BERRY Public School captain Jade Mustapic has capped off a very successful year by being recognised at the South Coast School Sports Association presentation last week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mustapic received the South Coast Sporting Blue and the Sid Hayes Trophy for Most Outstanding Representative in School Sport at the Illawarra Turf Club.
The trophy is the major award for primary schools and it came as a nice surprise, but also a bit of a shock for Mustapic.
At the presentation, all the recipients had the prestigious honour of meeting champion surfer Sally Fitzgibbons, which was an interesting experience for Jade.
“She’s pretty out there… definitely not quiet,” Jade said.
“She mainly just told us to have fun and to enjoy doing what we’re doing,” she added.
There’s no doubt Jade is enjoying what she does and as a multi-talented athlete, she has had success in many different sports.
She has previously represented the South Coast in athletics, swimming, basketball and touch football and is described by her principal Bob Willets as “a truly outstanding athlete (who) consistently displays sportsmanship…”
Jade has tasted success in athletics every year since being crowned South Coast Regional Athletics Champion in 2011, 2012 and 2013, which has included bronze medals at the NSW championships for the past three years.
The culmination of her athletics career so far has been winning a gold medal and setting a new national record in the sprint medley relay at the Australian National Championships in Adelaide last year and being selected again for Nationals in Brisbane this year.
Jade took out a bronze in the 800 metres in Brisbane, which she said has probably been the biggest thing this year.
“It was my first time in the 800 final and I tripped at one point, so it was a good effort to make the final three,” she said.
“It’s been a good year and I’m really enjoying everything about it at the moment and I’m looking forward to what I’ve got coming up next year.”
Jade said she wanted to say a big thanks to her parents and her sponsors for all their great support.