A HOCKEY player, a rower and a field athlete were named as the Shoalhaven Sportstar winners at a gala function on Friday at the Bomaderry Bowling Club.
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Hockey player Kyah Gray won the open section, rower Katrina Ward was named winner of the master’s section and athlete Sam Peace won the junior award.
Each winner had great successes in their chosen areas and were deserving winners.
High on Gray’s long list of achievements was playing for the Australian indoor team, which took part in the World Cup in Germany earlier this year.
She was the second hockey player after Melanie Dempster, who won it in 1992, to get the top award.
“It’s a wonderful honour,” the hockey player said.
“To be on here among the like of swimmer Lori Munz is an honour.
“There some big names here [on the award] that I am familiar with.
“This is huge and puts me up there with some of the best sport people who have some through the region.”
She said hopefully bigger and better things on the hockey field would come.
Rower Katrina Ward was stunned when she won the master’s award and wanted to mention all the help she had received from people all around the area.
“It’s great living in the Shoalhaven,” Ward said.
Ward, this year became the first female Shoalhaven rower to win a singles title at the Australian Master Rowing Championship in the B age group (35 to 43 years section).
Sam Peace was a popular choice as the junior winner.
“It’s really amazing to win this and I have been here at the award several years now and the quality is really amazing,” Peace said.
The 17-year-old earlier in the night had brought the house down following a funny one-on-one interview with master of ceremonies Phil Lynch.
The interview included a few classic one liners and Peace even showed the crowd how to throw a discus.
Highlight of the year for the Nowra High School student was a bronze medal at the World Youth Championships in Santiago de Cali, Colombia.
She threw over 50 metres for the first time in her athletic career and the 17-year-old was in third spot with three throws to go and maintained her form to take the bronze medal.
Chairperson of the Bernie Regan Memorial Trust, Paul Goddard, said he was pleased with the night and added all nominees were impressive and deserved recognition.
Meanwhile, golfer Graham Todd-Wilson got the last say.
Todd-Wilson, during his interview urged the young sportspeople, if they did not want to have any regrets, to go for their dreams and not let anything stand in their way.