1993 Yorkton Expos Midget Baseball Team
The 1993 Yorkton Expos won the Saskatchewan Midget Baseball Championship and competed in the Western Canadian Championship that year where they placed third. The 1992 version of the Expos had placed second at the provincial level and represented Zone 4 at the Saskatchewan Summer Games where they won the silver medal. The 1993 team played in the five-team Southeast Midget League and won league honours with a 10 win no loss record. They also played in the Southeast Senior League and finished 6-5-1. In the Senior Division playoff, they defeated the Yorkton Black Sox two games to one and then lost to the Roblin Red Sox in a three-game series.
The team of 16 to 18-year-olds participated in four senior tournaments, winning three of them. They lost the final of the lone Midget tournament they attended. Throughout the summer, the team played a total of 51 games. They were coached by Don Szabo, Tony Hayden and Victor Bucsis, and the manager was Steve Popowich. Eight teams battled for the provincial title with the Expos finishing first in their pool. They eliminated the North Battleford Beavers 8-4 in the semi-final and then disposed of the Regina Pacers 10-4 in the gold medal game. For this round of the playoffs the team had added local area players Derek Derkatch of Canora and Aaron Elmy of Saltcoats. For the Western Canadian Championship held in Calgary the team added pitcher Trevor Bishop from Assiniboia. Members of the team went on to success with the Yorkton Terriers and the Yorkton Regional High School's football, volleyball and basketball teams. Some continued to play baseball with the Senior Yorkton Black Sox, and a few moved on to the Western Major Baseball Leagues's Yorkton Cardinals.
Members of the team were, front row, Kevin Bucsis, Jason Brown, Robert Gaudry, Trent Szabo, Dan Sarahs, Derek Derkatch; middle row, Neil Schell, Grant Popowich, Shawn Zimmer, Arlan Woloschuk, Bryce Barteski, Michael Sarafincian, Assistant Coach Tony Hayden; back row, Coach Don Szabo, Trevor Bishop, Rob Barnett, Jaret Irving, Aaron Elmy, Robert Kozak, Darrin Shumay, Assistant Coach Victor Bucsis. Missing, Manager Steve Popowich.
Barry Bradshaw
Builder: Snowmobiling
Barry took up snowmobiling in 1970 and even in the year he was inducted, still averaged over 10,000 kilometres per season. He was active in Yorkton's first snowmobile club, the Yorkton Trail Blazers, which hosted snowmobile races during the annual SnoSho. He was involved with Snowarama, the fundraiser for Easter Seals, since its beginning in 1977 and was the longtime Events Chairman.In 1990 Barry was the founding president of the Yorkton Sno-Riders Club and was responsible for getting city permission for trail access in the city. He continued to be active as a director, co-ordinating the grooming of 500 kilometres of trails.
Barry was elected to the board of the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association (SSA) in 1992 and then became President. He helped to organize the first snowmobile trade show in Yorkton in 1993. He worked with the Saskatchewan government to establish mandatory trail passes with legislation being passed in 2006 to include trail passes in snowmobile registrations. He assisted with the first Prairie Women on Snowmobiles' ride for breast cancer, and wrote for the Saskatchewan Snowmobiler section of SnoRiders magazine. Barry operated Sled Treks Guided Snowmobile Tours, taking groups and individuals on safe but adventurous tours for up to a week in duration. He has represented the SSA at the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations and at the International Snowmobile Congress.
In 1990, Barry received the Special Achievement Award for his involvement with Snowarama from the National Snowmobile Foundation. He was the SSA Volunteer of the Year in 2005 and in February, 2008, was inducted into the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame in Eagle River, Wisconsin.
Tony Hayden
Builder: Basketball
Tony has spent more than 40 years teaching basketball skills, more than 30 years connected with volleyball, and numerous years in football and baseball. Tony was a line, quarterback, running backs, and receivers coach as well as an offensive coordinator in high school football. He was an assistant coach with the Yorkton Midget Expos Baseball team when they won a silver medal at the 1992 Saskatchewan Summer Games and a member of the 1993 coaching staff when they won the provincial midget championship and competed at the Western Canadians. As a young man he played baseball, football, and basketball. He began his teaching career at Dr. Brass Junior High, moved to St. Joseph's which later became C.J. Houston Junior High, and completed his teaching career at the Yorkton Regional High School.
Tony was an assistant coach with the 1969 YRHS Raider provincial football champions. His junior men's basketball team won the provincial championship in 1978. His junior high boys' basketball teams achieved undefeated seasons three times - 1981, 1992, and 1996. His record of 562 wins and 119 losses translates into an 82.5 winning percentage.
Tony was the Yorkton Sportsman of the Year in 1979. He received the Celebrate Canada Award in 1988 for his work in coaching and in 1993 was recognized with the Saskatchewan Physical Education Association Award. He received the Saskatchewan High School Athletic Association NBA Award in 2000 for promoting the values of sportsmanship. Tony coached thousands of athletes the fundamentals of sports like basketball and volleyball at the junior high school level, making it possible for the Yorkton Regional High School to win multiple championships. In retirement he continued to spend countless hours in the development of young athletes.
Wayne Mitchell
Athlete, Builder: Tae Kwon Do
Wayne Mitchell opened the first Tae Kwon Do at Fairview School in 1992. The first annual Prairie Wildfire Tae Kwon Do Challenge was held in the fall of 1998. In September of 1999 Wayne became a full-time instructor and gave up his day job, a 28-year career with CN Rail. Tae Kwon Do trained over 200 students per year at the Yorkton school, with the intent that the confidence, respect and discipline learned by the students will positively impact their ability to be future leaders in the community. In 2000 an after-school martial arts program was started and in June of that year Wayne reached the 5th Dan Kukkiwon or Black Belt level. Wayne first competed as a Yellow Belt in Winnipeg in 1981 and won a gold medal. He competed at Nationals as a Black Belt in 1983, at the Can-Am Games in Winnipeg in 1984, and at Nationals in Edmonton in 1985. From 1981-85, he won 14 gold, 11 silver, and 12 bronze medals.
Between 1986 and 2005 Wayne served in a variety of roles as trainer, coach, referee, and team head for the Saskatchewan provincial team. He was the Secretary General of Tae Kwon Do Canada from 2004 to 2008. From 2006 to 2008, he was a member of the steering committee for NCCP and LTAD Tae Kwon Do programs. He attended junior and senior world championships, Pan Am and Commonwealth Tae Kwon Do Games, and the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a coach, international referee, and team manager. He was a delegate to the WTF General Assembly. His involvement in the sport has taken him across North and South America, to Korea, Vietnam, China and Australia, and to England, Spain and Turkey.
