Belmonte in seventh heaven as Nobbs, Jarick and triathletes get nods

There was a bumper crop of nominees, with nine nominees for both junior sportsperson of the year and sportsperson of the year.

Four teams were nominated, but just the one name was put forward for the Sports Personality of the Year.

There was a phenomenal group of talented sportspeople across an incredibly wide range of sports nominated for the major gong at the Orange Civic Theatre, including flag bearer at the Deaflympics Dave Hayward, history-making shooter Dean Brus.

However, Jason Belmonte’s mammoth 2017 couldn’t be overlooked by the council’s sport and recreation committee. 

Belmonte became the first bowler in the sport’s six-decade history to win three major titles in the one year, brought himself one major title win behind the record holders, won his fourth PBA Player of the Year, and raked in over a million dollars in prize-money in tournaments across the United States and Europe. 

While he couldn’t be there to accept the award, which included a $500 cheque to add to his 2017 haul, Belmonte appeared in a pre-recorded video which was played on Wednesday night. 

“I think 2017 was a really good year, probably the best year of my career,” he said in the video. 

“The world championship, there was a lot riding on that event … it would solidify me as the number one player in the world, coming down the stretch, knowing I needed a strike to win the final, there was a lot of pressure and it was a great feeling to have.

“As I watched those ten pins fall I was able to think ‘I’m the best in the world.” 

Belmonte’s mother Marissa spoke to him over the phone after the ceremony, and she said her son was “stoked, really proud and so excited”.

“He’s a country boy at heart, he sings Orange’s praises all the time and to be recognised, he thinks it’s a great honour and it will never wear thin,” she said. 

After a stand-out year in the pool, Kinross Swim Club’s Emily Nobbs took home the Junior Sportsperson of the Year 

There was plenty of talent on show in the nine nominations for junior sportsperson of the year, but Nobb’s record at the Pacific School Games and Commonwealth Games trials landed her the gong. 

She has massive shoes to fill, too – she’s the first swimmer to take out the junior category since Olympian Anna Windsor won in 1992.

Nobbs is hoping to emulate Windsor in the coming years, with her sights set on the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

“I’m pretty excited, stoked really,” she said. 

“I’d been up against tough competitors in all areas of other sports and I knew it would be tough … everyone did really well.”

Not only did she make serious moves in the pool in 2017, she’s shaking things up this year as well, winning silver for breastroke at Nationals in the 17-19 age bracket just last week – missing gold by 0.43 of a second. 

Nobbs is training nine times a week, covering more than 50km in the pool, as well as gym sessions, but she’s revelling in it. 

“I’m loving swimming at the moment, getting in and training hard – it’s fantastic,” she said. 

“I want to thank my parents for travelling everywhere with me, my sister for all the support and my three coaches who are always there to help and my teammates who keep pushing me.” 

Even from right at the back of the Orange Civic Theatre, the shock and joy on David Hunter’s face was noticeable when the Orange Triathlon Club was named Team of the Year ahead of Orange CYMS, the under-10 Thunder touch side and the under-13 netball State Age side. 

“No, not even a little bit. The achievements of the netball team and the touch footy team, no we didn’t expect to win,” Hunter said. 

The 200-strong team had far more members than any of the other sides in the running, but the club has something special brewing out at Gosling Creek, being the second-biggest Triathlon club in the state and the largest and – as of March 2017 when they won the country championship – the best regional club. 

“It is great recognition and builds on a lot of work that led up to a great 2017,” Hunter said after receiving the award. 

“The planets aligned … we’ve got fantastic facilities, a velodrome, indoor and outdoor pools, fantastic Gosling Creek facility which was previously Lake Canobolas, wonderful coaches, a really good community, school programs as well, combine all that and we punch above our weight,” he said. 

“A real feature of our club is the family nature of it, the support you’ll get … is immense.”

There was only the one nomination listed for the Sports Personality of the Year, but that didn’t detract from the work of Orange District Cricket Association secretary Peter Jarick.

He was given the nod for the award after a bumper 2017 for the ODCA, which included hosting the Veterans Cricket Australia Over-50 National Championships over Easter, as well as the annual junior carnivals in January – which led to the ODCA being named Cricket Australia’s association of the year in May. 

Jarick plied his trade on the pitch as a junior, but has spent 17 years as secretary, which is the longest stint in Orange cricket’s century-long history. 

He was unable to accept his award in person, but in a video he thanked the committee, president Mark Frecklington and treasurer Dave Boundy and the clubs their support.