Although his high school athletic career may be over with the Estevan Comprehensive High School awards night last Thursday, Elecs senior Donny Mortenson was able to get in a good workout for the evening by going up and down the stairs at the cafeteria, accepting multiple awards.
Mortenson, a multi-sport athlete to the extreme, won the excellence award for basketball, the success award for football and the male athlete of the year for all sports. Each sport paraded the athletes the coaches felt symbolized excellence, commitment and success.
“I'm pretty proud,” he said after the ceremony. “It feels really good to be acknowledged for all the work I put in. I feel blessed.”
He played on many teams but Mortenson's high school season started off with a successful run with the Elecs in the football season.
“It really helps when you know... who's coming back each year,” he said. “We had a lot of returning players.”
Mortenson was fifth in Moose Jaw High School Football League scoring with the Elecs with seven touchdowns and two two-point conversions. With Estevan's mostly-aerial offensive attack, he led the league with 729 receiving yards on 37 catches, bettering Yorkton's Matthew Mandziuk for second place by 279 yards.
But basketball was his favourite sport. When asked what he'd remember most from his high school athletic career, he said the bus rides with the boys on the way to tournaments.
“Also winning the McLeod series three years in a row is pretty amazing.”
His goal is to go to Saskatoon to try to walk on to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies hoops team.
Kourtney Kobitz won the female athlete of the year.
“It was a big honour and I was really surprised that I got it,” said Kobitz. “I thank my teammates and coaches and family for helping me in the school year and in sports as well. It's tough to do sports and school the whole year. I'm really thankful for it.”
Kobitz was one of the players who helped the Elecs make their first appearance at Hoopla in 12 years. She poured in 26 points in their opening loss, 62-55 to Regina's Riffel high school, and another 27 in their bronze medal 62-58 loss to Regina Campbell. She was also recognized with the commitment award for volleyball and the excellence award for basketball.
She plans on attending the U of Regina for nursing in the fall but is also looking at other options for playing college hoops.
Sammy Wade won the award for outstanding female sportsmanship, and Jordan Fichter won the outstanding male sportsmanship award. Wade is in Grade 11 and will be one of the few Elecs to come back to build on the girls basketball team's successful 2016-17 season.
“We went to Hoopla, which was kind of crazy because we beat the second ranked team going in and we beat them after they were up by 20,” she said. From there, she went to badminton provincials in her first year.
Fichter, meanwhile, also enjoyed his run of high school athletics.
“Getting to provincials in volleyball and track was really fun,” Fichter said, although he admitted volleyball was his favourite throughout the years. “Getting to know a lot of the people on the teams and other teams you play.”
Fichter intends to pursue sports medicine at the U of Saskatchewan in the fall.
