Guelph Sports Hall of Fame announces 2015 inductees

Induction ceremony takes place at Kiwanis Sports Celebrity dinner June 10

Guelph, Ontario, March 24, 2015 – The Guelph Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors is pleased to announce the names of the 2015 inductees who will be inducted at a ceremony this June.

This year’s inductees are athlete Matt Mullin, veteran athlete Egidio Bolzon, builder Terry Valeriote and official Steve Blacklock.

The induction ceremony will take place during the annual Kiwanis Sports Celebrity dinner on the evening of Wednesday, June 10 at the Italian Canadian Club. Tickets are $80 for adults and $35 for students 17 and under.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call 519-822-1260 extension 2847.

About the Guelph Sports Hall of Fame

The Guelph Sports Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization that recognizes and honours the achievements of Guelph individuals and teams who have attained prominence and distinction in any field of sport, and who have made a major contribution to the development and advancement of sports in Guelph. Funding is generously provided through the Guelph Kiwanis Club’s annual Sports Celebrity dinner. The Guelph Sports Hall of Fame was established by the City of Guelph and the Kiwanis Club of Guelph in 1992.

Inductee Bios

Athlete – Matt Mullin

Matt was drafted 23rd overall to the Windsor Spitfires as a goalie. He was a two time Ontario Hockey League All-Star while playing for the Sudbury Wolves. He competed in the 1991 Canada Winter Games on the Ontario Men’s Hockey Team, winning a gold medal. In 1997 he was a member of the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU) National Champion University of Guelph Gryphons. In that year he was also named Ontario Universities Athletics Association Player of the Year, CIAU All Canadian and University of Guelph Player of the Year. In 1998 he competed for the Pro Hockey Championship (Colonial Cup) with the Quad City Mallards of the United Hockey League. In 1999 he represented the Toledo Storm in the East Coast Hockey league All-Star game.

Veteran Athlete – Egidio Bolzon

Egidio was the first Champion of the inaugural Canadian National Road Championship in 1959 and the first multiple champion when he won again in 1962. He was selected as a member of the Canadian Road Cycling Team to complete in the 1960 Rome Olympics, but was later ruled ineligible because of his landed immigrant status. In 1961 he competed in the 600 mile 8 stage Tour Du St Laurant Road Race in Quebec where he finished first. Later that year he represented Canada in the Tour of the Future Cycling Road Race in France. The race was run simultaneously on the same course as the Tour de France for elite and semi-professional riders only at a shorter distance. From 1959 to1963 he competed in more than 150 road cycling races in the elite and semiprofessional class throughout Canada, Italy, France and the United States, with many first place and top 10 finishes.

Builder – Terry Valeriote

Terry was the first person to coordinate the Province of Ontario’s Coaching Development Program (1974-1977). He was also the first coordinator of Canada’s National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) for the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC). According to the CAC, by the end of 2014, about 1.23 million coaches have participated in some component of the program. More than 4,000 coaches are from the city of Guelph. Terry authored three booklets on growth and development principals for children ages six to 11: Children’s Sport Programs: The Coach, The Administrator, and The Parent. These booklets have been distributed in Canada and the United States and have since been adopted by the Government of Portugal. He proposed the concept of long-term athletic development models and, in pilot projects, assisted the National Technical Directors of Basketball, Volleyball and Soccer. Today, all national sports have long-term athlete development models.

Official – Steve Blacklock

Steve was inducted into the Ringette Canada Hall of Fame in 2010. During his tenure he officiated 19 Canadian Ringette Championships, officiated World Ringette Championship matches in 1994 and 2004. He is a long standing member of the Ringette Canada Rules Committee. He served as Canada Rules book editor during two periods of significant periods of rule changes. In 1991 he was the Ontario Ringette Association ‘Official of the Year.’ His officiating career spanned 35 years. He has supervised, evaluated and trained all levels of referees.

For more information

Rich Grau
Secretary, Guelph Sports Hall of Fame
519-822-1260 extension 2847
rich.grau@guelph.ca