Four Exceptional Student-Athletes Graduates Receive 2026 Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame Bursary
/Four graduating and exceptional student-athletes were recipients of the annual Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame Bursary Award for 2026 at a presentation ceremony at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Wednesday evening.
(Left to right) Tim Barrie, PDSHOF board Chair; Allie Arnott; Charles Dobbin; Natalie Keys; Noah Mooney; and Linda de Jeu, PDSHOF Second Vice Chair. The award has been given annually to four recipients since 1996 (with 2020 having six) Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Allie Arnott, Charles Dobbin, Natalie Keys and Noah Mooney were this year’s winners, taking home $2,000 apiece from the bursary. Each recipient was a graduating high school student attending University in the fall.
This year’s winners will have their headshots commemorated in the Hall of Fame and their names etched into the history of the awards’ beneficiaries.
Allie Arnott. Photo by David Tuan BUi.
Arnott is an honours student and is a graduate of Crestwood Secondary School.
She will attend Brock University in the Business Management Program in the fall and will play for the Badgers Women’s Lacrosse team.
Arnott is a multi-sport athlete who played basketball, volleyball, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, ran cross country and track and field and competed in alpine skiing and badminton. She was awarded the Dysart athlete award – Crestwood’s highest athletic honour. Arnott also earned the principal's award for student leadership in grade 9 and the Kawartha Pine Ridge School Board Community Contribution award last year.
She was selected to attend the ‘Her Mark’ conference which is a conference where other female sports leaders empower female athletes.
In the community, Arnott has been a member of the Peterborough Power Basketball program, the Thunder Volleyball program and the Kawartha field lacrosse program, not only as a player but also as captain for several of the teams.
Arnott’s high school teacher-coach, Ms. Tracy McKellar, describes her as an enthusiastic, energetic and highly motivated student-athlete.
On top of all the high school and community sport participation, Arnott still found time to volunteer with Relay for Life, Special Olympics, Jump Ball program coaching students with exceptionalities and as a Peterborough youth basketball clinic coach. This year she has also received the Lieutenant Governor’s Community Volunteer Award.
Charles Dobbins, 18. Photo by David Tuan BUi.
Dobbins is an honours student and is a graduate of Crestwood Secondary School.
He will attend the University of Guelph in September.
Dobbins is a multi-sport athlete who played soccer, volleyball, basketball, badminton, tennis, rugby, ultimate frisbee and competed in Alpine Ski racing. He was awarded the Dysart Award – Crestwood’s highest athletic honour 3 times.
He won an OFSAA gold medal in Alpine ski racing this past year.
In the community, Dobbins has been an active member of the Peterborough City Soccer and the Power Basketball program for many years. On many of these teams, he was not only a player but also chosen captain.
Dobbins’s high school teacher and coach, Ms. Tracy McKeller, describes him as one of the most accomplished and well-rounded student-athletes to walk the halls of Crestwood.
In addition to his school and community sport participation, he has been a coach and official with Cavan FC and has helped with skill development in the U6-U14 program. Dobbins has worked with the Petes U10 hockey team and the Tigers U10 baseball team, aiding with off-season training.
Natalie Keys. Photo by David Tuan BUi.
Keys is an honours student and is a graduate of Adam Scott Collegiate.
She will be attending McMaster University in Hamilton, studying Kinesiology and playing for the Marauders Women’s basketball team.
Keys is a multi-sport athlete who played basketball, volleyball, Ultimate frisbee, badminton, ran track and field and competed in Alpine Ski racing. Over the course of four years at Adam Scott, Keys and her teammates earned 22 COSSA gold medals and three silvers. She has attended 12 OFSAA championships in four years – with five of those being in her final year of high school. She has one OFSAA Gold and one bronze medal.
This year at the Athletic awards ceremony, she received the Marilyn Tudhope OFSAA award of excellence – which recognizes a female athlete's dedication and success over her entire high school career at OFSAA championships. At the Peterborough Civic Awards ceremony, Natalie received the Mayor’s Youth Award.
In the community, Keys has been a member of the Peterborough city soccer program, the Peterborough Power basketball program, as well as the North York and Scarborough basketball elite programs. She has been a member of the Peterborough Thunder Volleyball program and the Peterborough Pacers Track and Field program.
Keys’s high school teacher-coach, Mrs. Kim McBride, describes her as an outstanding student-athlete who is disciplined, motivated and exceptionally organized - consistently balancing the demands of rigorous academics and high-level athletic commitments.
On top of all the high school and community sport participation, Keys still found time to volunteer with the ROAR volleyball camp, Special Olympics and the Jump Ball program, which offers students with exceptionalities the opportunity to play basketball. In addition to her sport–related volunteer work, she has supported the holiday program organized by the Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Foundation and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
Noah Mooney. Photo by David Tuan BUi.
Mooney is an honours student and is a graduate of Adam Scott Collegiate.
He will attend Trent University in the fall and join the Excalibur Men’s Rugby team.
Mooney is a multi-sport athlete who played basketball, volleyball, soccer, rugby, football, tennis, badminton, ultimate frisbee and competed in wrestling and Alpine Ski racing.
He was named Senior male athlete of the year this past spring and has earned multiple athletic awards throughout his high school career. During his four years at Adam Scott, he won six OFSAA medals – three gold, two silver and one bronze. As part of the Lions teams, he won 12 COSSA gold medals and four silver medals.
In the community, Mooney has been a member of the Peterborough City Soccer Association and the Power and Time to Hoop Basketball programs. Mooney can be found on the beach with the Soul Beach volleyball program and you can also see him at Nichols Oval, as he is part of the highly successful Pagans Rugby program.
Mooney’s high school teacher and coach, Mr. Darrell Wright, describes him as a special athlete. He has a mix of natural ability, effort and persistence that sets him apart from his peers.
On top of all the high school and community sport participation, Mooney had time to volunteer with the Lakefield Bridgenorth community clean-up program, with Special Olympics basketball and soccer programs and as a Lakefield community support labourer.
@ptbo_canada Four graduating and exceptional student-athletes were recipients of the annual Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame Bursary Award for 2026 at a presentation ceremony. #fyp #news #ptbocanada #journalism #sports ♬ Hockey Theme Song II - The Muster Point Project
