More than a decade ago, Andrew Campbell was a kid playing at small baseball diamonds across the region.
He was a good little infielder who stood out for his Ipswich Musketeers junior sides and went on to regional and state honours at various age levels.
Fast forward to 2019, and Campbell, 27, (pictured below), has just been awarded the City of Ipswich Senior Sportsperson of the Year Award.
The Ipswich-born-and-bred baseballer could not attend the event on Friday night as he was overseas and was represented by his mother Denise.
Campbell, currently in Japan playing for the Australian baseball team, has a great chance of starring for his country when baseball returns to the Olympics for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Now an outfielder, he continues to play for his Musketeers club at Tivoli and the Brisbane Bandits in the ABL, hoping to win a fifth straight national crown over the summer, and also in Germany.
He won the Ipswich award on the back of numerous Bandits’ achievements, including most hits, most walks and ranking second highest for home runs and runs batted in and was voted in the ABL Players’ Choice Team of the Year – the only Bandit to make the team.
Former Broncos, Queensland and Australian rugby league forward Shane Webcke was MC for the night and joined Ipswich Interim Administrator Greg Chemello and Ipswich West MP Jim Madden at the North Ipswich Reserve Corporate Centre for the awards ceremony.
Mr Chemello told the gathering of the Ipswich sporting who’s who that it was not always about the high-profile stars, such as local heroes, tennis player Ash Barty and rugby league’s Ali Brigginshaw.
“They started somewhere, right at the bottom, probably as a youngster being driven around by their parents to games, training and events. We cannot mention the Ash and Ali’s of this world without praising our grassroots sports: be it netballers, little athletics, to toddlers kicking a ball around the field. That is what these awards largely recognise … the impact of our club players, coaches, officials and supporters. And we use the term “grassroots” for a reason; that is where everything grows from,” he said.
Teenager Bayden Sawyers won the Official of the Year for “thorough hard work, dedication and training and the promise he has shown as an up-and-coming rugby league referee”.
Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Vic Pascoe, the current president and coach at Ipswich Athletics Club who had “demonstrated a consistent and continual contribution to athletics for the last 39 years”.
Robert Rush first joined the Ipswich & District Rifle Club in 1962 and more than half a century of coaching and administration with the club and Queensland Rifle Association saw him recognised as Coach of the Year.
Weightlifter Steve Graham won Masters Sportsperson of the Year. The father-of-five, who serves in the RAAF, backed up previous Masters award success by dominating with eight new Queensland records, seven Australian records and three Commonwealth records.
The Dinmore Bushrats Soccer and Sports Club took out the Sporting Organisation of the Year. The club reformed two years ago with two teams playing competitive soccer again for the first time in 25 years. They have since grown to six teams, 84 players and a successful minis program.
The Team of the Year went to the NANCI Running Squad. The team, which exists out of a passion for running and friendship, has members who are Oceanic and State champions, Australian and State Masters champions, Junior champions and success across a wide variety of Queensland and local running events.
NANCI squad member Jude Thomas, a Year 12 St Edmund’s College student, won Ipswich’s Junior Sportsperson of the Year, a day after smashing 800m and 1500m records at the Associated Independent Schools running championships. Jude was also 1st in the 3000m at the Australian Track and Field Champs and 2nd in the 1500m. He is a star on the rise.
Winners are Grinners:
Coach of the Year – Robert Rush
Junior Sportsperson of the Year – Jude Thomas
Masters Sportsperson of the Year – Steven Graham
Official of the Year – Bayden Sawyers
Senior Sportsperson of the Year – Andrew Campbell
Sporting Organisation of the Year – Dinmore Bushrats Soccer and Sports Club
Team of the Year – NANCI Running Squad
Volunteer of the Year – Victor Pascoe
Read More
>>>Ipswich’s Ash Barty named Australia’s most inspiring sportsperson
