Annual Awards 2023

2023 Frank Smith Memorial Sportsperson of the Year

James Doyle

James Doyle represented Australia once again after being named in the Boomerangs basketball team that played at the Virtus Global Games in early June in Vichy, France.

The Boomerangs are the Men’s national representative team for athletes with an intellectual impairment and the Global Games is the world’s largest elite sports event for these athletes, with thousands of participants from Europe, America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania playing ten main sports once every four years.

The Australian men’s Boomerangs side and two Australian women’s 3X3 teams (called the Pearls), played in this tournament.
For the Boomerangs there were a number of seasoned campaigners, as well as new emerging talent named in the 12-man squad after a rigorous selection process. 

James is seen as a rising star of basketball and his experience and skills were of great benefit to the Boomerangs in this tough week-long tournament.

James and his Australian Boomerangs team mates were celebrating after winning the Gold Medal at these Global Games.
A comprehensive 98-68 win over Portugal in the grand final showed the dominance of the Australians on the court.

They defeated Japan 82-60 in the semi-final after wins over Poland, France and the USA in the early rounds of the tournament to remain undefeated in a great team performance.

James continues to play the game. He is working with the L&R group in town and travels regularly to Canberra to train and compete.

2023 Junior Sportsperson

Lexi Phillips

A sporting star on the cycle track, Lexie Phillips continued on her fantastic performances from 2022 into 2023 with the highlight being winning an individual bronze medal in the Madison event and a silver medal in the Team Sprint at the National Championships held in Queensland.

Winning an individual medal in a National Championship is a great achievement.

Showing her skill and versatility Lexie competed in this year’s Track National Championships for cycling in Brisbane finishing second in the Team Sprint, fourth in the Individual Sprint, eighth in the Kieren event and twelfth in 500m Time Trial to cap off a great carnival.

As a result of her 2023 performances and in Brisbane Lexie was selected in an under 17’s national squad of 24 to compete in an international event in Malaysia against NZ, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

Named the Cootamundra Gundagai Regional Council’s Australia Day Sportsperson of 2023 and the Southern Sports Academy 2023 Cyclist of the Year and 2023 Athlete of the Year capped off a great 12 months of cycling for Lexie.

Lexie is committed to a tough training regime and with strong family support this young girl should keep progressing through the ranks in this tough sport.

Lexi Phillips

2023 Rising Star Award

Pip Crawford

Pip and her horse Spyderman competed in many dressage events throughout Victoria and NSW in both Open, Interschool and local Club competitions during 2023.

They were often placed highly in these events and received scores that enabled them to be accepted to compete at State and National events.

Major achievements for Pip in 2023 were:

At the Australian Interschools Equestrian Championships at Werribee, Pip was the overall National Interschool Champion in the Senior Novice Dressage and was part of the Victorian team that was named Overall Champion Dressage Team.
In the Australian Youth Dressage Championships held in Sydney she was named Overall Reserve Champion in the Preliminary Dressage.

At the Victorian Dressage Club, Pip was the winner of the prestigious Michael Lee Trophy for Preliminary Dressage.
Victorian Equestrian Interschool Series she was the Overall Series Champion in the Senior Novice Dressage.
At her school, Geelong Grammar, Pip was the Equestrian Captain and Overall High Point Score Champion for Dressage.
Finally at the Australian Dressage Championships held in Boneo she was placed in the Open Novice Dressage competition.

Pip and her horse have had an outstanding 12 months of dressage.

2023 Sporting team of the Year

Bulldogs League Tag

2023 was another successful year for the Cootamundra Bulldogs League Tag team.

Competing in the George Tooke Shield, the team made the grand final and finished as runners-up to Harden, beaten 10-0 in a close encounter.

The team had a mixture of youth and experience and were coached by Lauren Connell and Kristen Byrne.

The ladies were always competitive week in week out in this competition recording many big wins, including one over their previously undefeated grand final opponents.

They are a committed group and rely on fitness and team work to ensure they remain competitive in every game.
The progression of the sport in the town has been amazing.

The junior Bulldogs Club has a very strong base of players and had a successful 2023 with their league tag sides.

Many of these girls have progressed through to the senior ranks making the future look bright for the code.

Kristen Byrne is an outstanding player and has been recognised in the past by the Foundation for her on-field performances and commitment to the club. She is a true leader and mentor for the younger girls in this talented team.

League Tag Team of the Year

Lauren and Kristen receiving their Team of the Year award (photo: courtesy of Cootamundra Times)

2023 Junior Team of the Year

Bradman Letter under 16’s Cricket

The annual Bradman Letter junior cricket game between Cootamundra and Bowral is the pinnacle of junior cricket in the town.

Played in January each year, the game highlights the connection between Sir Donald Bradman and the two towns.

Born in Cootamundra, Bradman’s family moved to Bowral when he was three years old.

As his cricketing career blossomed, Cootamundra residents decided to raise money for Don Bradman to assist him with his costs in playing cricket.

In 1929, at age 21, Don Bradman wrote a letter to the residents of Cootamundra thanking them for their generosity and his link to the town.

Hence the Bradman Letter cricket match was planned and the first game between the two towns was held in 1978.

In 2023, the Cootamundra team recorded a win at Fisher Park against Bowral –the Southern Highlands Junior Cricket Association and then had another win earlier this year.

Back-to-back wins for the Cootamundra team are rare in this annual match, but with the same nucleus of players the locals rose to the occasion in the two games, the first time in 23 years this has been done.

In 2023, the team was coached by Peter Louttit and this year James Dunk was in charge. Both men have put a lot of time and effort into junior cricket in Cootamundra.

All players contributed to the wins and the town was very proud of a fantastic team effort as they represented their town with distinction.

Players involved in both games included Ben Piffero, Roy Dunk, Jack Twyford, Hugo Emery, Oscar Roberts, Archie Piffero, Harvey Fitzgerald, Riley Meale, Paul Bean, Reid McTavish, Gus Smart, Ryder Gillies, Ben Randall, Ryan Radnedge, Ollie Hall and Sam Sharman.

 

2023 Local Athlete

John Blackman

John Blackman won the 2023 A-grade Golf Championship title at the Country Club for the seventh time to confirm his ranking as an outstanding golfer.

His previous wins were in 2001, 2016 through to 2019 and 2022.

In the 2023 championships he defeated Ben O’Loughlin and Simon Lienesch by four shots over 72 holes to take the title to make it back-to-back wins.

John has an impressive record on the golf course and has many local, district and regional titles to his name.

One highlight included winning the 2021 Australian 2-man Ambrose Championships played at Harden where he teamed with ex-local Joel Hart to beat 160 players from a wide area of NSW. In a thrilling finish, they won on the second play-off hole after sinking a birdie putt.

John has contributed to the management of the Country Club as well, putting something back into the sport he excels in.

Individual Medalists

Bob Holder - Rodeo
Luke Webber - Car Racing
Halle Johnson - Swimming
Sam Manwaring - Swimming
Jake Winsor - Swimming
Jake Harris - Swimming
Ashlee Peacey - Swimming
Kristian Miller - Athletics
Josh Harris - Rugby League
Toby Tanks - Athletics
Harry Boxsell - Rugby League
Jai Willoughby - Rugby League

 

Max Rudd Trophy – Service to Sport

Bruce and Kathryn Webb

Cootamundra is indeed fortunate to have many people who volunteer their time to help young people play sport.

Many of these people work behind the scenes but without their involvement junior sport would not be as successful as it is.

The Max Rudd Memorial Award recognises people who have made a significant contribution to Cootamundra sport.

This year’s award goes to Bruce and Kathryn Webb.

They have been helping many different sporting groups over a long time.

In the sport of cricket, Kathryn was made a Life Member of the Cootamundra District Junior Cricket Association for her years of work as the treasurer of the sport.

She also was treasurer of the Cootamundra Swimming Club for many years.

Both Bruce and Kathryn have been involved in Little Athletics, Australian Football, squash and school sport.

They have helped many Cootamundra youngsters enjoy a wide variety of sports in the town.

The two have shown wonderful commitment to junior sport in Cootamundra.

2023 Sports Administrator Award

Peter Vesperman

Peter Vesperman started playing squash in 1980 when working on the railway, which often meant working away from the town and he has played on just about every court in the Riverina while also playing in the Cootamundra local competitions.

It was in the early 2000’s that Peter came on board as a Committee Member of the Cootamundra Squash Association and was President from 2012-2018.

His philosophy is if you are going to volunteer for a job and be a committee member, you’ve got act like it’s your own and do things.
Today he continues as an active and supportive committee member doing most of the maintenance, mechanical repairs and restrings the player’s rackets.

He is a great advocate for promoting the club and the game, and encourages both children and adults to give the game a try.
In 2018 the club secured a grant to renovate the courts.

The upgrades included acoustic ceilings for better insulation, new carpets, a disability ramp for better access, a new entrance door, better signage, reverse cycle air-conditioning and better lighting. 

Peter could see that the renovations needed a project manager, a job he selflessly took on and tirelessly pursued for the last five and a half years.

He has spent hundreds of hours over that time organising contractors, builders, club working bees and working himself to complete all that was necessary.

Largely due to Peter’s enormous support and ongoing contribution, Cootamundra now has a first class facility in Ursula Street.

It is one of the few towns or cities in NSW that can boast having a club, with four top class courts of this quality. In fact whilst many squash court facilities have closed in many towns, Cootamundra has done the opposite.

In 2023 the Club hosted the NSW Junior Country Squash Championships and were host for many of the matches played in the Squash, Racquetball Riverina and North Eastern Victoria Association.

What makes Peter’s contribution to squash in Cootamundra so special is that he has done this over many years with great commitment to the sport.

In May 2021, Peter was recognised for his contribution to the sport of squash by being named as the volunteer of the month by Squash NSW. He was a worthy recipient of this State award.

Peter was bestowed with Life Membership of the Cootamundra Squash Club.