Jessie Lucas, 16, received the Indigo Shire’s Emma George Sporting Scholarship on Australia Day while member for Indi Sophie Mirabella awarded Michael Menzie, 15, with the local sporting champion award.

Both students at Beechworth Secondary College, Lucas and Menzie received their awards after a year in which they asserted themselves as future stars of the hockey pitch.

Lucas, a regular state and regional representative since 2006, represented Victoria at the under-15 girls national championships in September and is a 2010 member of the Southern Sports Academy.

She is a four-time Hockey Albury-Wodonga representative including this year’s under-17 side and is a four-time Hockey Albury-Wodonga premiership player.

Past winners of the Emma George junior sporting award include soccer prodigy Josh De Silva and cyclist Bradley Clark.

Meanwhile, Menzie said he was shocked to learn of his award.

“I was really surprised because the first time I heard about the award was when I got the letter in the mail saying I’d won,” Menzie said.

“I’m pretty happy with it ... it’s an honour.”

Menzie was also an under-15 boys Victorian representative last year and another 2010 Southern Sports Academy member.

The Wodonga Bulldogs player aims to reappear on the national stage this year and hopes to make his senior State League 1 debut.

“My aim this year is to make the Victorian under-16 schoolboys team and hopefully get a game with the Albury-Wodonga Spitfires,” Menzie told The Border Mail.

“I’m training and trialling with them at the moment.

“It’s going to be hard to make my way in but it would be a really good experience.”