Ballarat’s leading female sports stars recognised

OLYMPIC rower Katrina Werry has been named the Ballarat Sportswoman of the Year (2024) for the fifth time.

Werry, now based in Adelaide, took out the honour at a Sports Association of Australia Ballarat Associates event at the North Ballarat Sports Club.

It follows her success in being named last month as the Ballarat Sportsmen’s Club Sportsperson of the Year, and adds to her 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022 accolades.

Others to have won the award five times are javelin competitor Kathryn Mitchell (2010, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018) and swimmer Shayne Reese (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009).

Mitchell was also among finalists for the 2024 award, along with Sophie Kurzman (lawn bowls) and Alanna Peart (race walking).

Werry was not able to attend the presentation event and her award was accepted by her mother, Mary Werry.

Young cricket star Sara Kennedy won the Sportsgirl of the Year Award from other finalists Addy Ryan (lawn bowls), Quinn Moore (mountain biking) and Armani Anderson (running).

Teen pole vaulter Summer Jenkins received the Blackbourn Encouragement Award, while the Sports Administrator of the Year Award went to Marilyn Blake (lawn bowls) and the Spirit of Sport Award to Rhonda Cator (badminton).

Kennedy, aged 17 and a student at Ballarat Clarendon College, is regarded as a rapidly rising star in women’s cricket.

The bowling all-rounder has been a member of the Melbourne Renegades WBBL squad for the past two seasons and was named the Australian Cricket Society’s young female cricketer of the year last October.

Hailing from Skipton, Kennedy was also a member of the Australian squad for the T20 World Cup tournament in Malaysia early this year.

Fifteen-year-old Jenkins, meanwhile, recovered from hip surgery last year to recently post a personal best vault of 2.85 metres in Perth, where she finished fourth.

She also won a gold medal in the state championship competition with 2.8 metres at Lakeside in Melbourne.

Jenkins also competes in long jump and triple jump events, and posted a distance of 10.42 metres in national triple jump titles, which put her in 13th place.

Blake was recognised for her service to the Central Wendouree Bowls Club, where she has been runner-up in the women’s singles championship (2018), board chair from 2018 to 2020, the Over 60s Women’s State Pairs winner with Margaret O’Meara in 2020–2021, and a delegate to the regional board of management.

Cator played tennis as a child and switched to badminton when she was 15.

She represented Australia from 1986 to 2003, including at three Olympic Games and five Commonwealth Games, and won five Commonwealth Games bronze medals.

She has been head coach in Ballarat since 2000, and has held the position of Ballarat Badminton Association manager since the same year.

Badminton Australia has named its under-13 national championships sportsperson award in her honour.