Netball SA

Amy Steel and Jack Bobridge share AIS junior athlete award

Friday, November 13, 2009

By Netball Australia / AIS

Track endurance/road cycling star Jack Bobridge and netballer Amy Steel were last night named joint winners of the 2009 Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Junior Athlete of the Year award.

Steel played a key role in the Australian 21-and-under netball team who won this year�s World Youth Netball Championships in the Cook Islands.��

Steel�s outstanding ability was confirmed when she was selected for the Australian Diamonds team that defeated New Zealand in the recent Holden Netball Test Series.

Bobridge became the first Australian to win the under-23 time trial at the UCI Road World Championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland.

The 20-year-olds also claimed stage wins in the Tour of Japan and the Thuringen Tour in Germany and two silver medals (individual pursuit and team pursuit) at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships. �

Bobridge is regarded as one of Australia�s best young cyclist and recently signed with professional team Garmin Slipstream for 2010

AIS Director Professor Peter Fricker described the performances of Bobridge and Steel as outstanding.

�Amy was one of six AIS netballers that contributed to the Australian U21 team winning the World Youth Netball Championships,� said Professor Fricker.

�Australian Diamonds coach Norma Plummer has a big opinion of Steel�s netball ability demonstrated by her early elevation to the senior squad.��
�Jack�s performances both nationally and internationally demonstrated why he is regarded as one of Australia�s best young cyclists.��

�He has proven himself as a world-class champion by beating the best athletes on the international sporting stage.�

Other nominations for the AIS Junior Athlete of the Year award included Elizabeth Cambage (basketball), Jessica Fox (canoe slalom), Nathan Johnstone (winter sports) and Olivia Rogowska (tennis).�

Winners of other major AIS Awards presented at the AIS Arena in Canberra, were:

AIS Athlete of the Year (joint winners)

Emma Moffatt (triathlon) and Brenton Rickard (swimming)

AIS Coach of the Year

Craig Walton (triathlon)

AIS Team of the Year

Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen (sailing)�

AIS Program of the Year

AIS Under-23 Track Endurance/Road Cycling

The full 2009 AIS Awards honour roll can be viewed at ausport.gov.au

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