Ameh, Courchene named the class of Crocus

When Sani Ameh immigrated to Canada as a Grade 8 student in 2022, he couldn’t have imagined the sports adventures that lay ahead.

After a terrific final year at Crocus Plains, the 17-year-old Nigerian-born Ameh has been named the school’s male athlete of the year, with 17-year-old Iliana Courchene of Sioux Valley Dakota Nation earning the female prize.

“It was crazy,” Ameh said. “I just felt honoured. I didn’t really know what to feel. I was excited and nervous all at the same time. I was just glad I was able to get the opportunity to get this. I really wanted it, so I’m happy all the effort I put in worked out.”

Courchene said the honour was well deserved.

“He is a really good athlete,” Courchene said. “He’s really fast and a really nice person. He’s a really athletic guy who is good at everything he does. Being that kind of athlete, you’re bound to get athlete of the year with his skillset. Especially during basketball, he was a core person for his team. It was really good to watch him and see him get what he deserves.”

This year, he played his first season of football, along with basketball, volleyball and soccer.

He had participated in track and field earlier in his high school career — and badminton too — but was injured for the short track season this year and couldn’t compete.

Still, he was happy with the progress he made.

“When I moved here, my athleticism was not as impressive,” Ameh said. “I put a lot of effort in and consistency and commitment. Those three things really helped me.”

Football may have been the biggest eye opener for Ameh because he admits it’s a sport he didn’t know a lot about.

He said his first game was a bit hectic but he was able to settle in after that. He started the season on the edge of the defensive line, but changed to defensive back due to an injury and managed to be in the starting lineup all season.

“I thought it would be a sport that when I got hit, it would like a major injury or something,” Ameh said. “I realized getting hit is normal, it’s not anything, it’s just part of the game. It feels good.”

The Plainsmen started the season with a win before dropping their next six, but rebounded to beat the River East Kodiaks 35-28 in the playoffs. They then fell to the Sturgeon Heights Huskies on Oct. 29 to end their season.

He certainly had a longer runway with basketball.

In Grade 9, he played with the freshman team to learn the sport and develop. He jumped to the JV team in Grade 10 and then spent two seasons with the varsity team.

“Basketball was one of the main sports I focused on,” Ameh said. “We had an OK season, our season was good. I played all four years and our teams have just been really fun to be around. It was a nice team.”

Ameh, who was one of three captains, played centre although he said power forward might have been a better fit. But he and the coaching staff saw his impact in the middle — the six footer has set a springs that allow him to really elevate — so he battled against taller players.

In the city league, the Plainsmen went 2-3, and then routed Neelin in the playoffs, only to get swept in the best-of-three final by Massey.

That same jumping ability served Ameh nicely on the volleyball court, where he played right side for a couple of games but mostly lined up in the middle, once again against taller players.

The Plainsmen played in six tournaments, but in city play went 0-4 and fell to Massey in the playoffs.

“Volleyball was really good,” said Ameh, who played junior varsity in Grade 10 and two seasons with the varsity squad. “We had a good season this year, went to a lot of places. It was nice. There are a bunch of rising stars coming up next year and I feel like their season next year is going to be even better than ours.”

The one sport he knew well was the one he didn’t play as much as he focused on volleyball and basketball.

Ameh was a soccer goalkeeper back in Nigeria for his school team despite being much younger than everyone else, but after arriving in Canada, took two years off to focus on basketball and volleyball.

The Plainsmen went 1-2-1 in city play, beat the Spartans 2-0 in the semis but lost 3-2 to the Vikings in the final.

“I came back in Grade 11 and played for the Crocus team,” Ameh said. “It was a good season but we took a tough loss to Massey at the end, and the same thing happened this year. I was the starting goalie in Grade 12, and in Grade 11 I was the backup goalie.”

Ameh’s plans aren’t completely set in stone yet, but he will attend Brandon University in the fall, and may try out as a walk-on with the soccer or basketball teams. After that, he might move to Winnipeg to see if he can earn a spot with the Rifles in the Canadian Junior Football League, and go to school there.

He said Crocus put him in a position to succeed, and while there things he wishes he did differently, he enjoyed it.

“I regret not playing football earlier,” Ameh said. “I feel like I should have played in my freshman year and all my years because it was really fun. I loved playing on my football team and I wish I had more time to develop but I’m happy with what I’ve done.

“For basketball, I’ll always remember the experience and the coaching I got from Matt Warren. He was one of my favourite coaches and really good. He’s a really good guy. I’m going to miss him for sure.”

ILIANA COURCHENE

The 17-year-old multisport athlete had no inclination she was about to win a major athletic award at grad.

“It was such a surprise,” Courchene said. “We didn’t know until our names were called and were walking up to the stage. Hearing it was such a surprise because I really didn’t know and it wasn’t in my head at the moment. Then I heard my whole family yelling.

“It was such a surprising moment but a rewarding one … It was an achievement I made and I was really hyped about it when I got off stage. I was really happy.”

She certainly earned it with her efforts in basketball, soccer and softball. Ameh noted her willingness to push hard for what she wanted set her apart.

“I had her in my Grade 9 gym class, and one thing I noticed about her is she likes to compete,” Ameh said. “She’s a top-tier competitor. She won’t back down, she’s going to keep trying again. I remember every time we played basketball or dodgeball or any kind of sport, she was one of the main people who was trying and putting in effort.

“I also saw her in basketball and soccer, and she’s just a key player. She’s really good.”

On the basketball court, she played two years of junior varsity and two years of varsity.

Last season, Courchene was a combo guard who played some point but was mostly on the wing. She was named a tournament all-star in the team’s Crocus Plains Early Bird tournament, and was named a AAAA graduating all-star.

“Our basketball team was really good this year,” Courchene said. “I’ve known all the girls for four years and we’ve been really close. This was probably the best year yet because we played together really well and had chemistry. All the girls were so fun to hang out with.

“You could tell we had chemistry on the court because of how good our offence was and our defence was. We played really good together.”

After beating Vincent Massey in the city final, the 12th-ranked Plainsmen fell to the fifth-ranked Daniel McIntyre Maroons at provincials.

She was a striker in soccer, playing all four seasons with the varsity team. After they went 1-1-2 in the regular season, they routed Neelin 6-2 in the semifinal but ultimately lost 3-2 to Massey in the final.

“Our season was pretty good actually,” Courchene said. “We did the best we did in my four years. We lost to Massey by one. It was just such a tough game. It was a really good team with obviously some of the same girls from basketball … We played really good together. I liked our offence this year compared to other years.”

In her only season of softball, the right hitting and throwing teenager played left field or centre field. She hadn’t pursued softball previously with Crocus because it conflicted with soccer.

The Plainsmen went 0-4 in the city.

“It was a pretty short season,” Courchene said. “We had really good skill with the players on our team. It was a pretty good season, only four games, but we stuck together as a team. It was a good season for my first season.”

While the move to Crocus might have seemed like a big one four years ago, the next one she’s making is massive.

She is headed to New York State’s Jamestown Community College to play basketball next season after committing a month ago.

“I’m so excited for that,” Courchene said. “I’ve talked to the coaches a lot and the girls … I get to move down to the States and I’m really looking forward to it because I get to play ball at the next level. That program will be really good for me developing.”

Courchene was quick to offer thank yous, noting her coaches, aunts, uncles and father always supported her through the years, and her family made sure she always had the 50-km rides in from Sioux Valley.

And while the next chapter of her life will be an important one, she will never forget what she’s leaving behind.

“It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life,” Courchene said. “I only think good of this place and the gym and the people and the coaches. I believe it was one of the most developing experiences of my life. I’ve only gotten better as a person since I got here and I’ve only grown and I think that’s with the people here who I’ve met and the coaches.

“I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

» pbergson@brandonsun.com

 

RECENT RECIPIENTS

Recent winners of the Crocus athlete of the year awards.

2025

• BOYS: Seth McAuley

• GIRLS: Rebecca Alebiosu

2024

• BOYS: Ayden Bone

• GIRLS: Rebecca Alebiosu

2023

• BOYS: Jacob Thornitt

• GIRLS: Rylee Wiebe

2022

• BOYS: James Blyth

• GIRLS: Jasmine Horwood

2021

• BOYS: None (Pandemic)

• GIRLS: None (Pandemic)

2020

• BOYS: Ryden Hargreaves

• GIRLS: Rachael Donald

2019

• BOYS: Liam Kristjanson

• GIRLS: Rachael Donald

2018

• BOYS: Matt Olive

• GIRLS: Rachael Donald

2017

• BOYS: Doug Wilkinson

• GIRLS: Paige Donald

2016

• BOYS: Mike Olive

• GIRLS: Paige Donald