Cowboys take spotlight at awards

[Queenslander]

THEY might have fallen one step short of the biggest prize in rugby league but last night the North Queensland Cowboys were announced Team of the Year at the 11th Annual Queensland Sports Awards.

For so long in the shadow of Brisbane-based teams, such as the Broncos, Lions and Bulls, the Cowboys stepped into the spotlight in front of 820 guests at the Brisbane Convention Centre.

The major individual award, The Courier-Mail Konica Minolta Queensland Sports Star of The Year, went to swimming great Grant Hackett for the second time but there was no doubt the sentimental favourites on the evening were the Cowboys, whose charge to their first-ever NRL grand final this year had much of the country spellbound.

Coach Graham Murray, captain Travis Norton and Dally M winner Johnathan Thurston came from Townsville to attend the black-tie function, with Murray and Norton accepting the team award to generous applause.

Other teams nominated were successful in AFL, hockey, netball and golf but the Cowboys' sensational win over minor-premiers Parramatta to earn a spot in the grand final against Wests Tigers saw them clinch the first major award in the club's history.

For Hackett, the Sport Star of the Year award was the latest in a string of individual honours, including being voted World Swimmer of the Year following an amazing 12 months in which he became the first swimmer in history to win the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle at a world championships.

Female World Swimmer of the Year Leisel Jones, who won two individual gold medals at the world championships in Canada, was also a nominee for the Queensland Sport Star of the Year Award, along with Samantha Stosur, Andrew Symonds, Kirsty Munroe, Chris Scott, Emma Snowsill and Thurston.

The awards, which are run by the Sports Federation of Queensland, featured 22 different sports in 11 categories.

Junior Sport Star of the Year was 17-year-old long jumper Chris Noffke who stamped himself as one of Australia's brightest prospects for decades with some brilliant performances throughout the season.

In March, the St Peters Lutheran College student won the Australian Open title and five months later won at the World Youth Championships with a record jump.

Noffke is now setting his sights on next year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

http://www.couriermail.news.com.au/c...E10389,00.html

[Queenslander]

Good on the Cowboys for their award wins. And its good to see other fine Queensland sporting talents getting recognised.