ANSW have announced the Masters Sprinter of the Year Award, and our club member has been recognised as the top sprinter, out of male and female.
Here is an extract from the ANSW presentation.
On Saturday evening at the Kiribilli Club, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor was the MC for the 2014 Athletics NSW Awards Dinner, where its athletes, officials and administrators were recognised.
In the first part, we recognise the winners of the performance awards.
The nominees for Masters Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Year are Jackie Bezuidenhout, Neville McIntyre and Gianna Mogentale.
This award goes to Gianna Mogentale of the IBS club. Gianna has had a tremendous 12 months. At the World Masters Track & Field Championships in Brazil in 2013, she placed 3rd in the 100m, 3rd in the 200m, 1st in the 400m in the W45 category as well as 1st in the W35 4 x100m and 3rd in the W35 4 x 400m. On turning 50 in December, she broke the State and the Australian Record five times in the 60m. She also broke the Australian Record in the 200m. At the State Championships in February she won the W50 60m, 100m,
200m and 400m. In the Australian Masters Championships in Hobart in March, she took out the W50 60m, 100m, 200m and 400m.
It was so fitting that Melinda Gainsford-Taylor would announce the Sprinter of the Year to a female athlete, Gianna Mogentale.