Former AIS scholarship holder Sharni Layton has been named winner of the ANZ Championship’s inaugural Best Young Player Award.

An ecstatic Layton was presented with a giant cheque for $5,000 at ETSA Park, home of the Thunderbirds, in a surprise announcement for the tall Thunderbirds defender.

After being short-listed along with four other rising young stars of the competition which included former AIS team mate Amy Steel, Layton was unanimously voted as the Best Young Player by the judging panel, which comprised national selectors and former players from both sides of the Tasman.

“Awesome!  Thank you so much…my very own giant cheque, I feel like Happy Gilmore!” Layton said after being presented with the Award.

“It’s been really exciting getting out there on court this year with such a great bunch of girls.  They’ve been really supportive of me in a new position.”

“I couldn’t have won this award without the whole Adelaide Thunderbirds team.”

Following a year on scholarship with the Australian Institute of Sport in 2009, Layton made an instant impact in Adelaide with the 22 year-old being named in the Thunderbirds leadership group in the 2010 pre-season.

Layton was a member of the Adelaide Thunderbirds team that defeated Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic 52 – 42 in the ANZ Championship grand final played on Sunday (11 July) in Adelaide.