Top marks cream of the crop 1

Sarah Keast, Patrick Doolan, Tyza Stewart, Alex Faulkner and Katie Davies snared top spot in the state wide OP rankings.

Picture: Craig Warhurst

IF there's any employers out there wanting to employ an OP 1 student then Sarah Keast might be for you. She and other Gympie students Patrick Doolan, Tyza Stewart, Alex Faulkner and Katie Davies snared top spot in the state wide OP rankings but unlike the others, Sarah won't be heading to university next year.

The self confessed horse lover will be staying in Gympie, trying to find part time work while she finishes study to become an equestrian instructor.

The 17-year-old, who has been studying for her Equestrian Federation of Australia Coaching Certificate while doing her senior studies at James Nash State High school, said she should complete her studies by the end of next year allowing her to teach Olympic Equestrian events including dressage and show jumping.

“I love horses and could think of doing nothing else. I plan to get part time work in Gympie and put all my efforts into horses, coaching and competing.”

The James Nash dux hasn't totally given up on university saying she has kept her options open.

“I applied for a Bachelor of Information Technology at UQ. It had an OP cut off of nine so I have no worries of getting into that. I will keep my doors open and review what I am doing every six months.”

Sarah found out her hard work had paid off when she checked her score on the Smart OP Service on the internet Saturday morning.

“I was very happy. I ran outside and told mum (Rhonda) and dad (Bill). Mum was ecstatic, dad was pleased, but wasn't shocked - he sort of expected it.”

And it is no wonder Sarah's dad had high expectations, she put in about 24 hours of study a week and topped the class in all of her subjects.

Saint Patrick's College dux Patrick Doolan was leaving no stone unturned working on his future yesterday.

After celebrating his top score by eating marshmallows on Saturday morning, he and his father (Tony) and mother (Margaret) set about getting ready for next year's study. When The Gympie Times contacted him he was already in Brisbane talking to staff at the University of Queensland working on ways to compress his study into three years.

Patrick's first choice course is a Bachelor of Science majoring in maths and mathematic research; to enter the course Patrick only needed an OP score of 12 but on top of that he going to study an advanced course in science which needs an OP3.

“It was a good feeling getting an OP1,” Patrick said.

“It was a relief more than anything knowing all of the hard work had paid off.

Three Gympie State High school students gained the top OP score of 1 and no one was more surprised than Tyza Stewart who was hoping to get a five. “I have no idea how I got a one,” the modest Tyza said.

“But it is really good.”

She was hoping to study visual arts at Griffith University, but is now rethinking her plans and might study maths.

Alex Faulkner was the second Gympie State High school student to earn an OP1. Alex stayed up Friday night and logged on to the OP website just after midnight to get his good news.

“I was stoked I was only expecting a three or four,' he said.

The straight A student has applied to do mechanical engineering at the University of Queensland and said he had worked hard to balance school and part time work. His parents Russell and Dianne were proud of him.

The Gympie Times could not contact Gympie State High School dux Katie Davies yesterday to confirm her OP 1score but had come across numerous other students in the region who just missed the top level and received an OP score of two.

Matilda Walsh from James Nash was “stoked” with her OP score of two along with Andrew Campbell and Alex Cohen from Saint Patrick's College and Ben Wildie from Gympie High.

Any student who received an OP1 and isn't in today's paper, please phone us so we can tell the community about your wonderful achievement.

Originally published as Top marks cream of the crop 1