20.07.10 14:56 Age: 52 days

Alex Sheedy wins Junior Gippstar Award

Category: Frontpage News, General

Basketball Victoria would like to congratulate Victorian basketballer Alex Sheedy on her achievement in jointly winning the Junior Gippstar Award. Alex is now lining up to play with the U/19 Australian Gems team and we commend her for her efforts both with her basketball and in winning this award.

MEDIA RELEASE
15th of July, 2010

50^th Gippstar awards honour senior & junior highest Gippsland achievers

Top performances in two World Championship events saw BMX racer Tom Siinmaa named the Gippstar Senior Award winner for 2010.

The Junior Gippstar Award was shared between two talented young females, basketballer Alex Sheedy and lawn bowler Lisa Phillips.

For all three Gippsland champions the Awards recognise their ventures and achievements in national and international sport.

Around 100 people gathered at the 50^th Annual Awards ceremony held at the Gippstafe Waratah Restaurant Morwell, to hear what inspires these locals to achieve their best.

“It’s such an honor to be in the room with so many high achievers, from so many diverse sports but more so, that they are Gippslanders”, Gippsland Academy of Sport CEO, Judi Buhagiar said. A Gippstar Award is very prestigious and has been supported by the Gippsland community for the past 50 years,” she added.

Siinmaa’s World Championship results were a fourth place in the 17 to 24 year Men’s category and a sixth in the 17 to 24 year cruiser class. Unusually Tom coaches his father also a BMX competitor. Tom draws his inspiration from his father, Greg, who was also a contender for the 50^th Annual Gippstar Award.

Co-winners of the Junior Gippstar Awards share a great deal in common both having been selected to represent Australia in their sport.

Alex Sheedy is now lining up with the Australian Gems under 19 basketball team and Lisa Phillips is preparing to line up for Australia in Lawn Bowls at the Youth Commonwealth Games next year being held in the Isle of Man.

Also acknowledged at the awards for their contribution to sport were John Bryant (motor sports), Cyril Metcalf (football), Jenny Mills (netball) and Howard Williams (volleyball) were all recipients of the Gippstar Special Achiever Awards. The teams award was shared between the Maffra Fire Brigade Junior Competition & the Mad Mothers members of the Lakes Entrance Surf Life Saving Women’s Boat Crew.

The Gippstar Awards, now in their 50th year, sees athletes selected from the region’s top senior and junior sports achievers.

Later in the year a celebration of the Awards 50 years will be held at the Turfside Function Centre. For more information please phone the Gippsland Sports Academy on 51270223.

Nomination information for the Gippstar Awards is available from the Gippsland Sports Academy’s website, www.sportgippsland.org.au.

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