AFTER a breakout year, Ashley DeMarco has been named Griffith Sportsperson of the Year after representing Australia at the sixth World Poonsae Taekwondo championships in Russia.
Ashley was a part of the under 15s female team, which finished 18th in the world. She was also the youngest of the three in the squad. Her first world championship capped off an excellent year where she went undefeated in the NSW and ACT titles before winning two medals at the national titles, one in the individual and the other in female pairs.
The quietly spoken winner was shocked she received the top award, saying it topped off a year of results she was very satisfied with.
“I didn’t think I had a chance of winning, so I was very surprised,” Ashley said. “I was definitely happy with what I was able to achieve, especially since I train by myself.
“I’m very motivated when it comes to my training and I really want to be the best I can be.”
While it will be hard to top her achievements last year, Ashley said she still has plenty more goals she would like to achieve.
“I’m planning to go to more state titles this year and then try and get to Oceania early next year,” she said. “It’s not quite as big as the World Titles, but you’re still representing Australia, so it’s something I’d really like to do.”
The Junior Sportsperson of the Year was speed demon Zac Zanesco, after he won the 80cc MBRDA Australian Junior Road Race Championship.
Zanesco will be out to test himself even more in 2012, having been accepted to ride with Kawasaki, where he will be riding in the new 250 production class.
Rebecca Savige was named the Senior Sportsperson of the Year after her excellent season in kyokoshin karate.
Savige won the Riverina non-contact and full-
contact middleweight title before winning the Victorian non-contact title and finally picking the national crown.
The Team of the Year was the Wade High School gymnastics team for its state titles win.
Griffith City Sports Council president Lou Testoni said the quality of the field in all the categories meant this year’s awards were exceptional.
“I think they were all fitting winners, across the board there was only a handful of apologies, which shows that everybody was really keen to get involved,” Testoni said.
“But the nominees are just fantastic yet again, and when you read into what they have done it’s quite amazing.
“And there are probably more things they have accomplished and are looking to do this year, so I dare say you’ll see some of those names put up again in next year’s Australia Day awards.”
Asked if he believed Adrian Serafin to be worthy of the Clubperson of the Year award, Testoni said recognition by his peers pushed him over the top.
“I think it’s very fitting, when he won such a state award that he did, which is so prestigious it gave him a edge over everybody else,”
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