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A Youth Olympian, Strikers’ cricketer among 2019 School Sports Awards finalists

See which rising SA stars are fianlists in this year’s School Sports Awards. Overall winners will be announced next month.

Talented 16-year-old cricketer Darcie Brown become the youngest ever cricketer to be handed a contract to play for the Adelaide Strikers. It led to Darcie being named a finalist in the 2019 School Sports Awards. Picture: Tom Huntley
Talented 16-year-old cricketer Darcie Brown become the youngest ever cricketer to be handed a contract to play for the Adelaide Strikers. It led to Darcie being named a finalist in the 2019 School Sports Awards. Picture: Tom Huntley

A Youth Olympian, the youngest ever contracted Adelaide Strikers player and a silver medallist at a junior world cycling competition are finalists in this year’s School Sports Awards.

Squash player Alex Haydon, cricketer Darcie Brown and cyclist Carlos Carisimo were announced as the three in the running for the secondary category’s top gong at a Sport SA breakfast on Friday.

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Haydon, 18, continued her stunning run by winning her seventh consecutive national crown when she took out the under-19 singles title in Tasmania in her final junior national competition.

Competing at the Youth Olympics in Argentina in 2018 Haydon has dominated squash in junior ranks.

Alex Haydon with her dog Ace, is a finalist in this year’s School Sports Awards. Picture: AAP/Mike Burton
Alex Haydon with her dog Ace, is a finalist in this year’s School Sports Awards. Picture: AAP/Mike Burton

She also shone in a senior competition when she paired with Zac Alexander for a third placing at this year’s World Squash Federation mixed doubles event in June.

Brown has enjoyed a meteoric rise in cricket and netball this year.

At only 16, the Year 11 Henley High School student has become the youngest ever cricketer – male or female – to be handed a contract to play for the Adelaide Strikers in the national T20 Big Bash competition.

Earlier this year she was clocked bowling at a speed of 116km/h, making her one of the quickest female bowlers in SA – faster even than Australian inswinger Megan Schutt.

She is also a talented netballer and was part of the victorious under-17 SA side which won the national junior championship.

Cyclist Carlos Carisimo has also enjoyed an amazing year since being discovered in a school testing program about four years ago.

The Christian Brothers College Year 12 student was identified as a potential elite cyclist as part of the SA Sports Institute school testing program in 2015.

Cyclist Carlos Carisimo is one of our School Sports Awards finalists. Picture: AAP/Sam Wundke
Cyclist Carlos Carisimo is one of our School Sports Awards finalists. Picture: AAP/Sam Wundke

Fast forward to August this year and Carisimo found himself on the Australian team to compete in Germany at the

Fast forward to August this year and Carisimo found himself on the Australian team to compete in Germany at the world championships Carisimo and his interstate teammates grabbed a silver medal in the team sprint – setting a new Australian record and team personal best.

In the Primary division Imogen Healy (BMX), Catrina Tan (badminton) and Kason King (baseball) made the final three.

The winners of the School Sports Awards, co-ordinated by the School Sports SA office and backed by The Messenger, will be announced at the SA Sports Awards and Hall of Fame dinner at Adelaide Oval on Friday, November 22.

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger/sport/a-youth-olympian-strikers-cricketer-among-2019-school-sports-awards-finalists/news-story/1190e77cc92c2999055ddeb72fdf0bee