2015 Hall of Fame

Athlete

  • Pat Filipenko
    Pat Filipenko

    Pat was an educator for 33 years as a high school math and physics teacher in the Central Alberta community of Bowden. During his career he made a significant contribution to the athletic life of the school. He coached high school volleyball for 15 years during which time the senior boys team established a reputation as a volleyball ‘powerhouse’. He also coached high school badminton for 25 years; assisted in basketball, track and field and football.

    Pat was a very accomplished high school athlete. He was the holder of the Alberta Long Jump and Triple Jump record in the mid-sixties to the early seventies and currently he still holds the ASAA Track & Field Provincial record for Jr Boys Long Jump at 6.56M, which is the longest standing record for the ASAA, set in 1965.

    On the national level, Pat held the Midget Open Long Jump record; Midget Open Triple Jump record; won a silver medal at the 1966 British Empire Games Trials; competed at four Canadian Age Class meets. These are only a few of his accolades in a very prestigious Track career.

    Pat was the recipient of the Junior Male Alberta Athlete Award in 1964; Outstanding Midget Male Athlete in 1964; Captain of the ASAA Provincial Basketball Champions in 1966. Pat has most recently had a track facility named after him - the Filipenko Track & Field, in the Bowden community; where at the grand opening Pat ran the inaugural first lap of the track.

    Pat continues to volunteer his time at ASAA provincials, and has committed to do so for as long as it takes, in order to present the gold medal to the young man that will eventually break his record!

Athletic Administrator

  • Norma Smith
    Norma Smith

    Norma has been the zone coordinator for the Metro Edmonton High Schools Athletic Association since its inception in 1988. As such, Norma has been in contact with each of Metro’s school principals, athletic directors and coaches on a continual basis since that time. At present this association stands at a total of 51 schools with a student population of 38,699.

    Norma has been one of the zone coordinators of all zone championships since the formation of Metro. From 1988 until the dissolution of the Edmonton Public Athletic Association in 2013, she worked with the Edmonton Public representative in coordination and running of the Edmonton zone championships; and is the coordinator of all Metro leagues and championships since 1988. She also played an active role in hosting several ASAA championships across a number of sports.

    Norma has been one of the Edmonton zone representatives at the ASAA since her time with Metro, where she has been a part of numerous planning and hosting committees, presented and spoken to numerous notices of motion on behalf of Edmonton schools and been a passionate advocate for the Edmonton zone and its policies. She has earned the respect of her counterparts and colleagues from around the province because of her diligence to providing the best opportunities for student athletes and doing so in a fair and unbiased way.

    Norma has been a stalwart supporter and defender of high school athletics for the past 27 years. The Metro Edmonton Athletic Association is arguably the most organized and efficiently run zone in the province due to Norma’s tireless commitment to the Association, its members and its student athletes.

    ‘Norma has been the guiding light who ensured that the quality of sporting experiences for Metro’s high school students has been at a consistent, high level. High school sport in the Edmonton area is losing one of its strongest proponents with the retirement of Norma Smith and she will be missed.’ ~ Matt Shudra, Metro Edmonton President

Coach

  • Bruce O'Neil
    Bruce O'Neil

    Bruce has been a teacher and coach for 34 years at Cochrane High School where he just recently retired. During that time he has been the co-head coach of the football team and as co-head coach has won 12 Provincial Championships (10 in Tier III and 2 in Tier II) over four decades, 23 Rockyview League Championships and coached over 300 games. Since 1999, the Cobras have not lost a game to a Tier III team that did not go on to win the provincial championship in that season. Equally impressive is Bruce’s record as a Track & Field coach, winning eight provincial 3A banners as head coach, and another six as assistant coach.

    Bruce has been Football Alberta’s Tier II coach of the year once, Tier III Coach of the year twice and has won the Norm Kimball Award, which is Football Alberta’s highest recognition, in 2002. In addition to the above accolades and accomplishments, Bruce’s philosophy and approach to coaching is one that is revered not only in Cochrane but also around the province. ‘Although extremely competitive, Bruce is absolutely and consistently focused on doing things the right way. More than winning, he preaches commitment and hard work as the foundational values of athletics.’ ~ Jim Forrest, Cochrane High

    ‘To many of us that have been Bruce’s colleagues over some part of his thirty four years, it is his ongoing and relentless service to the students at CHS in promoting an opportunity for participation in an athletic program and a high standard of excellence in those programs, that will be his legacy at the high school and in the community.’ ~ Chris Lees, Cochrane High ~

    ‘He has committed to continue to bring his passion and love of high school sport back to CHS next season. This a must for our program and school community. Bruce is one of the most respected and liked coaches by players and parents in the province.’ ~ Robbie McNab, Cochrane High ~

  • Chuck Hebert
    Chuck Hebert

    Chuck started his teaching and coaching career at Ashmont High School, which was a 1A school, before going to Wetaskiwin Composite (3A) in 1996. From 1996-2012 Chuck coached the cross country team, Senior Boys Volleyball, JV Boys Volleyball, JV Boys Basketball, Senior Girls Basketball and Track & Field.

    Chuck is a builder of programs and has always been about giving the students an opportunity to participate. During his time at Wetaskiwin Composite he has been a part of one Track & Field Provincial 3A team championship; 6 time Central zone championships, including a three year undefeated streak in league play; 4th place finish at the 2009 Basketball Provincials; 2004 sportsmanship banner winner at Basketball Provincials; Boys volleyball 2012 zone champions; 1998 boys volleyball provincial finalists; and started an innovative pole vault program that routinely sends 4-8 vaulters to provincials each year. But most impressive is Chuck’s cross country running team domination. Chuck has lead his cross country team to 12 straight zone championships and 13 straight ASAA Provincial championships.

    ‘Chuck has exemplified what a high school coach should be. Chuck is passionate about sports; extremely dedicated to the kids he works with and has a desire for kids to learn life lessons from sport.’ ~ Rob Cross, Wetaskiwin Composite

    ‘It is a rare occasion when one person comes into a community and leaves such a footprint in the community and school sports realm. Chuck has done that; a winning provincial and zone championship coach, a sport program founder and builder and an outstanding mentor- teaching our adolescent youth the value and importance of volunteerism and ‘giving back’!’ ~ Wayne Neilson, Former Principal Wetaskiwin Composi

Special Achievement

  • Morgan Munroe
    Morgan Munroe - Official

    Morgan is a long time basketball referee and administrator. He has officiated from 1989- present day and in that time has officiated over 2,000 games including approximately 1,500 ASAA games of both genders and of all classifications from 1A-4A.

    He has officiated at 6 ASAA gold medal games, including two 4A boys games, one 4A girls game and one 1A boys game. He has also officiated 21 seasons of CCAA basketball and 20 seasons of CIS basketball, plus multiple Canada Basketball events which included 6 national championships of which two were gold medal games. He has served as the president of the Southern Alberta Basketball Officials Association for six years and has served an additional 13 years in an Executive position with the same association. His work with officiating continues at the Provincial level, where he has served as the Alberta Basketball Officials Association rules interpreter for 13 years; at the National level where he has been on the Canadian Association of Basketball Officials National Council for 13 years. Morgan’s abundant accolades all come from his absolute love of sports and he is an advocate for not only high school sport but is an educator first and foremost. He continues to work with the ASAA to make sure high school sport is just as important as any other level and works tirelessly to educate officials, coaches and athletes around the province. His expertise and achievements in officiating have made him incredibly valuable to the sport of basketball.

    The partnership and relationship that Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association has with the Alberta Basektball Officials Association is as strong as it is because of people like Morgan that continue to advocate and educate in the high school sport realm.