Big names of local sports world to turn out for awards night
SPORTS AWARDS: A virtual who's who of Sunshine Coast sport will converge on Palmer Coolum Resort tonight for the 2012 Sunshine Coast Sports Awards.
The function, which will celebrate a big year of accomplishments by the region's athletes, culminates with the crowning of the Senior Sports Star of the Year and Junior Sports Star of the Year.
Monthly winners in line for the senior gong include Australian 200m breaststroke title-holder Tessa Wallace, Olympian water polo player Billy Miller and champion ironwoman Rebecca Creedy.
Among those in contention for the junior accolade are Australian under-20 soccer representative Mitch Cooper, national 200m champion Hugh Donovon and Olympic 4x100m freestyle relay gold medallist Brittany Elmslie.
Sunshine Coast Sports Federation chairman Scott Derwin said the region was a stronghold of sport.
"I think the awards night demonstrates, as it's done in previous years, the depth of talent that's available here and also the spread of the sports," he said.
"If you look at the monthly winners, I think there are about 18 or 19 different sports covered."
Derwin also said the night represented a good opportunity to thank the Sunshine Coast's sports community's committed volunteer base.
"They should be taking a great degree of credit because, stating the obvious, sport here wouldn't exist without them," he said.
Several other awards will also be presented tonight including team of the year, coach of the year and volunteer of the year.
SUNSHINE COAST SPORTS AWARDS
Candidates for Senior Sports Star of the Year: Shara Gillow, Jordan Mercer, Alana Boyd, Melanie Schlanger, Tessa Wallace, Nick D'Arcy, Jodie Schulz, Rachel Lovell, Billy Miller, Kelsey Cottrell, Ryan Tyack, Julian Wilson , Lindsay Sutton, Ali Day, Rebecca Creedy, Clinton Stanley.
Candidates for Junior Sports Star of the Year: Billy Bain, Hugh Donovan, Brittany Elmslie, Chelsea Gubecka, Shannon O'Dempsey, Mitch Cooper, Madison Kennedy, Ella Banic, Daniel Fitter, Alyssa Bull, Jett Lawrence, Alisha Ellwood, James Windsor.
