Alessia powers to more Sports Star honours

EXECPTIONAL performances on the track across March have again put gun cyclist Alessia McCaig in the running for Bendigo’s Sports Star of the Year award.

Gold in the elite women’s keirin at the UCI Track World Cup in Perth capped an outstanding display of tactics and composure as McCaig raced Olympic, World and European champions in the west.

The 22-year-old attacked early in the keirin and won a thrilling finish to claim her first World Cup title.

McCaig was eighth in the elite women’s sprint.

A few weeks after racing in the west, McCaig was back at Anna Meares Velodrome in Brisbane where she dominated the AusCycling elite track titles.

A rush on gold began in the sprint and was followed by a fourth consecutive keirin championship.

It was the third year in a row McCaig has celebrated the sprint-keirin double.

An Australian representative at last year’s world track titles in Chile, McCaig is striving to wear the green and gold at this year’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

She raced at Birmingham in 2022.

Victorian representatives on the netball court, Ollie Ryan and Will Whiteacre are the latest Sports Star scholarship recipients.

Both have previously been in the scholarship pool and represented Victoria at last week’s Australian men’s and mixed netball championships in Perth.

Ryan was joint captain of the men’s under-20 team as he marked a hat-trick of national titles campaigns.

The Big V claimed bronze after a 49-54 loss to New South Wales in the preliminary final.

Ryan’s run at the nationals included stints at wing defence, centre, wing attack, and goal attack.

A busy year includes competing in the premier men’s open division in the Victorian Men’s League competition.

The Big V under-23 men’s team included Whiteacre at his fourth national titles.

Victoria struck gold in a 66-30 victory against Western Australia in the grand final.

Whiteacre scored 16 goals in the grand final.

His versatility was on show across the week as he spent time at goal attack, goalshooter, wing attack, and wing defence.

Ryan and Whiteacre are training partners with the Bendigo Strikers high performance program.