The Manitoba High School Athletic Association named its top Male and Female Athletes of the Year this week, with eight awards handed out, representing the four divisions.
This year's Double-AA category saw MacGregor and Warren represented, as Kai Gaudet and Colby Darragh were crowned the Male and Female Athletes of the Year, respectively.
Colby Darragh - Warren Collegiate Institute
Few athletes impact their team's sport as much as Colby Darragh did this season, captaining the Warren Wildcats to a AA Varsity Girls Provincial Championship, while leading the tournament in scoring and being named the Provincial MVP.
The recent high school graduate says that the win at Provincials was especially sweet due to the way the previous season ended.
"We were finalists the year before, so it was really exciting to win this year."
Darragh suggests that the award could have gone to many different athletes within the AA division.
"I was really honoured to be named Athlete of the Year. I know that it was a tough competition. There are lots of great athletes in Manitoba, in the AA category, in all the categories. So, I was really honoured to be selected. I worked really hard in all my sports, and so to be recognized like this was really special."
She adds that she has many people to thank who helped her reach this milestone.
"Obviously, my parents, who had me involved in sports since I could walk and supported me throughout all my sports, in and out of high school. My friends and teammates who were part of my team and part of the reason our teams were so successful over the years, especially in this last year. All the coaches who coached me over my years of high school, all of them contributed to the team success.
She adds that none of the successes their teams achieved were the result of one person's efforts.
"The reason I was able to be recognized for this award was due to our success in the various sports, and that was due to the time and effort all the coaches put in, as well as my teammates. And just how it was such a positive environment and that was due to the coaches and just everyone on the team getting along; I think it's really important to having a successful team."
Darragh was also named the AA Female Varsity Athlete of the Year by Basketball Manitoba after the season. She intends to continue her basketball career next season, when she attends Providence University.
Kai Gaudet - MacGregor Collegiate Institute (MCI)
Gaudet is no stranger to having his name come up for recognition, as he was named a Provincial All-Star in Volleyball just before Christmas of 2024, along with a couple of his teammates.
"It's pretty surreal, to be honest. I've had my sights on it since the start of the year and kind of announced at our own Athletic Sports awards. So, it was pretty cool to to be recognized in front of my school and then to go into the city and get recognized provincially as well."
Gaudet participated in multiple sports over the course of the school year, with volleyball, basketball, soccer, baseball, golf, track and field, badminton, and cross country all taking his attention. He comments that his plan for next year has already been put in place.
"I'm going to Seneca Polytechnic in Toronto to continue my athletic career and to play volleyball. And for my schooling, I'm going to take business."
Guadet gives specific commendation to a couple of people who have influenced his pursuit of sports.
"It's all my family and teammates and coaches. But by far it's definitely my my dad, who is the phys ed teacher here at MCI. And whenever there's a spare moment, we're we're in the gym working out or setting volleyballs or shooting hoops or as a little kid playing mini sticks. Whatever it was, we were always training and working out and and and it definitely thanks to him."
He also says without the folks around him, he would never have reached this point.
"It's all boils down like you can't get any awards or any personal accolades without everyone around you. Without your teammates, without the school especially, if we weren't able to put on these amazing sports teams, it it wouldn't be possible," he continues. "It just it boils down to the school and who we are. We want to win and that that's what makes everything possible."