Kamloops curlers were the big winners at the annual Kamloops Sports Council Awards held over the weekend, which took place in conjunction with the Kamloops Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday night at the Coast Hotel and Convention Centre.

Among the honorees, Team Brown – which had previously revealed its four members were headed their separate ways at the end of the now-concluded curling season – claimed the Kamloops Team of the Year award for 2025.

Skip Corryn Brown, Third Erin Pincott, Second Sarah Koltun and Lead Samantha Fisher captured the award after winning the 2025 BC Women’s Curling Championships and getting to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts playoff round.

“I think we put so much work into it, and to be recognized at this level it’s really incredible to have this final note of Team Brown as we know it,” said Brown after accepting the award, which took an emotional turn during her acceptance speech, where she would make a point of thanking those involved in the Kamloops Curling Club for their enthusiastic support.

Brown revealing that she intends to take a year away from the Women’s competitions, instead taking time to play some “limited” mixed doubles with her husband Matt Whiteford, while other members of Team Brown have begun landing in other locations.

Meanwhile, Kamloops based Skip Matt Dunstone was named Male Athlete of the Year on Saturday at the Coast Hotel and Conference Centre.

Dunstone, who has called Kamloops home on-and-off for close to the last decade, led his rink to a Brier final in Kelowna in 2025 and was ranked 3^rd in the world for most of the year.

“I was pretty surprised to be nominated in the first place.  I feel like a true Kamloopsian now after eight years [of living here],” Dunstone told Radio NL after accepting his award on Saturday.  “This community has been nothing but supportive.  I love living here, [so] this means a lot.”

Lacrosse player Alivia Smigielski captured Female Athlete of the Year.

Smigielski captured a gold medal with Team BC at the Canada Summer Games.

The Coach of the Year honors went to Neil Barrett, who helped guide 11 competitors from the Kamloops Diving Club to the Canada Novice National Championships.

Barrett also saw two of his Club members reach the podium at the Diving Canada Junior Development National Championships.

“Giving back to grow such a small, lovely sport in a great sports town like Kamloops is super rewarding,” said a humble Barrett in conversation with NL Sports after accepting his accolades at the ceremony.

The award for International Excellence was given to Olympic gold medal Hammer Throw phenom Ethan Katzberg.

Katzberg — given the award for his gold medal effort at the World Athletic Championships in 2025 — trains out of the Kamloops Throws Centre, making him eligible for the local award, even though he maintains his permanent residency in his home town of Nanaimo.

Katzberg was not on hand for the awards ceremony Saturday but did sent his regards via a video message.

Katzberg is the reigning Olympic champion from his victory in Men’s Hammer Throw in Paris in 2024.

The University Award went to soccer player Esi Lufo.

The standout from Albania would earn her way on to the Canada West Second Team All-Star team in 2025 after potting 9 goals in 14 matches for the TRU Wolfpack Women’s Soccer team this past season.

Lufo led the Canada West Conference in scoring, while finishing 5th overall across the nation in U-Sports Soccer through the 2025 campaign.

The Kamloops Sports Council’s annual Sports Person of the Year honor for 2025 was claimed by longtime referee and volunteer Willy Saari.

Saari was the Competition Chair of the Host Organizing Committee for the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships, which were held in Kamloops from May 4th to 11th of last year.

“I do a lot of little things behind the scenes that people see me doing,” Saari told Radio NL after being honored by the Kamloops Sports Council.  “I love giving back to this community. I love what the city does to promote sports, and to be a part of it…that’s so great.”

“It’s nice to see people come to Kamloops, look at our facilities and be healthy,” added Saari.

The 36^th annual Kamloops Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony also took place at the same event, where it would add three new members:  Olympic speedskater Jessica Hewitt, late Kamloops football coach Glenn Armstrong and International softball and baseball umpire Kelly Hunter.

The 1980 Kamloops Turbulence senior ladies volleyball team was inducted into the Hall as the 2025 Team entrant.

The Kamloops Sports Legacy Fund was also honored with Hall of Fame recognition at the weekend event.

It’s volunteer group has overseen the distribution of a combined $6.1 million over the past 17 years — the same amount which the City of Kamloops used as seed money to launch the Sports Legacy Fund through its portion of the proceeds brought on by the 2007 sale of the Kamloops Blazers to the current ownership group.

Sound investing has seen the Fund’s seed money remain at roughly the same level of $6 million, while the interest generated through it has been distributed among some 300 different sports teams and organizations in Kamloops to help them grow and prosper over the last 17 years.