KASEY Brown's sporting journey took a different turn when she retired from the World Squash Tour in 2014.
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Brown was inducted into the Manning Sporting Hall of Fame during the Manning Sport Awards held at Club Taree on Friday, April 21.
Brown joined the tour in 2002 and at her peak she was ranked No 5 in the world. She represented Australia three times in the Commonwealth Games and was a member of the winning Australian squad at the World Team Championship in 2010 in New Zealand.
Brown moved back to the Manning after her squash career finished and now lives at Old Bar. She had been living in New York.
While she is still associated with squash through the Old Bar Squash Centre, she has branched out, joining Taree Old Bar Surf Club while she is now also associated with the Old Bar Pirates Junior Rugby League club.
She started playing squash at the Taree Squash Centre when she was a young schoolgirl. Her mum Deb was working there at the time.
Brown won her first national title as an under 13 and moved to Port Macquarie to finish her schooling in years 11 and 12 to be closer to her coach.
Brown described representing Australia as the 'pinnacle' of her squash career. She won one gold and two bronze medals in team events in her three Commonwealth Games.
The hall of fame has been in recess since the last induction in 2010. It was inaugurated in 2000 by Greater Taree City Council and there were four inductions between 2000 and 2010. The council amalgamation and the lack of suitable candidates for the hall of fame resulted in the hiatus.
Sport awards chairman Garry Stephen said the plan is to have one induction into the hall of fame as part of the annual awards night.
This was the first sport award night of this kind in more than 20 years.
The 62nd Manning River Times (Ken McDonald Memorial) Sportstar of the year was won by world enduro motor cycling champion Wil Ruprecht from Mitchells Island. Ruprecht is currently in Europe. His father, Gus, who accepted the award, said Wil has recovered from a broken collarbone that hindered his championship defence.
Lara Watts (hockey), Troy Lewis (sailing), Priya Bourke (hockey), Emma Sewell (triathlon) and Brooke Hosgood (athletics) were the other finalists.
Two awards were debuted on the evening. The Hugh McCrindle Medal for Services to Sport was won by hockey's Tony Lewis. Mr McCrindle was the chairman of the Times sport award judging panel for more than 40 years and he was on hand to present the medal.
Promising athlete Ivy Hoadly was named the junior sportstar of the year.
The candidates for the McCrindle Medal and junior sportstar of the year were nominated by the public and there was a solid response to both.
Junior sportstar candidates were:
- Ivy Hoadley (athletics)
- Ryan Honner (BMX)
- Indi Henriques Clifton (BMX)
- Jarrah Butler (athletics)
- Matilda Allison (netball)
McCrindle Medal:
- Gwyn (Chip) Stokes (AFL)
- Wendy Bosher (Netball)
- Tony Lewis (hockey)
- Laine Wyllie (athletics)
- Jenny Wyllie (athletics)
Mr Stephen is confident that both will grow in stature as will the sport awards function. He added that there is consideration to adding other categories.
"We've made a good start,'' he said.
"Now we want to continue build on that.''