Sportsperson of the Year – October nominee

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Ella Mercieca – Basketball

ELLA Mercieca has had a stellar basketball season in 2022.

At the start of the year she finished off the Eagles representative tournament season with a fantastic performance at the State Champs in Traralgon.

Talent scouts were noticing her on the big stage.

Ella also played in the NE Bushrangers U14 girls basketball team all year, in the VJBL competition, playing in Melbourne every Friday night.

She was the only bottom age girl in the team, and was best on court in defence, rebounding, and scoring in many games.

This culminated in an amazing championship victory in September, to clinch the VJL2 title, the Bushies highest divisional flag.

Ella was best on court amongst the talented Bushy girls.

In March this year, Ella attended the Basketball Victoria U14 skills day, and was selected to attend Regional basketball academy.

This consists of a 20 week intensive BV program and tqo camps where Ella was selected to go through to the elite Gold Nugget camp in Ballarat.

This is a selection camp for Country Victoria's brightest basketball athletes, to try gain entry into Victoria's two elite tournaments.

Not only did Ella make it into one of the tournaments, she was selected for the highest level tournament an U14 can reach – the Southern Cross Challenge in Melbourne, which pits Australia's best U14 & U15 basketballers against each other in January next year.

This is State selection, but BV don't use that term until an athlete reaches U16 level.

Ella also tried out for the Victorian schools basketball program, where she got selection into the state school squad.

Another amazing result, getting to train and play with Victoria's best of the best.

Ella's daunting height, athletic ability, and mental toughness has not just made her one of the best female basketball athletes coming through these programs, but she just recently managed a 4th placing in the state school championship's at shotput.

Ella has had a standout year in her chosen sport of basketball in 2022.

She has more upcoming goals to tick off next year as well, and with her determination, she is well on her way to becoming one of the best basketballers our town has ever seen.