Matthew Flinders Anglican College’s rising sports stars of athletics, swimming and more revealed
From the cricket pitch to the pool and all in between, there is an impressive cohort of young Matthew Flinders talents destined for a bright sporting future. SEE THE LIST:
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The future of Sunshine Coast sport is continuing to shine with a number of talented Matthew Flinders Anglican College student athletes showcasing their status as some of the region's top rising stars.
The school has already produced a number of talented alumni over the years, such as Erica Fowler (Class of 2010) who is playing AFLW for Collingwood while also a full time paramedic; World Surf League competitor Keely Andrew (Class of 2012); nutritionist Megan Bray (Class of 2008); and Commonwealth Games Silver Medallist, 2012 Olympian and three-time Commonwealth Games athlete Tessa Wallace (Class of 2010).
The Flinders Elite Athlete Program (FEAP) has now entered into its second year and director Ms Lauren Nourse said the program was growing as a key offering for young, high-achieving athletes.
The program includes students that are involved in athletics, basketball, cricket, cross country, hockey, modern pentathlon, netball, rowing, rugby, soccer, swimming, surf lifesaving, touch football, triathlon, volleyball, water polo and skiing.
“FEAP empowers our dedicated young athletes at Flinders by teaching them strategies to juggle all aspects of their busy lives in an organised and proactive manner and with a healthy mindset,” Ms Nourse said.
Ms Nourse – a former Australian Netball player and World Championship Gold Medallist and Commonwealth Games Silver Medallist – said it was important to provide the necessary pathways in order for the students to maximise their schooling and sporting achievements.
“As a former elite athlete in the sport of netball, I am aware of the need for a healthy life balance in order to excel and perform to the highest possible standard,” she said.
“We are passionate about ensuring our next breed of high-achieving athletes have the necessary skills and opportunities to maximise their potential in their chosen sport and in their Flinders education, while thriving in their personal lives.”
Principal Stuart Meade said the program was a valuable support and skills program for students currently attending or planning to attend Flinders.
“Over the years, many students at Flinders have competed as elite athletes at a state and national level and we recognise that exceptional student athletes are often weighed down by the pressure of juggling the competing demands of sport, study and social life for wellbeing,” he said.
“Now in its second year, the Flinders Elite Athlete Program is providing valuable support and expert leadership to help students learn the skills, organisation and mindset to excel and be healthy in all aspects of life.
“It is our goal that every FEAP student will feel supported and capable of embracing the quality education available to them at Flinders so they may reach their potential and contribute to a better world.”
Here are 29 of Matthew Flinders junior sporting stars.
SWIMMING
Lia-Belle Wiese (Grade 12)
Major Achievements: A member of the USC Spartans Swim Squad, Queensland Talent Identification Camp, Queensland team for duel in the pool, MacDonald‘s Youth Development Squad, National finalist and State medallist.
Upcoming events: Going to Australia Open Nationals for Swimming in May.
Imogen Wassing (Grade 12)
Major Achievements: Swims with USC Spartans High Performance Squad, Queensland team for duel in the pool, National finalist and State medallist.
Upcoming events: Going to Australia Open Nationals for Swimming in May.
Ryan Bambach (Grade 9)
Major achievements: At the 2022 Queensland State Championships Ryan Bambach was named the male overall Swimmer of the Meet for the second year in a row, taking home three silver medals, eight gold medals and setting a new state record for the 200m individual medley. Took home a bronze medal in the u14 boys 200m event at the Swimming Age Nationals in Adelaide.
Representation: Queensland representation.
Upcoming events: Australian School Swimming Nationals in August.
Callum Simpson (Grade 9)
Major achievements: Swimming Age Nationals in Adelaide in April: Swam 11 events, won his first Age Nationals Gold Medal in the 400m Freestyle with a 16-second PB, won four Bronze Medals in the 200m Free, 50m Fly, 100m Breast and the 100m Back. Queensland Long Course Swim Championships: won eight Gold medals, winning the 50m free, 100m free, 200m free, 400m free, 50m fly, 100m fly, 50m back, 100m back, made five Open age men’s finals and set eight new personal bests at the event. 2022 Queensland State Championships: several podium finishes, winning six gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze medal.
Representation: Queensland and regional.
Upcoming events: 2022 Australian Para Grand Prix in May, Australian School Swimming Nationals in August.
Georgia Edwards (Grade 8)
Major achievements: Competed at Queensland Long Course Swimming Championships to finish third place in the 100m breaststroke, third place in the 50m breaststroke, fourth in the 200m breaststroke, fourteenth in 100m freestyle and 11th in the 100m backstroke. At Queensland sprint championships she finished in third place in the 50m breaststroke.
ROWING
Charles Clarke (Grade 12)
Major achievements: In the u19 Queensland team for the third year in a row and a three-time Queensland State Champion.
Representation: Queensland and National representation.
CRICKET
Zoe Valencic (Grade 12)
Major achievements: Selected in the Queensland Schools Cricket team, represented the Sunshine Coast at the Cricket State Championships (u16-19s) in Bundaberg in April to finish fifth overall.
Representation: Queensland representation.
Upcoming events: Representing Queensland to play against NSW in September.
Tom Cain (Grade 12)
Major achievements: Awarded the Captaincy of the Sunshine Coast Regional Cricket team in 2022, that team was crowned State Champions in Rockhampton in March and Tom was voted in the Top 100 for first-grade batsmen in Queensland by the Courier Mail.
Representation: Sunshine Coast Regional Cricket team
Isabella Sammut (Grade 11)
Major achievements: Represented the Sunshine Coast at the Cricket State Championships (16-19yrs) in Bundaberg in April, finished fifth overall and was awarded players player for the team. Is part of the Queensland Cricket Youth Academy, part of the U15 Queensland Schoolgirls Cricket team, was named Sportswoman of the Year at previous school in 2021, attended two state carnivals for netball, and captained at both, is in the Sunshine Coast Scorchers Women’s First Grade Premier Cricket team and in the u16 Gold Sunshine Coast Netball Representative team.
Representation: Sunshine Coast representation and Queensland representation.
Rosie McMahon (Grade 9)
Major achievements: Although cancelled due to the weather, Rosie was selected in the Open Women’s Indigenous Cricket Team to play in Coffs Harbour, has represented the Queensland Academy Of Sport (QAS) Female Football Program in the u13s (2021) and u14s (2022), at the Sunshine Coast Junior Cricket Awards, Rosie won the u15 Player of the Carnival for her efforts in the u15 Queensland State Championships and won the prestigious Junior Scorchers Medal for the Junior Female of the Year (2021/2022) which covers a broad age group from u12s to u17s.
Representation: Queensland u13 Futsal Team 2022, Queensland Indigenous Women’s Cricket Team 2022, Sunshine Coast School Cricket Team u10-12 (2018,19 and 20), Queensland Schools Cricket team u10-12 (2019 and 2020), Sunshine Coast School Cricket Team u13-15 (2021), Sunshine Coast School Futsal Team u14 (2021), Sunshine Coast School Soccer Team u10- 12 (2019) and the Sunshine Coast School Soccer team u13-15 (2022).
Upcoming events: u13-15 Sunshine Coast Soccer State Championships in Cairns from May 5 to 8.
HOCKEY
Grace Dixon (Grade 12)
Major achievements: Selected in the u18 Queensland Hockey Women's Gold Team, won two MVPs at National Championships, won the recent 2022 Hockey Australia u18 Championships in Cairns and Selected in the Australian Hockey Futures Program.
Representation: Queensland u18 Gold Hockey team, Selected in the Australian Hockey Futures Program and Sunshine Coast Schoolgirls Team.
Upcoming events: Open Women's State Hockey Championships, Queensland Schoolgirls Championships and u18s State Championships.
Chloe Johnstone (Grade 8)
Major achievements: Represented Victoria in the u12 Australian hockey championships and placed third, has been a Victorian state hockey tournament gold medallists and was selected as a Shadow for Sunshine Coast u18 schools girl team.
Representation: Victorian hockey championships and Eastern hot shots.
VOLLEYBALL
Kiara Hastings (Grade 12)
Major achievements: Silver at the Country Championships, a number of QAS and Easts club team in Brisbane and invited to trial for the Australian team in Canberra.
Representation: Queensland Maroons Team.
ATHLETICS
Josh Fabiani (Grade 12)
Major achievements: Competed in the 2022 State Athletics Championships in March, followed by the Nationals in April, won a silver medal in u18 400m in 2021 Australian Athletics Championships in Sydney and won a Silver medal in the u18 4x400m relay, won a Gold medal in the u19 beach relay at the National Aussie Surf Lifesaving Championships in Mooloolaba 2021, won state Gold medal in the 400m at the Queensland State Athletics Championships in March, 2021 and is officially ranked Number 23 in the world for the u18 400m.
Representation: Queensland representation
Mack Hemming (Grade 10)
Representation: Finished 19th at the 2022 Australian athletics championships for the 3000m event after finishing fifth at the Queensland championships and being selected to represent his state.
Upcoming events: Queensland all schools Toogoolawah and School Cross country events or district, regional and state.
Darcy Evans (Grade 9)
Major achievements: Represented Queensland at the Australian titles in the 200m and 90m hurdles, second in the 90m hurdles in 2022, the Golden Boot winner in the junior Sunshine Coast federation football competition, represented Queensland in hurdles and 100m at the Australian titles in Sydney in 2021 and was selected in the Queensland Force Oztag Merit team.
Representation: Queensland representation
Upcoming events: 2022 Oceania Games.
Maya Mitchell (Grade 8)
Major achievements: Fourth place in the u15s 800m event at the Australian athletics track and field championships.
Representation: Australian, Queensland and Sunshine Coast Representation.
Upcoming events: Oceania games, Queensland athletics all schools cross country and district, regional, state and national school cross country.
Chloe Johnstone (Grade 8)
Major achievements: In 2021 Chloe was the 400m national champion (u14s), Victorian state champion in 400m, 800m and recorded a state record in the 4x100m mixed relay.
Representation: Queensland and Victorian representation
Upcoming events: Oceania games.
Kya Wills-Rawlings (Grade 7)
Major achievements: Won the 2021 age champion at the district cross country and athletics carnival, was selected as shadow in Regional teams for touch football and rugby, achieved third place in the u11 girls beach relay, fifth in the 1km beach run and board rescue, third in the beach flags, sixth in the beach sprint and competed in the finals for the ironwoman and board race. Competed in the Sunshine Coast Surf Life Saving Branch Championships 2021 and won the 2x500m sprint, placed second in the beach flags, the beach sprint and also in the u11 beach relay, third in the 1km run and also in the Board Rescue, and fifth in the Ironwoman and Board Race
NETBALL
Yasmin Mayall (Grade 11)
Major achievements: Plays across five different netball teams.
Representation: In 2021 and 2022 Yasmin was selected for the Queensland u17 Netball final 16, selected in ACU Brisbane North Cougars Ruby team (2022), selected in Queensland u16 Indoor Team (2021) and selected in u19 Sunshine Coast regional team (2021 and 2022).
Upcoming events: ACU Brisbane North Cougars Ruby Series, QISSN Schools competition in Mackay in June 2022 and the u19 State Schoolgirls Championships in May 2022.
Kirra Tappenden (Grade 10)
Representation: Selected for the Queensland netball team (2021), selected for the Queensland netball team (2018), represented the Queensland indoor team (2018 and 2019), selected for Australian indoor netball team (2018), represented the Sunshine Coast regional softball team (2018) and was selected into the Aussie rules regional team (2020 and 2021).
Upcoming events: u19 State Schoolgirls Championships in May and the u16 Nissan State Age from April to May.
WATER POLO
Henry Simpson (Grade 11)
Major achievements: Won Bronze medal in the 2km Ocean Swim (first in Queensland) at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Gold Coast, he also made the u17 Swim and Ironman finals (placed sixth overall as a first year u17 competitor), competed at the 2021/2022 National Water Polo Championships, Finished with a third place in Tugun, twelfth place in Bilinga and sixth at the recent Maroochydore Classic in the Ironman events.
Representation: Water polo Queensland team selection (2020-2022) and Sunshine Coast Surf Lifesaving Team representative (2018-2022).
Aaden Staskiewicz (Grade 11)
Major achievements: Water polo Queensland Junior Countries (2021), water polo Queensland team selection (2019), Sunshine Coast regional School Boys u19 (2021-2022) and Queensland water polo state titles (club u18s).
Representation: Water polo Queensland team selection (2019-2022).
Upcoming events: u19 Regional and u18 Queensland water polo.
Claire McCulloch (Grade 10)
Major achievements: In April 2022 Claire was invited into the Australian u16s 32 player squad, she has won gold in the u16 and u18 age divisions at the Water Polo Queensland State Titles and in the u16 Water Polo Australia National Youth Champs. In December 2021, Claire competed in the 2021 Water Polo Queensland Junior Countries (Club u16s) where the team secured first place and Claire was awarded the tournament MVP award. In January, Claire competed in the 2022 Water Polo Australia Summer Slam (Nationals) with her U16 WPQ Queensland Maroon Girls team coming second place and Claire was awarded a ‘Top 10 Scorer’ at the competition. She has also been apart of the Sunshine Coast regional schools girls team and at the Queensland School Girls Championships Claire was awarded the tournament MVP and her teams coaches award.
Upcoming events: FINA Cadet World Championships.
SURF LIFESAVING
Tom Fabiani (Grade 11)
Major achievements: Tom competed in the Summer of Surf Hayden Kenny Classic in December 2021 and made the final of both the U17 ironman and board events. He also competed in the Queensland State Boardriders and finished with an impressive Silver medal in the u17 Male Short Board.
Representation: Representing Sunshine Coast at the state touch rugby trials.
Serena Bond (Grade 10)
Major achievements: Was awarded the U15 girls ironwoman Champion at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Gold
Coast on April 2, finished second in the Aussie open water 2km swim and fifth in the Aussie swim surf final.
Representation: Australian honours.
Upcoming events: Serena is currently surfing in the Aussies board riding competition.
Sienna Carter (Grade 8)
Major achievements: Won her first National title in the u13 2km beach run at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the
Gold Coast on Saturday 2 April. After completing the 2km soft sand run, Sienna the backed up 30 minutes later to compete in the 2x1km beach relay where they finished second.
BASKETBALL
Oscar Nielsen (Grade 11)
Major achievements: Has represented the Sunshine Coast in basketball (2015 to 2022), Regional Schools Representative (2021), Champion Basketball School Queensland (MFAC Senior Team) First D2 2021 and in athletics he was high jump bronze medallist at the Queensland All Schools Athletics Championship which gained him a Queensland Selection in 2021.
Representation: Regional and Queensland representative honours.
Upcoming events: For Basketball Oscar is set to compete at the SQJBC and State Under 18 Titles, the SCSB Championships and CBSQ Championships. For athletics his upcoming events are the Districts, Regional and Queensland Schools Secondary Sports Championships, the Queensland All Schools Championships and the Queensland State Athletics Titles.
Claudia Barry (Grade 9)
Major achievements: Named in the u15 Queensland Emerging Basketball team,
Representation: Queensland representation
Upcoming events: Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, the Nationals competition was cancelled, however, she was involved in matches against the Queensland North team in January 2022.
SKIING
Ben Gannon (Grade 9)
Major achievements: In 2018 Ben won the mogul skiing event at nationals.
Representation: Has represented for regional, states and nationals.
Upcoming events: Regional, State and National titles.
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