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Delta Sports Hall of Fame welcomes seven

Calgary GM Brad Treliving and 1998 Ladner Pioneers among the inductees
hall of fame
Delta Sports Hall of Fame’s class of 2019 includes (clockwise) 1998 Ladner Pioneers, Margo Northey, Brad Trevliving, Tony Chursky and Len Stroh.

A current NHL general manager and a team that delivered a rare national lacrosse title back east are among the Delta Sports Hall of Fame’s 2019 class.

The new members will be officially inducted at the 14thannual gala banquet on Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Coast Tsawwassen Inn. The evening will also recognized the Sports Champions winners from the past 12 months. 

The renowned Dr. Jack Taunton will be the evening special guest speaker. He co-founded the Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Clinic and was the chief medical officer at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Family, friends and the public are invited to join the DSHOF committee and the award winners at the banquet. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased until Oct. 19 by calling Rick or Carlene at 604-943-0469.

Here are a look at this year’s inductees:

Builder

Brad Trevling (hockey)

When it comes to building hockey on its highest stage, Delta’s own Brad Treliving is a shining star. He grew up in Tsawwassen and excelled in both minor hockey and football. His own athletic abilities took him threw six years of professional hockey throughout the American, International and East Coast Hockey Leagues.

As his playing career was ending, a new career was just beginning and fuelled by his love of hockey. In 1996 he helped co-found the Western Professional Hockey League.

In 2003, Treliving was concurrently named the Assistant General Manager of the Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL and General Manager of the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League.  In 2014, he was was hired by the Calgary Flames of the NHL as GM. With the Flames, he has enjoyed the experience of developing players, the team, establishing a winning culture and pursuing the prize of being a Stanley Cup champion.

 

Pioneer

Vernon Hartt (figure skating)

Hartt had key role in coaching, incepting and developing the Sungod Skating Club in North Delta. He developed his love for skating from more than 30 years of competition in singles, dance and pairs figure skating. His own talents took him to Toronto in 1962 to compete in the Canadian Championships where he was crowned champion and 2nd in Mixed Fours and 2nd in Mixed Pairs. The Penticton native was approached by Carol and Ron Fawcett and offered to be a new club pro with Sungod in 1972. He organized the club with lessons for young children, youth and adults. Because of his passion and expertise Sungod grew rapidly and steadily.

Athlete

Margo Northey (gymnastics)

At 18, Northey began teaching aerobics classes and decided to hone in on her interest in fitness and health. She studied sciences before becoming an RMT and the owner of Tsawwassen Massage Therapy. Though extremely busy with her business and teaching fitness, she eventually answered the call of competition and began her journey on what would become an extremely successful athletic career, spanning over 20 years as a champion in Aerobic Gymnastics.

Northey won the Novice division in her first effort at Nationals and never looked back. She captured gold or silver in every National Aerobic Gymnastics competition thereafter and became a solid contender on the World stage too, consistently ranking within the top ten women internationally. In 2000, Margo teamed up with her old trios partner, Dakota Hart as a mixed pair and a magical union began. They went on to become a real threat on the international stage, consistently ranking in the top five, highlighted by a silver medal at the World Championships.

 

Tony Chursky (soccer)

Growing up in North Delta, Chursky started playing soccer in Grade 2 at recess with the Grade 7s. “Because I was so small, they made me play in goal” which started his extraordinary career as a goalkeeper. He can claim four “firsts” for a Delta soccer player: winning the 1965 Sun Soccer Tournament with the Annieville Service; playing in the first ever Provincial High School Soccer Championships (1971); winning the PCSL Championships (1971) with  Vancouver Croatia; and lastly, being the first Deltan to play on the men’s national team (1971).                 

Chrusky attended Simon Fraser University, winning the national championship in 1976. He is considered a legend within the SFU soccer program and still holds many of the university’s goalkeeping records.

He played professionally for 11 years in the NASL with Seattle Sounders (1976-78), California Surf (1979), Chicago Sting (1979), and Toronto Blizzard (1980-1982). In his rookie year, Chursky had a league leading goals against average of 0.91 per game.

He feels his greatest accomplishment was being inducted into Canada’s Soccer Hall of Fame (2004). 

 

Coach

Len Stroh (baseball)

Stroh joins the 2019 Hall of Fame as a coach. However, Len could have easily been inducted as a volunteer, builder, pioneer or even a unique category reflective of his impressive resume of leadership in sport in our community.

Stroh has lived in Delta for over 40 years and most of this time has been an outstanding contributor to the sport community.

It was in baseball where he excelled the most. For more than 30 years He worked in the North Delta Baseball Association as an administrator and coach. He shared his talents with youth of T-ball ages to Midget and led teams to Provincial and Western Canadian Championships from 1975-2007.  

The highest regards come from the abundant players and families that nominated him. A common theme expressed in his nominations was that he coached more than baseball; he coached integrity, character, teamwork and selflessness.

Stroh is a model citizen and has blessed our community by his coaching and life.

Team

1998 Ladner Pioneers (lacrosse)

Coming off a bronze medal a year earlier as hosts of the President’s Cup National Senior “B” Lacrosse Championships, the Pioneers pulled off a rare feat for B.C. teams by capturing gold back east in Niagara Falls.

The Pioneers were a mix of young up-and-comers and older stalwarts that created a winning culture under coaches John Burr, Ross Frehlick and manager Max Scabar.

Bill Mischke was the tournament MVP, with Rob Cooke and Kyle Goundrey being named first team all-stars. Brothers Eddie and John Schuss enjoyed their first ever President’s Cup at the end of their long playing careers. To make it a family affair, future lacrosse stars, Logan and Carleton Schuss were the Pioneers ball boys, learning from and looking up to all the men on the team.

The roster for the 1998 Pioneers also featured Chris Scabar, Steve McLeod, Tom Sohier, Jason Northey, Daryl Phillips, Mike Debaughn, Dale Varhaug, Colin Fraser, Tim Winter, Darren Liptrot, Rob Baker, Scott Anderson, Tim O’Sullivan, Russ Brew, Terry Schell, Ken Morrison, Derek Gardner, Jamie Malanfant, Mark Goundrey, Nathan Wilson, Rod Miller, Tory Rose, Derek Sutherland, Aren Northey, and Cyle Lappin.

 

Sponsor

Antonio Lorenzo Shoe Service

Antonio Lorenzo Shoe Service Ltd. was a fixture in North Delta for 35 years, opening its doors in 1978. During this time, Lorenzo Romano not only took care of the shoe repairs of the community, including the Delta Police and Surrey RCMP, but he sharpened skates, repaired cleats and shoes, and fixed gloves and sports bags for most athletes in North Delta. Lorenzo supported many different sports teams, school groups, community organizations as well as athletes.

Lorenzo started sponsoring teams early in the 1980’s. His major sponsorships included baseball and softball teams and, in addition to a financial commitment, Lorenzo repaired teams’ equipment at no cost.