GALLERY: Cessnock City Sportsperson of the Year 2013 finalists

FEBRUARY - Team finalist, Cessnock District Cricket Association under-21s, who were runners-up in the Hunter Valley cricket competition. Pictured back row, left to right is Bret Mendyk, Mick Mascord, Tim Goldman, Jay McCord, Mat Zechel, Ashton Williams, and at front, Cameron Ross, Drew Olsen (Captain), Tyson Johnson, Sam Woods, Bailey Bromage, Dale Arnold. Absent: Brendan Hayes, Bryce Morley, Justin Richie.

JANUARY - Junior finalist Nathan Blackburn (pistol shooting)

FEBRUARY - Junior finalist Ella Hugo, who was the youngest female compound archer selected for the Australian World Cup squads.

MARCH - Junior finalist Michael Barnett, who was selected to travel to John Newcombe's tennis ranch in America.

MARCH - Junior finalist Blake Archbold of Bellbird was picked in the Northern NSW Football under-12s that would travel to Japan for a tournament in July.

MARCH - Cessnock Rugby League Club secretary David Cleaves is nominated in the administrator category for his much-valued efforts with the club. David has been a volunteer with the club since 2002 and has held numerous roles including teams manager, marketing manager and club secretary.

APRIL - Local water polo players Hannah Phillips and Jake Robinson are junior finalists after both were selected in the NSW under 16-years Country water polo squads.

APRIL - Aiden Harvey of Kurri is a junior finalist after he brought home a bronze medal for the shot-put from the Australian Junior Athletics Championships.

APRIL - Cessnock Little Athletics member Eva Neville is a junior finalist after she became the first athlete in the club’s history to compete at the National Little Athletics Championships (for under-13s) in Canberra. She was part of the NSW team that won gold in the 4x100m relay.

APRIL - Rothbury baseball umpire Paul Hyham is a finalist in the administrator category. Paul umpired at all three rounds of the World Baseball Classic, starting at San Juan, Puerto Rico, and then Miami, Florida, followed by the championships round in San Francisco. He was the only Australian umpire to attend the event and one of only three international umpires invited to officiate in the championship round.

MAY - Lawn bowler Marion Crump (pictured with 10-year-old grandson Jonas) earned herself a spot on the senior finalists’ list after qualifying for the Australian Singles Indoor Titles, to be held at Tweed Heads in July.

MAY - Cessnock Hornets club captain and life member Andrew O’Hearn is a senior finalist. O'Hearn racked up his 400th game for the club in May.

MAY - Emily Wicks (Buttai), Hannah Bourke (Kurri), Skye Pullman (Rothbury) and Lucy Kell (Mulbring) are all junior finalists after they were selected in the Northern NSW girls under-13s girls' squad to compete at the Westfield National Youth Championships for Girls in Coffs Harbour in July.

MAY - Sophie O'Brien of Cessnock is a junior finalist, after she was named in the Northern NSW Under-15 girls squad to contest the Westfield National Youth Championships for Girls in Coffs Harbour in July.

MAY - Kurri swimming star Charlie Hawke is a finalist following his performance at the Catholic Primary Schools State Championships where he finished first in the 50m freestyle and backstroke and third in the 50m butterfly, and at the Swimming NSW Country Championships, where he finished second in the 50m freestyle, beating the state record with a time of 29.7 seconds.

MAY - Cessnock archer Janszen Cook is a finalist for the junior section after he came home with a bronze medal for the Junior Boys Freestyle division from the International Field Archery Association’s (IFAA) Pacific Regional Field Archery Championships in New Zealand.

MAY - Kurri basketballer Rachel Williams is the eighth junior finalist for May. She was selected for the NSW Country Under-16 team to compete at the Australian Junior Basketball Championships in Adelaide in July.

JUNE - 2012 Cessnock City Sportsperson of the Year, Claudia Russell is nominated again after being selected as part of the Netball NSW Waratahs for the second year running. The Waratahs play in the Australian Netball League (ANL) – the second-tier competition to the ANZ Championship.

JUNE - Matt Rees of Weston is a junior finalist after he was selected for the Athletics Australian Under-17 Development Squad, following his success at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships in Perth, where he placed second in the under-17 men’s javelin event.

JUNE - Cessnock Goannas under-15s teammates Brodie Jones and Hayden Yates are both junior finalists. They both competed at the Australian Schoolboys Championships - Brodie in the NSW Combined Catholic Colleges team and Hayden in the NSW Combined Independent Schools team.

JULY - Ashleigh Main is a senior finalist was selected as part of the Australian Country water polo team. The team travelled to Hawaii for an invitational tournament in August.

JULY - Kurri’s Ranon Holstein is a junior finalist. The 15-year-old was selected to represent Australia at the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Regional Games to be held in Newcastle from December 1 to 7. He received gold medals in both the 50-metre and 100-metre freestyle events at the NSW games in March.

JULY - Hockey players Josh Radimey (left) and Bailey Cussen are junior finalists. The duo from Nulkaba Public School were members of the Hunter boys’ team that won the NSW PSSA hockey championship title.

JULY - Keegan Pickering is a junior finalist after she took out a national title at this year’s Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships. Keegan scored a first-place trophy in the 85-150cc 11 to under-16 years girls’ division, plus two second-place prizes in the 250cc 13 to under-16 girls and the 85 to 150cc 13 to under-16 boys' competition.

JULY - The Cessnock under-12 netball team is a team finalist after they finished runners-up in the division three at the 2013 Netball NSW State Age Championships. Photo courtesy of SMP Images.

JULY - Nulkaba’s Di Partridge is an administrator finalist. She was named Master Swimming Australia’s Official of the Year in March for her contribution as a swimming official. She was also nominated for the NSW Sports Federation 2013 Community Sports Award, where she was nominated again for Official of the Year.

AUGUST - Senior finalist Steven Kirk is a six-time world champion woodchopper and was also selected to represent Australia at the Stihl Timberchop World Championships in Germany in October.

AUGUST - Cessnock archer Gerard Miles is a senior finalist after he took out the Male Bowhunter Open division at the International Bowhunting Organisation World Championships in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania.

AUGUST - Cessnock water polo player Sarah McGowan was selected on the combined Australian Born ‘95/’96 squad that went on to tour Canada and America.

AUGUST - Y Valley Swim Club member Charlie Hawke is a junior finalist after he swept the field at the 2013 Short Course Country Championships in Sydney. He was the winner of the boy’s 10-and-under 50-metre and 100-metre freestyle, and the 100-metre backstroke and butterfly. He also broke the NSW state record for the 50-metre freestyle.

AUGUST - Cessnock archer Ella Hugo is a junior finalist after she took out the women’s compound competition at the Hoyt Eastern Australian Open archery tournament in Armidale.

AUGUST - Aberdare's Keegan Pickering picks up another junior nomination after a successful NSW junior dirt track championship. She was on the podium three times, taking out the 11-to-16 years girls’ 85-150cc and 13-to-16 years girls’ 150-250cc divisions, and placing third in the 13-to-16 years 85-150cc standard wheel class (riding against the boys). Keegan's club mates Max Stauffer and Rory Hutchinson are also junior finalists after winning their categories at the NSW junior dirt track championships (no images available).

AUGUST - Junior finalist Max Stauffer, who won the seven-to-10 years, 85cc four stroke event at the NSW junior dirt track championships. He was also runner-up in the seven-to-nine years 65cc two stroke event.

SEPTEMBER - Cessnock motorcycle rider Matt Walters is a senior finalist after he won the 2013 Australian Prostock Championship, following a dominant performance at Darwin’s Hidden Valley raceway.

SEPTEMBER - Kurri lawn bowler Nathan Dawson is a senior finalist. He has been a member of both the Hunter District and Zone Six Bowling Association winning grade one pennant sides. Has also represented the district in representative side and was also selected to play in the Zone’s State Inter Zone side.

SEPTEMBER - Hockey player Stirling Sharpe is a senior finalist after his selection in the Australian Country Under-21 men’s hockey team to play Test matches against the Fiji national team in December.

SEPTEMBER - Mulbring's Denver Kearney is a junior finalist after he was selected in the NSW swimming team to compete in eight events at the national swimming titles held in Adelaide.

SEPTEMBER - A trio of Kurri High athletes were all named junior finalists after they each won gold at the NSW Combined High Schools athletics championships. Aiden Harvey (left) won the 14-years boys javelin, Matt Rees (centre) won the under-16 men’s javelin and Blake Whiteley (right) won the 14-years boys 400-metres.

SEPTEMBER - Cessnock’s Joshua Dwyer is a junior finalist after he was named on the Northern NSW under-14 Metropolitan squad that went on to compete at the Football Federation Australia (FFA) National Youth Championships for Boys in October.

OCTOBER - Kurri bowler Carolyn Glen is a senior finalist after she was selected in the NSW Women’s Bowling Association team to compete in the Over-60s National Championships at Belmont Bowling Club, Victoria.

OCTOBER - Millfield axeman Blake Marsh is nominated for his efforts with the Australian under-21 woodchopping team at the Adelaide Royal Show. The Australian team took out the series against New Zealand, thanks to Blake’s skills in the underhand event.

OCTOBER - Mark Hale is a finalist for October after he won Branxton Golf Club’s A-grade Club Championship for the 15th time, and the 13th time in 15 years – an outstanding record.

OCTOBER - The fourth senior finalist for October is East Cessnock bowler Shirley Sneesby. Shirley competed at her first ever NSW Deaf Bowls Association championships on the October long weekend – and came home with a state title. In the first round of the tournament, Shirley caused quite an upset when she quickly defeated the defending champion. She went on to win the ladies singles championship.

OCTOBER - Sawyers Gully cyclist Peter Selkrig is the fifth senior finalist for October after he finished second in the gruelling World Mountain Bike Solo Championships held in Canberra. A week later he travelled to Cairns to compete in the world-class Crocodile Trophy 2013 and won his division by three hours, also finishing well in the teams division.

OCTOBER - Cessnock's Sam Apthorpe is a junior finalist for October after his selection in the NSW Combined High Schools (CHS) under-17s development team that travelled to New Zealand for a week-long tour.

OCTOBER - Branxton water polo player Jake Robinson is another junior finalist for October. He was a member of the Hunter Hurricanes boys’ team that won the gold medal at the national under-16s championships.

OCTOBER - Rounding out the junior finalists for October is Cessnock’s Hannah Phillips, who was a member of the Sydney Northern Beaches Breakers girls’ team that received a silver medal at the national under-16s water polo championships.

OCTOBER - Cessnock City Women Bowling Club’s No. 2 pennant team is the team finalist for October after they won the district No. 2 pennant. Pictured from left: Lorraine Foster, Carol Parkinson, Margaret McGuiness, Marion Crump, Caroline Vernon, Cheryl Field, Marie Hudson and Kathy Lane.

NOVEMBER - Branxton golfer Corey Lamb received a nomination in the junior category after winning a national championship at the School Sport Australia Golf Championships.

NOVEMBER - Cessnock Goannas under-18s teammates Eli Levido and Jordan Stratton were also named as junior finalists after they both earned trials with National Rugby League clubs - Eli with the Wests Tigers and Jordan with the Penrith Panthers.

DECEMBER - Mulbring Cricket Club duo Cameron Ross and Drew Olsen were named as senior finalists after they were selected in the Australian Emus Colts cricket squad to tour New Zealand for two weeks in January.

DECEMBER - Kurri bowler Nathan Dawson is a senior finalist after he was named Hunter District Bowls Association bowler of the year.

DECEMBER - Pistol shooter Blake Blackburn is a senior finalist after his dominant performances at the Oceania and Youth National championships.

DECEMBER - Senior finalist Tom Turner, who had a great year in the sport of clay target shooting, winning numerous competitions including ISSF titles in Australia and New Zealand.

DECEMBER - In the junior category, Weston athlete Matt Rees earned his third monthly nomination after winning the under-18 boys' javelin title at the Australian All Schools athletics championships.

DECEMBER - The Special Olympics produced two finalists for December. Swimmer Ranon Holstein is the junior finalist after his gold medal win at the Asia-Pacific Games in Newcastle, and Australian aquatics coach and Special Olympics Hunter Valley sports coordinator Ellena Morris is the administrator finalist.