Austin O’Boyle a top North York high school athlete

Here’s the irony – O’Boyle did get in the spotlight after winning the school’s most prestigious award – Male Athlete of the Year – three times, once as a senior and twice as a junior.

Some who know the 17 year old, an academic honors student, claim it would have been a clean sweep if a labour disruption by teachers in his Grade 11 year, suspending many sports, didn’t take place.

But O’Boyle, an articulate young man, isn’t losing any sleep over the baseball snubbing – especially since he was picked MVP for Team Ontario at the national championship in Vaughan back in 2011. That was the same year he was picked MVP of the North York Blues who won the Baseball Ontario bantam division title.

A right-handed pitcher converted to the infield, O’Boyle said he was flattered with the latest sports accolade coming in his graduation year from the Don Mills and Lawrence area school before shuffling off to continue his studies at Queen’s University.

"It’s quite an honor and not too many can say they were the top athlete at their school so many times," said O’Boyle, who lives in the Victoria Park and York Mills area and is a polite and personable youngster, but a tough competitor in sport.

O’Boyle was a three-time North York regional champ in the pool as a freestyle swimmer for Don Mills and also a power hitter on the school volleyball team that also won a divisional title. Coincidentally, he was a team MVP for both sports.

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• Dec 31, 1969
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• Dec 31, 1969
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On the Don Mills baseball team, O’Boyle was the winning pitcher, and belted a two-run homer, in a 6-4 win over Mackenzie for the North York championship.

But O’Boyle feels his biggest accomplishment while at Don Mills came outside of sports. He was a member of the Best Buddies Canada program and found time to help school buddies Tareek, Eric and Mark, who were intellectually challenged.

"I took this seriously and it meant a great deal to me – something I will remember for the rest of my life," said O’Boyle. "Working with people who are developmentally delayed, are autistic or have Down syndrome. I saw the stigma barrier and was determined to get involved and do what I could to be of assistance."

2014 HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

NORTH YORK

A.Y. Jackson – David Wahrhaftig (M) and Yannie Fan (F)

Bayview Glen – Keaton Proud (M) and Elena Buldo (F)

Brebeuf – Information not provided by school

C.W. Jefferys – Nana Nimoh (M) and Kristina Huynh (F)

Cardinal Carter - Information not provided by school

Chaminade – Paolo Caprara and Matthew Rosati (M)

Crescent – Information not provided by school

Crestwood Prepatory – Sean Eylott (M) and Caitlin Skain (F)

Dante Alighieri – Humberto Santos (M) and Vanessa Flores (F)

Don Mills – Austin O’Boyle (M) and Cassandra Bendall (F)

Downsview – Trivel Pinto (M) and Ashley Cain (F)

Drewry – Charles Cotton (M) and Pauline Pace (F)

Earl Haig - Adi Cuza (M) and Luciana Terebiznik (F)

Emery – Twaha Mohamed (M) and Jadon Parkinson (F)

George S. Henry - Information not provided by school

Georges Vanier – Gallen Lin (M) and Erika Esposo (F)

Hawthorn – Information not provided by school

James Cardinal McGuigan – Joseph Menoram (M) and Amina Lawal (F)

John Polanyi - Information not provided by school

Loretto Abbey – Sarah Chan (F)

Madonna – Sabrina Pasut (F)

Nelson A. Boylen - Information not provided by school

Newtonbrook – Danial Karimii (M) and Lisa Morales Garcia (F)

Northview Heights – Geeth Raveendhran (M) and Audrey Clarke (F)

St. Basil The Great – Cristian Leon-Lopez (M) and Danielle Wright (F)

St. Joseph Morrow Park – Emma van Wijngaarden (F)

Senator O’Connor – Nicholas Charles (M) and Dominique Rumball (F)

Victoria Park – Jeffrey Precious (M) and Jenny Du (F)

Westview Centennial - Ehab El Sandall (M) and Calina Pholsena (F)

William Lyon Mackenzie – Philip Le (M) and Andrea Fairweather (F) and Katrin Spassov (F)

York Mills – Gavin McQueenie (M) and Jennifer Hew (F)

NOTE: Athletes were chosen by their respective schools in the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board