About Stephanie Doney Johnston

Stephanie was a graduate of Esquimalt High School where she excelled at Track and Field and Field Hockey.  She went on to complete her teaching degree at the University of Victoria where she was a valuable member of the Vikette’s Field Hockey team.  During Stephanie’s teaching career she was the coach of several school teams taking them to the provincial championship level.  

Stephanie was an active member in the Vancouver Island Ladies Field Hockey Association right up until she was diagnosed with leukemia.

As an athlete she excelled in all sports, and could turn her hand to anything.  She was competitive, hardworking and inspirational and demonstrated good sportsmanship at all times.  As a person, she was loving, genuine, generous and beautiful inside and out.  As a mother of three small children, she was devoted; as a friend, unforgettable.  She died in March 1991 at the age of 39, but her amazing qualities as a person and athlete live on in the memories of her family, friends and students and are valued by the recipients of the Stephanie Johnston (Doney) Memorial Scholarship.

Each year the Stephanie Johnston (Doney) Memorial Scholarship is awarded at the Bridgman Cup Tournament.  

2024 Winner - Maia Lawrence, Oak Bay High School

Maia Lawrence Oak Bay High School is the 2024 winner of the Stephanie Johnston (Doney) Memorial Scholarship. Maia capped off her graduating year as Female Athlete of the Year and Merit Cup winner as an impressive multi-sport athlete in field hockey, basketball, football, and ultimate over her time at Oak Bay. She was the David Gifford Memorial Scholarship recipient awarded to a a top student-athlete in British Columbia for their excellence in athletics, service and academic achievement. Maia was a Provincial Championships player of the Game, Small Block Athletic Award winner, Athletic Spirit Award Winner and a Large Block Athletic Award winner at Oak Bay. In field hockey, Maia was selected to an Under 18 NextGEN touring team that represented Canada on a United Kingdom tour, playing games against Scotland and Wales. She won a gold meal with Team BC at the 2023 National Championships as part of the BC Blue team, among many other field hockey championship victories.

2023 Winner - Maddie Hunter, Oak Bay High School

Maddie Hunter of Oak Bay High School is the 2023 winner of the Stephanie Johnston (Doney) Memorial Scholarship. Maddie has been playing field hockey since the age of four and has been an exceptional athlete, student and sports contributor at such a young age. As a student-athlete Maddie juggled a busy academic schedule along with her high school, high performance (provincial and junior national) commitments. She maintained a 95% grade-point average in both grade 10 and 11, was an Honour Roll student in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and was a member of her school’s athletic leadership group. Maddie has over come a number of hurdles in her athletics career, most notably an ACL tear, but she was able to return in grade 11 to help Oak Bay win the AAA Provincial Championships.In 2022 Maddie represented Canada on the U18 Next GEN development squad that played in international series in both Philadelphia and France. Maddie has also been a big contributor to the local community serving as a referee and umpire for soccer and field hockey, respectively, as well as a committed and energetic Victoria Junior league coach. Maddie is not only a stand out player, volunteer and student but she is also a kind, humble and valuable teammate and person. Maddie is now in first year competing and training with the UVic Vikes women’s field hockey team.

2022 Co-Winner - Katie Bentley, Oak Bay High School

Katie Bentley is yet-another superb product out of the Oak Bay High School athletics program. As talented at soccer as she is at field hockey, the sport is grateful she chose to pursue hockey in her post-secondary pursuits. Katie is a first-year UVic Vikes women’s field hockey team member, showcasing her skills in the midfield and she fits right in after demonstrating such great athleticism, work ethic and leadership through her high school athletics career. Katie and her Oak Bay teammates worked hard for four seasons become provincial champions and have an undefeated season in 2020, while in 2019 they won the Bridgman Cup in a shootout for the first time in 60 years. Outside of Oak Bay Katie was a dedicated regional and provincial player in the elite Field Hockey BC programs and was both a captain and Tournament 11 all-star at the 2019 National Championships. Katie was selected to Canada’s NextGEN programming and was a designated Provincial Development Level 1 player in the CSI Olympic pathway. Katie is invested as an athlete but also finds time to be a dedicated academic and community member. Katie coaches, referees soccer and was a member of Oak Bay’s Athletic Leadership group for two years. Katie was a member of the Fast & Female Youth Advisory Council and takes part in numerous initiatives, clubs and activities that support the growth and empowerment of women. Katie is pursuing civil engineering at UVic and is a most deserving co-recipient of this award.

2022 Co-Winner - Shyana Ringma, Mount Douglas Secondary

Shyana Ringma has been playing field hockey since the age of seven. A long-standing member of Victoria’s Junior League, Shyana is now an avid contributor as a coach to several youth teams and has been for several years. Now a member of the UBC Thunderbirds women’s field hockey team, Shyana can look back fondly on her high school years with Mount Douglas Secondary and her many appearances on provincial and Canadian junior national squads. Shyana represented B.C. at national championships in Toronto and Calgary and then was selected for Canada’s NextGEN program, named to a top U16 Canadian team to tour in San Diego and compete against the USA. While the COVID pandemic disrupted several opportunities leading in to her university start-up, that didn’t seem to de-rail Shyana’s spirit. In grade 10, Shyana was named MVP of the field hockey team she went on to captain the program in grade 11 and 12. She is also a competitive dancer, having trained in a variety of dance types for nearly 12 years, and dedicates a lot of her time to giving back to the communities that have helped build her up. In addition to coaching in the junior field hockey league, Shyana is also a dedicated field hockey umpire and she earned the Foley Shield for the most improved umpire in the Vancouver Island Ladies league. Shyana intends to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce at UBC while continuing with her field hockey pursuits with the Thunderbirds. Shyana is well-deserving to be a co-recipient of this award.

2020 Winner - Nora Struchtrup, Oak Bay High School

Nora Struchtrup ended her high school career as a Bridgman Cup champion in 2019 before she headed to the University of Victoria for her post-secondary career as UVic Vike. Prior to that she demonstrated superb commitment, dedication and leadership on and off the field. In the classroom, Nora had a 98 per cent average upon graduation and did so as a Canadian Sport School attendee as well meaning that she divided her time between two campuses. A multi-sport athlete, Nora showcased herself on the and Olympic weightlifting and set her school’s 30-meter sprint record. With field hockey, Nora has represented Canada at the NextGEN level and competed on several tours and the Junior Pan American Championship and was selected to represent Canada at the Junior World Cup. She competes with the Vancouver Island Ladies Field Hockey Association division 1 team, the Mariners, as well as the Island Premier level team, the Wildcats and has always been a stand out on multiple regional and provincial B.C. teams. On top of her athletic and academic achievements, Nora is an outstanding citizen and field hockey community member. Despite a busy training and school schedule, Nora is always giving back whether it’s coaching or umpiring or learning how to be a better coach or umpire. Nora is most deserving of the 2019 Stephanie Doney (Johnston) Memorial Award.