Junior, Masters and Para athletes of the Year
Published Tue 12 May 2020
12 May 2020
Junior, Masters and Para athletes of the Year
With the cancellation of the 2020 Athletics NSW awards, over the next month we will announce the winners on our website and in social media.
Athletics NSW has pleasure in announcing the 2019/20 athletes of the year in the categories, juniors, masters and para-athletics.
Para-Athletics of the Year
The senior athlete of the year is James Turner T36 (WOL) and Tamsin Colley HIL) the junior winner. Turner was absolutely outstanding winning two gold from two races, both in world record time at the 2019 Para-Athletics World Championships in Dubai. Turner, who started out in the sport in the 800m, opted in Dubai to focus on the Tokyo 2020 events, 100m and 400m, and had no trouble taking the wins. Turner defeated for the award a number of other outstanding NSW athletes who also stepped onto podium in Dubai – discus thrower Guy Henly (SUT), who won his fourth consecutive world championships medal and 21-year-old Sarah Walsh (SUT) who in her fourth global meet (Paralympics or worlds) claimed her debut medal in the long jump.
In the junior category Tamsin Colley, 17, defeated a strong field including a number of successful athletes from the Global Games. Colley, competing at the Dubai World Para-Athletics Championships, her third Global meet, made the final of the 200m, a tremendous achievement in a competitive category and at a very young age. She had debuted international in 2016 at the Paralympics. Colley defeated for the award dual individual medallist at the 2019 Global Games, Edward Parker (HAD) who won silver in the 110m and 400m hurdle events. Also pressing claims for the award was Global Games gold medallist Annabelle Johnson (CTN) who was champion in the sprints and long jump.
World Championships semi-finalists Bendere Oboya and Newcastle distance runner Luke Young have been awarded the female and male junior athletes of the year. Oboya claimed the title over Doha world championships teammate Carly Thomas and a group of athletes who achieved the World U20 Championships standard. Achieving a Tokyo Olympic qualifier of 51.21 and making the semi-final in Doha was an amazing achievement by 19-year-old Bendere Oboya. She was the highest placed junior in the event with her 13th overall finish.
The junior male of the year was a close battle between distance athletes Luke Young, Oli Raimond and high jumper Jono Titmarsh.
Young achieved World U20 Championships qualifiers in the 800m and 1500m, the later event he led, by over two seconds, from a highly competitive field where six athletes had qualified. Raimond was also a qualifier in two events, the 1500m and 3000m. After injury in 2019, Titmarsh made a late charge for the Australian junior team clearing the standard in late February and the next week winning the NSW open title.
Masters Athletes of the Year
With no major international championships in the 2019/20 season and no nationals, performances domestically and at the NSW Championships weighted heavily. The women’s masters athlete of the year is jointly awarded to Lenore Lambert and June Lowe OAM. Coached by Jana Pittman, Lambert (SYP) chased her world 400m hurdles age record during 2019, reached a best time of 65.94 to rank number one in the world. She was also outstanding across a range of events, the sprints, all hurdle distances and the high and long jumps.
Wollongong’s June Lowe (IBS) won state titles in the 65-69 years 100m, 80m hurdles, long jump and high jump, but it was her four wins in the throws that ensured she stood out. She won all throws by many metres, the shot 2.56m, discus 5 metres, hammer 12 metres and javelin 6 metres. In 2019 she was named Oceania Masters Athlete of the year in the throws. Some other outstanding women’s masters of the year included Belinda Martin, Heather Lee, Mary Thomas, Hayley Butler, Kylie Strong and Gianna Mogentale.
The men’s was a close battle with Ernie Leseberg taking the title. The Gosford sprinter clocked an outstanding series of marks at the state championships, 45-49 years 60m – 7.49, 100m – 11.89 and 200m – 23.52. In all events he defeated Matt Woodhouse, a former national 400m hurdles medallists, who ran a PB of 50.47. Leseberg won the title ahead of a number of teriffic masters athletes including Jason Keane, John Wright, Ron Cox, Gavin Murray, Ashley McMahon and javelin thrower Nick Batty.
David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW
Image: James Turner
