Stegall aids students

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This article was published 18/08/2011 (5194 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ all-time greats touched down in Winnipeg this week, but this time it had nothing to do with football.

Milt Stegall was in Winnipeg Wednesday to recognize the success of 18 student athletes from across the province, both at the high school level as well as university, at a scholarship presentation at the Sport For Life Centre.

Stegall, the CFL’s all-time touchdown leader, presented a room full of talent with Manitoba Foundation for Sports scholarships, which grants $500 to high school recipients, and $1,000 to university level athletes for maintaining an impressive athletics resume along with a strong academic standing.

The top athlete at each level is then selected as the recipient of the Milt Stegall Scholarship — an additional $1,000 to an athlete graduating high school, and an additional $2,000 to an athlete in their second or subsequent year in a post-secondary institution.

“It feels great to be able to come to this city that has given me so much, and be able to give back,” Stegall said. “This is way more gratifying than scoring a touchdown. What I did on the field will eventually be overcome, but this legacy lasts forever. It’s overwhelming, really.”

The Bomber great emphasized his three H’s to a keen audience.

“Hard work, humility, and honesty,” he said. “Those are the tools that I grew up with that allowed me to be successful. Hard work will supercede anything.”

This year’s university-level recipient, Cody Hunter, was one of the first two players selected for the newly formed University of Winnipeg Wesmen baseball team, and knows all about hard work. The standout second baseman is entering his third year at the U of W, where he is studying applied health and kinesiology, and doing his best to pay for his education.

“This award means a lot to me,” said Hunter, who hails from East St. Paul. “I’ve been working full time this summer to pay for school, so this should be a help for sure. I wasn’t expecting it at all.”

Melanie Edel, from Morris, took home the Milt Stegall Scholarship for a student graduating high school.

Edel, a standout basketball and volleyball player for Morris Collegiate, was captain of the Mavericks basketball team, and was named to the 2011 basketball All-Manitoba First Team, all while maintaining honor-roll standing with a 95 per cent average. Although Edel had been told she’d won the award before Stegall announced it, she didn’t see everything coming.

“I had no idea Milt was actually going to be here to personally give me the award,” she said with a smile. “I’m honoured.”

robby.frankel@freepress.mb.ca