Queensland Girls’ Secondary Schools Sports Association’s (QGSSSA) greatest top 40
In the lead-up to the resumption of Queensland Girls’ Secondary Schools Sports Association (QGSSSA) sport this Saturday, we celebrate the association by naming its greatest top 40 sportswomen. Today, numbers 11-25.
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In the lead-up to the resumption of Queensland Girls’ Secondary Schools Sports Association (QGSSSA) sport this Saturday, we celebrate the association by naming its greatest top 40 sportswomen.
The list is so imposing that Olympians like Deanna Lockett (speed skater), Rina Hill, Sue Lewis, Gemma Rooney, Emma Jackson and Maxine Seear narrowly miss the list.
And three prodigious QGSSSA modern day talents and future Olympians, Abby Andrews (Brisbane Girls Grammar School, water polo), swimmer Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Lutheran College) and Lidiia Iakovleva (Moreton Bay College), who at 16 was the baby Rhythmic Gymnastics 2019 World Championships team, also missed.
Andrew Dawson will report on QGSSSA each Saturday online for The Courier-Mail and Quest Newspapers.
No. 11
MADDIE GROVES
A Wilston State School past student who went through the St Peters Lutheran College and St Peters Western system, Grove was a two medal wonder at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. A big match racer, she has been largely influenced by Michael Bohl’s coaching until her recent move to David Lush’s MBC squad. Groves won silver in the 200m butterfly and another silver as part of the 4x100m medley relay. A dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Groves’ performance was one of the highlights in what was a disappointing meet for the Aussie swim team.
No. 12.
KATE GYNTHER
Inspired by Australia’s gold medal winning effort at the Sydney Olympic Games, the Brisbane State High School alumni twice won Olympic bronze medals – at the 2008 and 2012 Games. A razor sharper shooter, at the time Gynther was the leading goalscorer in women’s Olympic water polo history, steering in 30 goals. A brilliant swimmer, Gynther was near unbeatable in winning possession for Australia at the 2012 Olympics.
No. 13
BRITTANY ELMSLIE
A QGSSSA champion, the St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School product burst onto the scene as the lesser known part of a 4x100m relay side at the 2012 Olympic Games. She swam the third leg around Alicia Coutts, Melanie Schlanger and Cate Campbell to win a gold medal. Elmslie then contributed to Australia winning Olympic silver medals in the 4x200m freestyle and the 4x100m medley relay. Then, four years later at the Rio Olympics, Elmslie was part of the quartet that claimed gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay. She joined Cate and Bronte Campbell and Emma McKeon in claiming a world record.
No. 14
LISA CURRY KENNY
The striking strength of the QGSSSA’s all-time list is emphasised by the ranking of this champion at No. 14. Curry Kenny, a triple Olympian from Somerville House, was a colossus in the pool at three Commonwealth Games. At the 1978 Games in Edmonton, Curry Kenny broke through with a silver medal and then, four years later at a home Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Curry Kenny was a golden girl who claimed first placings. Then, in Auckland, the remarkable Curry Kenny earned another four gold medals Commonwealth Games and one silver medal. Curry also competed in the Olympic Games at Moscow (1980), Los Angeles (1984) and Barcelona (1992). After retiring from swimming, she competed in surf boat rowing competitions and outrigger canoe events, with her team winning the World Championship Outrigger Canoe event in 1997. Curry Kenny was a truly remarkable athlete whose sustained success at international level is to be greatly admired.
No. 15
YOLANE KUKLA
A schoolgirl sensation from St Peters Lutheran College, Kukla first earned selection for the Commonwealth Games team for Delhi where she won the gold medal in the 50m freestyle. She had an ideal preparation leading into the Games, having made her senior Australian team debut at the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships where she earned two relay silver medals. Kukla then progressed to the London Olympic Games in 2012 where, in a white hot field, she contributed to Australia’s winning a relay. She was in rare company, with the national side at the time comprising elite female swimmers Libby Trickett, Emily Seebohm, Alicia Coutts, Cate Campbell, Melanie Schlanger and Brittany Elmslie.
No. 16
SUZIE FRASER
The 2008 Olympic Games bronze medallist was an elite water polo for Australia in the mid-2000s. A Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School old girl, Fraser broke into the national team in 2005 and then helped the side win a World Cup in 2006. Frasers then aid Australia’s silver medal winning effort at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships in Melbourne. The peak of her career came with an Olympic medal the following year.
No. 17
AMY HETZEL
Hetzel maintained BSHS’s proud tradition of producing elite international sportswomen when she helped the Australian water polo team to a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in China. Hetzel had entered the Games full of confidence after winning a silver medal at the 2007 world championships in Melbourne.
No. 18
JODIE CLATWORTHY
Clatworthy was a schoolgirl sensation who represented Australia at the 1988 Olympic Games from Brisbane State High School, Clatworthy rose to the occasion to make two finals, finishing strongly in the 200m (fourth place) and 400m (sixth) individual medley events. She also had success at Commonwealth Games level, winning three silver medals between 1986 (Scotland) and 1990 (Auckland).
No. 19
LYNDSIE FOGARTY
An athlete in the gruelling sport of sprint canoeing, the Brisbane State High School alumni won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in the K-4 500m event. Fogarty then finished a creditable sixth in the women’s K2 500m final at the same Olympics and four years later again represented Australia in London where she was an Olympic semi-finalist.
No. 20
AMANDA LEESON-SMITH
Leeson-Smith was a giant of world water polo, an Australian team representative and captain for 10 years between 1981–1991. Her list of achievements included goal medal winning efforts at the 1984 and 1986 World Cups. A Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School alumni, Leeson-Smith was inducted into the Water Polo Queensland Hall of Fame in 2008.
No. 21
SALLY KEHOE
From that great rowing nursery of St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, Kehoe is an Olympian who twice finished sixth at both the Games (Beijing 2008 and London 2012). She also placed at three world championships between 2005 and 2014, winning a silver medal and two bronze medals. A world championship bronze medallist, Kehoe was inspired to strive for the Olympics while watching her relation, the great Susie O’Neill, compete for Australia as a swimmer.
No. 22
MARISSA CARPADIOS
One of many Brisbane State High School alumni recognised on this list, Carpadios represented Australia at the 2004 Olympic Games, helping her country to a thrilling silver medal winning effort.
No. 23
MINNA ATHERTON
The wide Australian sporting public know little of this tall, athletic superfish from Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School, but by the time the next Olympic Games’ swing around, she is likely to be one of the nation’s sporting pin-ups. Atherton, coached by David Lush, first broke into the Australian Dolphins in 2018 as the baby of the Commonwealth Games squad. She was all eyes and ears and learnt as much out of the water as she did in it during that campaign. By 2019 Atherton had arrived on the world stage as a 100m backstroke silver medallist at the world championships. Atherton also snared two relay medals – gold in the mixed 4x100m medley relay and silver in the Women’s 4x100m medley relay – at the world championships. Late last year she also broke the world indoor record in the 100m backstroke record
No. 24
DANIELLE STEWART
The Brisbane State High School (class of 1998) was an athletic infielder who
was a part of the 2008 Australian softball team that claimed a cherished bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Stewart overcame several knee injuries to compete with the best, against the best, at the Olympics, and in all her top flight international career lasted 148 games.
No. 25
MADDIE EDMUNDS
From a famous rowing family – her father Ian was an Olympic bronze medallist while younger sister Jacintina is powering toward Tokyo Olympic Games selection – Maddie represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Tall and with a Long Reach, the St Margaret’s Anglican Girls’ School old girl first broke through onto the senior international podium when she claimed three medals at all three 2013 World Cups regattas as part of the women’s quad scull. After the Rio Olympics, Edmunds joined Olympia Aldersey to win a prized bronze medal at the 2017 world rowing championships and in 2018 was selected into the women’s single scull at two World Cup regattas.