Australian Jillaroos star Talesha Quinn has been named Parkes’ Sportperson of the Year for 2018, while talented athlete Ryan Dunford was named the Junior Sportsperson.
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Quinn helped the Australian Jillaroos to a Rugby League World Cup victory less than 12 months after dramatically deciding to return to the sport she loved.
The former Middleton Public School and Parkes High student had effectively given up rugby league for a career in the Australian Army but after watching the Blues beat Queensland last year, she decided it was time for a comeback.
She joined the Army’s elite sports program which allowed her time off to train and play, and moved from Queensland to Sydney.
After four years away from the sport, she joined the Cronulla Sharks and made such a positive return that she returned to representative football in City-Country.
Soon after she was picked for Australia in the Defence Force World Cup, resulting in a 16-12 victory against New Zealand in the final, and then helped the NSW Blues to win their interstate match against Queensland.
Those performances earned her a call-up to the Jillaroos for the World Cup.
The backrower scored a try on debut against the Cook Islands and was a standout as Australia made their way into the final, and a 23-16 victory against New Zealand.
Upon accepting her award on Friday, Quinn congratulated her fellow sporting award nominees.
“It’s so good to see we have so many talented kids out in Parkes, out in the country,” she said.
She thanked those for sharing her World Cup journey and those who travelled to Sydney to watch her play in the World Cup.
“Off the back of the World Cup I just really hope that it inspires young girls to get out there and give footy a crack,” she said.
Dunford was named Young Sportsperson for his exploits at cricket, athletics and hockey.
He was a member of the PSSA-winning hockey team, before being selected as captain for Western Region and then picked for NSW. He was selected to compete at the Pacific School Games held in December in Adelaide, placing fourth in the under 12s boys.
“I’d like to thank my parents for taking me everywhere, and all the coaches and managers,” he said at Friday’s ceremony.
Dunford also represented Western at athletics in the 100m, 200m and relay and was then chosen for state.
A member of the Parkes Public School cricket side that won Western Region and went on to make the top eight in the state, Dunford was then named Western’s best player at the state carnival.
The Parkes Public School hockey team Dunford was part of was named Sporting Team of the Year for winning the PSSA competition.
Five players went on to represent Western Region before Dunford also went on to play for state.
The side has finished in the top four every year for the past five years and was singled out by officials for their outstanding sportsmanship and conduct during the competition.
Troy Dickson claimed the Senior Sportsperson award after another big year of water skiing both locally and overseas.
He broke records in New Zealand’s Bridge to Bridge, and is currently the world record holder for that distance.
He placed second in the Australian National Championships in marathon despite a broken foot, before placing third in the Australian National Championships in Speed, and first in the ACT/NSW Country Masters Speed & Marathon events.
Dickson went on to score third at the Catalina Classic Long Beach California and third at the Skier Masters (which is the main event in the USA), and became the NSW State Champion in the Masters Marathon division.
Coach of the Year went to Glen Johnstone for his significant achievements in hockey.
Not only did he coach the Parkes United Men's Premier League Team, but he also led the Parkes over-35s Women's Masters team to the Division 1 Half State title and the Parkes U18 and U15s Boys Field and Indoor teams to top three finishes in Division 2.
He was also the training coach of RBCC U16 Boys and Girls Teams - both teams were State Champions at Combined Catholic Colleges carnival in May
Johnstone was also the assistant coach of the Hockey NSW Centre of Development program.
And he recently gained Level 2 National Coaching Accreditation.
Carlton Magill claimed the Referee, Umpire or Official of the Year gong after taking significant steps forward in his officiating at a local level, as well as the Premier League and at state and national level for school sports.
He was selected as a hockey umpire of the under 16s competitions at the 2017 Pacific School Games in Adelaide in December.
Greg Duffy (OAM) got the award for Long Service and Dedication in Sport in recognition of more than 30 years on the Parkes Sports Council and his valuable contribution to cricket.
Derick Hoe was named Administrator of the Year for his role as Group 11 president and as a Western Rams and NSW Country selector.
Cricketer Maddison Spence was named the 2017 Ron Harrison Sports Bursary recipient.
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