Simon Fraser University golfer Bret Thompson is going head-to-head with NHL star Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks and three others for 2014 Manitoba Male Athlete of the Year.
Thompson, a junior on the Clan’s varsity men’s golf team, was named Golf Manitoba amateur golfer of the year after he won the Manitoba match play championship, tied for seventh in the Nott Autocorps provincial men's amateur championship, and had an eighth place tie as low Manitoban in the Canadian men's amateur championship.
With the Clan, Thompson played a key role in the Clan's historic 2013-14 season that saw the program advance to the NCAA Division II national championship for the first time in just the program's second year of NCAA eligibility. The Clan finished in 17th place.
Toews also had a pretty good year.
Toews scored the winning goal in Canada's 3-0 gold medal victory in the Winter Olympics over Sweden. He also became the third player in Chicago Blackhawks’ history to record more than 20 goals and 40 assists in each of his first seven seasons.
Toews had 68 points in 76 regular season games, plus a career-high nine goals and eight assists in last season's playoffs, including four game-winning goals. Toews was a previous winner of the Manitoba athlete of the year award in 2007 and 2013.
The other three finalists are from football, curling and basketball.
Nic Demski was a CIS second team All-Canadian and the first Bison player to achieve all-Canadian distinction four times. He had 589 pass receiving yards and 923 yards all-purpose this season, scored six touchdowns, and was first in the CIS and Canada West in pass receiving average at 21.8 yards.
Demski was a major offensive threat in sparking the Bisons to the Canada West Hardy Cup title, and a narrow loss to Montreal in the Uteck Bowl, the Vanier Cup semi-final.
Ryan Fry, a two-time Manitoba junior curling champion, joined the Brad Jacobs’ rink from Sault Ste. Marie as its third in 2012, and was a key player in helping win the 2013 Brier and 2013 Olympic Trials. He was considered a catalyst in the team's gold-medal victory in the Sochi Winter Olympics, and had a stellar shot-making percentage in a 9-3 win over Great Britain's David Murdoch in the final of the Olympic tournament.
Selected as Basketball Manitoba's male athlete of the year, William Kohler was chosen as the national championship Most Valuable Player in leading Manitoba to a first-ever victory in the under-17 male championship. It was also the first time a Manitoba player has received that honour at the national level in this division.
The winner, chosen by sports journalists and media, will be declared at the 59th annual Manitoba Athletes/Team of the Year dinner on Sunday, Jan. 25th.
