ANOTHER of central Victoria’s finest athletes will tonight join an illustrious list of winners of the
The Advertiser-WIN Television Sports Star of the Year award.
Since 1965-66, the award has recognised outstanding sporting achievements by a wide-range of sportsmen and sportswomen from across a variety of sports.
Bendigo is renowned for producing world-class athletes and this year’s class of nominees further enhances that status.
In 2009-10, nine sporting stars have been awarded monthly nominations.
Australian mountain bike representative Lachlan Norris was the first monthly nominee in March last year.
From Barkers Creek, Norris won the Oceania under-23 mountain bike title.
Popular jockey Brad Rawiller earned his second monthly nomination by winning the Group One Golden Slipper Stakes in April aboard outsider Phelan Ready.
Despite having not raced for 13 years, Jaclyn Wilson-Thompson won the 30-35 years cruiser class final at the World BMX Championships in Adelaide.
This performance earned Wilson-Thompson the May nomination.
The July award went to netballer Caitlin Thwaites after she led the Melbourne Vixens to victory in the ANZ Championship final against Adelaide.
Boxer Justin Whitehead produced a career-best performance to claim the August award.
Whitehead defeated the previously unbeaten Solomon Haumono to win the World Boxing Federation International Title.
Two football stars shared the honours in September.
Joel Selwood’s phenomenal run of success continued when Geelong won a thrilling grand final against St Kilda.
It was Selwood’s second flag in three years and he was also named in the All-Australian side.
Sandhurst’s Lee Coghlan became one of the youngest winners of the Bendigo Football Netball League’s highest individual honour - the Michelsen Medal.
Hannah Every-Hall is no stranger to the Sports Star of the Year awards.
The rowing champion was named Sports Star of the Year in 2002-03 and is in contention again after earning the October nomination.
Every-Hall won three gold medals at the World Masters Games in Sydney as well as winning the single sculls final at the Australian Masters.
The ninth nominee is professional golfer Andrew Martin.
In December, Martin topped the leaderboard at the PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School.
Two other important awards to be announced tonight are the Cyril Michelsen Trust Fund and the Maxine Crouch Trust Fund.
The trust fund awards are designed to assist young athletes continue their drive toward sporting stardom.
Six of the 27 Michelsen Trust Fund winners have gone on to win the overall Sports Star of the Year award.
Since 2002, the Maxine Crouch Trust Fund award has helped young female athletes with their sporting careers.
The inaugural recipient, Skye Taylor, went on to win the Sports Star of the Year award in 2005-06.
The Sports Focus Administrator of the Year will also be announced tonight and another sporting great from the past will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Awards of the magnitude of the Sports Star of the Year can’t survive without corporate assistance and mecu credit union continues to support the central Victorian sporting community.
“mecu is very pleased to continue RegionalOne Credit Union’s association with such a long standing, prestigious and well-regarded event,” mecu regional manager for western Victoria, Ben Smith, said this week.
“We would like to congratulate everyone associated with these sports star awards and particularly our outstanding local sportspeople and administrators.
“mecu looks forward to continuing our community support with projects that encourage community spirit and prosperity.”
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