The Belleville Sports Hall of Fame has received the names of several individuals and teams to be considered for induction into the hall this coming fall. The candidates have all been nominated via our online nomination process. The deadline for nominations to be considered for this fall’s induction ceremony was Wednesday, May 25. Nominations received after this date will be considered for the 2023 induction ceremony.
To promote this fall’s induction ceremony and to celebrate the nominees and highlight the importance of nominating deserving candidates, the hall of fame committee has put together brief bios of our present nominees. We started highlighting and sharing five of the nominees with the community on May 16. This is the last week of our initiative. The actual 2022 inductees will be chosen by our selection committee later in June and shared shortly afterwards.
Belleville Sport Hall of Fame Nominees – Week Seven
Derek Smith: Athlete, Hockey
Playing for the Wellington Dukes, in the OJHL, Derek earned an NCAA scholarship where he was among his team’s leading scorers. He went on to play professionally, including in the NHL with Ottawa and Calgary.
Peter Lyng: Builder
Starting as a teenager, Peter worked for the City of Belleville in the Parks and Recreation Dept. He advanced to working fulltime and eventually as Facilities Manager ensuring the smooth operation of the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre.
Matt Cooke: Athlete, Hockey
A former Wellington Duke Rookie of the Year recipient, Matt went on to an all-star OHL career, representing Canada at the World Juniors. He followed this up with over 1000 games played in the NHL winning the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh and a World Hockey Championship Gold Medal.
Michelle Foley-Cooke: Athlete, Cross Country/Track
A standout in high school, Michelle was the Canadian National Jr. Cross Country Champion and 14 time OFFSA champion. She became the first ever and youngest Canadian female athlete sponsored by NIKE.
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