NewsLocal recaps on the biggest sporting moments from Parramatta and the Hills in 2022
Athletes from Parramatta and the Hills starred during 2022, with success both at home and abroad.Check out our top 10 sporting moments of the year!
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ATHLETES from Parramatta and the Hills starred both at home and abroad in 2022.
Records were broken, medals were won and championships were claimed throughout the year.
Here are our top 10 sporting moments from 2022!
Westfield Sports High School U20 women Australian School Basketball champions
Westfield Sports HS U20 women’s team capped off their undefeated campaign at the Australian School Basketball Championships by claiming the title.
They defeated Marsden HS 75-45 in a match where they looked untouchable, keeping their opponents scoreless in the first quarter pulling out a 36-point lead at one point.
Old record falls at the Australian All Schools Athletics
Quakers Hill’s Isaac Beacroft lined up as the favourite in the U16 boys 300m walk event at the All Schools Athletics in Adelaide, and certainly lived up to the hype.
Beacroft set a new Australian record, clinching gold and finishing the race in 12:04.09.
Patrician Brothers Fairfield claim the NRL Schoolboys Cup
The team from Patrician Brothers Fairfield broke their 30 year Cup drought by taking the title in a come-from-behind victory over Hills Sports High School.
Hills looked comfortable in the beginning, pulling out a 16-0 lead early in the second half and were seemingly set to cruise to victory.
But Pats came alive in the dying minutes, with Joshua Alhazim producing a Man of the Match performance to level the scores at 16-all before eventually sealing the win and the Cup 20-16.
Olympian’s record broken at the Australian All Schools Athletics
Young athlete Matilda Webb rewrote the record books at the All Schools Athletics Championships in Adelaide for the U14 girls 4000m walk event.
The Winston Hills athlete smashed the record previously held by Jemima Montag by five seconds, finishing in 14:21.15.
Parramatta Eels make the 2022 NRL Grand Final
Despite falling short to eventual two-time Premiers Penrith at the decider, the Parramatta Eels came agonisingly close to the trophy at the 2022 NRL Grand Final.
The Eels pulled out a gutsy performance in the preliminary final against the Cowboys to book their spot in the decider, ending the Cowboy’s record of never losing a prelim final hosted in Townsville.
The 28-12 loss in the Grand Final resulted in the 36-year premiership drought continuing, but the Parramatta faithful have vowed to come back even stronger next year.
Parramatta Eels NRLW Grand Finalists
Parramatta’s NRLW team weren’t to be outdone by their male counterparts, also going all the way to the end for the grand final.
The Eels only managed to scrape into the last finals position in the final round of the regular season, and bested minor premiers Sydney Roosters to earn their place in the decider.
Unfortunately the side’s luck ran out at Accor Stadium, going down to Newcastle Knights 32-12 to fall just short of their first NRLW title.
Carlile bringing home the gold at the NSW Senior State Age Championships
Ryde-based Carlile Swim Team finished fourth on the medal tally for the NSW Senior State Age Championships, but one swimmer really stood out.
Olivia Wunsch took home six gold medals from the 10 individual events she competed in, and found herself on the podium a further two times.
The 16-year-old looked unstoppable in her freestyle and butterfly events, with her quick reactions at the start helping her build a lead that was near impossible to beat.
Mitch Duke’s World Cup moment
A must-win game and mountains of pressure from the Socceroos faithful didn’t phase former Parramatta Eagles player Mitch Duke at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar as he netted the sole goal in the second group stage match against Tunisia.
His now iconic celebration in honour of his son was replicated across Australia in the days following, and he was hailed as one of the heroes of the nation’s World Cup campaign.
Despite now playing for Fagiano Okayama in Japan, no one could forget Duke making his name for the Eagles, and his 24 goals across two stints for the Western Sydney Wanderers in the A League Men’s.
Katz brothers’ Commonwealth Games success
Josh and Nathan Katz both achieved lifelong dreams at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, picking up bronze medals in Judo in their respective weight classes.
The brothers from Baulkham Hills each competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics, however only Nathan made the trip to Tokyo after multiple injuries ruled Josh out.
Nathan went on to win bronze in the men’s 66kg, while Josh did the same in the men’s 60kg.
Goannas claim AFL Sydney Women’s div 1 club championship
The Goannas’ div 1 women’s team were dominant during the AFL Sydney competition, winning 14 out of their 16 matches on their way to claim the minor premiership.
The team’s strong form continued into the finals series, where they downed East Coast Eagles 23-20 to seal the premiership.
Courtney Bragg was also awarded the league’s Best and Fairest award for her contribution.
Koori Knockout Day 2: Men’s results, day three fixtures, gallery
The big guns came to play as the men’s division took centre stage on day two of the Koori Knockout, setting up some massive day three clashes. See every result PLUS our gallery from the day.
REPLAY: North East wins it with a ‘towering header’ at the death
North East Football Club secured an extraordinary 1-0 win over Football Lab in the Sydney International Cup on Saturday. Check out all the replays from day 2 HERE.