Up-and-coming Belmont basketballer Matthew Johns was one of three local young athletes to win a Victorian School Sports award yesterday.
Netballer Tess Campigli from Montpellier Primary School and thrower Ned Weatherly from Bellarine Secondary College were also awarded.
They were among junior athletes recognised with Sporting Blue medals at an awards ceremony at the MCG.
Matthew was a member of the Australian Under 16 team that won gold at the 2015 FIBA Oceania qualifiers and this year will travel to Spain to play in the world championships.
He has represented country Victoria at the Australian nationals and the Australian Junior Country Cup and plays representative basketball for Geelong in the VJBL Championship Reserve competition. A member of the National Intensive Training Program since Under 14, Matthew was last year invited to attend a development camp at the AIS.
Now in their 22nd year, the Victorian School Sports Awards are the highest sporting accolade presented by the Victorian Government school system.
