2017 VU Sport Awards finalists

We are proud to announce our 2017 finalists for Sports Persons of the Year, celebrating and formally recognising VU's outstanding sporting students.

VU students and representative teams regularly exceed expectations at regional and national university championships. Many students represent their country at international events including the Olympic Games, Paralympics, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, and World University Games and Championships.

Winners of the annual sports awards will be announced at the University’s Sport Awards Night at the City Flinders campus on Thursday 16 November 2017.

Female athlete of the year finalists

Emily Rogers, Synchronised Swimming

Diploma Sport Development

First-year student Emily Rogers represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics. In 2017 Emily captained the Australian Synchronised swim team at the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest, and was selected flag bearer for the overall Australian Swim Team.

Lauren Scherf, Basketball

Bachelor of Sport Science, Physical Education Secondary

One of four current VU students who represented the Australian Uniroos at the 2017 World Summer Universiade (World University Games) held in Taipei, Lauren played an exceptional tournament. She was instrumental in winning gold as part of the basketball Uniroos engine room. Lauren was the only player from a Victorian-based University in this year’s women’s basketball team.

Brea Roadley, Kayak

Bachelor of Human Movement/Bachelor of Psychological Studies

Brea has previously won a VU Full Blue, Female Athlete of the Year, and the Jacinta Carroll Academic and Sporting Excellence Award. She represented Australia at the 2017 Kayak Marathon Championships in South Africa and has been selected to compete for Australia in the 2017 Ocean Racing World Championships in Hong Kong.

Male athlete of the year finalists

Todd Hodgetts, Athletics (F20 Shot Put)

Diploma of Remedial Massage

Todd is a former world champion and two-time Paralympic medallist. He proudly defended his World Champion status at the 2017 World Para Athletic Championships in London, claiming bronze. He also represented VU, winning silver, at the 2017 Australian University Games, adding to his gold from 2015. Todd has recently been selected as a baton bearer for the 2018 Commonwealth Games Relay.

Bailey Lewis, Taekwondo

Bachelor of Sport Science, Human Movement/Bachelor of Psychological Studies

First-year student Bailey Lewis won bronze for the Australian Uniroos at the 2017 World Summer Universiade (World University Games) in Taipei. Bailey, ranked ninth in the world and first in the country, represented Australia at the 2017 World Championships in South Korea.

Azizul Awang, Track Cycling

Bachelor of Exercise Science, Sport Practice

Azizul Awang won gold for Malaysia and was crowned World Champion in the Keirin event at the 2017 World Track Cycling Championship in Hong Kong. He created history as Malaysia’s first world-champion athlete in an Olympic sport. At the 2015 VU Sport Awards, Azizul was recognised for his bronze at the 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships (France), and gold at the 2015 Asian Championships. Azizul is a 2016 Olympic bronze medallist with four World Cup gold medals in his collection.

Sergei Evglevski, Shooting - Pistol

Bachelor of Business

Sergei is the current national champion in men’s 25m rapid fire, setting a new national finals record. He is the national champion for men’s standard pistol, and is in the Aiming4gold Australian squad preparing for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Other awards

In addition to our peak sport finalists, the Sport Awards Night will recognise and reward current student athletes in these categories:

• individual Blues (full and half)
• club and team of the year
• the 'Jacinta Carroll' Sporting and Academic Excellence Award
• 2017 Inductee into the VU Sport Hall of Fame.