Inside King's-Edgehill School
On May 28, the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation held its annual Support 4 Sport awards ceremony at the Halifax Convention Centre, bringing together the greatest in Nova Scotia's amateur sport sector.
The event recognized the achievements of Nova Scotia's top athletes, teams, coaches, officials and volunteers in amateur sport over the past year. Each of the finalists were nominated by their provincial sport organization as the best in their sport. Their achievements were judged through a multi-level selection process that considers their complete athletic performance throughout the year, as well as their top achievement of the season.
Congratulations to all award winners who represented KES either as a student, alumni, or faculty. This year's recipients include:
Provincial Sport Organization Senior Female Athlete of the Year
Wrestling – Bella Galaise '22, Windsor
Bella has distinguished herself as a powerhouse in wrestling. Competing as a senior athlete at only 18 years of age, she placed second in the 62-kilogram weight class at the 2022 Alberta Open Championships. Bella is the female team captain for Wrestling Nova Scotia’s provincial team and participated in high-performance training at Concordia University with both world and Olympic medalists. She is a member of the Windsor Mat Kings wrestling club and the King’s-Edgehill School wrestling team.
Provincial Sport Organization Junior Female Athlete of the Year
Basketball – Mackenzie Smith '21, Shelburne
Mackenzie Smith enjoyed a sparkling rookie season of NCAA Division 1 basketball at Saint Joseph’s in Philadelphia. Mackenzie’s best game for the Hawks came in a regular-season finale victory against Duquesne University. The 19-year-old guard scored 26 points and added seven rebounds and three steals. She averaged almost 10 points per game and earned a place on the Atlantic 10 Conference’s All-Rookie team. Mackenzie led Saint Joseph’s in three-point shooting, finished fourth in team scoring and was second in minutes.
Provincial Sport Organization Senior Female Athlete of the Year
Rugby – Emma Taylor '10, Halifax
Emma is a vital member of the national senior women’s team and competed in four international games in 2021. Canada is preparing for the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand this October. Emma took a leave of absence from her job to concentrate on her development and training. In addition to playing internationally with Canada, she signed on with Saracens Rugby in England. Regarded as a hard-working, physical player, Emma earned her first cap with Canada in 2015.
Provincial Sport Organization Official of the Year
Wrestling – Kim Walsh, Director of Athletics, King’s-Edgehill School
Kim has dedicated himself to wrestling not only as an official but as a coach, a mentor to coaches, a WNS board member and a volunteer. His contributions as an official span more than 20 years. Kim is an advocate for fair play and ethical behaviour. This year he went to great lengths to run the SSNS provincial championships, which was incredible challenging due to COVID restrictions. Kim recognized the need for officials and filled the role at the event while still taking time to educate inexperienced wrestlers and officials during the competition.
Provincial Sport Organization Major Corporate Sponsor of the Year
Riley Otto '10, RBC Wealth Management
Riley Otto and RBC Wealth management, Dominion Securities have supported athletes of various ages and stages of development both financially and through volunteering. RBC Wealth Management has assisted in the purchasing of equipment and with costs associated with training and travelling. A willingness to step up with the volunteer support has also helped make Wrestling Nova Scotia programs a success. The contributions made by RBC Wealth Management are sure to have a lasting impact on the sport’s development in the province.