Champion steeplechaser adds major Illawarra Academy of Sports awards to his impressive resume

Illawarra Academy of Sport overall athlete of the year Nicholas McGill. Photo: Josh Brightman/Balanced Image Studio.

A young track and field athlete who holds an Oceania steeplechase record has claimed the prestigious Illawarra Academy of Sport Athlete of the Year title.

Earlier in the presentation night at the Fraternity Club, Nicholas McGill was also named the academy’s BlueScope WIN Future Stars athlete of the year.

The 16-year-old completed a stellar year on the track, with victories at state and national level and winning the under 18s 2000m Steeplechase at the Oceania Athletics Championships, setting a championships record.

He dominated the field to win by three seconds and equaled his personal best time.

The prestigious DRB Group Tobin Family Athlete of the Year Award also carries $10,000 prize money.

The award is named in honour of one of the academy’s founding members Ted Tobin and recognises the contribution over many years made by the Tobin Family to sport in the Illawarra and specifically the IAS.

McGill thanked the IAS, his coach and parents for their ongoing support and for helping him to grow as an athlete.

“This year has probably been one of my better seasons in my track career, going all the way at state winning my steeplechase, going into nationals and just getting pipped at the line for second,” he told the crowd.

“Then I had the opportunity to represent Australia at the Oceania Championships where I won and was very happy with that result.

“The IAS has helped me become stronger as an athlete and smarter in the way I go about my diet and recovery.

“I feel like I’ve learned to stay consistent with my training.

“Going to the strength and conditioning every week I’ve seen an increase in my performance and my strength as an athlete. I’ve definitely seen some improvements.

“My next big goal is to represent Australia at the World Under 20 Championships in a few years’ time.”

IAS Leadership Award winner, snowboarder Marci Davis-Cook. Photo: Josh Brightman/Balanced Image Studio.

McGill joins the likes of previous winners and Olympians Emma McKeon, Sally Fitzgibbons, Blake Govers, Sarah Carli and Kieran Woolley in etching his name into Illawarra sporting history. At the recent Olympic and Paralympic Games, 11 academy alumni represented their country.

Ted Tobin’s son Ian said his father was passionate about opportunities being created for young athletes across the Illawarra.

He said sport had the ability to shape young people in a way that would lay the foundation for success, both in a sporting sense and more importantly on a personal level.

“Dad dedicated much of his life, broadly across the region, to ensuring sport was well participated in, well administered, properly funded and supported by quality infrastructure,” Tobin said.

“The Illawarra Academy of Sport is a wonderful organisation that the communities of the Illawarra, Tablelands and South Coast should be immensely proud of, and our family cherishes the small part we play through our ongoing relationship with the IAS.”

In the night’s other major award, snowboard cross athlete Marci Davis-Cook won the DRB Group Athlete Leadership Award after an impressive year on and off the snowfields.

Earlier this year, Davis-Cook was selected as the youngest female to represent Australia at the Snowboard Cross Junior World Championships in Georgia, with her selection coming on the back of her Europa Cup campaign where she competed overseas while balancing her school studies in Year 11.

Away from the snow, Davis-Cook has been constantly engaged in the academy’s program over the past 12 months and delivered keynote speeches at a number of events. She is also a member of the Future Stars program.

“To be recognised among all these athletes who no doubt we’ll see on the world stage in the future is amazing,” she said.

“Individual sports can be pretty lonely and being part of the Future Stars program is what brings us all together.

“I’m not in my natural habitat all year round so I get to train when there’s no snow. Thanks to the academy, I get to grow the foundation to become an athlete of the future.”

Netball coach Ashlee Scofield was named the academy’s coach of the year and the following sportspeople won athlete of the year in their fields: