SWIMMING sensation Mikaela Short, hockey star Issac Farmilo and boxer Bradley Moncaster were among those honoured for their achievements at Thursday night’s Tamworth Regional Sports Awards.
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Moncaster was named the sports star of the year, while Short was recognised as the junior (U14) sports star of the year and Farmilo collected the young (14-17) sports star of the year accolades.
Farmilo had a massive year highlighted by selection in the Australian Youth Olympics squad to play in the Youth Olympics qualifying tournament in Vanuatu, where he was named the most valuable Australian player for the tournament.
Two months later he was wearing the green and gold again and touring South Africa with the Australian Schoolboys.
He also played for the NSW U18s at the nationals helping the NSW side win silver.
The calibre of the nominations in the young category was so high that judges also awarded several highly commended awards.
Farmilo’s fellow hockey star Dana Constable, NSW Level 6 15yrs state champion and gold medallist on vault and uneven bars Georgia Pryer, NSW Country and Combined High Schools basketballer Taylor Skelton, multi-sports representative Lachlan Wheeler, AWD athlete Tayla Parker, and NSW U19s cricketer James Psarakis all received highly commendeds.
Short had a golden and record-breaking year in the pool.
Top of her list of achievements was winning gold in the 100m backstroke at the School Sport Australia Championships.
In the process she set a new national record. She also brought home silver in the 50m butterfly and bronze in the 50m backstroke and 100m butterfly, as well as a couple of relay medals.
They came on top of numerous other medals at state, country and area meets.
Talented young cricketers Jess Davidson and Lara Graham, and rugby league player Tyrone Nean were also recognised for their exploits and presented with highly commendeds.
All three played for their state in their respective sporting disciplines, Graham both outdoor and indoor.
Moncaster has only lost one bout since taking up boxing after injuring his knee playing rugby league, and in 2014 stepped up weight divisions from light heavyweight where he won the NSW and National Golden Gloves titles, to heavyweight.
His results were even more impressive claiming the Central NSW, NSW State and National Golden Gloves belts.
He has also received an invitation to attend the Australian Institute of Sport.
NSW Country Cricketer of the Year Tom Groth and Australian Masters hockey representative Andrew Davy were also acknowledged with highly commendeds.
There was no senior sports star this year with no nominations received.
The Tamworth Thunderbolts U14 basketball girls took out the junior sports team category for their efforts in qualifying for the U14 Girls National Club Championships.
Tamworth High’s state title-winning boys hockey side won the young sports team while the sports team of the year went to the all-conquering and Clayton Cup-winning North Tamworth Bears side.
Thunderbolts 14s coach Greg O’Toole picked up the junior coach of the year and Jo Michie, who coached the U15 netball girls to second at the NSW State Age Championships, the coach of the year while athletics coach Wally Warner won the Ken McKenzie Services to Sport Award.
The International Achiever Award that was introduced last year to recognise local products that are excelling at a national and international level was this year won by Commonwealth Games gold medallist Kate Jenner.
The final award of the night was the Cara Hickson Memorial Award, which is for special achievement, and was shared between Parker and Paddy O’Brien.
