Ezri Vidal and Paul Peterson Named Recipients of the 2024 Lorne Lasuita Saskatchewan Games Athletic Award
Regina, SK (December 19, 2024) — The Saskatchewan Games Council is thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2024 Lorne Lasuita Saskatchewan Games Athletic Award. Team Lakeland Basketball player Paul Peterson and Team Rivers West dual-sport athlete Ezri Vidal have been selected following their participation in the 2024 Saskatchewan Summer Games in Lloydminster, presented by Teine Energy.
The Lorne Lasuita Saskatchewan Games Athletic Award is presented to one male and one female athlete who best combined competitive performance, strong leadership skills, good sporting conduct, and a spirit of fair play, cooperation, and friendship. The Award provides an athletic bursary intended to assist the recipients with their ongoing participation in sport.
Peterson is described as a natural leader whose encouragement, positivity, and unwavering team spirit helped drive his team to a bronze medal. Despite a recurring injury throughout the tournament, he stayed composed and focused, leading the team cheers from the bench when he was unable to play. Throughout his time at the Games, he would ensure that his teammates were included in off-court activities, and would support those that were struggling with a pat on the back or a kind word.
In his hometown of Melfort, Peterson gives back to his community through coaching younger basketball players at his local Jr. NBA program, babysitting, and teaching Sunday school. He currently plays club basketball for the Melfort Eagles, and is looking forward to trying out for the Team Sask development team in the spring. In the future, he aspires to earn a spot on a D1 Basketball team to compete in university and to one day play professionally as an adult.
Vidal was one of just two dual-sport athletes at the Games to earn medals in both of her team sports, Volleyball and Basketball. Her on-court presence and energy was described as being contagious all throughout the Games, and her leadership and athleticism helped drive her teammates to a gold in Volleyball and bronze in Basketball. In Volleyball, her team was nearly undefeated throughout the entire three-day tournament -- losing only the first set of their first game. Her coach commended both her maturity and ambition as an athlete, recalling her openness to feedback and continuous drive to improve her skills and technique.
Vidal is a grade 9 student in her hometown of Meadow Lake. Her dedication was on display throughout the leadup to the Games; despite the four-hour round trip, she and her family were committed to attending Volleyball team practices three times a week in Lloydminster, along with regular Basketball practices in Unity. Outside of sport, Ezri is a member of her school’s Student Representative Council, helps out at various school events, and volunteers at the food bank. She also coaches and referees youth basketball, smashball and volleyball. In the future, Ezri aspires to be “the next Caitlyn Clark” on the basketball court while also chasing her goals in high-level volleyball, which include making the provincial team in high school and playing post-secondary after graduation.
The Award was established in 2019 to recognize the valuable contributions Lasuita has made to the Saskatchewan Games program. Throughout his impactful 50-plus year career in sport and recreation, Lasuita has played a key role in more than 50 multi-sport games -- including the Saskatchewan Games, the Canada Games, and the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics. As Provincial Games Consultant until his retirement in 2019, Lasuita played an instrumental role in building the Saskatchewan Games program into what it is today, having been a part of every edition of the biennial Saskatchewan Games from 1974 through 2023 – only missing the first-ever Games in 1972. Lasuita was recently inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, earning a spot as a Builder in the Class of 2023.
The next instalment of the Saskatchewan Games will take place in Flying Dust First Nation and the City of Meadow Lake from February 15-21, 2026. The 2026 Saskatchewan Winter Games will feature competition in 17 sports among 1,500+ athletes, coaches, and team staff from across the province, in addition to the contributions of upwards of 1,000 local volunteers.
Quotes
“Thanks to all the people that selected me to win this award. I was very grateful for this opportunity to play in the 2024 Saskatchewan Summer Games. I also want to thank all my fellow athletes for coming out and working hard. The Summer Games was an amazing and competitive experience that I feel so fortunate to be a part of.” - Award recipient Paul Peterson
“The Saskatchewan Games have been an incredible experience for me. I have met so many new friends. Staying at the Athlete’s Village was an extraordinary opportunity. Being able to play with and against the top athletes in my age group was amazing. It pushed me to play some of the best volleyball and basketball I have ever played. The coaching was incredible, I have developed my skills in so many ways. It is a memory that will stay with me for my entire life." - Award recipient Ezri Vidal
“Congratulations to Ezri and Paul -- both for their exceptional performances at the 2024 Saskatchewan Summer Games in Lloydminster and for their demonstrations of leadership and team spirit on and off the field of play. The Saskatchewan Games Council is proud to support the development of these leaders in both sport and community.” - Saskatchewan Games Council Executive Director Greg Perreaux
About the Saskatchewan Games
First established in 1972, the purpose of the biennial Saskatchewan Games is to provide an opportunity for the province’s developing athletes, coaches and officials to participate in an exciting and inclusive multi-sport event in preparation for a higher level of competition. Countless Saskatchewan Games alumni have advanced to competition at the national level and beyond, with Olympic champions such as Emily Clarke, Colleen Sostorics, and Lucas Makowsky counting the Saskatchewan Games as a key step in their journey to the highest levels of sport. The Saskatchewan Games also leave behind valuable legacies that benefit each host community for years to come. To learn more, visit www.saskgames.ca.
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