Australian cricketer high in praise of parent contribution

COMPARE the performances of all 22 monthly sports star in run-up to Monday night dinner.

Delissa Kimmince, of the Heat, celebrates winning the match during the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) final in Sydney. Picture: STEVE CHRISTO

SPORTS STAR: Australian Southern Stars cricketer Delissa Kimmince will be guest speaker at the Daily News/Warwick Credit Union Sports Star awards dinner on Monday night.

For the first time since the awards started in 1993, the junior and senior dinners will be combined.

The first junior dinner was for the 1993 year when Dean Butler won sports star of the year more than a decade before he won hockey gold at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

The senior awards started in 1994 and shooter Greg Newey was the inaugural winner.

This year, the overall winner will be the 25th selected.

Kimmince started her rise in sport during Saturday morning girls' cricket under coach Ian Rathmell at Warwick Central State School.

She was then coached by her father Peter and at the age of 18 debuted for Australia.

A past junior and senior monthly winner, Kimmince won the $1000 first prize for senior sports star of the year in 2008.

"Winning my first monthly award was a big thrill as the Warwick area is such a big sporting community,” she said.

"It is always an honour to receive an award and I looked up to athletes like Laura Geitz and Dean Butler. I followed Dean's career as he lived next to my grandparents.

"He gave me an Australian hockey shirt, No. 26, and I told his mother Aileen that if I got a chance to choose an Australian number, I would ask for No. 26.

"I chose that number when I debuted in the Australian team 2007-2018 season.”

After a break from the game in the early 2000s, Kimmince returned to English county cricket and Australian domestic cricket.

Last year, she was recalled to the Australian team and played in the T20 part of the Ashes victory.

She won her second T20 World Cup last year and has clinched a spot in the T20 team largely on the back of her accurate bowling and change of pace..

Kimmince said she didn't realise at the time how much her parents put in to her career.

"We were going twice a week to Brisbane, Tuesday for training and Sunday for club cricket,” she said.

"They fitted in my sport with their own work commitments to provide for myself and my two brothers.

"When I speak to juniors, I always talk about being grateful to their parents.”

The senior sports star of the year will receive $1000 from Warwick Credit Union CEO Lewis von Steiglitz and the junior winner $500. The Doc Bodimeade Encouragement award winner for juniors will receive $250 from the Condamine Sports Club and the club of the winning volunteer $500 from the sports club.

Junior sports star monthly winners

Lucy Bourke: Won a gold medal and player of the final award as Queensland won the under-12 cricket national championships.

Two player of the match awards in under-15 state cricket challenge. Debuted in Brisbane A-grade cricket at age 13 and won state silver in javelin.

Ella Hudson: Won five gold medals at the state school rowing championships in Rockhampton and two gold and one silver at the club state championships.

At the age of 16, she won three silver and two bronze medals at the Rowing Nationals in Sydney in March in under-19 and under-23 age groups. Rowed in the Diamond Jubilee Cup Challenge in Henley, England.

Holly Wickham: First in dressage at the Darling Downs and South West regional championships and recorded a second, two thirds and a fifth in the Australian inter-school national championships in Melbourne.

Part of the Dressage Queensland Young Riders Squad and finished year with world ranking of 296.

Bailey Rutledge: Won gold playing for Queensland in the under-15 hockey championships in Wollongong in a team in which he was part of the leadership group of four.

At the end of the year, he was selected again in the Maroons team. Played for Darling Downs 13-19 years hockey team in the state championships.

Kobe Miller: Won two APRA junior championships, team roping and all around after winning rope and tie, team roping and all around high point cowboy buckles.

During the year, he won 12 buckles in rodeo, won open events at six rodeos and made the APRA national finals in open team roping. Had six wins in open rodeos and came third at the richest rodeo in Australia at Mt Isa.

Nikki Burraston: Represented Australia in the Australian High School Rodeo Trans Tasman Challenge.

She was high point barrel racer in the Australasian Team Roping Association and high point barrel racer and breakaway roper in South Queensland. Came sixth in state hurdles and was Warwick All Schools girls' swimming age champion.

Kira Holmes: Overall champion in campdrafting at the Queensland Pony Club State Championships. Third overall in stockman's challenge and formal gymkhana.

In open cricket, she played for Queensland Fire against Auckland Hearts. Sixth in discus at state championships, ninth in javelin and 12th in shot put.

Felicity Parsons: Won a golden gloves national boxing title and played hockey for Warwick.

A dedicated boxer, she trains 10 hours a week under Warwick Boxing Club head trainer Damien Lawler at the gym in Albert St and often travels up to 300km a week for sparring.

William Ready: Won two player of the match award for Queensland in under-13 hockey at the nationals.

He was vice-captain of the Toowoomba team which won the state championships where he won the award as joint player of the final. Won player of the match against Brisbane in under-15 indoor hockey and made the Queensland Spurs team to play in the nationals.

Zara Kruger: Co captain of the Western Pride under-13 football team which won the National Premier League. Won players' player. Captained Darling Downs.

Centre back for the winning Queensland under-12 team at nationals. Made the Queensland Academy of Sport/Football Queensland under-13 girls' team.

Will Gilmore: Man of the match for Darling Downs against North Queensland in state rugby.

Played for Queensland Blue in under-15 rugby at the nationals. Second in hammer and fourth in discus at the state championships and fourth in hammer at the nationals. Most outstanding male swimmer at Warwick All Schools.

Senior sports star monthly winners

Andrew McConnell: Leading wicket taker with 22 in Warwick 2017-2018 cricket season. Took 4-21 off 10 overs to help Warwick win the Bourke Hendry Shield game against Stanthorpe.

Part of Mitchell Shield-winning Warwick team and carnival-winning Maryvale Condy team. Assists with junior cricket.

John Eder: Fourth in the sprint at the Elite Track Cycling Queensland Championships.

Won two state masters gold medals and two gold and two silver medals at the Masters Track Cycling National Championships. He was fifth, eighth and ninth at the world championships.

Angus Young: Was part of only the second men's pairs and first from Queensland to go through the nationals undefeated. Won Queensland pairs championship and selected in Australian squad.

Won Unisport Australia National Championships with USQ in lawn bowls and won bronze in the national men's championship in curling.

Ryle Waugh: Won best female player award at World Cup inter-squad games in Albury in April.

Represented Australia in mixed team which scored a 3-0 against Zambia in Zambia and then played for the Queensland women's team which won the nationals for the first time.

Ben Sullivan: Winner of the Terry Doyle Medal for player of the match in Barrett Shield win against Wattles. He was hooker for the Central Crows team.

Won four end of season awards for the Warwick Cowboys and was Toowoomba Rugby League Representative Player of the Year.

Adam Byrne: Captain and organiser of over-35 Warwick/Brisbane 2 team which finished second in state masters hockey championships.

Captained the Queensland team which won the nationals in Lismore. Vice-captain of Australian over-35 side which won gold in the Masters World Cup in Terrassa, Spain.

Mitch Eastwell: Won rope and tie and all around cowboy at Mt Isa Rodeo and placed in three quarters of the 30 rodeos he contested in 2018.

Won two rounds of the Australian Professional Rodeo Association national finals and recorded one third to win the APRA national title in the rope and tie at the Warwick Showgrounds. Helps children with their roping and volunteers at rodeos.

Jake Wyllie: Won two national titles in boxing and won the Jamie Nicolson Memorial Trophy for the best boxer from Queensland at the Australian selection trials.

Competed for Australia in Germany where he beat the German champion and won a silver medal in the Hong Kong International. Trained at Australian Institute of Sport with Talent Identification Squad.

Tom Hardy: Broke the world record squat with a lift of 333kg in the junior 110kg category in powerlifting. By the age of 21, he had broken four national records and two world records.

His attitude to his sport is summed up in his own words: "I believe I am a strong ambassador for health and well-being and am eager to raise awareness about, and share my knowledge of the niche sport of powerlifting.”

Greg Wallace: Won a silver medal with Kim McCasker in A-grade four-ball, best-ball golf at the Pan Pacific Masters Games at the Gold Coast.

Club champion for Third Age Golfers in Warwick. Does voluntary coaching in athletics and is treasurer of the 400-player Warwick Touch Association.

Cahal Davis: Represented the National Touch Rugby Association in open and under-21 mixed against New Zealand in Auckland. Playing for Queensland under-18 team which won State of Origin against New South Wales 3-0.

Played in Davis Shield cricket victory by Warwick and captained Sovereign in 2017-2018 while a teenager.

Originally published as Australian cricketer high in praise of parent contribution