The Bombers held their annual Award ceremony for the 2014-2015 season earlier this summer at Andre’s Banquet Hall.
Team members nominated and voted for their fellow peers in the following categories:
- Orville Turgeon
- Hardest Hitter
- MVP A/B
Elected board members and coaches were responsible for the Newman and Most Improved award while the Mopes and President choose their own recipient for their awards.
This year would see some repeated winners from the previous year but many more new faces were added to the wall.
The Newman Award went to Patrick (So-Ko) Sokolowski who had not played rugby before joining the Bombers but had many friends on the team. Patrick, prop, showed dedication and hard work throughout the year to move up from solid DIII player to another DII weapon. He played a big factor in the win over Omaha when he wasn’t on the original roster list but got the call late Friday night and flew up to Omaha Saturday morning for the match that afternoon. Soko has a lot of promise to be a strong skillful player and can only get better from here.
Most Improved went to an individual who has been with the club for a couple of years. This guy was also another strong DIII player with the occasional DII playing time, but became one of the most reliable DII players. The coaches unanimously picked Colin Fitzhenry as this year’s Most Improved. Again another player who’s skill level continues to grow and we look forward to what this season will bring.
The Orville Turgeon Award is presented to an individual that not only puts 110% on the pitch but also 110% off the pitch. Matt Brotemarkle received this award for not just sacrificing his body every game but more for what he did outside the game. Matt was the guy that made everyone feel welcome, helping the new recruits, and make the Club better overall. Matt would also assist coaching some of the high school teams, taking time out of his day to do this and raising money for young talented players to attend some high level rugby camps.
The Heavy Hitter Award is our first repeated recipient award and is no surprise that Alex Ochoa would reclaim his belt. Alex not only punished on tackling the opposition but also running through them. Alex will be a real threat as his strength continues to increase.
The President’s Cup is award by the President of the Club, Dan Ward, and can choose anyone he desires. Dan Ward presented the President’s Cup to Karie Ochoa for her role in organizing and raising awareness about Domestic Violence. She orchestrated the event during one of the Bomber’s home games handing out information and raising money for the foundation. She was taking by surprise receiving the award and we couldn’t be more proud.
The Mopes award is another award that is only chosen by a select few and the only way to vote is to be a Mope. The Mopes are a select group of Old Boys, some of the founding fathers of the club, and they choose who they feel best represent them, the Bomber’s Club, and the sport of rugby. This year’s winner was Sean McDonald. Sean has been with the club for many years and always has a smile on his face and a shoulder in opposition. Sean is well deserving of the award.
Last but not least, the MVP awards. This year’s MVP for the B side is another repeating winner from last year with Colin Fitzhenry taking the title. Again Colin has not only shown great improvement throughout the year but is a vital player to the team. Colin has also taken on the roll in organizing and coaching the St. Louis Rookie Rugby Club.
The MVP award for the A side goes to one of the toughest SOBs, despite his size, taking down guys twice his size and controlling of the game, scrumhalf Bryan (Wombat) Hybron took home this year’s trophy.
We look to see who emerges for next year’s award ceremony with this upcoming season. The Bomber’s first match is Friday, August 28th at Lucier Park starting at 6:45pm. Everyone is encourage to come out and watch as we get ready for a new season of rugby.
Make sure to keep checking our website and Facebook page for updates.
TO THE MIGHTY BOMBERS!
