SportWest WA Sports Star of the Year: Nina Kennedy claims top honour as Iona Anderson wins Junior Sport Star

Nina Kennedy has added yet another award to her already heaving trophy cabinet after she capped off her excellent 2024 season with the WA Sports Star crown. The Olympic gold medallist received the honour at SportWest’s WA Sport Awards on Thursday night as the glow of her extraordinary last season refuses to dim. The Busselton pole vaulter launched herself into rare air with an incredible 12-month run, highlighted by her gold medal win at the Paris Olympics — Australia’s first Olympic gold by a female field athlete. But far from a one-off win, Kennedy cemented herself as the sport’s premier female vaulter with a series of impressive performances across the Diamond League season, with five victories and one runner-up medal. Her 2025 has also begun with a bang, having received a Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of her accomplishments. Another Olympian, swimmer Iona Anderson, was also recognised at the awards, winning the Junior Sport Star award after a breakthrough season in the pool. The 19-year-old won two silvers and a gold at the World Championships in Doha, before proving her worth in the relays in Paris, winning silver in the women’s 4x100m medley and bronze in the mixed relay. Another strong season by WA men’s cricket team resulted in them earning the Team of the Year honour, off the back of a third successive 50-over and Sheffield Shield double. Golf coach Ritchie Smith took out Coach of the Year after WA products Hannah Green, Min Woo Lee and Min Jee Lee continued to succeed on the world stage. Swimming official Ryan Arblaster was named Official of the Year after his appointment as a technical official for the Paris Olympics, while Squash WA won Organisation of the Year. UWA Sport’s LGBTQIA+ Allyship in Sport Program was recognised in the Sports Initiative of the Year category and Hockey WA’s Shayley McGurk Davy was honoured for her role as the organisation’s general manager of game development and operations. The May Campbell Medal for service to sport was jointly awarded to Helen Robinson (netball), Penny Tanner-Hoath (soccer) and Vicki Delves (triathlon) and the John Gilmour Medal for best community club went to Ellenbrook Vipers Rugby Union Club. Bike it to Ballidu was named Community Sporting Event of the Year, Margie Oldfield won Community Sport Volunteer of the Year for her service to cricket and Pinjarra Football & Netball Club won the Healthy Club Award.