Pictured are this year’s four recipients of the Peterborough & District Hall of Fame student bursary awards, from left to right are Ru Huntley, Olivia McBride, Sydney Dobbin and Matthew Kathiravelu.
On August 12th, friends and family of the four student athlete recipients of the Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame student bursary awards gathered to celebrate the success of these accomplished athletes and scholars.
The annual award is earned by four student athletes who are pursing post-secondary education. The bursaries are funded by the annual Jack’s Golf tournament, and provides each winner with a $2000 grant to help them finance their post-secondary studies.
Among the recipients was Rutger Huntley, known locally as Ru, is a Millbrook resident who recently graduated from Crestwood Secondary School. This month, he heads to Kingston where he will pursue a Bachelor of Health Sciences at Queen’s University.
Ru is a multi-sport athlete who played volleyball, badminton, tennis, and ultimate Frisbee, was an alpine skier and a track and field athlete. He was captain of the volleyball team for each year of his career as a Mustang. He was named MVP of the volleyball team four times, the badminton team three times and earned two sportsmanship awards. He is a nine time COSSA medalist a five time OFSAA participant.
Ru has received two of Crestwood’s most prestigious Dysart Awards of Athletic Excellence which the Hall of Fame believes perfectly embodies the traits which 1990 Peterborough Sports Hall of Fame Inductee Norm Dysart would have been pleased to see.
Ru has developed his leadership skills in many ways. He has been a coach for the senior girls and junior boys volleyball teams at Crestwood, and an intermediate volleyball tournament official for four years. He has been a Soul beach volleyball coach for four years, a Durham Attack Volleyball U15 assistant coach and has done some private beach volleyball coaching. He may have influenced the decision to include beach volleyball courts in the suggestions for the development of the parkland facilities surrounding the Cavan Monaghan Community Centre.
In the community, Ru has been captain of the Durham Attack Volleyball team for three years, Peterborough Thunder for one year, team Ontario Beach for one year, Soul Beach for four years, Ontario Volleyball Association beach tour for four years and has recently played badminton with the Peterborough Badminton Club for a year. He has received a Durham Attack leadership award three times, as well as the Achievement of Excellence Award and the Lisa Ford Memorial Award.
Residents may recognize Ru from his volunteer efforts with the Millbrook BIA, where he has helped with various street festivals and Canada Day activities for four years acting as an organizer and assisting with set up and he has volunteered with Mitchel’s cakes and desserts.
Ru was joined in this Peterborough Sports Hall of Fame recognition by St. Peter’s graduate Sydney Dobbin who will pursue a medical degree at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Kenner’s Matthew Kathiravelu who heads to the prestigious Wharton School of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania and Adam Scott graduate Olivia McBride who moves to McMaster University in Hamilton where she will work towards a Health Science Degree. All recipients earned a grade average above 95% in their final year of high school, while achieving top honours in a multiple sports and leading by example in their communities through their volunteer efforts. Congratulations!