Katrina Werry crowned Ballarat's 2022 Sportswoman of the Year for fourth time

The 2017, 2019 and 2021 winner was a finalist for the 2022 accolade alongside Zoe Hives (tennis), Alanna Peart (race walking) and Amy McDonald (AFLW).

Werry received the honour at the Sportsmen's Association of Australia Ballarat associates annual awards dinner at Ballarat Golf Club on Thursday night.

The Ballarat Clarendon College graduate enjoyed a sensational 2022 representing Australia in rowing.

She claimed a bronze medal win in the coxless fours at the World Rowing Championships as well as a gold medal performance at the. World Rowing Cup II.

She lined up alongside Ballarat Grammar product and Olympic gold medalist Lucy Stephan in the June event.

Werry's international success followed dominance on the domestic stage, having been crowned national champion after winning a gold in the open women's coxless pair at the Australian Rowing Championships.

The 29-year-old was also part of the Victorian crew which won gold at the Queens Cup regatta.

Werry's Sportswoman of the Year honour follows her recent Sportsperson of the Year award and a Hollioake Medallion win last year.

The Hollioake Medallion was awarded for recognition of her excellence as a team player as part of the Australian women's eight crew that finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics.

"There was something very special about putting on the Olympic polo and seeing the rings on my chest," she told The Courier of her Olympic honour.

"It was just a surreal moment having worked so hard for so long.

"I'm just so proud and so honored to finally achieve this goal that I've been dreaming for so long."

Sportsmen's Association of Australia Ballarat associates also announced the Ballarat Sportsgirl of the Year, Blackbourn Encouragement, Spirit of Sport and Administrator awards on Thursday night.

Eureka Athletic's up-and-coming star Daisy Sudholz has been crowned Ballarat's Sports Girl of the Year.

The 17-year-old recorded wins across 800-metre, 1500-metre and 3000-metre events in 2022.

She claimed National wins in both 1500m and 3000m races last year, her two strongest events.

"It was very exciting because of all the work I've put in since the last championships a year ago," Sudholz said following her National Championships triumph.

"From then, I've been working towards this goal to win. It's very satisfying and I'm very happy with it."

Sandra David has been named Ballarat's Administrator of the Year for 2022.

The Secretary of the Ballarat Badminton Association is also the current chair of Badminton Australia's Technical Officials Committee.

A statement from the 2021 Vic Sports Awards, in which David was nominated for Official of the Year, was full of praise for the hard-working David.

"While multiple tournaments were interrupted by the pandemic and lockdowns, David worked tirelessly to deliver referee and umpires courses," the statement read.

"Her dedication to the sport was demonstrated as she conducted pre-tournament work with event directors, took a day trip to the location to view venues and spent hours in planning consultation ahead of the proposed Bendigo International and National Combined Individual Championships."

David also featured as a line judge at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil and was Technical Officials Coordinator at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The Administrator of the Year has been a big advocate for helping grow Ballarat's badminton community.

Ballarat Clarendon College's internationally-renowned rowing trio of Ellie McClure, Katie Jackson and Lucy Richardson have taken out the Spirit of Sport Award at Thursday night's Sportswomen's Association Awards.

The trio enjoyed an outstanding 2022 campaign, winning Head of the Lake for Clarendon, followed by State Championship finals as well as National Championship finals.

Their impeccable form saw them earn Australian representation, travelling to Italy for the World Rowing Championships as part of the under-19 women's eight.

Jackson and Richardson recently featured in Clarendon's third-consecutive Head of the Lake triumph as they turn their attention to Nationals.

At just 13 years of age, Sabrina Gauci already boasts an impressive list of accolades, with the up-and-coming star also earning the Blackbourn Encouragement Award on Thursday night.

In 2022, Sabrina won the under-14 consolation draw at Dingley Tennis Club and represented Central Highlands at the Judy Dalton Cup, in which she finished runner-up.

A member of the Ballarat Lawn Tennis Club, Sabrina has recently represented the Central Highlands region at various tennis tournaments across the state.

Incredibly, Sabrina started playing when she was just four years old when her mother enrolled her in a tennis squad class.

By the age of eight, she was training six days a week, but soon had to make a decision between tennis and her other passion of dance.

Sabrina chose tennis, and now has the 2022 Blackbourn Encouragement Award, among many others, to show for it.