Central Sport announces 2025 Sport Award winners

The Kings were unable to attend the ceremony over the weekend as they were competing in the 2026 CCAA National Championship, where they won their 15th national title.

The Red Deer Polytechnic Kings are the Pattison Media Team of the Year. The Kings had a remarkable run in the 2025 calendar year, amassing a 24-3 match record. They won the ACAC provincial title, as well as the 2025 CCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championship. They were undefeated in both the provincial and national championship events. Congratulations to the Kings on their remarkable run.

Red Deer Advocate Male Athlete of the Year – Colby Nemeth

Red Deer Kings volleyball star Colby Nemeth is the Red Deer Advocate Male Athlete of the Year. Nemeth was a man on a mission in 2025. He led Kings volleyball to an 18-1 regular season record and a provincial and national title. He also collected the ACAC South Player of the Year honour, as well as the CCAA Player of the Year award. He was also the ACAC overall Player of the Year. He was named the CCAA Championship MVP and CCAA All-Canadian, as well as the RDP Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year. In the regular season, He ranked first in ACAC Men’s Volleyball with 302 kills and 4.65 kills per set. He placed fourth in the league with 0.54 service aces per set. Nemeth contributed an impressive 364.5 points in the 2024-25 season.

Red Deer Advocate Female Athlete of the Year – Tricia Madourie

Tricia Madourie is the Advocate Female Athlete of the Year for 2025. The Red Deer Titans athlete burst onto the track and field scene in recent years and had a summer to remember in 2025. The high jump specialist won the Canadian Women’s high jump title at the Canadian National Track and Field Championships in August in Ottawa with a leap of one metre and eighty centimetres. Later in August, the Lindsey Thurber grad represented Canada on the international stage at Junior Under-23 Pan Am Games and brought home the hardware once again. She earned a bronze with a jump of one metre and eighty-two centimetres.

(Image Credit: Red Deer Rebels/Taylor Lachance)

Kendall Dunkle Minor Coach of the Year – Graham Vanderwater

Graham is one of those coaches who can do it all. He coaches at all levels and makes sure no athlete is left behind. From his work with the Red Deer Nordic Ski Club, to Hunting Hills Lightning football, as well as Red Deer Minor Hockey and Red Deer Minor Baseball, Graham has had a far-reaching impact on so many of this city’s athletes. He shows up early and is always the last one to leave. He leads by example with his work ethic and passion for sport. His ability to connect with young athletes, along with a calm, thoughtful approach to coaching, has led to success across numerous organizations.

(Image Credit: Red Deer Rebels/Taylor Lachance)

City of Red Deer Lifetime Sport Achievement Award – Kathy Lalor

Simply put, Kathy Lalor has had a profound impact on athletics in Central Alberta. Kathy has led the Lindsay Thurber girls’ basketball teams to numerous School Sport Alberta (SSA) provincial tournaments, with a remarkable 22 total senior basketball zone championships. In track and field, Kathy’s impact has been equally impressive. She has taken athletes to provincial competitions every year since 1993, an incredible streak of dedication. Recently, her teams have achieved remarkable success, including a second-place finish in 2022 and a third-place finish in 2018. Under her guidance, our track and field program has secured 10 consecutive zone championships, adding to her total of 13 zone championships in this sport. Beyond success, Kathy has helped instill values of fair play and respect with all student-athletes. Her longstanding commitment to high school athletics has been felt for decades in Central Alberta, and her impact will be felt for many more years to come.

(Image Credit: Red Deer Rebels/Taylor Lachance)

by rdnewsNOW staff

Central Sport announces 2025 Sport Award winners

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