ting a or chi sp ev e g m in t e a n r t b s e i l n e 2019 C Victorian School Sports Awards Presentation Ceremony Friday 20 March 2020 Members’ Dining Room Melbourne Cricket Ground @schoolsportvic schoolsportvictoria #vicsportsawards Published by the Communications Division Department of Education and Training 2 Treasury Place, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002 @ State of Victoria (Department of Education and Training) 2020 www.education.vic.gov.au/sportsawards MINISTER’S MESSAGE Welcome to the 26th annual Victorian School Congratulations to all of today’s 55 award recipients. Sports Awards To succeed in the way you have, you need perseverance, In this year of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, determination and commitment. these awards offer us the opportunity to celebrate and reflect on Victoria’s own vibrant school sporting community. Sporting success is defined by challenges and the courage to respond to pressure and perform, and you have all While the Olympics are considered the pinnacle of sporting demonstrated this in spades. achievement for millions of athletes, it’s worth remembering where it all began for many of them. I would also like to congratulate the people behind your success – the family members, the coaches, teachers Their sporting passion was, more often than not, ignited and school leaders – everyone who has supported your through taking part in school sports. development as an athlete. Sport is a vital part of the Victorian school curriculum because Today’s event is a proud occasion for all of you. Whether it teaches children the value of a healthy, active lifestyle and you are receiving an award or celebrating the achievements how to work together as part of a team. of someone close to you, I hope you enjoy today. Sport teaches resilience, patience and discipline. It also forges many long-lasting friendships. For the past 26 years, the Victorian School Sports Awards has been the platform for a generation of talented young Victorians to launch their sporting careers. Many have gone on to be Olympians, World Champions and The Hon James Merlino, MP title winners across a range of sports. Deputy Premier Minister for Education The Victorian School Sports Awards are presented to students, teachers, parents and volunteers who have excelled at or made an outstanding contribution to sport. 3 OVERVIEW The Victorian School Sports Awards are the highest sporting The term Sporting Blue derives from the history of English accolades presented in Victoria’s government school system. sport. In 1936, during a boat race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities, a Cambridge oarsman tied a light This annual event, held for the first time in 1994, rewards blue ribbon to the bow of his boat (the colour of his school, excellence across all categories of major school sports. Eton College). A dark blue ribbon was then ascribed to The awards are given to students, teachers, parents and Oxford (the colour of Christ Church College). volunteers who have excelled or made an outstanding contribution to school sport. The importance of school Subsequently, a Sporting Blue became identified around the and community partnerships in the development of world as an accolade of sporting excellence by young people Victorian sports is also recognised. and is distinguished by a two-coloured ribbon attached to a traditional bronze medallion. In addition, the esteemed Lindsay Gaze Outstanding Sports Leadership Award, in honour of the seven-time Olympian The Department of Education and Training believes it is fitting and Basketball Hall of Fame legend, is presented to an to present Sporting Blue awards as a reflection of the high individual who has demonstrated outstanding dedication standard of talent and dedication demonstrated by aspiring to both school and community sport. young athletes in Victorian government schools. At today’s presentation ceremony, 49 individual student awards, each known as a Sporting Blue, will be presented across 17 categories to young athletes for their outstanding success in 2019. 4 MASTER OF CEREMONIES STEVE MONEGHETTI AM Steve Moneghetti is one of the champions of Australian sport. He exemplifies what is to be achieved through training, perseverance, planning, goals and aspirations. From Australian Under 20 Cross Country Champion in 1982, Stephen has become a world champion distance and marathon runner. He has been awarded as No.1 World Roadracer, Australian Sports Star of the Year and Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist. Steve competes and wins in Marathon and Distance events from Berlin to Tokyo each year. To compete at this International level he trains twice a day, every day of the year, covering approximately 200km per week and totalling over 8500km in a year. Away from running, Steve has a Degree in Civil Engineering and a Graduate Diploma in Education and works when available as a teacher. He was a personal development consultant with the Department of Education in Victoria until 2000, and Chairperson of the Victorian Review into Physical and Sport Education in Schools. 5 LINDSAY GAZE OUTSTANDING SPORTS LEADERSHIP AWARD Congratulations to today’s winner of this prestigious award! For over 30 years, VicHealth has been working to improve the health and wellbeing of Victorians. We know students VicHealth is proud to support the annual Lindsay Gaze are healthier and happier when they’re active every day. Outstanding Sports Leadership Award, which recognises That’s why we’re working with people and organisations right outstanding leadership in the promotion of community across Victoria to make sure students of all ages get enough and school sport. physical activity as part of a happy, healthy life. This includes Lindsay Gaze is a distinguished Olympian. He represented our Walk to School program, which last year saw an estimated Australia in three Olympic Games before turning to coaching, 186,600 students – the highest in the initiative’s 14-year history where he quickly established himself as one of our country’s – walk, ride or scoot to school. best basketball mentors. Inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004, he has worked tirelessly to share his remarkable knowledge of and passion for the game. His contribution has not been restricted to the court. By serving as a member of the NBL Board and FIBA’s technical and rules committees, he has helped shape the structure of the game on a world-wide basis. Sandro Demaio CEO, VicHealth Lindsay also made a significant contribution to VicHealth. As a member of our Board for more than 10 years, he helped guide the direction of VicHealth, so that the benefits of better health and wellbeing can be enjoyed by all Victorians. 6 PRESENTERS Genevieve Gregson (Née LaCaze) Ryan Gregson Genevieve is a two-time Olympic Ryan is a two-time Olympian and in finalist, and Australian record holder. August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, became Hailing from the Gold Coast, this proud the first Australian man in 40 years Australian travels around the world in to make the Olympic 1500m final. pursuit of winning races and setting He currently holds 10 Australian records, personal bests. 2016 was a breakout including the coveted 1500 metres, is year for Genevieve, making the Olympic a 5x Australian champion, and finished finals in both the 5000m and the 3000m steeplechase, while 2016 firmly positioned inside the world’s top 10. Ryan trains and breaking the Australian record in the latter event. Genevieve competes all around the world with the goal of winning races, then went on to represent Australia in the 3000m steeplechase breaking records, and doing Australia proud at the Olympic Games, in two more World Championship finals (2017 and 2019) where Commonwealth Games and the World Championships. He hopes she captained the Australian Athletics Team at the 2019 Doha to make his 3rd Olympic Games this year in the 1500 metres and World Championships last October. Genevieve has already compete in Tokyo. qualified for her 3rd Olympic Games in Tokyo this August and looks to add the 10,000 metres to her repertoire in 2020. 7 ORDER OF PROCEEDINGS GUESTS SEATED PRESENTATION OF AWARDS 12 noon Sporting Blue Awards: Athletics, Athletics with a multi-class, Australian Rules Football, Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, CEREMONY COMMENCES Cricket, Cross Country, Cross Country with a multi-class, Football (Soccer), Golf, Hockey INTRODUCTION Steve Moneghetti AM DESSERT SERVED Master of Ceremonies MUSIC PERFORMANCE ADDRESS The Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School Tim Richardson MP Parliamentary Secretary PRESENTATION OF AWARDS Sporting Blue Awards: Netball, Rugby League, Softball, MAIN COURSE SERVED Swimming, Swimming with a multi-class, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball MUSIC PERFORMANCE The Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School Outstanding Teacher Contribution Award Outstanding School and Community Partnerships Award ADDRESS Tony Goodwin Outstanding Sporting Achievement Award President, School Sport Victoria Lindsay Gaze Outstanding Sports Leadership Award CEREMONY CONCLUDES 2.30pm 8 SPORTING BLUE AWARDS Lachlan Hicks Hope Vili Seaholme Primary School Gladstone Views Primary School Award: Athletics Award: Athletics Lachlan Hicks has represented Victoria Hope Vili is an outstanding young in Track and Field for the past two years. sportswoman. She won two bronze medals In the 2018 National Track and Field and one silver medal at the 2019 National Championship in Melbourne, Lachlan finished 1st in the Track and Field Championships, and competes at a regional Combined Event and 1st in the Medley Relay – breaking level in netball, tee ball and softball. Hope is a great role model the Australian record for his age group in the relay. Last for her peers and works hard to continually improve her skills year, he again finished 1st in the Combined Event and in a range of sports. She is particularly noted for being Medley Relay. Lachlan values the opportunity to compete supportive of her teammates and for helping younger against the best athletes in Australia and has made players improve their skills in Track and Field.