Neufeld named top boys AAAA athlete in Manitoba

Steinbach Regional volleyball standout Erik Neufeld was recognized as one of the province’s top athletes for AAAA schools June 29.

Neufeld served as captain of the SRSS volleyball team, leading them to the Manitoba High School Athletic Association semi-finals and earning an all-star nod. He also competed for the school in ultimate and beach volleyball.

Outside of school athletics, Neufeld had a strong year, helping the Junior Bisons club to a tier 2 national championship. He also organized and led a community worship night at SRSS.

Neufeld will join Youth with a Mission Australia next year to continue his development as a faith leader. Dakota’s Emilie McLean was named the girls AAAA athlete of the year.

At the AAA level, it was a double win for Sanford Collegiate, with Cooper Rodewald (boys) and Halle Penner (girls) taking top athlete honours.

Annika Schmidt (Rivers Collegiate) and Soren Reid (Nellie McClung Collegiate) were named the top A division athletes with Angela Gundrum (Prairie Mountain High School) and Owen Unrau (Carberry Collegiate) earned AA honours.

Gundrum and Reid were named the top athletes for the entire province.

The MHSAA also announced the nominees and winners for the scholar athlete award last week.

More than two dozen students from across the province were nominated to be Manitoba’s Credit Unions Scholar Athletes of the Year, including three from the region.

Colin Vermette from Gabrielle-Roy, Zach Hamblin from Morris and Neufeld were all nominated.

To be nominated for the award, a student must maintain at least a 85% average and participate in at least two sports.

Four of the nominees were named scholar athletes of the year. Gundrum (Prairie Mountain), Elliot Smith (Miles Macdonell), Ivy Perkin (Souris) and Reid (Nellie McClung) were presented with a $2,000 scholarship, presented by Manitoba’s Lieutenant Governor Anita R. Neville.