Revealed: The kids in the running for Junior Gold Coast Sports Star
The Gold Coast’s best junior athletes have been revealed as nominees of the Junior Sports Star of the Year Award. Meet the region’s top young guns here.
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They’re our future Olympians, world champions and all-round sporting icons.
The Gold Coast’s top junior athletes have been revealed as nominees of the Gold Coast Bulletin Junior Sports Star of the Year Award, as part of the Gold Coast Sports Star of the Year Awards.
The night, held on March 25 at the RACV Royal Pines, will celebrate the hard work of our region’s most talented young athletes across the 2022 sports season.
Commonwealth Games triple medallist Flynn Southam will be in fine stead to hold onto the award after winning it in 2022, but a range of dark horses could emerge from future AFL draftee Jed Walter to gun X Games medallist Chloe Covell and Rugby League World Cup footballer Chantay Kiria-Ratu.
MEET THE JUNIOR NOMINEES HERE
Keano Kini
Rugby league gun Keano Kini is a Future Titans player who plays fullback for his school Palm Beach Currumbin, the Australian U18s and Queensland U18s. He was a Langer Trophy co-MVP.
Jed Walter
Gold Coast Suns Academy member Jed Walter had a standout 2022.
Playing for the Allies, Walter was named in the All-Australian team at the AFL National Championships as centre half forward.
The Palm Beach Currumbin student played in the U17s Futures match on AFL Grand Final day and is a member of the 2023 AFL Academy.
Walter will have plenty of eyes on him for the 2023 Draft.
Chantay Kiria-Ratu
She was too young to make her NRLW debut, but it didn’t stop Gold Coast Titans squad member Chantay Kiria-Ratu from heading to the Rugby League World Cup with the Cook Islands.
The Tweed Seagulls halfback attends Keebra Park State High School and also represented the Queensland 19s in 2022.
Skyla Adams
Skyla Adams is a dual code star who has already played for the Reds in their Super W side, who finished runners up.
Another Keebra Park High student who represented the Queensland Schoolgirls U18s, Adams is also a Tweed Seagulls squad member and has been noted as a future Titans prospect.
Flynn Southam
17-year-old Bond University swimmer Flynn Southam became a Commonwealth champion in 2022, as part of the team to win the 4x100m freestyle relay, 4 x 200m freestyle relay and 4 x 100m mixed freestyle relay.
Southam also tore up the pool at the 2022 Junior Pan Pac Championships, winning four gold medals in the 200m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 4 x 200m freestyle relay, and 50m freestyle. He topped it off with two silver medals in the 4 x 100m freestyle relay and 4 x 100m medley relay.
Ava Usher
Multi-code athlete Ava Usher was a member of the Queensland U15s side to take out nationals in 2022, leaving with All Australian honours.
Until she very recently retired, Usher was also a talented basketball player representing Queensland, the Gold Coast Rollers and her school team Hillcrest Christian College, who finished second in Open Girls Honours at the Australian School Championships.
Usher is also a talented surf life saver.
Tavarna Papalii
A member of the first ever Australian Schoolgirls side to take on Fiji, Tavarna Papalii has future NRLW star written all over her.
Not only did she star on the field, but the youngster even captained the side, cementing herself a place in history and women’s rugby league folklore.
The Keebra Park High student was also a member of the trailblazing Queensland team which toppled NSW in a curtain-raiser to the State of Origin decider.
But the talented lock with silky playmaking abilities is not limited to the 13-woman code, taking on the All Schools Rugby 7s competition as well.
Jasmine Rayward
Multi sport athlete Jasmine Rayward competed in four different world championships in five weeks.
First she competed in the Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Hungary,
Then it was off to Seychelles for the World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships, then to Italy for the World Surf Lifesaving Championships, and to Portugal for the Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships.
Chloe Covell
Skateboarder Chloe Covell had a massive 2022 that included an X Games bronze medal and Street League Skateboarding (SLS) silver on debut.
The Palm Beach Currumbin State High School is the first X Games athlete to earn two medals before the age of 13.
Jasmyn Smith
Aussie rules gun Jasmyn Smith made her AFLW debut while completing Year 12 at Emmanuel College.
The Bond University product was picked up by the Gold Coast Suns in the 2022 Draft and went on to play four AFLW games in her first season.
Thomas Gadecki
16-year-old tennis star who won the U/16 Nationals and is preparing to join the world junior tour for 2023.
Gadecki was a wildcard entry into the Australian Open Junior Championships, dropping out in the first round in both doubles and in singles to top seed Kilian Feldbasush of Switzerland.
Meet the Para-Sports Star nominees
Ella Sabljak
Dual athlete Ella Sabljak was part of the Australian women’s 3x3 wheelchair basketball team that won silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
She then made the transition to wheelchair rugby, becoming only the third female athlete to represent Australia in wheelchair rugby — which is a mixed sport.
After making her way into the side for the World Championships in September, Sabljak won gold with the side.
Susan Seipel
Para-canoe athlete Susan Seipel won two medals for Australia at the ICF World Cup — gold in VL2 200m and silver in the KL2 200m.
She then went to compete in the World Championships in Canada in August where she placed fifth in the VL2 200.
Madeleine McTernan
Para-swimming athlete Madeleine McTernan won two silver medals at the 2022 World Para-Swimming Championships in June. She took home silver in the mixed 4 x 100m freestyle relay S14, and silver in the mixed 4 x 100m medley relay S14.
McTernan also competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, finishing fifth in the women’s 200m freestyle S14 event.
Sara Tait
Para-triathlete Sara Tait was champion of the 2022 Australian Para-Triathlon National Championship.
She placed second in the Oceania Championships in Stockton and second in the Triathlon Para Cup in Devonport, placing her tenth in the World Para Triathlon rankings.
Meet the Sports Star nominees
Emma McKeon
Winning six gold medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, swimming champion Emma McKeon equalled the record jointly held by Susie O’Neill and Ian Thorpe. Her eight medals overall — six gold, two silver and one bronze — is the best haul ever to be made at a Commonwealth Games.
Jai Opetaia
The unbeaten Gold Coast based boxer won the World IBF and the Ring Cruiserweight championship when he beat Mairis Briedis on the Gold Coast in April.
Stephanie Gilmore
One of the all time best surfers, Stephanie Gilmore became an eight-time surfing world champion in April 2022 when she won the World Surf League. Now 34, Gilmore won her first title in 2007, and hadn’t won a title since 2018.
Ali Day
In the same year, Ironman icon Ali Day took out the triple crown becoming the NutriGrain Ironman Series champion, Coolangatta Gold champion, and Australian Ironman champion.
Shane Van Gisbergen
Shane Van Gisbergen added another trophy to his cabinet in 2022, taking home the 2022 Super Cars title with 21 race wins including Bathurst.
Van Gisbergen added to his 2016 and 2021 titles.
Elijah Winnington
Swimmer Elijah Winnington won gold in the 400m men’s freestyle at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, before going on to win a further three Commonwealth Games gold medals.
He took home gold in the 400m freestyle, as well as 4 x 100m freestyle relay and 4 x 200m freestyle relay.
Maddi Levi
After making her Olympic debut in just 2021, Maddi Levi had an even bigger second year on the scene.
Levi won a Commonwealth Games gold medal, Rugby Sevens World Cup gold, a World Series championship and won the World Series Rookie of the Year.
She was even nominated for World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year.
Jean van der Westhuyzen
Olympic sprint kayaker Jean van der Westhuyzen backed up his Tokyo Olympic gold in the K2 with a medal at the World Championships.
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui
Gold Coast Titans captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui was part of the World Cup winning Kangaroos side.
Logan Martin
BMX athlete Logan Martin won gold at the X Games in California in 2022 and bronze in Minniapolis.
Date set for Sports Star of the Year Awards
Gold Coast sport’s night of nights is set to return with two new award categories to celebrate the achievements of the region’s top elite and grassroots athletes for 2022.
The 54th annual Gold Coast Sports Star of the Year Awards will be held on March 25 at the RACV Royal Pines, and will feature a three-course dinner and entertainment to celebrate not only the region’s sporting stars, but the hard work of sports volunteers and personalities.
The Awards' newest categories include the Use of Technology or Innovation Award and Sport Photographs of the Year.
The Use of Technology or Innovation Award will recognise the use of technology in modern sport, from broadcast technologies to apps and fan engagement initiates, while the Sports Photographs Award will celebrate the storytelling of the region’s best snappers.
Two categories will be judged in this award – professional and amateur photographers.
But Chair of Sports Gold Coast Geoff Smith said the event was about much more than achievements of the past year, with a strong lens towards the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
“The 2032 Olympics is only nine short years away and resents a rare opportunity for a young, dynamic city like the Gold Coast,” Smith said.
“All sectors of our community must unite and take responsibility to ensure our city obtains maximum health, social and economic benefits which will flow from these Games.
“Our aspiration for this event is to have at least 1000 attendees, celebrating our citizens’ sporting achievements on and off the field, inspiring our youth and engendering civic pride with a strong sense of purpose and identity.
“The success of this special occasion will be commensurate with the Gold Coast community’s ability to maximise all the opportunities the 2032 Olympics will present.”
The night will also award athletes in existing categories including Sports Star of the Year, Para Sport Sports Star of the Year, the Daphne Pirie AO MBE Spirit of Sport Medallists, Eximm Junior Sports Volunteer, City of Gold Coast Mayor’s Sports Award, Hot Tomato/MYGC People’s Choice Award, and the Gold Coast Bulletin Junior Sports Star of the Year award.
Nominees for the Gold Coast Bulletin Junior Sports Star of the Year will be announced next week.
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