Victory in Virginia puts Herbert in awards race

VICTORY in LIV Golf action in Virginia has earnt Lucas Herbert the May honour in the 61st Bendigo Sports Star of the Year awards.

The winner of the gold statue as Sports Star of the Year across 2020–21, Herbert was in superb form as he netted his first LIV title.

A four-shot win meant Herbert pocketed the $US4m ($A5.54m) pay cheque in the seventh win of his professional career.

The 30-year-old also earnt a place in the US Open field to be played 18–21 June at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in New York.

In the race for the LIV Golf League title, Herbert is fifth rolling into the next scheduled round on 23–26 July at JCB Golf and Country Club in Staffordshire.

Herbert and his Ripper teammates are third in the standings led by Aces and Legion XIII.

This year’s Sports Star race includes cyclists Patrick Eddy, Alessia McCaig, golfer Jazy Roberts and gun swimmer Henry Allan.

The latest scholarship recipient in Sports Star is talented kayakyer Tobias Sexton, who earnt the Cyril Michelsen Trust Fund in the 60th awards presentation.

A busy year for Sexton has included sprint, marathon and wildwater duels.

Sexton began the year by winning the under-18 sprint and classic finals at the Australian Wildwater Championships.

A month later he raced the Victorian Sprint Titles at Nagambie where he struck gold in the under-18 200m and silver in the 500m and 1000m races.

In March he was crowned state champion in the under-18 long course (21km) and silver in the short course (3.4km) at the Marathon Championships in Geelong.

Sexton then competed at the National Marathon Championships in Canberra where he placed fifth in the long and short-course finals.

Across winter he has continued to rack up many hours training in sprint and wildwater as he aims to qualify for next year’s World Junior Wildwater Championships in Austria.

Scholarship recipients Fletch Watchman, athletics; Maddie Douglas, cycling; Oliver Ryan and Will Whiteacre, netball; Azia Fong-Sutton, swimming; and Mia Harvey, basketball; are in the running for the Cyril Michelsen and Maxine Crouch Trust Fund awards.