Southwest stars Stajcic, Gardner, Cornish, Smith up for NSW Champions of Sport awards

Two sporting greats each from Liverpool and Canterbury Bankstown are in the running for NSW’s highest sporting awards.

Matiilda coach Alen Stajcic. Picture: Getty

• Bass Hill's rising tennis ace Christopher

MATILDAS head coach Alen Stajcic from Liverpool and Australian cricket ace Ashleigh Gardner of Wattle Grove are in the running for the prestigious NSW Champions of Sport awards at Rosehill Gardens on Tuesday, November 27.

They will joined by Bass Hill world recording breaking cyclist Tom Cornish, and senior swimming official Cherry Smith from Panania.

Stajcic is a Coach of the Year finalist and guided the Matildas to reach the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup final where they lost 1-0 to Japan.

Tom Cornish winning the Clarence Street Cyclery Cup at the Dunc Gray Velodrome, Bass Hill, on Novembver 10. Picture: Stu Baker/Cycling NSW

The Matildas also secured qualification for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France and finished fourth at the 12-team Algarve Cup in Portugal recently.

Gardner, who is a Young Athlete of the Year finalist, is a regular in the Australia team, was promoted to the No 3 batting position for the recent Twenty20 Series against New Zealand.

Ashleigh Gardner in action for Australia. Picture: AAP

The Breakers won a 19th title in 22 years and she was brilliant for the Sydney Sixers in the T20 competition.

In the opening round of the WBBL last December Gardner scored the fastest century in the history of the competition from just 47 balls. Her 114 from 52 balls was the highest score ever made in the WBBL.