Breen Crowned ACT Junior Sports Star of the Year

Melissa Breen was crowned the ACT Junior Athlete of the year at the 26th Sportsmans Warehouse Sportstar of the Year Awards 2009 at the National Convention Centre in Canberra last night.

The award follows Breen’s breakthough season in 2008 where she became Australia’s fastest sprinter of the year after running 11.33 in Canberra in November. Breen was subsequently selected in the Australian team for the World Championships in Berlin and in July made the final of the 100m at the World University Games in Belgrade at her first open international competition. Unfortunately, Breen lost form later in the season and could not take her place in the squad for the World Championships.

Breen follows in the footsteps of training partner Lauren Boden who won this award in 2005. Boden went on to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006 and three World University Games including Belgrade this year.

Other  award winners were Christine Wolf – Athlete with a Disability of the Year, Heath Francis – AIS Athlete of the Year both winners of their respective events at the Paralympic Games in Beijing last year.

By Patrick Birgan for Athletics ACT