40 of the best junior tennis players in South East Queensland revealed here
Who were the top gun junior tennis players leading the charge in South East Queensland? 40 of the best are revealed here.
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Who were the top gun junior tennis players leading the charge in South East Queensland?
40 of the best youngsters are revealed here.
The list includes a talented bunch from Brisbane Boys’ College featuring Carter LennonAlex Despoja, Rohan Hazratwala, Ani Nallaparaju, William Genberg and Kaylen Timbrell as well as an exciting St Laurence’s College rookie.
Footnote: This is a snapshot of many of the high class talents in Brisbane. If you know of some we are missing, comment below.
TOP GUN TENNIS PLAYERS IN SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND
Name: Ethan Connelly
School: St Laurence’s College
Described by the College as a “great young man driven and committed to his craft,’’ the Year 10 student is ranked No. 5 in his age group across Australia during the year was at one stage ranked No. 1 in Queensland.
He was captain of a college First IV side which included young guns Josh Deen and Hayden Revell.
Indeed Revell won an under-14 Tier 1 junior tennis tournament this year and has been a member of the Laurie’s First IV for three years.
Name: Lucas Han
School: Brisbane Grammar School
An under 13 Queensland teams representative, Han claimed the under 14 boys singles (tier 1) title at the 2023 Rod Laver Junior State Championships.
It followed on from his 2-22 performance when he overcame top seed Flynn Coventry-Searle (NSW) 6-2 6-4 to win the 12 years Australian Junior Hardcourt championship.
Name: Rhylee Jackson
School: Canterbury College
At the Tennis Queensland Awards evening recently Jackson, from sporting rich Logan City, was presented with the Most Outstanding Junior Athlete with a Disability award.
Name: Reuben Wagels
School: Villanova College
A Year 9 student, Wagels won the First IV and won the College Most Valuable Player awards in 2023. He was one half of the doubles at the State Age Championships, and also was runner up in singles at the Central Age Championships.
Villanova are in safe hands for the next three years.
Name: Carter Lennon and co.
School: Brisbane Boys College
Lennon was the skipper off this BBC team comprising Alex Despoja, Rohan Hazratwala, Ani Nallaparaju, William Genberg and Kaylen Timbrell which won the Secondary Schools National Boys’ Championships last week. It was a breathtaking final triumph against The McDonald College, leaving them the only undefeated team in the championships and winners of the highly prized Gallipoli Youth Cup.
They were coached by Ben Mitchell.
Gautham Santhosh
Club: Sandgate
Santhosh has quite the story to tell - regardless of how his tennis career progresses.
A selection in the Queensland Schools 13-19 years merit representative side for 2022-23, Santhosh was merely chest high to Roger Federer when he did the coin toss at the recent Melbourne Open semi final. He was nominated by his club for being a good sport.
Name: Acaclia Shamim
School: Sheldon College
Shamim’s breakthrough year came as a Year 7 student in 2021 when she earned selection in the Met East team for the Girls 10-12 Years and was invited to play at the Super 10s National Camp held at the Australian Open. This year she won the under 16 girls singles (tier 1) at the Rod Laver Junior State Championships.
Name: Grace Cadwallader
School: St Aidans Anglican Girls’ School
Cadwallader was runner-up in the under 16 girls singles (tier 1) at the Rod Laver Junior State Championships.
Name: Samarth Patel
School: Brisbane Grammar School
Another BGS student, Patel had success at the Rafa Nadal tournament and also played for the Queensland side at the Australian Teams Championships earlier this year.
Name: Ivy Lauder
School: Clayfield College
A Queensland Schools 13-19 years representative side selection, bayside ace Lauder would be the envy of many for earning a place at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain last year after winning at the Australian Masters Invitational for Girls.
Names: Jake Spurrell
Club: Sheldon College
Spurrell surged through the field to win the 16 years singles at the Queensland State Age Championships. He also had a good campaign in the doubles with Calamvale’s Lachlan Kohl.
Both boys fired in the 16 years doubles tournament, but in the end it was Troy Goodwin and Camerson Middleton who got the chocolates, beating them in the final.
Name: Heaton Pann
Region: Unknown
Pann is gearing up to play at the Australian Grass Court Championships in January after playing his role in Queensland’s strong showing at the Bruce Cup National carnival. The 2023 Queensland teams representative at the Australian Teams Championships, he also qualified for the Australian Junior Hardcourt championships
Name: Jack White
Team: Brookfield Tennis Centre
White joined St Laurence’s College ace Ethan Connelly (mentioned earlier) and Sunshine Coast Grammar student Connor McEvoy in representing the Queensland under 15 boys at the Australian Teams Championships. The side came third. White was also named in the 13-19 years Queensland school merit team.
Name: Helena Guan and co
Region: Met East
Guan continued her representative career by playing for the Queensland under 15 side at the Australian Teams Championships. Guan, also a state under 13 representative, joined fellow Queenslanders Georgia Campbell and Gina Cha in helping Queensland reach No.2. Guan was also named in the 13-19 years Queensland school merit team.
Name: Melisa Ercan
Based: Brisbane
Aged 18, Ercan is a top 10 ranked Australian junior who lives in Brisbane after originally being born in Turkey. She received Australian citizenship earlier in the year and has a ITF junior ranking of 26 featuring a 65 per cent win rate.
Name: Isabella Crilly
Region: Ipswich
Crilly won the Queensland State Age 12 years singles title in Rockhampton during September - and then backed up to help claim the doubles championship alongside Sophie McCormack.
Name: Angus Cook
School: Brisbane Grammar School
Cook won the under 16 boys singles (tier 2 title) at the 2023 Rod Laver Junior State Championships.
Name: Jasmine Llewellyn and Lilly Shepherd
Region: Gladstone and Mackay
Llewellyn and Pioneer Tennis junior Lilly Shepherd combined to win the 16 years girls at the Queensland State Age Championships staged in Rockhampton during September. Shepherd had earlier won the under 16 singles.
Tristan Stock
Region: Met West
Stock was named in the Queensland Schools 13-19 years merit representative side after a rousing 18 months of competition.
Name: Cleo Taylor and co
Region: Queensland
The Queensland team of Cleo Taylor, Hope Johns and Ava Garner won the Margaret Court Cup 11 and under girls at the Australian Teams Championships. It capped an impressive week for the Queensland team, who lost only three of their 18 matches across the five-day event. Queensland secured the title with a 2-1 victory in the final against New Zealand
Name: Lejla Buldo
Region: Cleveland
Buldo was named in the Queensland Schools 13-19 years merit representative side for 2022-23.
Name: Luke Dyer and co
School: St Peters Lutheran College
St Peters won 75 per cent of all the AIC Tennis Divisions across 2023 and were again crowned 1st IV Premiers this year. The No. 1 AIC tennis school was spearheaded in the First by Luke Dyer, Taj Wilson, Michael Huang and Jacob Cropper.
Name: Nicola Shoeman
School: Kelvin Grove State College
Nicola Shoeman was named in the Queensland Schools 13-19 years merit representative side for 2022-23.
Name: Tyson Walk
School: Unknown
The young Queenslander won the under 10 green balls doubles alongside Cairns’ Liam Howard at the 2023 Rod Laver Junior State Championships
Name: Leanne Abouhamad
Region: Met West
Leanne Abouhamad was named in the Queensland Schools 13-19 years merit representative side after a rousing 18 months.
Name: Jackson Treacy
Club: Malpass Tennis Centre
Originally a Morningside junior now under the watchful eye of Malpass Tennis, Treacy knows what it is like to win in the big league. He has previously won a medal at the National Singles) and it was no surprise to see the Iona College student named in the Queensland schools sports Merit team of 2023
Name: Preston Shawcross
Region: Logan
Preston team with Christian Joseph and Vivaan Nehra to represent the Queensland under 11 Reid Cup team at the Australian Teams Championships. He has always shown considerable promise, playing against boys older than him and hitting balls in backyard training sessions with his dad. He also made the Queensland schools merit side 10-12 years along with these up-and-coming talents from the Brisbane region: Daniel Abar (Met North), Rafael Fauster (Met West), Hope Johns (Met North), Christian Joseph (Met West), Jake Karathra (Met East), Zinta Marshall (Met West), Lucy Page (Met North) and Danica Todorovic (Met West)
Name: Jovana Petrovic
Region: Met East
Moreton Bay College student Petrovic was named in the Queensland Schools 13-19 years merit representative side after a rousing 18 months.
Tess Caldicott
Region: Met West
The former Sydneysider has seen the light and her reward was selection in the Queensland Schools 13-19 years merit representative side for 2022-23.
Name: Grace McCormack
Club: Coops
At the Queensland State Age Championships held in Rockhampton, northside talent Grace McCormack joined Chelsea Drummond in tussling with eventual winners Tash Fitzgerald and Vanessa Fitzgerald in the 10 years girls doubles final. Great effort again by McCormack.
Name: Tayla Hunter-Geppert
School: Canterbury College
A member of the Canterbury Taipans tennis club, she joined St Hilda’s School’s Summer Osborne in finishing runner-up in the 16 years girls doubles at the Queensland State Age Championships. Osborne was also runner up in the 16 years singles.
Name: Hayden Ballard
School: Clairvaux MacKillop College
Hayden won the under 18 intellectual impairment (PWII) singles division one at the Australian Tennis Championships. Earlier in the year Ballard was also runner up to the winner, fellow Queenslander Lawson Swain, in the 18 years Queensland State Age Championships singles final.
Name: Ruby Richardson
Region: Brisbane
A coach at Ian Malpass Tennis Centre, Richardson won the 18 years singles at the Queensland State Age Championships, then finished runner-up in the doubles alongside Sunshine Coast junior Hannah Thornton.
Runner up was Cairns junior Genevieve Lindsay, although Lindsay did win the doubles with FNQ teammate Zedneiyar Martilly Meafua-ure.
Name: Nicolas Rumsey
Region: Unknown
Rumsay joined Aaron Remedios in winning the 18 years doubles at the
Queensland State Age Championships staged in Rockhampton during September. The runners up were Ned Gething and Max Wilson
Name: Thomas Smith
School: Padua College
He may only be a Year 8 student, but Smith is a high achiever who played with Padua’s First IV during the entire season. Now that is a massive effort.
Smith is not the only young gun roaring through the ranks, with the College’s 7As tying for the premiership. Players involved in sharing the title were Jett Draper, Charlie Reynolds, Alexander Huffels, Lucas Scott and Jack Mangano
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