Green and gold: Double celebration for rising softball star

my path and help me choose the sport I love the most.”

Incredible Run Set To Continue

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“You can go undefeated after 30 games, which is great, but to go undefeated after winning all your games is just next level.”

Things don’t get much better for Cambridge Gardens sporting star

Jessica Smith.

Not only does the Year 12 Penrith Christian School student celebrate her 18th birthday today, but she’s doing it in Canada where she’ll represent Australia for the very first time in softball.

The talented pitcher is currently in Vancouver where she will compete in the Canada Cup as a member of the U19s Australian Softball Team.

“I was very excited and shocked when I found out I made the team,” Smith told the Weekender

“It didn’t really sink in until last week, that I’m playing for Australia, when I received my uniform. It’s unreal!”

Smith qualified for the Aussie side after representing the U18’s NSW team in Perth last January. Subsequent development camps later – along with training with Olympic coaches and players at the Australian Institute of Sport – she was finally confirmed as a member of the team.

Smith said representing her country is something she’s dreamed of since she first played tee-ball as a nine-year-old with Penrith.

“When I was younger I didn’t know what sport I wanted to do, but after watching the Olympics, I quickly realised softball was the sport for me,” she said.

“I started playing with Penrith and then playing at school through the PSSA system furthered my enjoyment of playing the sport. It helped me develop and realise what I wanted to do.

“The school definitely helped me decide

Around The Grounds

BASKETBALL: Penrith’s women’s team have lost back-to-back games, defeated by the Illawarra Hawks 70-58 in Round 15 of the NBL1 East competition. Once again local junior Meg Jefferson led her team in scoring, notching up 19 points, three rebounds and two steals. Meanwhile, Penrith’s men’s team have had their losing streak extended to seven games, clawed by the Hawks 94-68. Caleb Fetui-Fa’amoe and Preston Matia scored 14 points each in the carve up. Both teams will play the Newcastle Falcons this Saturday at Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre.

RUGBY UNION: The Penrith Emus have put on another strong performance, but it still wasn’t enough, going down to the Uni-North Owls 38-15 in Round 12 of the John I Dent Cup. The Emus will return to Nepean Rugby Park on Saturday afternoon to battle the Gungahlin Eagles.

NETBALL: Panthers Netball have continued their losing ways, going down to the Sutherland Stingrays 57-50 in Round 14 of Netball NSW Premier League Opens competition. Meanwhile, the Panthers U23’s team back secured back-to-back wins, narrowly overcoming the Stingrays 47-44. Both teams will enjoy the bye in Round 15.

AFL: The GWS Giants are well and truly back in the Finals hunt, pulling off a remarkable comeback to defeat the Melbourne Demons 47-45 in Round 16 of the AFL competition. Played in Alice Springs, the Giants appeared destined to fall short with about two minutes left in the final quarter before Josh Kelly kicked a monster winning goal to snatch the dramatic upset win. The 10th-placed GWS are now just four points outside the top eight with seven rounds remaining. They’ll return to Giants Stadium this Saturday afternoon to play Hawthorn.

AFL: The Penrith Rams are finally back in the winner’s circle, taking down Southern Power 87-49 in Round 12 of the AFL Sydney Platinum Division competition. Mitchell Stevens scored two goals in the huge victory. The Rams will hit the road this Saturday afternoon when they face Macquarie University. Meanwhile, the Penrith Ramettes bounced back from last weekend’s loss, defeating the Inner West Magpies 42-26 in Round 12 of the AFL Sydney Women’s Division Two competition. The Ramettes will travel to Mahoney Park on Saturday to meet the Newtown Breakaways.

FOOTBALL: Inaugural Western Sydney Wanderers signing Aaron Mooy has called time on his professional football career – retiring from all forms of the game last weekend. Hailing from western Sydney, Mooy amassed 57 appearances for his country, establishing himself as a mainstay in midfield off the back of some truly memorable performances in green and gold. During his time at the Wanderers, Mooy played 49 games between 2012 and 2014, scoring four goals. The Wanderers farewelled the 32-year-old on social media: “One of the first to wear the Red and Black, and a part of Western Sydney Wanderers history. Thank you Aaron Mooy and all the best in your next chapter.”

To make a submission to Around The Grounds or let us know about a score, email Nathan@westernweekender.com.au. You can also private message us on Facebook at www. facebook.com/westernweekender or Tweet us @wwpenrith.

The latest recipient of the Penrith Valley Sports Foundation Senior Sports Star Award, Smith has already racked up some cool accolades in softball. While representing Penrith City at the U23 State Championships she was awarded Pitcher of the Tournament – a huge achievement considering her age at the time.

“It was definitely surprising when they announced the award because I was one of the youngest pitchers at the tournament,” Smith, who can pitch at 100km/h, said.

Smith’s current journey overseas is just the beginning, with the youngster keen on spending more time abroad in the future as she furthers her studies and softball career.

“My dream is to go to College in the US to play softball,” Smith said.

“I only decided two years ago that this is what I wanted to do and I’m in the process of looking at colleges to go to.”

Jessica Smith’s Senior Sports Star Award is all thanks to sponsor Penrith Panthers Leagues Club.

If you or you know someone who has achieved in their chosen sport, send in your nomination to Penrith Valley Sports Foundation.

Nomination forms are available at www. pvsf.org.au.

While it’s hard to know whether this is some sort of record, one thing that is certain is that it will be a long time before we see another local soccer team as dominant as the Emu Plains U11s. Gardner, whose son Jax is in the team, said the kids have taken the winning streak in their stride as have the parents and grandparents watching on.

“There was one game where I was away and I had to get a couple of the dads to help out and they joked, ‘the pressure, the nerves’. At the end of the day, I always say to the kids, ‘it’s not the result that matters, it’s how we get to the result’,” Gardner said.

“What’s really important is that we pride ourselves on playing fair and being respectful, but this team just finds a way to win every single time.

“They are so energetic, so enthusiastic and last Saturday they walked off the field like they’d been in a real battle. They were dirty, they were sore, doing everything they could to block the ball.”

With five games remaining in the season and the team set to change and expand next year, Gardner and his troops know that this scintillating run together will come to an end soon but, until then, they have their eyes on win number 35.