Clay target shooting prodigy Kiara Dean was crowned the 2022 Echuca-Moama Senior Sportstar during a gala awards evening at Moama Bowling Club on Monday night.
About 200 people were in attendance to see Dean, 21, secure the coveted honour from an elite field of contenders.
Dean, who won the junior sportstar award in 2018, graduated to the senior prize four years later after excelling on the world stage.
The Echuca sharpshooter’s victory in the Junior World Championships in Croatia in September 2022 proved a decisive one in the eyes of the judging panel.
“The world championships were something that I had looked forward to forever,” Dean said.
“Since I was young it was something I dreamed of, something I never expected to do so young.”
Dean joins an honour roll which features such luminaries as waterskiing legend Brett Sands, Brownlow Medallist Ollie Wines, Australian Test cricketer Todd Murphy and Melbourne star Clayton Oliver.
She paid tribute to the support of her parents Nick and Kerrie upon receiving the award from special guest and 2020-21 Sportstar of the Year winner Col Pearse.
“Mum and Dad have been there since the very start,” she said.
“They’re the reason I started this.
“It’s something you don’t make money doing, it’s a very expensive sport and it’s something you work and do at the same time.”
Dean continued the proud record of shooters winning the Senior Sportstar of the Year honour.
She became the fifth individual shooter to prevail following Steve Atkins (1992, 1995), Joanne Kerr (1998), Steve Calleja (2002) and Kelly Norris (2005 and 2010).
Barefoot skiing talent Fletcher Ball confirmed his status as one of the region’s finest up-and-coming sportsmen by being crowned the first back-to-back winner of the Echuca-Moama Junior Sportstar award since 2005.
Ball, a winner of the 2020-21 junior sportstar, was once again in the headlines for his exploits on the water, this time for a record-breaking feat and a swathe of overall wins on the big stage.
“I wasn’t expecting it but I’m pretty happy with where I’m at,” Ball said.
“I couldn’t have done it without Sandsy (Brett Sands) or Pete O’Neill from Yarrawonga, I appreciate those guys so much.
“Brad Shearer, who runs Coolabah Turf, he’s out and about getting me behind the boat, he’s always getting me out on the water after work.
“It makes me realise how far they’ve got me.”
Alf Parsons and Kirk Teasdale were two of the shining lights at Echuca-Moama’s sporting night of nights with the pair announced as co-winners of the 2022 Sportstar Spirit of Sport award.
Parsons’ lifelong commitment and dedication to the sport of showjumping and Teasdale’s anointment as a life member of Goulburn Murray Cricket earned them the prestigious accolade.
The dynamic duo of Simon Maddox and Andrew Walker were named coaches of the year.
The two co-coaches led Echuca Football Netball Club to its first senior premiership in two decades, breaking a 20-year drought after the Murray Bombers defeated Euroa by 12 points in the grand final in September.
Echuca Football Netball Club was named the team/club of the year following its incredible seasons across the board on both the football field and netball court.
The Murray Bombers added four Goulburn Valley League premiership flags to their collection in 2022 after their 17-and-under netball and under-18s, reserves and senior football teams all triumphed on grand final day — with the latter snapping a 20-year premiership drought.
Guest speaker Pearse traded the pool for the microphone, recounting what’s been a glittering career to date for the Paralympic bronze medallist.
Pearse has inspired the region through his journey as a talented local swimmer through to his glorious bronze in the 100m butterfly in Tokyo back in 2021 and gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Throughout its 35-year history, the awards supported by the Riverine Herald, Moama Bowling Club and Echuca Travel Centre, celebrate the region’s love of sport.