Ten years after his sister Michale won the award for the Border’s brightest young sporting star the 18-year-old was last night announced as the 2014 winner at the Commercial Club.

Briant is the third water-skier to win the title following in the footsteps of his sister and Cathryn Humphrey in 2002.

His stellar year included winning the tricks section and overall title in the world juniors, the tricks at the world under-21 titles in Florida and finishing seventh overall at the open worlds in Chile, all with a badly damaged ankle that kept him out of the water for almost four months.

Briant, who later in the year will head to the US College system to pursue his career, was the youngest competitor in the field when he recently became an open Moomba Master at the event on the Yarra River over the Labour Day long weekend.

It was his first professional water ski win.

Sport Albury Wodonga president Rob McDonald said Briant’s performances on the world stage had sealed his victory.

“It was an incredible year of really talented athletes in a variety of sports,” he said.

“But Briant’s continued wins in international events, as a standout on the world stage was probably the key to the judges’ choice.

“He was just 17 when he won the junior worlds and then repeated the dose when he stepped up into the under-21 event.”

The 12 finalists represent 10 sports with golf’s Zach Murray and Casey Wild, along with hockey’s Jocelyn Bartram and Ben Hooppell the only multiple nominees for a sport.

The other finalists include Nick Dempsey (water polo), Matthew Ward (swimming), Mahalah Mullins (snowboard slopestyle), William McIntosh (cricket), James Willett (clay target shooting), Nathan Rodgers (triathlon) and Jordan Boys (kart racing).

McDonald said the award was determined on results achieved by the finalists in the calendar year.