Moriarity top junior female again at Harbour Grace athletic awards
By Olivia Bradbury
The best of Harbour Grace’s athletic and volunteer community were honoured April 30 at the annual Sports Hall of Fame and Town Awards reception April 30 at the Danny Cleary Harbour Grace Community Centre.
Nice individuals and groups were celebrated including the induction of Ron Martin into the Sports Hall of Fame as a builder for his contributions to the development of minor soccer.
In addition to helping establish minor soccer, Martin coached and refereed, and also was heavily involved in the men’s soccer league.
The Mayor and Councillors Award went to the Splash Centre, which provides programs and support for Conception Bay North (CBN) youth.
“For 25 years, the Splash Centre committee and board have been at the heart of something truly special in Harbour Grace,” said Deputy Mayor Gary Baker. “What began as an idea has grown into a vital community hub. Their accomplishments speak volumes. The Splash Centre combines recreation, education, and social supports to help our youth thrive and stay connected to their community.”
The Paul Moriarty Memorial Sport Volunteer Award went to Jamie French, who volunteered with the St. Francis School junior high basketball team over the past three years, taking them to provincials twice. He has also assisted with the school’s year-end sports day. French is also part of the Splash Centre staff.
The Dick Power Memorial Award for Team of the Year went to the Harbour Grace Cold Storage Rowing Team. Guided by coxswain Fred Chafe, the team consists of 14 and 15-year-old boys. In 2025, the team rowed in all three regattas, coming first in both Placentia and Harbour Grace. At the St. John’s Regatta, their rowing was hindered by a build-up of weeds around their buoy. The boys ultimately came in second, but exhibited great sportsmanship and congratulated the first-place team; this was the main reason they were nominated for Team of the Year.
The 1992 Summer Games Scholarship went to Hunter Williams, who played volleyball at Carbonear Collegiate, serving as co-captain during Grade 12. He has since graduated with plans to become a physical education teacher, but volunteers at his old school as an assistant volleyball coach. It was not the first time Williams received an award from the Town of Harbour Grace and its sports museum as he was awarded 2024 Senior Male Athlete of the Year at last year’s reception.
For the second year in a row, the Sonia Williams Award for Junior Female Athlete of the Year went to Lily Moriarty, who excels at hockey, soccer, and volleyball. She was a member of the CTP Devils female hockey team that won the Provincial U15 A Championship in 2024. She also won provincial bronze with the Tri-Pen Ice AA U18 female hockey team. When it comes to soccer, she was on the CBN Lightning U15 female soccer team that won the Provincial Mega Tier 2 Tournament in Bay Roberts in 2025.
The Jamie Korab Award for Junior Male Athlete of the Year went to Simon Fortune. A member of the Harbour Grace Cold Storage Rowing Team, Fortune also participates in hockey, soccer, basketball, and cross-country. As part of the U15 AAA Tri-Pen Osprey hockey team, he and his team won gold at the 2025 Atlantic Cup. With the CBN team in the Newfoundland Soccer Association, he won gold in the 2025 Anchor Cup. A member of Carbonear Collegiate’s Grade 9 cross-country club, he placed in the top five at the Harvest Run.
The Doris Murcell Memorial Award for Senior Female Athlete of the Year went to Jade Bennett for the second consecutive year. Bennett has been a soccer official for various tournaments and is an instructor with the CBN Minor Soccer Association. She is also a member of the AAA gold medalist Carbonear Collegiate girls senior basketball team, and competes in soccer and cross-country for her school.
The final award, the S.W. Moores Memorial Award for Senior Male Athlete of the Year, went to Braeden Sullivan. Captain of the Avalon Minor Football team, the CBN Warriors, he was named MVP in 2025. He also played on the football team representing Team NL at the Atlantic Bowl. Sullivan coaches flag football, and played on Carbonear Collegiate’s boys volleyball team. Sullivan is also taking lifesaving courses, having earned his Bronze Medallion in 2025. He is on track to earn his Bronze Cross this year.
