Leader Sports Stars: Moonee Valley trio scoop awards

A BASKETBALLER, martial artist and a pole vaulter have been named as the Moonee Valley winners of Leader’s 2018 Local Sports Stars competition.

A BASKETBALLER, martial artist and a pole vaulter have been named as the Moonee Valley winners of Leader’s 2018 Local Sports Stars competition.

Pole vaulter Wilson Cram won the Moonee Valley Junior Sports Star award, taekwondo athlete Sarah Upton won the award for Senior Sports Star and basketball gem Taylah Babic won the Young Sporting Spirit award.

Wilson has competed in the Victorian Junior Athletic Championships and claimed gold for the under-16 boys polevault. He then went on to represent Victoria in the Australian junior championships in Sydney and took out the national title for the under-16 boys pole vault, leaping 3.65m.

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Wilson Cram competed in the Victorian Junior Athletic Championships and won his age event in the U/16 boys polevault and took out the National title for the U/16 boys polevault jumping 3.65m. Picture: Ellen Smith

Taekwondo star Sarah Upton has been dedicated to the sport for 12 years.

In September 2017, she competed in the Canadian Open and her second Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships where she won two gold medals in her individual division, and a silver and a bronze in the pairs division.

Upton also competed at the national championships where she won gold and once again became the national champion in her age group.

Moonee Valley Senior Sports Star winner Sarah Upton.

The 34-year-old said the awards night was great and enjoyed hearing from prominent sports stars such as footy champ Matthew Richardson.

Winner of the Young Sporting Spirit Individual was 13- year-old Taylah Babic, who competes well beyond her years. She plays in an under-16s basketball team for the Keilor Thunder and is one of the youngest in the team.

She also represented St Vincent de Paul Primary School in the Victorian State Athletics Competition for the 100m sprint and came fifth.

Moonee Valley basketball star Taylah Babic (right) leaps high during a recent domestic tournament.

Taylah has come close in making the state team and her next goal is to achieve a spot next season.

Taylah’s mother Helen Babic said her daughter was a fair player who never questioned a referee’s decision.

This year’s Sports Star awards were held in the MCG’s Olympic Room and hosted by Stephen Quartermain.

Major sponsors in the 42nd year of Sports Star were Sportsmart and Gold 104.3.

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