2019 Basketball Ballarat Awards

Article by Ollie Nash

Jerry Evans Jr. and Chanise Jenkins have taken home their respective team’s Most Valuable Player Award at Basketball Ballarat’s annual awards night on Wednesday.

Evans Jr. received the Hotondo Homes Ballarat Miners Ray Borner MVP Award after a stellar first season with the club, playing every game and putting up 19.2 points, eight rebounds and two steals a game as the Miners finished on top of the ladder.

Jenkins was awarded the Selkirk Ballarat Rush Robyn Maher MVP Award following her standout first season in Ballarat, averaging 17.6 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals a game.

Young gun Lucy Cochrane was rewarded for her great first season on the defensive end, the 18-year-old recognised with the Defensive Player of the Year Award after averaging a block and a steal a game.

Fellow up and comer Georgia Amoore was acknowledged for her breakout season, winning the Rising Star Award after averaging 11.3 points, three rebounds and three assists both as a starter and coming off the bench this season.

Joy Burke rounded out the Rush award winners for the night, taking home the 2019 Dawn Jose Coaches Award. One of the Rush’s most experienced campaigners, Burke put up 13 points and nine rebounds as she led the team superbly.

For the Miners, Deng Acuoth was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year Award. The centre was superb all season long with a league leading 3.2 blocks per game.

Jordan Lingard was rewarded for his consistent season off the bench with the Rising Star Award. The 23-year-old put up four points and two assists a game in 10 minutes of action for the Miners.

Kuany Kuany was the final award recipient for the boys, the first year Miner and Sydney King’s recruit taking home the 2019 Brian Goorjian Coaches Award. The athletic guard averaged 15.8 points, four rebounds and two assists a game in a consistent season.

For the McDonald’s Ballarat Rush Youth, Trinity Skenderis was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year Award following a great season.

Annie Collins, who stepped up to play with the Rush this season, was recognized with the Bev Harwood MVP Award after putting up nine points a game on 44 percent shooting from the floor.

Blake Allison was rewarded for his continual improvement this season, winning the McDonald’s Ballarat Miners Youth Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Teammate Jeremiah McKenzie was rewarded for his consistent play, taking home the Les Hotchin MVP Award, averaging 15.6 points on 45 percent shooting for the season.

 

List of award winners of Basketball Ballarat’s biggest night.

AWARD NAME |  WINNER
Basketball Ballarat Association – 2019 Frank Allisey Volunteer of the Year Award –  Lin Hodgetts
Basketball Ballarat Association – 2019 Dennis Foley Best Club Person Award –  Donna Dunmore
Basketball Ballarat Association – 2019 Bernie Stone Female Athlete of the Year – Joy Burke
Mount Avoca Club Service Award – Integra
Thrifty Ballarat Miners Junior – Karen Ashby GRIT Award – Noah Shearer
Thrifty Ballarat Rush Junior – Karen Ashby GRIT Award – Rosie Todd
Thrifty Ballarat Miners & Rush Juniors – 2019 Brendan Joyce Coach of the Year Award – Adrian Maude
McDonald’s Ballarat Rush Youth – 2019 Defensive Player of the Year –  Trinity Skenderis
McDonald’s Ballarat Rush Youth – 2019 Bev Harwood MVP –  Annie Collins
McDonald’s Ballarat Miners Youth – 2019 Defensive Player of the Year –  Blake Allison
McDonald’s Ballarat Miners Youth – 2019 Les Hotchin MVP –  Jeremiah McKenzie
Selkirk Ballarat Rush – 2019 Defensive Player of the Year –  Lucy Cochrane
Selkirk Ballarat Rush – 2019 Rising Star |  Georgia Amoore
Selkirk Ballarat Rush – 2019 Dawn Jose Coaches Awar –  Joy Burke
Selkirk Ballarat Rush – 2019 Robyn Maher MVP Award –  Chanise Jenkins
Hotondo Homes Ballarat Miners – 2019 Defensive Player of the Year – Deng Acuoth
Hotondo Homes Ballarat Miners – 2019 Rising Star –  Jordan Lingard
Hotondo Homes Ballarat Miners – 2019 Brian Goorjian Coaches Award –  Kuany Kuany
Hotondo Homes Ballarat Miners – 2019 Ray Borner MVP Award –  Jerry Evans Jr.
Ballan Brumbies – 2019 Club Service Award –  Jarrod Prosser
Ballan Brumbies – 2019 Club Service Award –  Helen Cooper
Ballan Brumbies – 2019 Club Service Award –  Anna Connally
Ballan Brumbies – 2019 Club Service Award –  Kristie Seketa
Celtic – 2019 Club Service Award –  Maureen Florakx
Phoenix – 2019 Club Service Award –  Jason Ross
Phoenix – 2019 Club Service Award – Troy McCarthy
Saints Basketball Club – 2019 Club Service Award –  Maria Brooks
Saints Basketball Club – 2019 Club Service Award –  Ethan Henderson
Wildcats – 2019 Club Service Award – Paul Rundell