Busselton-born pole vaulter Nina Kennedy wins 2023 AJ ‘Tood’ Buswell Sports Star of the Year award

Pole vaulter Nina Kennedy has been crowned the 2023 South Western Times AJ ‘Tood’ Buswell Sports Star of the Year. The Busselton product was announced as the recipient of the 64th edition of the award in front of a room of local sporting luminaries at the City of Bunbury’s Bunbury Geographe Sports Awards at Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre on Friday night. A star-studded field of athletes from the region were nominated for the honour, including footballers Jye Amiss, Ella Roberts and Leigh Kohlmann, cricketer Chloe Piparo, jockey Damian Lane, boxer Alex Winwood and netballer Donnell Wallam. Kennedy’s 2023 started on the mend from stress fractures in her back but she ended the year as a world champion, winning gold at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August. In a red-hot contest with American Katie Moon on the night of the final, Kennedy twice broke the Australian women’s record, vaulting heights of 4.85m and then 4.90m. Both failed to clear the 4.95m mark and could not be separated on countback before they opted to share the gold medal in heart-warming scenes. Kennedy then capped off the season by pipping her own record, clearing 4.91m at a Diamond League meet in Zurich. Speaking from Qatar, where her preparations for the Paris Olympics Games later this year are ongoing, Kennedy said she was delighted to be recognised as the winner. “Thank you so much for this award,” she said. “I obviously don’t live down there but I do really, really feel supported so much by the South West and the small towns down there. “Preparations (for the Olympics) are going really well ... I’d love if you guys could tune in and support me from my home town, that would be so amazing.” The City of Bunbury’s awards recognised a number of worthy recipients from the around the region. Talented dual-sport athlete Jay Pfoeffer, who excelled both in the pool and on the cricket pitch, took out the time-honoured Myles Junior Sports Star of the Year Award. He brought home a combined haul of 23 medals — 17 gold, three silver and three bronze — from State and national swimming competitions over the course of the year, while his crowning cricket achievement was taking 10 wickets at an average of 11.6 for WA at the under-12s National Championships in Darwin. Swimmer Miranda Kiewiet won the Para-Athlete of the Year Award for a standout set of multi-class swimming results despite often being one of the youngest competitors in her races, claiming eight gold and four silver medals across the Swimming WA Country Championships and State Championships. Australind Swimming Club mentor Taarna Cam won the Coach of the Year Award for spearheading a club revival which saw them take the title of top regional club at the Swimming WA State Championships. The Team of the Year Award was won by the City of Bunbury Surf Life Saving Club Surf Sports Team, with their athletes — who are required to complete volunteer service hours in order to compete — claiming the titles of State country champions and State handicap champions. David O’Connor’s 20 years of work with the Bunbury Water Polo Association as both a referee and a committee member saw him recognised with the Volunteer Service to Sport Award. Bunbury United Soccer Club won the Event of the Year Award for the Bunbury Junior Soccer Carnival, which saw 101 teams playing across 18 pitches over two days at Hay Park.