![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/pert_88481.jpg\")
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The honour roll of past sportswoman of the year winners comprises a who’s who of Ballarat sport, headlined by multiple winners such as Katrina Werry, Kathryn Mitchell, Shayne Reese, Emily Martin, Kellie Lucas, Allison Cook, Sharon Stewart, Leanne Johnson and Robyn Maher.<\/p>\n
“There’s been some absolutely outstanding athletes win it multiple times, but even the administrator’s award and the encouragement awards, won by juniors who went on to do great things as senior athletes, have been won by big names,” Stone said.<\/p>\n
“Looking at the list of past winners makes for some great reading.<\/p>\n
“It’s fantastic to have so many sports represented among the finalists, including the junior sporting category.”<\/p>\n
Stone said this year’s sportswoman of the year finalists had again produced some remarkable achievements on the international and national sporting stage.<\/p>\n
A dominant year on the Victorian cross-country circuit for Dowie produced state 8km, 10km and 12km titles.<\/p>\n
At the Australian Cross-country Championships, she was part of the Eureka Athletic Club 4x2km mixed relay team that won gold, with Dowie producing the fastest female leg of the day.<\/p>\n
Undefeated locally in cross-country for the past two years, she also won the Victorian open 3km steeplechase title and finished third in the Australian titles.<\/p>\n
Dowie further claimed the Victorian country 5km track title and is the only Ballarat woman ranked nationally in five events, including the 1500m, 3km, 5km, steeplechase and half marathon.<\/p>\n
A stellar 2025 for Forster included dual goal at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Ronse, Belgium, in the women’s C5 time trial and road race.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Ballarat Sebastopol Cycling Club rider was further crowned C5 national champion in the individual time trial at the 2025 Australian Road National Championships and won the prestigious Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) Para Athlete Award.<\/p>\n A big year for Kennedy was highlighted by her selection in the Australian under-19 team for the ICC T20 World Cup, touring Sri Lanka with the national under-19 team, and her debut for the Victorian women’s team against Tasmania in February.<\/p>\n She also represented the Melbourne Renegades in the Women’s Big Bash competition and signed a contract with the Tasmanian Tigers.<\/p>\n Kurzman, who finished the year ranked 13th in the Australian female rankings, represented Australia in New Zealand in September and Victoria in Test series against New South Wales and Tasmania in August and October respectively.<\/p>\n The 23-year-old was a key part of Victoria’s silver medal winning team at the open nationals in May.<\/p>\n She won the Northern Gateway women’s pairs, triples and fours championships and also reached the final of singles.<\/p>\n In May, she won the pairs, mixed pairs and mixed fours titles at the Moama carnival.<\/p>\n Peart, who competed internationally in the World Athletics walking Tour Gold Meet in China, won the 5km and 15km events at the Racewalking Australia LBG Carnival in Canberra and finished fifth in the Australian Track and Field Championships open women’s 10,000m race walk in Perth.<\/p>\n The 22-year-old won both the Victorian and South Australian state 20km racewalk titles and claimed bronze in the Australian Marathon Racewalk Championships.<\/p>\n Finalists in the sportsgirl of the year award are track athlete Grace Cowie, athlete Eleanor Downey, cricketer Charli McLennan and lawn bowler Addy Ryan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" FIVE athletes – including one past winner and three former junior award winners – are in line to be crowned Ballarat Sportswoman of the Year for 2025. The Sports Association of Australia Ballarat Associates’ award will be presented at the Ballarat Golf Club next week. The 2025 finalists are distance athlete Katherine Dowie, para-cyclist Alana […]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/SophieKurzman_12311__95654.jpg\")