Aiden Princena-White is Rouse Hill Times’ Junior Sports Star, Renee Hardy Inspiration Award winner
The Rouse Hill Times’ 2019 Junior Sports Star and Inspiration Award winner have been revealed at a gala dinner in Sydney
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Aiden Princena-White is only a relative newcomer to pole vaulting but it hasn’t stopped him flying high.
His abilities have seen him crowned the Rouse Hill Times’ Junior Sports Star.
It took Aiden just six months to rise to the top of Australian pole vaulting after picking up a pole late last year.
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Aiden jumped a whopping 4.45m to claim a gold medal in pole vault at the 2019 Australian athletics championships in a memorable performance.
“I was just getting too tall for gymnastics so I decided to switch and I really enjoy it,’’ said Aiden after receiving his award.
Princena-White beat fellow finalists Suzanne Andrews (swimming) and Rachael Bardney (athletics) for the junior honours.
Renee Hardy won the Rouse Hill Time’s Inspiration Award.
Hardy and Princena-White were crowned at the NewsLocal awards, sponsored by Featherdale Wildlife Park and Bankstown Sports Club, on Wednesday night.
The rising stars of NSW sport mingled with big names, including rugby league’s Jamie Soward and netball gun Tayla Fraser.
Hardy is a teenager making a big mark in hammer throwing.
Just two months after claiming the under 17s national title with a record-breaking 54.97m effort at the Australian track and field championships, she won bronze at the Oceania titles.
Her ultimate goal is to compete in hammer throw for Australia at an Olympic Games.
“I was definitely not expecting to win, it’s a big surprise,” Renee said.
“I’ve competed in hammer throw for about five years now.
“Being legally blind in one eye and only just scraping into being a normal athlete makes me feel pretty good. I would like to compete internationally at the world juniors and Olympics.”
Finalists in this award were gymnasts Antonia and Nicolas Diaz Ballas.
Each of our Junior Sport publication winners and Inspiration Award winners received $300 and a medal.
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Joshua O’Connell (Inner West Courier) was crowned overall Junior Sports Star winner on the night after breaking the world 800m record for 11-year-old’s in April.
Swimmer John Dimech-O’Connell (Macarthur Chronicle) won the overall Inspiration Award and the under 14s Gosford City Rebels girls basketball team (Central Coast Express Advocate) the overall team award.
The overall Service to Sport winner was Chung Dang (Canterbury-Bankstown Express).