A VICTORIA Derby win by Menin Gate has put long-time harness trainer Larry Eastman in the running for the February award in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Advertiser-Prime 7 Sports Star of the Year award.
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The 50th anniversary of Sports Star was celebrated last month in which yachtsman Glenn Ashby and cyclist Glenn O'Shea, world champions in their respective sports were named joint winners of the gold statuette.
Now Sports Star has rolled into its 51st year.
Judges will meet in early April to decide the February and March winner/s.
There were some memorable feats in February.
In his fourth decade in the harness racing industry, Shelbourne's Larry Eastman celebrated a first victory at Group One level when Menin Gate won the Victoria Derby at Melton.
A previous winner of the Sports Star of the Year title, Kangaroo Flat's Leon Griffin won the Challenge Melbourne triathlon.
The contest was a 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and 21.1km run.
BMX champion Jaclyn Wilson continued her comeback to the sport by winning the third and fourth rounds for the 17-over class in the national series at Shepparton.
A world champion, Wilson was Sports Star of the Year in 2011-12.
Judo ace Bryan Jolly, a multiple monthly winner in Sports Star won the under-21 55kg division at the ACT International.
Jolly is a past recipient of the Cyril Michelsen Trust Fund in the Sports Star awards.
On the cycling track, Isaac Buckell won gold in the under-17s team pursuit at the national track championships.
Glenn O'Shea won silver in the omnium, a six-discipine contest, at the world track titles in France.
Bendigo capped its Melbourne Country Cricket Week campaign by being runner-up in Provincial division.
Unbeaten in the preliminary rounds, Bendigo was defeated by Sale-Maffra by 12 runs in the grand final.
Golfing ace Kris Mueck was third in the Victorian PGA at Huntingdale.
Athletes to earn selection in Australian teams to compete later this year were Jameson Crawford and Jemuel Pryse, tour with national youth volleyball team across Thailand in April; and Shane Cocks, tenpin bowling to play World Special Olympic Games in late July and early August.