Qld Local Sports Stars 2019 winners list
Quest Community News recognised the most talented and inspirational young athletes, teams, coaches and volunteers at the 2019 Queensland Local Sports Stars Awards Gala. See all the winners, photos and videos from the big night.
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Quest Community News recognised the most talented and inspirational young athletes, teams, coaches and volunteers at the 2019 Queensland Local Sports Stars Awards Gala last night.
Gold Coast runner Ellie Beer is the Queensland Juniors Sports Star of the Year following the announcement at the Queensland Cricketers’ Club at the Gabba.
Earlier this year Beer became the youngest athlete from Australia to compete at a world championship. Her 4x400m relay team were finalists.
Ellie is an Athletics and Surf Live Saving Champion competing for the Viking Athletics and Currumbin Surf Life Saving Clubs respectively.
The Queensland Team of Excellence winner is the Mermaids under 14 Pink waterpolo team, arguably the most successful junior sporting team Australia over the last 18 months.
Woodridge State High School student Michael Heynatz was named the Queensland Inspiration Award winner after overcoming the misfortunate of meningococcal aged 10 months.
The Service to Sport winner is Gary Madders, president of the Arana Touch Association.
The night featured former Queensland and Australian rugby league halfback Scott Prince as special guest.
PAST LOCAL SPORTS STARS WINNERS
Commonwealth Games Australian representatives, Riley Day (2017) and Ariarne Titmus (2018) won the past two Local Sports Stars awards, highlighting the talent thriving in our districts.
See all of this year’s winners and their inspirational stories below.
JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNERS
THE ALBERT & LOGAN NEWS JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNER IS: JADE SMITH
Jade is an outstanding hockey prospect who this year was elevated into the Australian Futures Squad.
And it is little wonder.
She has captained the Australian schoolgirls touring side which went to South Africa.
Jade has helped Queensland win the under 18 national title and she was also elevated into the under 21 Queensland squad.
Jade also plays Division 1 with the powerful Easts club.
THE BRIBIE WEEKLY JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNER IS: JET ALSOP
Jet is an elite Motocross exponent who won two classes at last year’s Australian Junior MX Championships and had another podium finish at this year’s nationals. He has built such a reputation in the sport, that he made the Queensland team this year despite injury preventing him from competing at the Qld championships.
THE CABOOLTURE HERALD JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNER IS: ANTONIO FUTOL
Antonio is a boxer to watch after making the Boxing Australia Futures Team for the best boxers aged under 19.
His biggest success was competing internationally and winning against the best boxers from Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic and Poland in 2018, and then returning to Czech Republic and Poland in 2019 where he again remained unbeaten.
He was inspired into the sport aged four years after watching Manny Pacquiao.
THE CITY NORTH NEWS JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNER IS: ISABELLA HARTE
Isabella continued her golden season when she returned from the recent Australian cross country championships as a national champion — yet again.
It was the third time this year Harte has stood aloft a podium as a national champion.
In March-April won the 1500m and 3000m national titles in her age group at the national track and field championships.
She also won the 10m Brisbane marathon open women and came first in her age group in the 10km — Gold Coast marathon.
THE CITY SOUTH NEWS JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNER IS: SAM HURWOOD
Sam is an outstanding hurdler who has been collecting gold medals over the last 12 months like it has been going out of fashion.
Representing Australia for the first time this year at the Oceania Games, he hurdled his way to an individual gold medal.
He was also part of Australia’s 4x100m relay team.
That success followed victories at the national titles in April which positioned him for Australian selection and a clean sweep at the GPS Track and Field Championships.
THE NORTHSIDE CHRONICLE & BAYSIDE STAR JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNER IS: ASHLEY WONG
Ashley is yet another thrilling track prospect who is in white hot form at the moment.
Ashley recently recorded a 200m Personal Best time which was just outside a state record set 27 years ago.
His success started in April when he claimed three gold medals at the Australian track and field championships.
In September broke the Queensland Nitro Athletics record in the 60m and 200m events, including running sub 22 seconds for the first time.
THE NORTH-WEST NEWS JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNER IS: SAMUEL SHORT
Samuel is a Colossus in the swimming pool.
Late last year Short lowered Grant Hackett’s age record and went faster than Kieran Perkins’ Brisbane age record, both of whom went on to become Olympic greats.
Last year he also beat an age group record held by current Australian star Mack Horton.
This year he snared three gold medals at the Australian swimming age championships in Adelaide in the 15 years in the 400m, 800m and 1500m.
THE PINE RIVERS PRESS AND NORTH LAKES TIMES JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNER IS: LIAM HART
Liam maybe the nephew of Australian hockey great Mark Hagar, but he is making his own way in the sport.
His spectacular year includes:
+ captaining the Queensland under 18s where he was Player of the Final and Player of the Tournament
+ making the Queensland 21s and then making the Australian under 21s despite still being a schoolboy.
+ to cap it off he was named Brisbane Hockey Association’s Rookie of the Year after playing Div 1.
THE REDCLIFFE & BAYSIDE HERALD JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNER IS: IZAACK POWELL
The embarrassment of sporting riches continued courtesy of Izaack who amazingly played
six games for the Brisbane Roar A-league side last season.
He was also a member of the under 17 Australian team which toured England.
And his latest achievement is gaining selection in the Australia’s squad for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Brazil which starts late in October.
THE REDLANDS COMMUNITY NEWS JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNER IS: MAKELLA HOAD.
Makella is an elite jump rope and skipping exponent who has climbed through the ranks with outstanding efforts at the regional, state, national level.
This culminated in her representing at the world jump rope competition in Norway in June.
Hoad was initially a gymnastic and touch football player, but liked the loop of skipping and has been competing on a world level for past 4 years.
THE SOUTHERN STAR JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNER IS: RHYS LANSKEY
Rhys is shining a light in Modern Pentathlon.
After just 12 months on the circuit, Lanskey was crowned male Open National Champion at the Modern Pentathlon Championships in March.
He also qualified for the representative team which competed at the Asia/Oceania Championships.
Rhys aspires to become an Olympian in a sport which combines swimming, fencing, showjumping, running, and laser shooting.
THE SOUTH-WEST SATELLITE & SPRINGFIELD NEWS JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNER IS: MOLLIE O’CALLAGHAN
Remember the name Mollie O’Callaghan who is one of the most exciting swimming prospects in Australia.
She started the year by winning a staggering 11 medals at the nationals
They included four individual gold and six relay gold.
That led to selection in the Australian team bound for the world junior swimming championships where she claimed four, fourth placings — all in personal best times.
She also claimed a relay silver medal at the world juniors.
THE WESTSIDE NEWS JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNER IS: GRACE ELLIS
Grace Ellis could not have done anything more in an amazing basketball season which has seen her secure a four-year scholarship at the University of Wyoming
This year she has:
+ captained Queensland to a silver medal at the Australian under 18 championships
+ won Australian under 17 selection
+ captained Met West to a gold medal at the under 18 Queensland School Championships
+ represented Queensland at the under 18 School Championship.
+ gained All Australian selection and spearheaded St Peters Lutheran College to its school premiership where she was, of course, named Most Valuable Player.
THE SOUTHEAST ADVERTISER JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNER IS: RUBY HARRIS
Ruby is yet another brilliant hockey talent in the room tonight whose career knows no bounds.
This year the St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School past student was a member of the:
+ Queensland Under 18 gold winning team
+ Queensland Under 21 gold winning team
+ and gained selection in both the National Junior Squad and the Hockey Australia Nationals Futures Squad.
+ Ruby was also the Brisbane Womens Hockey 2018 Rookie of the Year playing Division 1 with the powerful Easts club.
THE WYNNUM HERALD JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNER IS: JEFFERSON MORROW
Jefferson is one of the hottest prospects in the resurging sport of volleyball.
This year Jefferson achieved:
+ making the Queensland under 19 team
+ making the Australian under 19 team which competed at the Asian Youth Championships
+ was a State Representative at both the under 23 & under 19 Australian Beach Volleyball Championships
+ and was picked as captain of the Australian Schoolboys Championship team.
INSPIRATION AWARD WINNERS
THE ALBERT & LOGAN NEWS INSPIRATION AWARD WINNER IS: MICHAEL HEYNATZ
Inspiring, determined and selfless are just some of the words which describe Michael.
He was struck down by meningococcal aged 10 months, but that has not stopped him from his love of swimming, athletes and offering encouragement to teammates.
He also recently competed in his first Bridge to Brisbane.
THE CABOOLTURE HERALD INSPIRATION AWARD WINNER IS: LOCHIE O’LOAN
Lochie was born with one leg 8cm shorter and without a fibular, but try holding him back on the Motocross track.
He has had many surgeries and it is not unusual for him to hurt himself in training or competition.
Yet he displays tremendous courage to push through the pain to compete.
It was made worth it when he won the South East Queensland round of the big wheel 85 competition earlier this year.
THE CITY NORTH NEWS INSPIRATION AWARD WINNER IS: THE SHARX CLUB CAPTAINS
The Ithaca Sharx swimming club captains Lachie, Gemma, Ingrid and Ella have shown outstanding leadership, service to community and initiative this season to drive a fund raising initiative for the Qld Children’s Hospital.
They have hosted regular bake sales during club nights because they wanted to deliver more than $750 to sick kids in hospital.
And a lot of the items the kids baked themselves.
THE NORTHSIDE CHRONICLE & BAYSIDE STAR INSPIRATION AWARD WINNER IS: KEIRA RANGI
Keira has displayed enormous determination to break down the gender barrier and become the first female to win a place in the Queensland under 12 school rugby league team.
Making that team was the easy part — the hardest part was convincing her family she could play successfully against the boys.
Asked what she loved most about rugby league, Keira said: “Tackling boys and scoring tries.’’
THE NORTH-WEST NEWS INSPIRATION AWARD WINNER IS: ZIMRA HASSAN
From the Wilston Grange Australian football club, Zimra was presented with the prestigious Cam’s Cause leadership Award during last season.
She was nominated by the opposition coach Leigh Callaway from the Victoria Point Sharks — despite her side losing by 132 points.
The medal is named after fallen Australian soldier Cameron Baird and is given to a person who shows courage and ‘aspires to inspire’.
THE PINE RIVERS PRESS AND NORTH LAKES TIMES INSPIRATION AWARD WINNER IS: LUCAS TAYLOR
Lucas has overcame fluid in the spine to excel in athletics.
For two years Lucas would periodically have plaster on his legs and needed constant physio.
He could not understand why he was the slowest at school, so he set about turning himself into a successful athlete.
That persistence led to an array of successes.
These included:
+ coming first at the school cross country, fourth at the districts and 50th at the regional cross country.
+ He cleaned up the sprint events at his school by winning, and then came second in the districts’ 800m and 1500m, and third in shot put.
+ Then at the regionals, Lucas was third in 1500m, earning selection at the state titles.
THE REDCLIFFE & BAYSIDE HERALD INSPIRATION AWARD WINNER IS: CHARLIE MCVEIGH
In his own right Charlie is an outstanding soccer player building a list of enviable individual achievements.
But it is his encouraging and positive nature which also drags teammates along whether the side is going well or not.
He has also committed to give back to his sport by putting his hand up to coach younger teams around the club and is driven to encourage children to play the game fairly and have fun.
THE REDLANDS COMMUNITY NEWS INSPIRATION AWARD WINNER IS: TYLER BIRCH
One of the loneliest places in sport has to be goalkeeper.
It is a hard enough job, let along when you are standing there in the last line with a blood nose and a split lip.
That is exactly what Tyler did time and again this season when he continually put his body on the line for his team Academy despite discomfort.
However, it was worth the discomfort, with Tyler earning promotion and achieving the Most Valuable Player award.
THE SOUTHEAST ADVERTISER INSPIRATION AWARD WINNER IS: JOSHUA WOOD
Despite being profoundly vision impaired, Joshua has displayed great resilience to successfully pursue his love of swimming at the crack Brisbane Grammar Swim Club.
He is also an eye-catching performer on the athletics track.
On the track he runs with a guide and is so determined, he has already circled competing at next year’s State Track and Field Championships after missing this year’s event after being hospitalised.
THE SOUTH-WEST SATELLITE & SPRINGFIELD NEWS INSPIRATION AWARD WINNER IS: SEAN KENDRICK
Sean is inspirational personified.
Despite being visually impaired, he trains for cross country, athletics, goal ball and swimming.
One of his finest moments came when Sean represented Queensland at the Australian Secondary Schools Cross Country. He was able to surge to fourth place with his running guide, Billy Bishell, by his side.
Sean’s teacher at Centenary State High School, Richard Haines, said Sean was an inspiration to his peers.
THE WESTSIDE NEWS INSPIRATION AWARD WINNER IS: BILLY BISHELL
Sean Kendrick is the South-West Satellite & Springfield News Inspiration Award winner, and in a lovely twist Billy Bishell is Sean’s guide on the athletics track.
In his own right Billy is an outstanding young triathlete who is in the Qld Youth Development squad, but he is also Sean’s eyes when Sean competes.
He spends more time training than sleeping, yet has dedicated countless hours to helping Sean be the best athlete he can be.
Billy’s father Stephen best summed up Bishell when he said the words “modest, determined, and fair” when asked to describe his son.
THE WYNNUM HERALD INSPIRATION AWARD WINNER IS: LUISA GAUCI
Luisa Gauci has been breaking down the gender barriers in baseball.
For seasons Luisa has been the only female on her baseball team.
This included when she became the first female from Australia to commit to a US College to play baseball in a male dominated sport.
A high point in her career has been selection in the Junior A’roos Australian development baseball team to attend a high performance camp in Japan.
THE GOLD COAST BULLETIN’S WINNER IS NATHAN ANDREWS.
Nathan is a passionate AFL player, who continues to fight through and play AFL with the Labrador Football Club despite some of the toughest challenges any person would have to go through — battling Leukaemia.
He’s courageous, determined and resilient and would like to continue playing AFL to the highest level he can obtain — and to ultimately be listed as an AFL player.
SERVICE TO SPORT AWARD
THE SERVICE TO SPORT WINNER IS: GARY MADDERS
Gary is president of the Arana Touch Association and is totally devoted to getting local kids involved in the sport of touch football. He has helped create a wonderful community embracing many parents becoming coaches and referees.
Gary has also been instrumental in helping to establish the new FAST program, which is a school of excellence in Touch Football program at Ferny Grove State High School.
Gary has been involved in touch football for over 40 years and held many roles, all in the name of encouraging boys and girls of all ages to stay active.
QUEENSLAND TEAM OF EXCELLENCE
THE QUEENSLAND TEAM OF EXCELLENCE WINNER IS: THE MERMAIDS UNDER 14 PINK WATERPOLO TEAM
The under 14 Mermaids were arguably the most successful junior sporting team in Australia over the last 18 months.
The Mermaids were:
+ the undefeated state and Australian National Youth Champions
+ undefeated Australian, Queensland and Brisbane Championships
The success of the team is leading to individuals also achieving, with three girls named in the Queensland Thunder under 18 team, despite being just 14 years old.
In addition, all 13 team members were selected in the Queensland training squad this year, with 12 progressing into Queensland teams.
The overall Mermaids Club is now the No. 1 junior water polo club in Australia and much of that success is due to this group of outstanding young players.
QUEENSLAND INSPIRATION AWARD WINNER
THE QUEENSLAND INSPIRATION AWARD WINNER IS: MICHAEL HEYNATZ
As stated earlier, Michael overcame the misfortunate of meningococcal aged 10 months, but has refused to let the aftermath of this illness prevent him from marching through life.
Michael is uncomfortable receiving praise, but there could be no one more appropriate than this brave Woodridge State High School student who is a true inspiration.
QUEENSLAND JUNIOR SPORTS STAR OF THE YEAR
THE QUEENSLAND JUNIOR SPORTS STAR WINNER IS: ELLIE BEER.
While most teenagers are still aspiring to represent Australia at the highest level, Beer achieved that honour this year when, aged 16 years, she competed at the World Athletics Championships in Doha.
With the experience she gained there, Ellie has now positioned herself to achiever her ultimate goal — is to run at the Olympics.
RE-WATCH THE AWARD PRESENTATIONS
JUNIOR SPORTS STARS WINNERS
INSPIRATION AWARD WINNERS AND Q&A WITH SCOTT PRINCE
AND FINALLY... THE BIG WINNERS
Quest Community News thanks our Local Sports Stars partners Golden Circle Factory Outlet, Netball Queensland, Griffith University and Triple M Brisbane.
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