2012 Primary Sportsperson of the Year Taj Jones is congratulated by Wide Bay school sport officer Justin Lane
November 29, 2012
Nanango State School student Taj Jones has been named Wide Bay Primary Sports Person of the Year at the South Burnett Primary School Sports night.
This is the first time for many years that a South Burnett student has won the coveted Roy Wechsel shield.
He will also receive a $500 bursary.
Taj has represented Queensland in AFL, and Wide Bay in AFL, aquathlon, rugby league, swimming and touch football.
He has represented the South Burnett in AFL, cricket, cross country, rugby league and touch.
Wide Bay school sport officer Justin Lane congratulated Taj and presented him with the perpetual shield.
He also congratulated all the students who had been selected to represent the Wide Bay in different sports.
“There are 55,000 students in our region,” Mr Lane said.
“So for a student to make a Wide Bay team is a huge achievement for them.”
Earlier during the awards ceremony – which was held at Kingaroy State School this evening – Taj Jones was also presented with the South Burnett Primary Athlete of the Year award.
Guest speaker on the night was Queensland Fire cricketer – and Kingaroy State High School Year 11 student – Holly Ferling.
Holly urged the young athletes to stick with their sports and to make the most of any opportunities that come their way.
She said it did not seem that long ago that she was in Year 7 and playing every sport she could. She explained how a lucky fluke led to her trialling for the South Burnett U12 girls cricket team. She was then selected for Wide Bay and eventually Queensland despite the fact she had only taken up cricket a couple of months earlier.
Holly has now represented Australia in New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
“This would not have been possible if I hadn’t taken that opportunity five years ago,” she said.
NB. Not all students were present at the sports night. Pictured below are the students who were present to receive their certificates.
Awards ceremony emcee Darren Geiger, guest speaker Holly Ferling and Wide Bay school sport officer Justin Lane Athletics … More than 60 students represented the South Burnett at the Wide Bay selection trials held in Bundaberg and 11 went on to represent Wide Bay AFL … Sixteen boys represented the South Burnett; although only three had prior experience in Australian Rules, the South Burnett team convincingly beat Bundaberg and the North Burnett, and only lost to Maryborough by one goal; three boys were selected to play for Wide Bay and Taj Jones, second from left, was selected to play for Queensland
Boy’s Basketball … eight boys represented the South Burnett; the team came 3rd overall in the Wide Bay trials; Orlyn Fisher, right, was selected to play for Wide Bay
Girl’s Basketball … nine girls represented the South Burnett; the team came 2nd overall in the Wide Bay trials; Renee Irvine and Hannah Allcock were selected for Wide Bay
Boy’s Cricket … 12 boys played for the South Burnett and the team came 3rd in the Wide Bay trials; two boys were selected for Wide Bay: Jared Sippel and Tom Carney; Jared Sippel was also selected for Queensland
Girl’s Cricket … 12 girls played for the SB; the team was undefeated; seven girls were selected for WB and three for Qld: Renee Irvine, Laura Gray, Courtney Sippel; Kathryn Kidman was selected for the Qld Invitational XI
Cross Country … Fifteen girls and 15 boys were selected to represent the South Burnett at the trials which were contested in Murgon; five students were selected to represent Wide Bay: Nicholas Schmidhauser, Orlyn Fisher, Tegan Hall, Clare Adcock and Macey Jones
Netball … eight girls represented the South Burnett; the team came 4th overall in the Wide Bay selection trials
Tennis … three boys and two girls represented the South Burnett; this is the first time the SB has sent a full boys’ tennis team away
Under 11s Rugby League … sixteen boys and one girl, Rashonda Murray, represented the SB; the team came 2nd; five boys were selected for Wide Bay: Tyreese Gyemore, Triston Murray, Jack Scott, Jack Sullivan and Nicholas Plint
Under 12s Rugby League … seventeen students represented the South Burnett; the team came 2nd in the trials; four boys were selected for Wide Bay: Cohen Beggs, Jayden Maher, Taj Jones and Thomas Springate
Girl’s Rugby League … 30 girls were selected for the South Burnett team Girl’s Soccer … Thirteen girls represented the South Burnett at the Hervey Bay trials; Taylah Berlin and Laura Gray were selected to play for Wide BayBoy’s Soccer … Sixteen boys represented the South Burnett at the Hervey Bay trials
Boy’s Softball … Eleven boys represented the South Burnett; Robert Vievers, far left, was selected to play for Wide Bay
Girl’s Softball … Twelve girls represented the South Burnett at the Wide Bay trials played in Bundaberg
Boy’s Touch Football … Twelve boys represented the SB; the team was undefeated; four boys were selected for WB: Tom Pratt, Alex Duneman, Taj Jones and Jared Sippel
Girl’s Touch Football … Twelve girls represented the South Burnett; five were selected for Wide Bay: Courtney Sippel, Renee Irvine, Hannah Alcock, Laura Gray and Kate Ferling
