Playing a diverse amount of sports at Holy Trinity Academy has given a pair or athletes some extra cash for books as they study at the University of Lethbridge.
Lauren Sinclair received the John and Gabriella Gotch Athletic Scholarship and Vince Motta Memorial Scholarship at the Holy Trinity Academy Scholarships and Awards Evening at HTA on Thursday. Thomas Wilcox was awarded the Tyler and Alex Conrad Memorial Scholarship,
“I remember being in Grade 10 and seeing the classrooms that are dedicated to Tyler and Alex,” Wilcox said. “I never would have thought I would win a scholarship dedicated to them.”
Tyler and Alex Conrad were both avid members of HTA Knights sports teams while at the school. Alex, a member of the Knights 2004 provincial championship finalist basketball team died in 2011 at the age of 25. Tyler, also a hoopster with the Knights, died in 2012 at the age of 30.
Like the Conrads, Wilcox performed as hard on the sports arena as he did hitting the books.
He was a Knight athlete from about September to June his Grade 12 year in 2018-19.
“I played practically every sport I could except for badminton and football,” said Wilcox, who is studying social education. “It was a lot of commitment.”
Wilcox was the captain of the Knights volleyball team. He also played basketball, track and rugby.
Of course, for any Knight beating their pals from the south is always a thrill.
“When we beat the Comp in volleyball in the zone final, that was by far the best,” Wilcox said. “That and beating Chestermere in the zone semifinal in basketball was exciting.”
Being a leader on the court means making adjustments.
As a Grade 11 player on the basketball court he was more of a scorer, but he became more of a defensive specialist for the hot-shooting Knights.
“I saw myself as more of defensive player because we had so many offensive players with our Grade 11s,” Wilcox said. “I thought I could fill that role, kind of gritty, be a leader, stats don’t really matter to me.”
Wilcox also played for the Knights provincial qualifying rugby team for the first time in his athletic career. He is playing for a club team in Lethbridge.
There is one stat that matters – the numbers on his report card. Wilcox was an honour student at HTA.
“I have been playing sports since I was six years old with hockey,” he said. “That’s what taught me commitment.”
Sinclair was similar to Wilcox in staying busy at HTA.
She played soccer, basketball, badminton and rugby.
“I think there were two weeks that I wasn’t playing something,” Sinclair said.
She extended her high school sports career by a few months by playing rugby.
“I figured since it was my last year, I might as well try everything,” Sinclair said. “I was nervous at the start of rugby but everyone was very supportive, great coaches, great players a great experience.”
It also showed the affable Sinclair’s more aggressive side.
“You’re allowed to tackle people,” she said with a laugh. “I really like the teamwork that is involved. You can’t just win with one player. You need everyone to be playing together. I like that aspect of it.”
She’s a quick learner.
Despite having only one year of rugby under her belt, she made the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns rugby team as a back-up lock.
Sinclair is better known at the Knights Round Table as a soccer player and basketball player.
She was the co-MVP of the Knights’ basketball team, which struggled at times with the loss of all-star Jordan Bonertz for the entire season — Sinclair’s cousin.
“It was just great to be on the basketball team and work through all of our ups and downs together,” Sinclair said.
“Jordan was a top-leader. I tried to step it up in her place, and it sucked not having her there.
“But everybody stepped up. It was a great experience.”
Bonertz is now on the University of Calgary Dinos’ roster (Skylar Bonertz, Jordan’s sister, shared the MVP with Sinclair).
As for soccer, the Knights went undefeated and won the South Central Zones championship.
Similar to her friend Wilcox, Sinclair said sports helped her in the classroom.
“You learn how to manage your emotions, time, and your ability,” Sinclair said. “I can learn what I am good at and not good at and how to work hard and get things done when they need to get done… If I didn’t have the experience of handling a busy schedule, I would be very lost right now.”
She was a 90-plus student at HTA.
Wilcox and Sinclair are back roaming the halls of education — and they do run into each other now and then.
“It’s good, but we’re both very busy,” Sinclair said.
