She's made it to provincials in four sports and counting and has helped bring home five zone banners. Gianna Watt has had an incredible school year in athletics - and she's being recognized for it.
Watt was announced as the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association's (MHSAA) rural athlete of the week May 3, picking up the latest in a long list of honours received by the Hapnot Collegiate student.
A Grade 12 at the school, Watt was a key member of several Hapnot athletic programs this year. To start the year, Watt was the starting keeper for the Kweens' soccer team (scoring the provincial bronze-medal-clinching goal in a penalty shootout), then was a key member of the Kweens' senior volleyball squad that finished second at provincials.
When basketball season got underway, Watt was a key member of the senior Kweens team that finished second in the province and had a 27-game winning streak, losing only in the provincial final. One of five Grade 12 players on that team, Watt averaged a double-double per game in her senior year, averaging 15.8 points and 13.2 rebounds per game.
Watt was named to tournament all-star teams at provincials in all three of those team sports this year. Watt was named to the Basketball Manitoba A, AA and AAA Graduating All-Star Game last month, along with teammate Shanti Church.
Watt will take part in her fourth provincial tournament of the school year this weekend in Winnipeg, heading off as the reigning Zone 11 senior varsity girls' singles champ in badminton. Watt, who led Hapnot to a Zone 11 senior varsity team banner, finished first in the singles tournament to bring home her fourth and fifth zone banners of the year.
On top of her accomplishments already this year, Watt may head to provincials in yet another sport - track and field, where she stars for Hapnot in throwing sports. Watt qualified for provincials in the one-kilogram discus event last year, where she qualified for the finals and finished sixth.
In the classroom, Watt has received academic distinction awards for each of the past three school years, finishing with above a 90 per cent average each year. According to the MHSAA, Watt has a 98 per cent grade average this year.