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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Wednesday, October 23, 2013 | 26 Oakville's top sportspeople recognized with awards Sport Oakville held its sixth annual Sport Recognition Awards Sunday to honour and celebrate the excellence, perseverance and dedication of Oakville's athletes, teams, coaches and volunteers in the areas of sport development, performance and contribution to the community. More than 250 awards were handed out during the event, which took place at Operating Engineers' Banquet Hall on Speers Road. Following are bios of award winners from eight Sport Oakville member associations. Bios from the other winners will appear in an upcoming edition of the Oakville Beaver. Athletiques International · Team award: Special Olympics Ontario provincial track and field team Nine local athletes were among the Region 5 team that competed at the Ontario Games for Special Olympians earlier this year in Unionville. The nine athletes, training indoors at a facility rented by Athletiques International, combined to win 24 medals and set numerous personal bests at the Games. Minor Oaks Hockey Association · Team award: Minor midget AAA Rangers The squad of 1997-born players may be the most decorated in the lengthy history of the MOHA. The Rangers won the Ontario Minor Hockey Association regular-season title, the OHL Cup, the OMHA championship and the Peterborough Tournament of Champions. Twelve members of the team were drafted into the Ontario Hockey League and another into the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. · Volunteer award: Mike Marling (posthumous) For more than 30 years, Marling was involved with the MOHA as a volunteer, coach, referee, mentor and parent. Marling was widely known as a man who never thought of himself first when it came to youth hockey or sports in general. Sadly, he passed away earlier this year from pancreatic cancer. The award was accepted by Kathi Marling, Mike's wife. Oakville Aquatic Club · Team award: Oakville Aquatic Club team OAK won its first-ever national championship in July, beating out national training centres as well as university programs. The club won the men's title as well as the overall championship. Oakville Cricket Club · Athlete award: Majid Mahmood Mahmood led the Hamilton District Cricket League's Premier Division in runs and boundaries. He is also a candidate to win the league's best batsman and MVP awards. In addition to his playing skills, Mahmood is also looked up to for the way he motivates Oakville Minor Football League volunteer Gary Harlos and league president Heather Wilson display medals Harlos and the Oakville Titans bantam team received during Sport Oakville's Sport Recognition Awards Sunday. More than 250 awards were handed out to representatives from Sport Oakville's 15 member groups. | photo by Graham Paine -- Oakville Beaver -- @Halton_Photog and supports his teammates. · Volunteer award: Syed Mairaj Hoda Serving as vice-president of the Oakville Cricket Club, Hoda was instrumental in establishing the club's code of conduct and constitution as it grows in size with increased interest from the community. He helped organize the first community cricket event in Oakville and was the mastermind behind creating an oversized scoreboard for use at home games. Oakville Minor Football League · Athlete award: Tanner Fabiano Fabiano made the varsity team for the first time, rewarded for his dedication and drive. He continued to show tremendous improvement but unfortunately, two plays after scoring his first touchdown, he suffered a serious broken leg that requires surgery and therapy. Despite the injury, Fabiano's main concern at that time was whether his team won the game. · Team award: Oakville Titans bantam team (Spring 2013) A young team small in numbers surprised many by winning the Ontario Football Association Northern Conference bantam division title. · Coach award: Ken Bateman A coach with the Titans for several consecutive seasons, Bateman commits his spare time to his teams and to the league as a whole. Last spring, he helped the bantam team exceed many people's expectations by winning the OFA Northern Conference championship. · Volunteer award: Gary Harlos Harlos has kept the OMFL's flag division running smoothly the past three seasons, introducing young people to the game of football, garnering parent volunteers to coach and convincing older players to mentor youngsters. Oakville Girls Softball Association · Coach award: Johanna Malisani Malisani focuses her volunteer efforts on improving athletes at the developmental stages by developing curriculum to train athletes and coaches through clinics. She also helps form long-term player development strategies and advises on program implementation and coaching players of various ages and abilities. · Team award: U16 bantam selects The Angels reached the final of all five tournaments they entered this past season, winning one gold and four silver. They also became the first OGSA select team to reach the provincial final, claiming silver with a 5-1 record at the Provincial Women's Softball Association playdowns. Oakville Hornets Girls Hockey Association · Team award: Silver Stars atom house league team The Silver Stars claimed gold in three tournaments and also won their house league division. Their team motto was `having fun, making friends and learning a little about this great game hockey!' · Coach award: Dave Shurman Shurman's pedigree in hockey is strong, having been coached by former Florida Panthers and Columbus Blue Jackets coach Doug MacLean as well as having once billeted Colorado Avalanche star Alex Tanguay. Shurman has used his hockey knowledge to coach various Oakville Hornets teams over the years. Last season, he led the bantam BB Hornets to a 58-6-10-3 record and the Lower Lakes Female Hockey League regular-season and playoff titles. His team used 25 different affiliated players but still managed to bond as a unit. · Volunteer award: Martin Vida and Carole Palmer-Vida The husband-and-wife team ensures that girls' hockey players are treated with love, respect and belonging. Carole, Martin and daughter Becca have attended all team practices, games or functions over the past 10 years. Carole is known for making the dressing rooms extra special for birthdays, Halloween, Christmas and Valentine's. Martin handles the heavy lifting like lugging team drinks, co-ordinating car pooling, tying skates and opening the gates at the bench when needed. Oakville Legion Track and Field Club · Athlete award: Taja McLean Last year, under the coaching of Ted Neptune, Charles Allen and Kristy Mackeil, McLean was selected to represent Canada at the CONICanada Games in Italy. As a double-event qualifier, McLean won gold in the 4x100-metre relay and also competed in high jump. She exemplifies the club's values of maximizing athletic skill through dedication, perseverance and commitment. · Volunteer award: Lynne Hill Hill was the first club manager to sit on the executive committee, and she has figured prominently in creating the formal governance structure that remains in place at the club today. Over the past six years, she has spent many late evenings at general meetings, executive meetings, parent meetings and uniform fittings.