Historic Niagara Digital Collections

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• Quaranta, Sarah

  Sarah Quaranta was born and raised in Niagara Falls and attended Saint Paul Catholic High School. Sarah played boys A and AAA hockey all the way up to Major Bantam for the Niagara Falls Canucks. She was named Assistant Captain for two years. In grade nine, she made the switch to girls hockey and started playing with the Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres, where she was named Captain. In 2009, she was named Niagara Falls Athlete of the year. In 2015, Sarah was selected to play for Canada’s National Women’s U18 Team in Buffalo, NY where she played on the third line and was on the team’s first penalty-killing unit and contributing to a Silver Medal win. Later that same year, Sarah was selected to play for Team Ontario at the Canada Winter Games in Prince George, BC where she helped the team to another Silver Medal win. After graduating from high school, Sarah received a full hockey scholarship and went on to play NCAA Division 1 at Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh. She posted her first collegiate point in her very first outing as a Colonial. During her time there she was named female student athlete of the week (2015), named College Hockey America (CHA) rookie of the week, selected for the 2016 All-CHA Rookie Team, and ranked third in CHA rookie points. In 2016-17, she helped her to team to become regular season champions for the first time in program history. That same year she was awarded a championship ring when they won the CHA tournament and competed in RMU’s first NCAA tournament. Sarah managed to balance her studies with her incredible sports career and was named an All-American Scholar in the CHA and Presidential Scholar-Athlete in 2019. She is now a teacher, living and working in the Niagara Region.
• Biamonte, Ralph Dr.

  Ralph’s interest in horses and the field of horse racing began in the 1950’s in Niagara Falls, where he was employed as a hot walker for horses at Fort Erie Race Track. His passion for horses remained strong, even as he attended dental school and established a dental practice in Niagara Falls (1971-2002). In the midst of running a busy dental office, Ralph pursued his interest in horse racing as an owner, and in 1985 he took the next step and acquired his Thoroughbred Trainers License. Within a few years, Ralph established himself as the top trainer at Fort Erie Racetrack, and was the leading trainer at that track from 1992-1997. In consecutive years, he broke the track record for number of wins in a single season by a trainer. Ralph achieved his 1000th career win in 2013 and currently has 1160 victories while still maintaining a successful stable. These wins include over 20 different “Stakes Race” winners, and Ralph is ranked as a Graded Stakes Winning Trainer. Over the past few decades, Ralph has raced his horses in Ontario, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, West Virginia, Florida, and Ohio. He has also enjoyed great success in the field of breeding, and has bred multiple Stakes winning horses of his own. Total purse earning over the course of Ralph’s training career have reached 23 million dollars. He continues to train and race horses in Southern Ontario.
• Yerich, Paul

  Paul Yerich had a passion for competitive running in all categories of the Sport. During his impressive and prestigious career that spanned over thirty years, he participated in full marathons in Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, New York City, Buffalo, and Boston. He also represented Canada at the Berlin, Germany, and Athens, Greece, full marathons. In 2001 and 2004, Paul won the Niagara Casino half marathon and in 2003 he was selected “Runner of the Year” by Track Niagara. In 2015, at the Canadian Masters Championships held in St. Catharines, Ontario, he won three gold medals (200 metre, 400 metre, and 5000 metre). In 2019, at the World Masters Athletic Championships held in Toronto, Ontario, he won two gold medals (800 metre and 1500 metre) and three bronze medals (200 metre, 400 metre, and 5000 metre). In 2003, and 2010, Paul’s team won the “Man-A-Mile” championship event (Niagara-on-the-Lake to Niagara Falls). His career also included many victories in cross country disciplines. Paul credits the coaching, motivation, and support that he received as a member of the Road Runner and Track Niagara Club for his many successes. He was very proud to represent Niagara Falls at the cities and venues where he competed.
• Niagara Falls Anglicans 1935-1936 Women’s Basketball Team

  In April of 1936, the Niagara Falls Anglicans Women’s Basketball Team brought a new honour home when they won the Ontario Intermediate Church Championship with a final score of 27-26 over the Toronto Silverthorns. The team advanced with several hard-fought victories over the other Ontario Regions to advance to the Championship Final in our home, Niagara Falls. An article from the Niagara Falls Evening Review on April 14th, 1936, stated that the audience members witnessed “one of the most exciting contests ever played in Niagara Falls,” the night of the game. Forward Vida Russ and Guard Edith Dunk led the winning team with 9 and 4 points respectively. Other members of the team were Forward McKay with 4 points, Centre Preston with 2 points, Guards Chambers with 6 points, and Subs Upton with 2 points, and Mann, Grant, and Bruce. The Head Coach was Bert Jennings and the Manager was Louis Carter. A trailblazing team of women in sport.
• Pickering, Michael

  Mike was born in Toronto, and moved to Niagara Falls in 1986 with his family. In 2000, Mike found the competitive sport of Trap Shooting. Mike became a member of the Thorold Conservation Club, the Hamilton Gun Club, and the Grand Island Rod and Gun Club. In 2001, he joined the Amateur Trap Association. Over the next 19 years, Mike continued to compete and win several championships. In 2006, 2008, and 2011 he won different class shoots in New York State. In 2014, and 2017, he won the Class A Singles championship in the Atlantic Provincial shoot. Mike also won several Ontario Championships in singles, doubles, handicap, and team shoots along with the Canadian Title in the Single 16 Yard 200A Division. Mike's biggest accomplishment was in 2008, when he became the Canadian Trap Shooting Champion. In this competition, Mike shot a perfect 200 out of 200 clay targets which fly through the air at more than 90 miles per hour; he shot 74 out of 75 in the finals. Mike loved the sport of Trap Shooting, and actively promoted the sport.
• Dallman, Kevin

  Having a Toronto Maple Leafs and Olympic player for an uncle, Kevin Dallman has always been fascinated with the sport of ice hockey. As a youth, he competed in the prestigious 1995 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament as a part of the Niagara Falls Minor Thunder. Following a successful minor hockey career, he was called up as an under-age player for the Chippawa Riverhawks Jr. C team in 1996-97. He then moved onto a stint with the Niagara Falls Canucks Jr. B club and assisted them in bringing home the Sutherland Cup Championship in 1998. He had a successful junior career with the OHL Guelph Storm beating all the Guelph Storm records. Undrafted, he signed his first professional contract with the NHL and the Boston Bruins in 2002. He played for the Providence Bruins, Boston’s AHL affiliate, for three years, and then made his debut with the Boston Bruins in the 2005-06 season. From there, Kevin played for the St. Louis Blues, the Los Angeles Kings, and the Manchester Monarchs, and eventually made the difficult decision in 2008 to leave the NHL and move his family to Kazakhstan to play in the Astana Barys of the newly-formed KHL. In his first season there, he beat all the defensive scoring records in the league and was appointed team captain barely 15 games in. He finished his first season with 28 goals and 30 assists for a total of 58 points in 53 games. A favourite amongst fans, Kevin was the captain of the team for four years and earned four consecutive all-star spots. He was so good on the ice that the Kazakhs once asked him to join their national team and loved the country so much he became a Kazakhstani citizen in 2010. After 11 years of playing in the KHL between the Astana Barys and the SKA Saint Petersburg in Russia, Kevin announced his retirement from the league on August 5th, 2019. He remains in the top 10 all-time point leaders in the KHL but will never forget his home and family roots in Niagara Falls.
• Pyne, Keith Dr.

  Dr. Keith Pyne was born in Sommerville, MA and moved to Niagara Falls in 1965 as a baby, where he remained until 2012. Keith graduated from Stamford Collegiate and attended the University of Guelph, where he played on the basketball team. After university, Keith continued his studies at Chiropractic College in Dallas, Texas. Since that time, Keith has had a long and very successful career in sports medicine and has treated countless athletes from amateurs, to professionals, through Olympians. Dr. Pyne is currently a consultant with the Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB). Dr. Pyne has developed a predictive injury platform using an IP data collection, called PMotion, with the mission to be the global leader in performance health and treatment for athletes. PMotion is currently used in Premier soccer, MLB, and NBA. Dr. Pyne has a long resume of involvement and success with professional sports teams. In particular, Pyne has made a huge impact in professional baseball. He was the Medical Consultant for the Boston Red Sox in 2018 when they won the World Series. Dr. Pyne spent four seasons with the Washington National Baseball Team where he served as Medical Board Chairman, winning 2019 World Series. In 2020, he was part of the Medical Staff Team with the LA Dodgers, winning the World Series that year. In addition to his contributions to baseball, Dr. Pyne was the Medical Consultant for Toronto Raptors, when they won the 2019 NBA Championship. He was also a Medical Staff member with the New York Islanders Professional Hockey Team (NHL).
• Mancuso, Felix

  Felix Anthony “Gus” Mancuso (1914 – 2003) was a professional ice hockey forward who played 42 games in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers. He began his career in the OHA playing for the Niagara Falls Cataracts in 1933, turning pro the next year and playing with the famed Hershey B’Ars. Felix was a fan favourite in Hershey; a news report back then called him, “one of the most colourful players ever to perform with Hershey.” The article added that, “he [was] just a small fellow but he [was] in there all the time and absorb[ed] plenty of punishment.” Felix was the fourth Niagara Falls native to play in the NHL, and he signed his first contract with the Canadiens in 1937. He played 23 games with the Habs, over three seasons, recording one goal and one assist wearing the #15. Felix’s rights were sold to the New York Rangers in 1942, with whom he played his final season in the NHL. He played in 21 games in 1943-43, and contributed six goals and fourteen points. Unfortunately, Felix never found out if he finally could be an NHL regular player. He was called upon by the Canadian military for World War II military service, losing two full seasons. Upon his return in 1945, he moved to California and played four seasons in the new rendition of the Pacific Coast Hockey League with the Hollywood Wolves and the Los Angeles Monarchs. Felix had the opportunity to play along the famed Bill Barilko, Cowboy Tom Anderson, and Bob Gracie, as well as have Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby regularly attend his games. Felix was released in 1949, bringing an end to his hockey career. He fell in love with the California sunshine, and stayed there with his wife Marion until he passed away in 2003 at the age of 89.
• Toth, Deborah

  Deborah Toth is a 4th Degree Black Belt in Karate who trained in Martial Arts for almost 40 years and made a huge impact on the art and profession. Truly a trailblazer, Deborah’s contribution to developing and raising the quality of Martial Arts locally, provincially, and nationally is unmatched. She trained with the best in North America and brought these masters and their knowledge back to Niagara on a consistent basis, elevating especially Canadian Goju Ryu Karate. Deborah created and developed programs that she taught throughout Niagara Region. She taught countless women the skills to remain safe and feel empowered with her female-centered Women’s Self Defense program and enriched the lives of many seniors with her popular Chair Tai Chi program. She taught professionally at her martial arts school in Niagara for 33 years, mentoring men, women, and children and ingraining skills and confidence. Integral to her approach is values-based learning, with emphasis on respect, compassion, gratitude, and community service. Deborah has been an active community builder and volunteer for over 40 years. She donated memberships, created a Martial Arts Scholarship, and volunteered her time coaching (including two stints as coach with Team Canada). Her passion is activism against gender-based violence and she continues to give her time and attention to this and other causes. Deborah is now retired but her legacy lives on in the art and profession and more importantly to her, in the lives of the many students that she has mentored.
• Formica, Cristina Marie

  Cristina Formica started playing soccer with Niagara Falls Soccer Club at the age of four. She played house league until age 13 and then competitive soccer in the South Region Soccer League. Cristina also played house league and travel hockey for the Niagara Rapids girls hockey team until she was 15 and decided to focus on soccer. In 1998, she made a St. Catharines Ontario Youth Soccer League team and played on that team for 2 years. In 1998, they won the Division Title, League Cup, and Ontario Cup. This team ultimately represented Ontario in the National Championships in Saskatoon, and won a Gold Medal in the 1998 Ontario Summer Games. She went on to play for the OYSL provincial women’s team. In high school, Cristina received the Saint Michael Catholic High School Athlete of the Year award for all 5 years and played basketball, volleyball, badminton, hockey, and soccer. When graduating, she had over 60 universities across Canada and the United States scouting her, ultimately accepting an academic and athletic scholarship at Brock University. While attending Brock and studying to become a teacher, she continued to play soccer for the Brock Badgers and was captain in her final two years. She earned the titles MVP during the 2005-06 season, OUA First Team All-Star, CIS Championship All-Star and CIS First Team All Canadian in 2005 before graduating in 2006. Post-graduation, Cristina was still involved with the team as she was asked to be an Assistant Coach, which she held until 2018. Unfortunately, after a serious knee injury, Cristina was advised by her doctor that it would be in her best interest to stop playing the sport she’s always loved. Cristina is still a full-time Phys-ed teacher at Saint Michael Catholic High School, coaches the girls soccer (whom she’s lead to five consecutive OFSAA championships) and hockey teams at the school, and only recently retired from coaching the Brock team to focus on her new child.
• Johnstone, Chris

  Chris “Scooter” Johnstone made his junior hockey debut in the Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League in 1979, playing center for the Niagara Falls Canucks. From 1981-1985, he advanced to play at the college level for the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Tigers in New York, and there he achieved incredible records that will likely never be broken. During his time at RIT he was named 2 time all-American and won 2 NCAA championships. While Chris loved playing hockey, he found that he loved coaching hockey even more. Chris has been coaching for over 35 years, touching the lives of countless individuals at an amateur and professional level. Chris’ first notable coaching position was as Assistant Coach with the Ontario Hockey League, Niagara Falls Thunder, in 1990 and went on to become Head Coach in 1993. He continued as Head Coach until 1996, which included the teams move to Erie PA and it's being renamed the Erie Otters. In 2001 Chris coached the Chippawa RiverHawks to an All-Ontario Jr. C Championship. Over 100 NHL players have learned under Chris, and many of them remember him fondly, keep in touch, and/or cite their time with him as an influential and important part of their growth as a player. He went on to coach numerous teams across the GOJHL. Some of Chris' fondest memories of coaching are when he had his son Carson at his side as his assistant coach and especially when his son took on the mantle of Head Coach in a switch of roles with the Fort Erie International Academy Falcons U18 Team of the Canadian High School Hockey (CAHS) in 2020.
• Audibert, Amy

  Amy Audibert attended A.N. Myer where she excelled at basketball and was considered a top ranking post player in Ontario. She was awarded the Harold Biggar Niagara Falls Player of the Year twice and was inducted onto the A.N. Myer Sports Wall of Distinction in 2010. Amy played four years for the University of Miami Hurricanes. She was team captain in her senior year and named to the All-ACC Academic team. Amy also shared her passion and knowledge of basketball as a former Assistant Coach for the Brock Badgers women’s and the Niagara Knights men’s basketball teams.After university, Amy pursued a diploma in Broadcasting –Radio, Television, and Film at Niagara College. Soon after graduating, Amy began her career in broadcasting by calling NCAA Division 1 games for Canisius College and eventually the University at Buffalo. Since that time, she has had many broadcasting roles and has served as a Television Colour Analyst with the Atlanta Dream (WNBA), the Raptors 905 (NBA G League), and as the Courtside Reporter with the Canadian Elite Basketball League. In 2021, Amy made history twice in one week. On March 19th, during the Toronto Raptors-Utah Jazz game, on TSN 1050, Audibert became the first woman to call analysis on a Raptors radio broadcast.On March 24th, 2021 Amy was a member of the first all-female broadcast crew for a televised NBA game between the Toronto Raptors and Denver Nuggets. On September 23, 2021, it was announced that Amy had joined the NBA Toronto Raptors Sportsnet broadcast team as Courtside Analyst and Reporter.