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38 . SOUTH WESTERN TIMES THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2018swtimes.com.au

Newly recruited South West Academy of Sportcyclist Joshua Commons might be younger thanmost of the cyclists he races against, but in a rec-ord-breaking, title-claiming 12 months, he’s proventhat age is no barrier to success.

In his first year of competing against older andmore experienced riders in the under-17 category,the 14-year-old showed he could more than hold hisown against WA’s brightest junior cycling stars.

The South West Cycle Club member and Bunbu-ry Catholic College student began 2018 in emphaticfashion.

Joshua represented WA against the country’sbest at the national junior track championships inMelbourne and was part of a four-person team thatbroke a State record in the under-17 team pursuit.

That effort ensured WA finished with a bronzemedal.

Joshua also claimed the under-17 State title atthis year’s WA Junior Road Championships inAugust – which earned him a position on the WAteam which competed at the recent 2018 CyclingAustralia junior road national championships.

Most recently, the Eaton-based youngstercemented his status further as a rising star by win-ning the under-17 State criterium championshipearlier this month.

Joshua Commons is the reigning State under-17 roadcycling and criterium champion.

Age is no barrier CYCLING

Entries for the 2019 SWAS Telstra Fun Run are now open,with people encouraged to getin quick to score free race mer-chandise.

The first 100 to sign up forthe fifth annual race aroundBunbury’s Leschenault Inlet –on Saturday, March 16 – willreceive a complimentaryT-shirt. All members of thepublic are encouraged to enterrun (2km, 5km or 10km) orwalk (5km).

Cash prizes are up for grabsin each race category andthere is a special prize for theschool with the most number

of entrants. Walking and run-ning enthusiasts are alreadygearing up for the event, withlocal race walking championCooper Anderton setting hissights on claiming the 5kmwalk.

South West Academy ofSport chief executive BerniceButlion said the event wasfamily friendly, with pramsand young children welcome.

“We’ve made competing inthe fun run affordable so eve-ryone can take part — with anemphasis on having a good experience,” Butlion said.

For more information or toregister, visit www.swaswa.com.au

Bunbury race walking champion Cooper Anderton put inrecord-breaking performances at the recent WA All Schools titles.

Get in quick for fun runATHLETICS

When Emma Cattlin looksback on 2018, one of her high-lights of the year will no doubtbe helping Australia securethird place at this year’s ISAWorld Junior Surfing Cham-pionship in California.

The South West Academy ofSport surfer was part of theAustralian team which com-peted at the Huntington Beachevent over late October andearly November.

The contest involved repre-sentatives from 44 countries,who competed for individual

and national bragging rights.Australia, which finished

fourth at the 2017 titles, wentone better, with Emma playinga sterling role when calledupon.

“It was pretty unforgetta-ble,” Emma said. “To repre-sent Australia was amazing.”

Emma, who competed in theunder-16 age bracket at worldtitles and is the currentunder-18 girls State champion,believes Australia’s medal atthe titles was positive.

“To do one better for Austra-lia was pretty cool,” Emmasaid.

Yallingup surfer Emma Cattlin competed at the ISA World JuniorSurfing Championship in California. Picture: ISA/Ben Reed

Surfer represents in USSURFING

From China, Netherlands andSingapore, junior sailing sen-sation Shannon Dalton has rid-den a wave of success all theway to the South West Acad-emy of Sport’s awards nightwhere she was named SportsStar of the Year.

The Leschenault teenagerpicked up the top award at thered-carpet event at the Bunbu-ry Regional EntertainmentCentre on December 7, beforeheading east to contest the SailMelbourne Internationalregatta with fellow SWAS ath-lete Will Drew.

The annual awards dinner isheld annually to highlight theachievements of top juniorathletes and coaches – with

this year’s function celebrat-ing the academy’s 10thanniversary.

Highlights of Shannon’s2017-18 campaign have includ-ed finishing first at the Singa-pore national championshipsand third at the Singaporeyouth sailing championships.

In addition, Shannon earnedsilver at the world youth cham-pionships, and competed at theYouth Olympic Games quali-fiers.

Other award winners includ-ed cyclist Courtland Wood,who was named EmergingStar, netball coach Erin Cul-nane who was crowned theWally Foreman Coach of theYear and football talent EllaSmith who received the Com-munity Achiever award.

Netballer Giselle Taylor wasawarded Female Team Athleteof the Year, newly drafted football player Durak Tuckertook out the Male Team Athlete of the Year and triath-lete Zeke Tinley claimed theMale Individual Athlete of theYear.

The event was made possibleby a number of sponsorsincluding: The Apprenticeand Traineeship Company,Nexus Risk Services, RCRResources, Hexion Australia,Summit Realty South West,Department of Local Govern-ment, Sport and CulturalIndustries, Onsite RentalGroup, South West Chambersof Commerce and Industry,Lomax Media and IntersportBunbury.

2018 SWAS award winners:t Sports Star of the Year –Shannon Dalton (Sailing) t Community AchieverAward – Ella Smith (Austra-lian Rules Football) t Emerging Star Award –Courtland Wood (Cycling) t Female Team Athlete of theYear – Giselle Taylor (Netball) t Male Team Athlete of theYear – Durak Tucker(Australian Rules Football) t Female Individual Athlete ofthe Year – Shannon Dalton(Sailing) t Male Individual Athlete ofthe Year – Zeke Tinley(Triathlon) t Wally Foreman Coach of theYear – Erin Culnane (Netball)

Sailor named top sportstar at red-carpet eventAWARDS