By Geoff Smith (@GeoffSmithLNN on Twitter)

Hall of fame and Kinsmen Sports Person honourees announced

Feb 22, 2018 | 12:48 PM

LETHBRIDGE – Two athletes, one team, and two builders will be inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame this year, while two curling sisters and a popular former captain of the Hurricanes have been honoured as the Kinsmen Sports Persons of the Year for 2017.

It was announced Thursday, Feb. 22 that the Kinsmen awards will go to Tyler Wong and Casey and Jessie Scheidegger. The Scheidegger rink, skipped by Casey, enjoyed a breakout year that included winning the HDF Shootout, Curlers’ Corner Autumn Gold Classic, and the Medicine Hat Charity Classic. They also scored their first win on the Pinty’s Grand Slam tour and earned a berth in the Olympic curling trials.

“I think anytime you can be recognized by your community and your peers, it’s always an honour,” Casey Scheidegger, who was present for the announcement, told reporters. “Jess and I are super, super happy to be able to win this award.”

This year, Scheidegger’s foursome won the provincial women’s curling title and represented Alberta in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. While she’s disappointed not to have won, the experience was incredible, and the team is excited for the future.

“We decided to stay together for another four years, so the Trials is definitely something we’ll be gunning for, for the next four years and something we’ll be working towards, so we’re really excited for that.”

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Wong, who now plays for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League, helped lead the Hurricanes to a thrilling playoff run in 2016-17, and was admired for the leadership and determination he showed. The Cochrane native also received the WHL Humanitarian of the Year award, which recognized his work with KidSport, schools, hospitals, minor hockey, and other efforts.

Carla Pavan and Lauren Perry will be the athlete inductees into the Hall of Fame. Pavan, who now lives in Calgary, is a University of Lethbridge alumnus who took up skeleton following a career in track and field. Pavan won a World Cup victory in Austria in 2005, after fourth place finishes at the Canadian Championship and event in Lake Placid, N.Y. She was an alternate for the 2006 and 2010 Canadian Olympic teams.

Perry, also a Calgary resident, began playing volleyball for St. Mary’s High School in Taber, and played in the Lethbridge Volleyball Club program and Team Alberta. In 2004, she was named juvenile player of the year, and had a stellar career with the University of Calgary Dinos, being named all-rookie and second-team all-star. As a member of the Dinos, Perry earned four bronze medals and a silver in CIS play.

The inductee in the team category is the 1975 Lethbridge Chargers soccer team. The team won the Golden Boot award in 1990 and won the Denver Friendship Cup. The core of the team won provincial gold and national silver medals in 1989, 1990, and 1992.

Being inducted as builders are Steve Wilson and Duane Konynenbelt. Wilson, a teacher and coach at Catholic Central High School, is a former women’s volleyball coach for the U of L and the national women’s volleyball team, as well as a professional coach in Austria. Konynenbelt retired in 2015 as a teacher and athletic director at Immanuel Christian High School and helped shaped policy as a member of the executive of the Alberta Schools Athletics Association.

“It’s an encouraging thing,” Konynenbelt said about his induction, “and I just hope I can continue to help out athletics in southern Alberta as the years go on.” He added seeing young athletes develop and compete after all their work is the reason he still enjoys taking in championships. He plans to continue to organize zone championships.”

Wilson said volleyball has helped him travel the world, but he’s always been proud to be from Lethbridge.

“It’s certainly neat for me to even just as a small representative of the history of volleyball in the Lethbridge area, and it’s still thriving.”

The induction ceremony is set for Friday, May 4 at the ENMAX Centre, in the Canadian Western Bank Lounge.