Chatham-Kent July Athlete of the Month Voting

Below are CKSN’s nominees for the July 2014 Chatham-Kent Athlete of the Month.

Voting will continue until Thursday, August 7, with the winner being named Friday, August 8. Poll votes, comments below, as well as Facebook comments (www.facebook.com/cksportsnetwork) and Twitter Retweets (www.twitter.com/cksportsnetwork) will be counted as votes. See below the poll for monthly accolades for each athlete.

Nominees in Alphabetical Order and Monthly Highlights:

Madison Broad (Wallaceburg) – Wallaceburg’s Madison Broad won multiple medals at the Canadian Age Group Swimming Championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba in July. Broad, who is 13-years-old, won gold in the 200m backstroke, meeting the Senior National time. She also won gold in the 50m backstroke setting another Senior National time standard. Borad set her third Senior National time in the 100m backstroke where she won a silver medal. Capping off her week, Broad added a fourth medal, another silver in the 50m fly. She also had a 7th in the 200m IM and a 12th in the 50m free.

Jalen Butcher (Chatham) – In the Chatham-Kent Cougars Senior varsity football team’s final two regular season OFC games this season, Chatham’s Jalen Butcher led the team statistically, and was named the EnviroClean Car & Dog Wash Chatham-Kent Cougars player of the week for the week ending July 18. Leading his Cougars to their first win that week, Butcher, the team’s quarterback, threw for 5 touchdowns and 295-yards, and also ran the ball for 30-yards. The week prior, Butcher threw for 246-yards, including 2 touchdowns, and caught one interception playing defense.

Bridget Carleton (Chatham) – Playing for Team Canada’s cadette team at the U17 World Basketball Championships, Carleton opened the month leading Canada in a loss to the Czech Republic and a win over Brazil with 21- and 19-points respectively. In three other games, Carleton was among Canada’s leaders in points and rebounds. Later in July, Carleton was invited to Canada’s National Junior Team tryouts, where the six-foot-one guard earned a spot for the upcoming U18 FIBA Americas.

Jordan Durston (Wallaceburg) – Durston had an outstanding month for the Six Nations Arrows before injuring his knee, keeping him out of the lineup for his team’s final games of July. In 4 regular season games for the Junior A Six Nations Arrows during July, Durston had 5 goals and 8 assists for 13-points. Durston, a Wallaceburg product, then stepped up his production in the playoffs helping his Arrows eliminate St. Catherines, and get out to a series lead on Peterborough. In 5 playoff games Durston collected 10 goals and added 10 assists for 20-points.

Noble Jacobs (Walpole Island) – Walpole Island’s Noble Jacobs started the month of July backstopping the Wallaceburg Red Devils Junior B lacrosse team in the opening round of the OLA Junior B playoffs, and finished the month playing for Aboriginal Team Ontario at the North American Indigenous Games. Although the Red Devils were eliminated to open the month, Jacobs was praised by his coaches for his solid performance. The six-foot-five netminder ended the month on a high note, leading Team Ontario to a bronze medal at the NAIG’s.

Josh Kellier (Chatham) – Kellier won two medals over the weekend at the Ontario Royal Canadian Legion provincial meet in Brampton to qualify for Team Ontario. A Chatham-Kent Secondary School student entering grade 12, Kellier won gold in the 2000m steeplechase with a time of 6:04.41, and took bronze in the 3000m race, crossing the line in 8:56.36, in the youth boys division. Only the first place finishers qualify for the National Championships, but because Kellier hit the National standard in each of his three events, steeplechase, 1500m, and 3000m, he will have the opportunity to compete in each at the National Championships.

Brendan Van Herk (Blenheim) – Brendan Van Herk became the first ever Blenheim Blast swimmer to win a medal at the Canadian Age-Group Swimming Championships as he captured bronze in the 50m backstroke, touching the wall in 29.03. Van Herk nearly medaled again in the 400m IM, where he finished 6th, with a total time of 4:59.69, and found an identical result in the 200m IM, finishing 6th with a time of 2:18.39. Van Herk, who is 14-years-old, also finished 8th in the 100m backstroke, and 10th in the 50m fly.