AUSTRALIA Day won’t just celebrate all that is good about Leeton shire, but its best sportsmen and women from the last 12 months.
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As has become tradition, the annual Australia Day ceremony in Mountford Park also includes the Sportsperson of the Year awards.
The competition for the title of junior and senior sportsperson of the year are again up-for-grabs and its going to be a close call.
Leeton Sportsperson of the Year committee member Tony Reneker said all of the nominees were again worthy of winning in 2019.
In the senior section this year’s nominees are:
- Kaitlyn McKay
- Amie Fazekas
- Garry Nolan
McKay and Fazekas both play women’s rugby union, while Nolan has been an avid golfer for many years.
Both McKay and Fazekas achieved significant representative honours in their chosen sport, while the 75-year-old Nolan was runner up in the National Left-Handed Golf Championship held in Adelaide in October.
In the junior section the nominees are:
- Coopa Steele
- James Rourke
- Mikayla Jones
- Josh Baulch
- Max Norman
The sport of Aussie Rules dominated nominations with three of the five nominees excelling in the code.
Coopa, James and Mikayla all represented NSW in their respective divisions in 2018 and there is only a struck match between the three of them.
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Josh had an outstanding year, winning a gold medal in the 800 metres and a silver in the 400 metres for his age group at the Combined Highs Schools State Athletic Carnival held in September.
The final nominee, Max Norman, was selected to represent Australia in the World Triathlon Championships held at the Gold Coast, also held in September.
Reneker was impressed with the caliber of this year’s nominees.
“The quality of the nominations showcases the sporting ability of many of our sportspersons, who are often competing against athletes from bigger centres with more resources,” he said.
“There can only be one winner in each section and who ever that may be will be more than deserved.”
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