Great Southern Academy of Sport honours young athletes as region’s top hopes prosper on track, field and water

The Great Southern Academy of Sport had its night of nights last Friday, honouring those young athletes who have made significant strides in the last year.

The awards event was at Retravision Stadium and featured a keynote speech by Commonwealth Games champion Rhiannon Clarke.

It was no surprise Ginger Gleeson was named the GSAS female individual athlete of the year after her stellar summer ended with two national titles and an Australia vest for the Oceana under-18 championships.

The national under-18 champion at 400m and the 400m hurdles, Denmark-based Gleeson also holds three age group State titles in the 400m, 800m and the 400m hurdles.

Sailor Henri Ballinger was the male individual athlete of the year, having just represented Australia at the Nacra 15 world championships in Plymouth.

The only Australian, he was 41st in a competitive under-19 division of 56 boats at the event which ran from July 26 to August 1.

He claimed the national Nacra 15 championship in April after winning nine of 11 races alongside his crew Mia Waters.

Denmark’s Ballinger and Waters, who comes from Esperance, regularly spend hours on the road driving to Perth for training.

Soccer player Stella Cuthbert was the female team athlete of the year, while Manypeaks’ hockey gun Ben Blechynden took out the male team athlete award for the second year in a row.

The Albany Junior Soccer Association’s under-15 fairest and best, Cuthbert was captain of the WA country team, representing the State at a tournament in Malaysia.

Blechynden played for the WA under-16 team, winning silver in the national championships, and was captain of the Outbacks, a side made up of State country players, for the international Gryphon Cup.

His next big match is set to be the Lower Great Southern Hockey Association A-grade grand final with Manypeaks on September 19.

Athlete Zoe Bascombe was rewarded for her hard work and positive attitude as she received the coaches’ gong, while Cuthbert enjoyed her second triumph of the night by being named the players’ player of the year.

Clarke, a para-sprinter who won the T38 200m at the Games in Glasgow this year, urged the athletes in the audience to bounce back from setbacks and enjoy the sporting journey.