Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Katie Turney has been named as a recipient of the 2009 Premier's Athletic Awards.
The native of Surrey, BC, was honoured for her efforts on the pitch by the Province of British Columbia at an awards ceremony at the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver on February 12.
A member of the Whitecaps U-18 women's full-time program since the fall of 2008, Turney was also part of the club's Prospects program, having appeared at the Idaho Invitational Challenge with the U-16 Prospects team in March 2008.
A promising talent, Turney was part of the Canadian Soccer Association's (CSA) National Training Centre (BC Region) program from 2005 to 2008. She was also a BC provincial team captain, having represented her province at the U-13, U-14, and U-16 levels. In 2005, Turney won a bronze medal with BC at the Canadian U-14 All-Star Championship in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, before winning a silver medal at the same tournament in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in 2006. She also represented BC at the Canadian U-16 All-Star Championship tournaments in 2007 and 2008.
Before joining the Whitecaps full-time program, Turney won BC provincial championship titles at the U-13 and U-14 levels with Surrey Breakers. She was also a member of Surrey United's U-17 and U-18 sides.
Joining Turney as a recipient of this year's Premier's Athletic Awards is former Whitecaps Prospects centre back Derrick Bassi. The Delta, BC, native is a member of the academy squad at English Premier League club Middlesbrough FC, as well as Canada's U-17 men's national team. Like Turney, the former North Delta Selects defender was a member of the BC provincial team program and the CSA's National Training Centre (BC Region) program.
The Premier’s Athletic Awards is an annual event that allows the Province of BC to recognize the top female and male athletes from the provincial sport organizations and post secondary institutions that receive funding through the BC Athlete Assistance Program.
The BC Athlete Assistance Program, administered by the Sport and Recreation Branch of the Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport, provides financial support to athletes who demonstrate the potential and commitment to represent BC and Canada in athletic competition by relieving some of the pressures associated with training and competition.
