New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame

Six new members will join the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame next spring.

“We are very proud to announce the addition of these inspiring athletes and sport builders,” executive director Jamie Wolverton said in a press release.

The new inductees will join the more than 800 people who have been named to the hall since it opened in 1970.

The induction gala will be May 23 at the Capitol Theatre in Moncton. Tickets go on sale Dec. 1 through the Capitol Theatre box office.

Here are the new inductees:

Marc Beaudoin – Moncton

Beaudoin has been involved in developing athletes in track and field, cross-country and running at the regional, provincial, national and international levels for more than 40 years. He was the head coach for New Brunswick’s Canada Games teams and various national teams, including at the Jeux de la Francophonie.

Tom Coolen – Fredericton

Coolen has coached at various levels of hockey throughout Atlantic Canada as well as professional teams in Finland, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Scotland, Denmark, Austria, Poland, Latvia and the United States. He was an assistant coach for Latvia’s national team at the 2014 Winter Olympics. He was the head coach of the Moncton Wildcats from 2000 to 2002, an assistant coach with the Saint John Flames in 1995-96, and the head coach of the UNB Varsity Reds from 1998 to 2000.

Sam Johnston – Miramichi

Johnston is an eight-degree black belt in taekwondo. He was the New Brunswick heavyweight champion, Maritime champion, Eastern Canada heavyweight champion, and won a world championship in 2017.

Geneviève Lalonde – Moncton

Lalonde is a two-time Olympian in athletics, four-time Canadian steeplechase champion and three-time Canadian cross-country champion. She’s competed internationally in 13 countries during her competitive career. She is the only Canadian woman to advance to a final in the 3,000-metre steeplechase in a world championship or Olympic competition.

Donald Ryan – Fredericton

Ryan has been head coach of the University of New Brunswick’s wrestling program for more than 33 years. He’s a 16-time winner of the Atlantic University Sport award for wrestling coach of the year. He has served as vice-president of the United World Wrestling Americas and president of the Commonwealth Wrestling Committee.

Heather Smith – Tantramar

Smith has won four national curling championships, 17 provincial championships and competed in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts six times, winning a bronze medal in 2012.