All rounder wins top sports award
30th June 2006
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Cricketing champion and UNSW medical student, Alex Blackwell has been named 2005 Outstanding Athlete of the Year by Australian University Sport.
With her twin sister Kate, she was a member of the Australian Women's Cricket Team that won the 2005 IWCC World Cup in Pretoria, South Africa.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to receive this award considering I didn’t know I’d been nominated,” said Alex, 22, who opens the batting for Australia. “The award is an absolute pinnacle in university sports circles and I hope that it helps to raise the profile of women’s cricket at all levels.” The award puts Alex in the same company as swimming champion, Grant Hackett, who was the award’s 2004 recipient.
“Alex is a great ambassador for women’s cricket and the University of New South Wales,” said Australian cricketing great, Geoff Lawson.
With her twin sister Kate, she was a member of the Australian Women's Cricket Team that won the 2005 IWCC World Cup in Pretoria, South Africa.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to receive this award considering I didn’t know I’d been nominated,” said Alex, 22, who opens the batting for Australia. “The award is an absolute pinnacle in university sports circles and I hope that it helps to raise the profile of women’s cricket at all levels.” The award puts Alex in the same company as swimming champion, Grant Hackett, who was the award’s 2004 recipient.
“Alex is a great ambassador for women’s cricket and the University of New South Wales,” said Australian cricketing great, Geoff Lawson.
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“She is a very talented young woman who has managed to pursue her passions for scholarship and sport at the highest level. She is a very deserving winner of what is the highest accolade in Australian university sport.”
Geoff Lawson mentored and encouraged the Blackwell sisters during their development as young cricketers, and coached the pair as teenagers at Barker College in Sydney. Like Lawson, Alex and Kate can both claim Wagga Wagga as their birthplace - a famous nursery for sports stars, including Steve Elkington (golf), Mark Taylor and Michael Slater (cricket), Tony Roche (tennis), Paul Kelly (AFL), and Peter Sterling (rugby league).
A Ben Lexcen Sports Scholar since 2002 and winner of a University Blue for cricket, Alex says the UNSW Sports Association and Medical Faculty have supported her pursuit of excellence in sport and in study. She and her sister Kate also play cricket for the NSW Breakers and the Universities Women’s Cricket Club.
Media contact: Dan Gaffney 0411 156 015
Photo 1: Alex Blackwell, Lisa Sthaleker and Kate Blackwell with the Womens World Cup Cricket trophy.
Photo 2: Mentor and former coach Geoff Lawson
Geoff Lawson mentored and encouraged the Blackwell sisters during their development as young cricketers, and coached the pair as teenagers at Barker College in Sydney. Like Lawson, Alex and Kate can both claim Wagga Wagga as their birthplace - a famous nursery for sports stars, including Steve Elkington (golf), Mark Taylor and Michael Slater (cricket), Tony Roche (tennis), Paul Kelly (AFL), and Peter Sterling (rugby league).
A Ben Lexcen Sports Scholar since 2002 and winner of a University Blue for cricket, Alex says the UNSW Sports Association and Medical Faculty have supported her pursuit of excellence in sport and in study. She and her sister Kate also play cricket for the NSW Breakers and the Universities Women’s Cricket Club.
Media contact: Dan Gaffney 0411 156 015
Photo 1: Alex Blackwell, Lisa Sthaleker and Kate Blackwell with the Womens World Cup Cricket trophy.
Photo 2: Mentor and former coach Geoff Lawson
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