The major winners were decided by points score and broken up into four categories – junior and senior sportsman of the year and junior and senior sportswoman of the year.

The awards are designed for all-round sportspeople, with points awarded to students who represent the school at all different sporting levels.

Junior sportsman of the year went to 11-year-old Dylan Bennett, who won the 200m and came second in the 100m at the Public School Sports Association (PSSA) State athletic championships, held at Homebush on October 15 and 16.

It was the second year running Bennett won the coveted junior award and coincided with his selection in the NSW athletics team to compete at the Pacific Schools Games in Canberra from November 30 to December 6.

“I’ve been training three days a week under my coach, Warren Metcalfe, so I’m hoping that it all pays off,” Bennett said.

Metcalfe has been coaching the sprint star for the past two years and has seen his athletics career come on in leaps and bounds.

For the second time in five years the point score for the junior sportswoman of the year ended in an exact tie.

Year 6 students Alex Humphreys and Madalaine Clark couldn’t be separated when the points were counted and will share the trophy for two terms each in 2009.

Humphreys excelled in a wide range of sports including swimming, athletics, cross country and netball.

Clark was equally as impressive with her list of achievements, which included netball, basketball, touch football, swimming and athletics.

Humphreys, who has honed her athletics skills at East Maitland Athletics Club, said she was pleased to share the award with one of her friends.

“I don’t mind sharing it with Maddy, I get the trophy for the first two terms though, which I’m happy with,” Humphreys said.

Clark, who will play basketball in an odd age State tournament this weekend for the Maitland Mustangs, jokingly admitted she thought the award would go in alphabetical order.