Meet the 2025 Sports Star scholarship recipients

FOR decades the Bendigo Sports Star of the Year awards have helped many of the region’s young athletes through the Cyril Michelsen and Maxine Crouch Trust Fund.

The scholarship intake of 16 in the ’24 awards received cash, 12-months membership at D-Club 24/7 Fitness and are in the running to be a Trust Fund recipient.

January – Hope Harnetty, cycling

Gold in under-19 sprint and silver in under-19 scratch at the Victorian championships earned Hope selection for Cycling Australia’s track nationals in March. Hope reached the quarter-finals of the under-19 sprint. Hope ended the year by setting a national record time of 1:14.289 for the under-19s 1000m time trial at the South Australian championships. Hope won the state under-19 elimination final in Shepparton, and state under-19 scratch race on her home track in Castlemaine.

February – Sophie Hughes, canoeing

Gold in all four singles races at the Victorian Sprint state titles at Nagambie marked a brilliant start to Sophie’s year. The 17-year-old represented Australia for the first time at the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Croatia. Sophie was 20th in the under-18 K1 final (19km). Sophie was last year’s Maxine Crouch Trust Fund recipient. Key players in Sophie’s success on the water and various craft include Bendigo Canoe Club and Bendigo Academy of Sport.

February – Toby Sexton, canoeing

Also starred in the K1 and K2 categories at the Victorian Sprint championships in Nagambie. Toby won five gold medals across two age groups. Racing in K2 doubles, Toby won two finals in the under-16 class. In a great start to ’24, Toby won gold in the under-16 K1 wildwater class sprint, and wildwater class classic at the Paddle Australia Canoe Wildwater Australian Age Championships on the Goulburn River from Eildon to the “Blue Gums rapids”.

February – Lilyth Jones, cycling

Won three gold and two silver medals across the under-19 disciplines at the Oceania track cycling championships. Lilyth won the under-19 women’s madison and claimed bronze in the under-19 individual pursuit at Cycling Australia’s national track titles at Anna Meares Velodrome in Brisbane. Lilyth marked her first UCI world junior track championships by winning silver in the 2000m individual pursuit . Lilyth lowered her personal best by four seconds as she was fastest qualifier in China.

March – Ollie Ryan, netball

Struck gold as he represented Victoria’s under-17 team at the national championships. Playing in mid-court, Ollie and his team-mates won 62-61 as the championship decider against South Australia went into overtime. A training partner with Bendigo Strikers, Ollie also earned selection in the All Star Seven for the under-17s at the Australian Men’s and Mixed Netball Association national titles. Ollie is assistant coach of Golden Square FNC’s A-grade and A-reserve netball teams in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL.

April – Kian Blanchard, tetrathlon

The teenager competes in a variant of modern pentathlon, without fencing. Disciplines in tetrathlon are shooting, swimming, horse riding and running. A highlight of his year was representing Australia in the United Kingdom and Ireland last July and August. Kian was 12th and Australia’s team was fourth in the junior boys final at the Irish Tetrathlon Championships, and fifth at the UK Senior International Tetrathlon. Kian has also won a Victorian under-19 men’s pentathlon title.

May – Emily Kearns, swimming

Competed at the Australian Open championships on the Gold Coast and was finalist in the 18-19 years 100m and 200m backstroke. Emily was second in the 200m, and sixth in the 100m. She qualified for the Australian Olympic Swimming Trials in Brisbane in early June. Emily swam the 200m backstroke in 2:17 and the 100m backstroke in 1:04. Both were personal bests. Emily is a team leader for Melbourne Swimming Club, and Bendigo squad.

June – Amy Bachmann, equestrian (dressage)

Teamed with Midge to be third in the under-25 grand prix freestyle class at Willinga Park Dressage by the Sea. Amy and River were runner-up in the Medium Tour Freestyle class at the same event. Amy was third in the under-25 grand prix freestyle and medium tour freestyle at the Sydney CDI. Amy won the medium tour title at the Victorian State Dressage Championships. Amy is near the top 40 in world rankings for the under-25 GP.

July – Tobie Travaglia, AFL

The La Trobe University Bendigo Pioneers young gun was selected at half-back in the All-Australian Team and fifth in Larke Medal voting for best player at the AFL national under-18 championships. After starting his career with St Therese’s, Tobie kicked on to play for Sandhurst and Bendigo Pioneers. He was Neville Strauch Medallist as Pioneers club champion in ’23 and runner-up last season. Tobie was taken at pick eight by St Kilda in the ’24 AFL national draft.

July – Charlotte Sexton, netball
A gun goalkeeper with Bendigo Strikers and Sandhurst, Charlotte was in Australia’s 21-and-under squad which toured Fiji in August. An incredible year for Charlotte included being the first recipient of the Strikers’ championship team best and fairest award, a training partner with Melbourne Vixens, and VIS coaches award winner. Charlotte was in Australia’s under-21 team which played England and New Zealand in January. A goal is to be in Australia’s under-21 squad for this year’s World Youth Cup.

August – nil

September – Henry Allan, swimming
Struck gold in the 15-years 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke finals at the Australian Age Championships on the Gold Coast. In December, Henry broke the Australian Age record by .5 of a second as he won the 16-years 100m backstroke at the Victorian Age championships. Henry won the 200m backstroke in a new state Age record time, and 100m freestyle in an All-Comers record time. Was in top form at the Victorian short course, and open short course titles.

September – Lucia Painter, AFL
A star in midfield for the La Trobe University Bendigo Pioneers and Victoria Country, Lucia earned All-Australian selection after three superb games at the AFL national under-18 championships. An ankle injury kept her on the sidelines for a lot of the 2023 season. Lucia fought her way back to be captain of the Pioneers in last year’s Coates Talent League under-18s action and was taken at pick seven by West Coast Eagles in the AFLW national draft.

October – Abbey Reid, athletics
A top competitor in distance running and steeplechase, Abbey won the under-17s 2000m steeplechase as she represented Girton Grammar at the Victorian All Schools field and track titles. Abbey then made her way to Brisbane for the Australian All Schools in December and won the under-17 2000m steeplechase in a time of 7:13. Captured the Jack Davey Trophy for the second year running after being fastest Bendigo female in this month’s 5km Frenzy at Lar Birpa.

October – Kate Wilson, athletics
Cleared the 1.55 metre mark to win the under-16 high jump final at the Victorian All Schools field and track championships. The Girton Grammar student who also competes with Eaglehawk achieved a season-best of 1.63m as she was equal sixth at the Australian All Schools titles in Brisbane. It was double gold as Kate was the open and under-18s high jump champion at this year’s Victoria Country field and track titles at Lar Birpa in Bendigo.

November – Will Whiteacre, netball
Starred in attack as Australia’s men’s open team, aka Kelpies won the Fast5 Netball World Series in Christchurch. Will and his team-mates fought on to score a 32-30 victory against New Zealand in the grand final. At 16, Will was the youngest player chosen for the national men’s training camp after he starred in Victoria’s run to silver at the Australian under-20 titles. Will and his Australian under-20 team-mates were runner-up at the Nations series in Singapore.

December – Jesper Wallace, golf
Was one shot away from qualifying for the New South Wales Open as he finished at three-under. Was equal 12th in ISPS Handa Australian Open qualifying at six-over.A member at Heathcote, Neangar Park, and Southern golf clubs, Jesper won Heathcote’s junior championship and was third overall. Struck a course record 67 gross on Mandalay’s course and was under-15 champion and runner-up for the boys title at the Jack Newton Junior Golf Murray River Junior Masters.