Two Australian hockey stars and a wheelchair basketball champion have been recognised at the 2018 Curtin University Sports Awards.
Hockeyroos captain Emily Smith, who is studying a Bachelor of Commerce at Curtin, was named the University’s Sportswoman of the Year and Kookaburras player Aran Zalewski, studying a Bachelor of Science (Architectural Science), was awarded Curtin’s Sportsman of the Year.
Georgia Inglis, who played wheelchair basketball at national and international levels while completing a Bachelor of Health Sciences at Curtin, was inducted onto the Vice-Chancellor’s Elite Athlete List.
Curtin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry congratulated the award recipients for their success both on and off the field and court.
“This year alone, Emily Smith captained the Hockeyroos to a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games, played her 200th game for the national team and confirmed her place as the second highest goal scorer in the current squad, making her an impressive winner of the Sportswoman of the Year,” Professor Terry said.
“The Sportsman of the Year, Aran Zalewski, was named the player of the tournament while co-captaining the gold medal-winning Champions Trophy team, as well as playing in the team that won gold at the Commonwealth Games, capping off a brilliant year for the Kookaburras player.”
Curtin University Rugby Club was awarded the Sports Club Community Award in recognition of its positive contribution to its community with the establishment of the Perth Rams, Western Australia’s first LGBTQI rugby union club.
The Sports Club Excellence Award was presented to Curtin University Hockey Club, to acknowledge the club’s significant success across all areas of its operations and activities in 2018.
The Vice-Chancellor’s Elite Athlete List recognises Curtin students and alumni who have achieved excellence in their chosen sport.
“Since graduating from Curtin late last year, Georgia Inglis has continued her incredible wheelchair basketball success, signing with the University of Alabama in the US College Wheelchair Basketball League for the 2018 season,” Professor Terry said.
“Georgia made her international debut in 2011 before representing Australia at various levels while balancing her studies at Curtin, which makes her an inspirational inductee for 2018.”
The Sportswoman of the Year is awarded to Curtin’s most outstanding female athlete and the Sportsman of the Year recognises the University’s leading male athlete.
The 2018 Curtin University Sports Awards were held at Wesfarmers Court at the University’s Bentley Campus on 8 November 2018.
