On June 10th, Nepean’s dedicated staff and students hosted the Athletic Banquet as a way to honor the achievements of the school’s student athletes. The event consisted of an assembly and an awards ceremony, as well as free pizza at the end for those involved.

The assembly began with coaches of the different teams giving brief speeches about the year’s highlights, celebrating their team, and presenting an MVP award to one student who best demonstrated the team's values. Once each team's coach had spoken, eight more awards were presented to select athletes. These included the Coaches Award, Vincent Frank Memorial Award, The Cockfield, Anne Graham Memorial Award, Rick Pollack Award, Citizen’s Award, Vogan Award, and finally, the Nepean Athletic Awards (the coveted ‘N’s), which were presented to students who earned a total of 350 points in the interscholastic program.

The assembly ended with the announcement that Mr. Bifolchi, Nepean's athletic director of over 20 years, is retiring. Bifolchi believes in the power of sports, and their ability to change peoples' lives: a beloved member of the faculty, Mr. Bifolchi's positive impact at Nepean will certainly not be forgotten. In order to honour the time and patience Bifolchi has dedicated towards Nepean's athletic programs, the lower gym has been officially dedicated to him.

After the assembly I was fortunate enough to speak with Karina Gruson, a graduating student whose athletic accomplishments are showcased through her numerous awards. Karina is an active member of five different sports programs at NHS; she was presented with MVP awards for two separate programs, the Nepean "N" Athletic Award, as well as the Anne Graham Memorial Award which is awarded annually to "The female athlete who demonstrates perseverance and a commitment to excellence in both sports and academics”. When asked what she would miss most about sports at Nepean, Karina reflected on the importance of the athletic department: “All the sports teams are just so much fun: you get to meet a lot of people in different friend groups, sports just bring everyone together.”

With NHS being home to over 30 different sports programs, athletics certainly play a large role in our school life. The dedication and comradery demonstrated at the assembly show just how essential sports are for Nepean's school environment. This event was the perfect conclusion to a successful year of sports at NHS, and an opportunity for our school's athletes to relax after a year of hard work.

Photo by the Yearbook Team.