The Bermuda School Sports Federation will honour 58 of the island’s top student-athletes tonight in the 31st annual Denton Hurdle Memorial Awards at Warwick Academy starting at 7pm.

The awards are held in memory of the late PE teacher and top rugby player and are used to highlight, recognise and reward talented primary, middle and senior school athletes.

The guest speaker for the event will be Jimmy Spithill, the skipper of Oracle Team USA.

Hurdle was a keen sportsman who attended Warwick Academy, Bermuda College and Dalhousie University. After completing his physical education degree he went on to teach at Warwick Academy.

He was an avid sportsman and excelled in football, cricket and volleyball.

His first love, however, was rugby. He went on to captain Teachers Rugby Football Club. He was also a regular member of the Bermuda team.

To be nominated for the award, students must display leadership, sportsmanship, self-discipline, dedication and co-operation. They must demonstrate positive attitudes in school.

Only students in the final year of primary, middle or senior school are eligible for the reward.

Notable past winners of the award include Flora Duffy, now one of the world’s top triathletes, Cup Match and national team members, Terryn Fray, Malachi Jones, Oronde Bascome and Greg Maybury, Bermuda football players Ralph Bean, Justin Donawa, Roger Lee and Jair Minors, and Carifta track stars Kyrah Scraders, Taahira Butterfield, Dage Minors and Tre Simons.

Denton Hurdle’s nephew Derek Hurdle Jr is a past winner, while physio Daniel Morgan, Taylor-Ashley Bean and Ashley Aitken are the only three-times winners.

This year’s nominees include Tiara DeRosa of Berkeley Institute, who broke the national junior and senior women’s discus records and has competed in the last five Carifta Games.

Tiye Williams of Warwick Academy is also included. Williams is the junior national squash champion and last year’s Caribbean Junior Squash Championships Under-19 plate winner.

Other nominees include Tyler Smith of Bermuda High School who is one of the island’s top triathletes.

Smith, who represented Bermuda at the Carifta Games this year, also medalled at the Caribbean Junior Cycling Championships. He is the Junior Male Athlete of the Year. Za’Khari Parsons of CedarBridge Academy is a member of the PHC Zebra’s Premier Division squad and has represented Bermuda at youth level.

NOMINEES

Primary School Girls: Honour Minors (St David’s), Shye Blair-Paynter (East End), Jessie Debraga (St George’s Prep), Kiyare Talbot-Minors (Francis Patton), Rely Destani Smith (Harrington Sound), Myeisha Sharrieff (Elliot Primary), Nevada-Ray Shakir-Caines (Victor Scott), Tele Simons (West Pembroke), Dwzjhane Smith (Purvis), Kezjah Weeks (Dalton E Tucker), Amara Richards (Somerset Primary), Arianna Sabir (West End), Shayla Cann (Warwick Academy), Katelyn Medeiros (Bhs), Sydney Fischer (Saltus), Josephine Duerden (Somersfield Academy), Kyra King (Msa).

Primary School Boys: Ayr Connonier (St David’s), Aunde Todd (St George’s Prep), Chazz Knight (Francis Patton), Jekai Eve (Harrington Sound), Amir Dill (Elliot Primary), Ahtaio Burgess (Victor Scott), Jahzi Wilson-Butterfield (West Pembroke), Angeleno Madeiros (Purvis Primary), Mason Robinson (Dalton E Tucker), Stefan Jones (Somerset Primary), Nyrico Swan (West End), Cameron Morris (Warwick Academy), Jake Brisbane (Saltus), Michael Costello (Somersfield Academy), Cody Rego (Msa), Jayson Simons (Paget Primary).

Middle School Girls: Destani Warner (Whitney Institute), Kanzi Emory (Clearwater), Jah’qala Tucker (Tn Tatem), Gaiya Melakot (Sandys Secondary), Shani Tucker (Warwick Academy), Abigail Brewer (Bhs), Lindsey Pacheco (Saltus), Shelby Madeiros (Somersfield Academy), Kayla Raymond (Msa).

Middle School Boys: Tyrese Caines (Warwick Academy), Jarryd Richardson (Saltus), Ryan Outerbridge (Clearwater), Yusef Bushara (Somersfield Academy), Clevonte Lodge-Bean (Whitney).

Senior School Girls: Tiye Williams (Warwick Academy), Dashae Darrell (Cedarbridge), Tiara Derosa (Berkeley), Zhanaé Simmons (Saltus), Kelly Pedro (Bhs).

Senior School Boys: Sam Wehmeyer (Saltus), Za’khari Parsons (Cedarbridge), Corey Simas (Msa), Tyler Smith (Bhs), Isaiah Richardson (Berkeley), Jacques De Verteuil (Warwick Academy).