Belleville, Ontario, June 25, 2024 – The Belleville Sports Hall of Fame (BSHoF) is pleased to congratulate Brooke Gallagher and Greg Papakiriazis, Belleville High School Athletes of the Year 2023-2024. The awards were presented at a ceremony hosted by the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame at the Dr. R.L. Vaughan Atrium in the Quinte Wellness Centre on June 24, 2024.
Martina Mallory of Belleville McDonald’s Restaurants was on hand to present the awards.
Through the generosity of the Belleville McDonald’s Restaurants, the Hall of Fame Committee conducts the annual High School Athlete of the Year Program. This program recognizes the Senior Female and Male Athletes of the Year from eight local High Schools – Bayside, Centennial, Eastside, Nicholson Catholic, Quinte Christian, Sir James Whitney, St. Theresa, and Albert College – and selects the overall Senior Female and Male Athlete of the Year for Belleville.
It is estimated that over 25% of students at a high school will participate in one or more interschool sport activities. At the eight schools involved in this program, over 2000 student athletes participate in athletic programs supported by volunteer teacher coaches and volunteers from the community.
During the ceremony, each nominated athlete was introduced and celebrated with remarks highlighting the exceptional achievements of their high school sports careers.
Complete list of Nominated Athletes:
Kaylee Wyngaarden, Quinte Christian
Benjamin Vreugdenhil, Quinte Christian
Alexzander Evans, Sir James Whitney
Brooke Gallagher, Centennial SS
Tanner Watson, Centennial SS
Evelyn Shakell, Nicholson CC
Greg Papakiriazis, Nicholson CC
Olivia Tracze, St Theresa CSS
Connor Weido, St. Theresa CSS
Bridget Hancock, Bayside SS
Krish Chudasama, Bayside SS
Briseis Hunter, Eastside SS
Ripken Shaver, Eastside SS
Brooke Gallagher, Centennial Secondary School
Brooke Gallagher, honoured as Centennial Secondary’s 2024 Athlete of the Year, is an exceptional multi-sport athlete and leader. Throughout her four years at Centennial Secondary School, Brooke has competed in basketball, rugby, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, and golf. She has particularly excelled in basketball and rugby. Brooke played a key role on Centennial’s basketball squad, helping the team achieve Bay of Quinte Gold and COSSA Gold, as well as a silver medal in the OFSAA Basketball Championship.
Beyond school sports, Brooke has been a standout player for the Belleville Bulldogs RFC and has represented the Ontario Blues provincial rugby program. Known for her incredible coachability and outstanding character, Brooke’s presence shines both on and off the field or court. After the remarkable achievement of being recruited by Wilfrid Laurier University for both rugby and basketball, Brooke will be attending WLU on a rugby scholarship in the fall.
Greg Papakiriazis, Nicholson College
Recognized as repeat recipient of Nicholson College’s Athlete of the Year Award, Gregory Papakiriazis is an extraordinary multi-sport talent. Throughout his high school career at Nicholson College, Greg has excelled in rugby, cross country, soccer, basketball, hockey, ultimate frisbee, and tennis. His outstanding performance in basketball contributed to Nicholson College’s success in numerous Bay of Quinte and COSSA tournaments, culminating in NCC securing a gold medal in the 2024 OFSAA Basketball Championship.
Greg’s versatility and dedication across multiple sports are complemented by his remarkable coachability and strong character, solidifying his reputation as a remarkable athlete. Gregory is looking forward to attending Queen’s University for Commerce in the fall and aspires to join the Gaels Basketball team.
The Belleville Sports Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing, honouring, and preserving the record of outstanding achievements accomplished by the city’s elite athletes and builders from all eras and displaying them on a permanent basis. The Hall of Fame is housed in the Dr. R. L. Vaughan Atrium at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Center.
The Belleville Sports Hall of Fame sincerely thanks the City of Belleville for their continued support of the Hall and its operations.
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