TOP 10 PERFORMERS FOR 2009

10 - RAY DOOLAN (cricket)

RAY Doolan has set the standard with the bat for Orange cricketers this year.

In the 2009 calendar year the Waratahs captain has amassed a whopping 1267 runs. He scored 754 runs in the second half of the 2008-09 season and has worked his way to 513 at the start of the 2009-10 season.

Doolan has scored his 513 runs this season in seven knocks at an average of 85.50.

9 - TRENT COLLEY (cricket)

TRENT Colley continues to be one of Orange’s top cricketers and is showing his leadership abilities to go with it.

Colley was part of the Cavaliers side which won its seventh consecutive first grade title in the 2008-09 season.

At the start of the 2009-10 season Colley was named the Orange captain and led them to take out the President’s Cup.

He was then selected in the Western Zone side to contest the NSW Country Championships.

8 - SAM AH-SEE (boxing)

MOBSPORT boxer Sam Ah-See continued his dominant ways in 2009.

It started with a silver medal at the Arafura Games before he took out the NSW ABA Elite Male 69kg Open title when he beat Will Devjak of North Sydney PCYC on points.

He finished the year winning the national 69kg elite male title.

The teenager won his semi-final against Arafura Games gold medallist Rohan Murdock 18-4 before winning the final against Victoria’s Brandon Groves 12-1.

Ah-See’s performance meant he was named best boxer of the tournament.

7 - DEAN BRUS AND DAVE OATES (pistol shooting)

ORANGE provided the entire national team when Dean Brus and Dave Oates represented Pistol Australia at the 2009 World WA 1500 Championships in Germany.

The pair finished second behind Germany in the World Team Match Pistol event and brought home gold medals for winning the Two-Man Team Pistol 1500 in the high master division.

They were also third in the Two-Man Team Revolver 1500 and produced a number of other top 10 finishes.

Their goal for 2010 is to make the Pistol Australia team and take out the World Team Match Pistol event.

6 - CRAIG MORGAN (swimming)

BLAYNEY’S Craig Morgan has continued to excel in the pool in 2009.

The 20-year-old brought home a set of medals from the Australian Swimming Championships in March. In the men’s multi-disability events he won bronze in the 50m backstroke, silver in the 100m butterfly and gold in the 50m butterfly.

He also set a new Australian Deaf record for the men’s 200m individual medley when he stopped the clock in two minutes, 18.43 seconds.

His performance at the national event earned him selection in the Australian team to compete at the 2009 Deaflympic Games in Chinese Taipei.

There, Morgan qualified for six finals from eight events.

5 - HELEN WORLAND (tennis)

HELEN Worland had a golden glow about her when she returned from the 2009 ITF World Senior Tennis Championships.

Worland combined with Adrienne Avis to take out the women’s 55s doubles when they defeated fellow Australians and top seeds Lyn Mortimer and Susanne Walter 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the final.

The Orange grandmother also finished third in the women’s 55s singles in what was her 11th consecutive year representing Australia at the Seniors World Championships.

4 - CHRISTINE WOLFSON (triathlon)

CHRISTINE Wolfson was another Orange athlete to win a world title in 2009.

This year she qualified for the World Triathlon Championships in the sprint distance division.

She took out the women’s 40-44 years world title after coming from third in the bike leg to cruise past her rivals in the run on the Gold Coast.

Wolfson powered on to eventually win by one minute and 14 seconds.

She also took out the women’s 30-39 years’ Central West Inter-Club title in the 2008-09 season, which was also contested by competitors from Bathurst, Dubbo, Mudgee and Cowra.

3 - KURT FEARNLEY (wheelchair racing)

CARCOAR’S Kurt Fearnley is known for his wheelchair racing abilities but in 2009, he went off-road.

The 28-year-old produced a marathon effort to crawl the 96km Kokoda Trail.

More amazing was he did so just a few weeks after winning his fourth consecutive New York Wheelchair Marathon.

Fearnley went through 2009 unbeaten in marathons claiming wins in London, Seoul, Paris, New York, Sydney and Chicago.

He was also recognised for his efforts and example he sets by being named the 2009 NSW Young Australian of the Year.

2 - DANIEL MORTIMER (rugby league)

ORANGE’S Daniel Mortimer may not have had the fairytale ending to his first NRL season - but it came close.

Mortimer started his season as captain of Parramatta’s Toyota Cup team before injuries allowed him to get a start in the NRL side.

He made his debut for the senior side in their 13-10 loss to Cronulla in June. From there Mortimer worked on his combination with halfback Jeff Robson.

The Eels produced a late winning streak which was enough to put them into the finals, much to the delight of five-eighth Mortimer.

From here they won their way into the grand final but were beaten by Melbourne.

1 - JADE WARRENDER (hockey)

THERE is no denying 2009 was huge for Orange hockey star Jade Warrender.

As well as completing her Higher School Certificate, she had to balance this with a multitude of representative duties at national and international levels.

She was selected in the NSW under 18s side which took out the national title before she was promoted to the NSW under 21s side.

From this she was promoted to the Jillaroos, the Australian under 21s side, which contested the Junior World Cup in America.

She has been named in the 2010 under 18s, under 21s and Arrows squads but suffered a knee injury in October this year and is not expected to be back on the hockey field until mid-to-late next year.