Sunbury and Macedon Ranges sports stars honoured at awards night
A WORLD champion, budding athletics star and boy with a passion to coach win big at the Sunbury/Macedon Ranges Leader Sports Star awards.
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SUNBURY lawn bowls wunderkind Carla Krizanic spent the weekend duelling with the stars of her sport at the 2017 World Bowls Champion of Champions event.
And she has reached the Sydney tournament in top form, having to win her club championship, then the regional equivalent, followed by state and national competitions to earn her spot.
“It’s pretty exciting to be playing at this level. You know everyone you are playing is in winning form as they’ve all had to come through the same way,” Krizanic said.
Last week, Krizanic, 27, won the Sunbury/Macedon Ranges Leader Senior Local Sports Star Award at a ceremony at Etihad Stadium, hosted by Stephen Quartermain.
● Leader Local Sports Stars announced at gala night
● Carla Krizanic on a roll at world championships
Krizanic received the honour for being part of the threes and fours teams to win gold at the world championships in New Zealand last year.
Krizanic, who followed her father and sister into the sport as a teenager, said lawn bowls was a unique sport.
“In our pennant competition you could be up against someone who is 13 or 14, or a 90-year-old,” she said.
“You play males and females from all walks of life and backgrounds and once the fierce competition is over, it’s a very social sport.”
But there are some elements of professionalism creeping into the sport, once seen as only for seniors, with La Trobe University working with Bowls Australia on what makes an elite bowler.
The undertaking has seen mindfulness coaches, sports psychologists and specialised exercise programs developed for top-ranked bowlers like Krizanic.
“It’s a bit of a world first for a bowling association and it will be interesting what comes of it,” Krizanic said.
It’s exciting times for Krizanic.
An annual Trans Tasman series will be held on the Gold Coast this weekend, while she will be part of a fast-format bowls series coming to Foxtel screens.
“There are three in a team, but there are live substitutes, shot clocks and powerplays, so it is our version of 20/20,” Krizanic said.
On top of that is potential selection in the Commonwealth Games team.
JESSIE ANDREW
RIDDELLS Creek’s Jessie Andrew discovered her running talents largely by chance in Year 6.
Jessie blitzed her school athletics carnival and soon found herself competing in the nationals for her age group.
Fast forward five years, the 17-year-old is this year’s Sunbury/Macedon Ranges Leader Junior Local Sports Star award recipient.
● Jessie Andrew on fast-track to Olympics
This summer is all about winning selection for the 2018 World Junior Athletics Championships.
In her pet 200m, her personal best is 24.15 seconds. If she were to reach 24.07 seconds and run first or second at the nationals, she would be on her way to Helsinki.
Even if she missed the mark individually, there would be scope to be selected in relay events, in which she
excels.
Earlier in the year, she travelled to Idaho, US, with teammates from Maribyrnong College for the 4x200m relay at a major indoor championship. They won gold against teams from across the US.
“We ran the Australian record and we created a lot of excitement,” Jessie said.
“There were some snooty reactions from one or two of the favoured teams, but most of the other teams love Australians and were really happy to see us do well.”
The same team broke a 40-year-old state record in the 4 x 100m in the School State Victorian Championships last month.
Jessie won the 200m and placed second in the 400m on the same weekend.
“The 200m is my favourite event, but I have been training up for the 400m which is a lot harder physically and also a tactical challenge,” she said.
“I didn’t win but racing the 400m is already improving my fitness.”
Unsurprisingly, Jessie has her sights on the Olympics, having raced in the US three times and also two Oceania events in Fiji.
Training or competing six days out of seven, she is hopeful of improving her times further this year.
Over the weekend she was to compete in the Victorian All Schools Track and Field Championships where a win would propel her to the nationals and a shot for Helsinki selection.
If her times shot up, she could also be in the frame for the Commonwealth Games.
BROCK GILLIES
SUNBURY’S Brock Gillies was thrilled to pick up a Spirit of Sport award at the Leader Local Sports Stars awards.
Brock, 13, who attends Sunbury Downs College, has been helping out at his local Auskick where his sister Tierney, 10, and brother Rourk, 11, play.
“I go down and teach them how to be fair and how to enjoy playing football,” he said.
“You sort of get proud of yourself and get satisfaction by seeing them improve.”
Brock, who plans to start playing football next year, covets coaching as his main sport-related passion.
A Collingwood supporter, his favourite coach is Mick Malthouse.
“When I’m older I would definitely like to coach,” he said.
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