medal winning senior girls rugby team as well as being named Best Defender in the junior girls rugby team. She also played senior girls basketball, took home the junior girls basketball Outstanding Sportsmanship Award and won the Most Inspirational Award with the junior girls volleyball team.

The future is also bright for Junior Male Athlete of the Year, Declan Anderson. He played junior boys basketball, was the top back in junior boys rugby and played with the senior boys rugby team at provincials.

Reid Rowan, basketball star and team MVP, was named the Sportsman of the Year. In addition to basketball, Rowan played on the boys’ provincial rugby qualifying team as well as the boys’ soccer team and was a track and field athlete in grade 12.

For the second year in a row, Nicole Bautista took home the Eric and John Thomas (JT) Memorial Award for Outstanding Participation in the Athletic Council, presented by the Thomas Family.

Bautista played senior girls volleyball and badminton, but still made time for scorekeeping and refereeing.

“The award is named after brothers Eric and John Thomas (JT), who were athletes and pillars in our community, instrumental in promoting sports and community involvement,” explained Charles. “They were respected figures, dedicated to making a positive impact through their contributions to sport. Their legacy continues through the award, recognizing individuals who exemplify their passion and commitment to the sport.”

Charles said the athletic department looks forward to continuing the school’s success under the Quw’utsun Secondary School banner.

“Tradition begins with pride and we are so proud of all of our athletes who have made our athletic program a success,” Charles said.