Nala Iosefo, Sarah Bourke, Sienna Monteith: Townsville’s best school sport stars revealed
From swimmers who blitz their personal bests to rowing champions making a name for themselves and boxers punching above their weight, meet NQ’s top young gun sport stars.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
North Queensland is packed with talented young athletes rising through their respective sports.
From swimmers who blitz their personal bests to rowing champions making a name for themselves and boxers punching above their weight.
These are the top young athletes of Townsville and surrounds.
Have we missed anyone? Let us know, gina.mosch@news.com.au
St Patrick’s College Townsville
Nala Iosefo, Year 8
Swimming
Achievements:
2022 Australian Age Championships National Champion – Gold medallist 13 Years 100m Butterfly
2022 Australian Age Championships National Champion – Gold medallist 13 Years 200m Butterfly
Sarah Bourke, Year 11 and Lilly Bragg, Year 10
Rowing
Achievements:
2022 Australian Rowing Championships – National Champions – Gold medallists U17 Women’s Double Scull
2022 Australian Rowing Championships – Semi-finalists – U17 Women’s Coxed Quad Scull
Sarah Bourke, Year 11
4th (A Final) – U17 Women’s Single Scull
5th (A Final) – U17 Schoolgirls’ Single Scull
Lilly Bragg, Year 10
2nd (B Final) – U17 Women’s Single Scull
2nd (Be Final) – Schoolgirls’ Single Scull
Sienna Monteith, Year 8
Cycling
Achievements:
2022 Junior Track Championships – Bronze Points Race
2022 Junior Track Championships – Bronze Kieron Race
2022 Junior Track Championships – 4th Individual Pursuit
Brooke Davis-Goodall, Year 12
Swimming
Achievements:
1500m Ocean Swim Coral Sea Marina Resort – Gold medallist
QLD School Sport Swimming Championships 6th – 200m Breaststroke
Hayley Andrejic, Year 10
Swimming
Achievements:
Australian Open Water Championships – Bronze medallist 16y 7.5km
Australian Open Water Championships – Bronze medallist 16y 5km
QLD School Sport Swimming Championships: 6th – 200m Butterfly; 4th 400m IM; 8th 800m Freestyle; 9th 100m Butterfly
Swimming North Queensland (SNQ) Female Captain and Torch Bearer for NQ Games.
Ignatius Park College
Over the past year, Ignatius Park College has seen more than 100 students representing North Queensland, and even more representing Townsville, in a variety of different sports.
Special mention to Jacob Fowler (YR12) who made the Queensland U19 Water Polo Team 2022.
2021
Rugby Union U12 – Rafael Josifoski, Rory Maguire
Rugby Union U15 – Reagan Knowles, Lleyton Dooley, Archie Allen, Joshua Morton, Nathaniel Kimber, Cranston Hill, Stewart Gordon
Football U12 – Cruz Paul
Cross Country – Jacob Sexton
Basketball U15 – Kye Stallan, Kynan McMahon, Brock Kyle, Matthew Ament
Cricket U12 – Zachary Hayes, Beau McKenzie, Jaxon Caswell
Cricket U15 – Beau McCarron, Connor Sadler
Athletics U12 – Jack Quinney, Rafael Josifoski
Athletics U19 – Keelin Hookey, Lincoln Baker, Lachlan Hutchings, Tekelu Mene, Tyler Boyce
Triathlon – Zac Bennett
2022
Swimming U12 – Riley Connors, Thomas Griffiths
Swimming U19 – Jake Piccolo, Joshua Eggins, Matthew Lynch
Cricket U19 – John McLean, Christian Payne, Connor Sadler, Taj Peterson
Basketball U18 – Lleyton Ward, Joshua Corcoran, Murugu Kiumbura, Cody Brown, Matthew Evans
Volleyball U19 – Monty Curran
Rugby Union U18 – George Abendnego, Howard Keyes, Nelson Kennedy, Marley Scarff, Stewart Gordon, Max Gough, Aiden Knowles, Cranston Hill, Harvey Arboit
Hockey U19 – Daniel Scott, Joseph Dixon
Touch U12 – Issac Seawright
Touch U15 – Hayden Griffin, Klay Graham, Luke Swain, Anthony Roveglia, Beau McCarron, Nayte Essery
Touch U18 – Aidan Fitzpatrick, Scott Swain, Matthew Hunter, Elijah Joe, Marcus Bell, Brodie Dinneen, Jacob Pugh, Jake Brewer, Joshua Pierce
AFL U12 – Rusty Bethune
AFL U15 – Sebastian Wyke, Morgan Payne, Kye Lange
Water Polo U19 – Zac Bennett, Hayden Vignale, Kym Nuth, Zachary McKergow, Jacob Fowler
Rugby League U12 – Issac Seawright, Cooper Snary
Rugby League U15 – Anthony Roveglia, Sitiveni Afu, Joe Briskey, Cooper Reinders
Rugby League U18 – Elijah Joe, Tekelu Mene, Orlando Nawarie, Matthew Hunter, Jamal Shibasaki, Reece Foley, Henry Teutau, Jonah Raidavetu, Jack Wood, Brodie Dinneen, Jamaine Stanley
Basketball U12 – Michael Fuller, Jace Mitchell
Hockey U12 – Zachary Martin, Umpire: Brayden Lewis
St Margaret Mary’s College
IKA RYAN
My chosen sport is Olympic weightlifting, which consists of two lifting components, The Snatch and Clean and Jerk. I have been competitively competing since 2021 at Thunder Barbell. In 2022 I competed in the North Queensland Games and came away with the Silver Medal. And more recently in the Australian National Youth and U15 championships, I placed 3rd in Australia for my weight category in U15s. I then competed in a local club competition one week after nationals in which I lifted a combined total of 136g which qualified me for the Australian Weightlifting Federation Youth Squad. Weightlifting requires dedication, focus and commitment as small lifting achievements come through lots of hard work. My chosen sport is not commonly known and making small achievements helps to generate interest in my sport.
CHARLOTTE REYES
I’m a local skateboarder! I found my passion for skateboarding earlier this year and I have been obsessed ever since.
At first, it was intimidating to see the boys shredding up the bowl but my dad was always there to encourage me to keep going as there aren’t many girls my age in the skateboarding community.
Skateboarding as a girl hasn’t always been easy as only 23 percent of skateboarders are female but I have found some amazing role models.
I take fall after fall but I won’t stop until I master it.
I remember all the times I was too scared to even take a step on my board because I was so worried about what others would think of me but after a while, I realised what others think should not matter.
I started wearing my helmet and all my protective gear because I wasn’t there to look cool, I was there to do what I love and soon my hard work started to pay off.
A local skate park mother approached me and said ‘I wish I had the courage to do what you’re doing when I was your age’, she encouraged me to keep skating and inspire other girls just like me to do the same.
This increased my confidence and soon the other skate park boys were asking me for advice with tricks!
My skating group (Sk8M8s) and parents encouraged me to enter my first ever competition which I won and I was even wearing a skirt!
I would’ve only dreamt of winning a competition when I first started.
Skating has taught me so much in only a short seven months, from creating friendships and persistence to facing your fears and shooting for the stars. I have come a long way since the start of the year and I want to continue my journey with skateboarding, inspiring other girls to dream big just like I did.
LILLIAN HUGHES
My sporting achievements first started at the age of six when I joined Townsville North Star, a club that my great-grandfather Bernie Kern helped establish in 1962 by becoming their first club secretary.
I started to compete competitively when I was 10 in the 100m and 200m at QLD State Champs with the help of my coach Paul Di Bella who is a past Olympian.
When I was 9, I made my first NQ trials and have gone onto compete at a National level every year since the age of 12.
Due to Covid in 2020 however I couldn’t compete at Nationals but competed the following year and made the finals for both the 200m and 400m finishing 7th and 6th respectively.
I ended 2021 ranked second in Australia for the 200m and 7th for the 400m.
In June 2022, I represented the Regional Australian Team at the Oceania Championships where 23 countries competed in Mackay. I finished 6th in the U18 100m, 2nd in the U18 4x100m relay and 3rd in the Open 4x400m relay however unfortunately due to contracting Covid two weeks prior to the Championships commencing, I pulled out of the 400m which is one of my favourite events.
My goal is to one day represent my country on the world stage wearing the green and gold.
TAYLAH ATKINS
Late last year I attended my first shield meet in Brisbane where I was lucky enough to qualify for the under 18s 100m and under 20s triple jump at Nationals to take place the following April.
In March this year I attended my first state titles in Brisbane coming away with a bronze in triple jump, silver in long jump and a qualifying long jump for nationals a few weeks later.
In April this year, I travelled to Sydney for Nationals where I placed 9th in long jump and 10th in triple jump.
Then, in June this year I had the opportunity to compete at the Oceania championships at my first international competition coming away with 4th in under 18s long jump with a new personal best and 2nd in the 4 x 100m relay.
Pimlico State High School
SAHARA DEMPSEY, YEAR 11
BOXING
Achievements:
My name is Sahara Dempsey and I am 16 years old. I was first introduced to boxing at the age of 12. Over the past four years, boxing has helped me grow into the young woman I am today.
The things I have achieved such as winning 2nd in Australia, golden gloves versing the top athletes, experiencing what others go through, travelling to different states and towns seeing their way of life.
I am now in 11 grade going to Pimlico state high school and working my hardest to be my best in school so when I leave, I leave without any regret.
ABBY REINCASTLE, YEAR 11
GYMNASTICS
Achievements:
Abby Reincastle is a 16 years old level 9 gymnast at Gymnastics Townsville. Abby trains 18 plus hours a week and last year was named overall State Champion, which further lead her to compete at her first Australian Championship where she was named National Champion for level 8. Abby was also named gymnast of the year last year for her club Gymnastics Townsville and was a nominee for the NQ Sport Star of the year awards. In 2022 Abby will be competing as a level 9 gymnast at the NQ Games held in Townsville and hopes to make nationals again this year!
LAYNE CHAPMAN, YEAR 11
Soccer
Achievements:
Sixteen-year-old Townsville footballer and Junior Matilda Layne Chapman said the regional game “meant the world” to her.
“I’m super excited. I have no words for it,” she said.
“It’s my dream to play. I just want to make it all the way.”
The keeper has been playing local football for about 10 years, and said more of her mates were taking it up.
“It is just incredible to see it grow,” Chapman said.
THE CATHEDRAL SCHOOL
GINGER COX, YEAR 10
Athletics
Achievements:
15 year old Ginger Cox represented Queensland in the Australian National Track and Field Championships (Under 17s) placing 4th in the 1500m, 1st in the steeplechase and 7th in the 3000m. She was also crowned the Townsville Road Runners ‘Queen of the Hill’ recently, winning the female Castle Hill race and finishing 6th overall (male and female).
Photos: MTS Photography (Michael Thomas). Podium Photo: Ginger Cox
GRACE ABDY, YEAR 12
Cricket
Achievements:
In the last week of school in term 1 I competed at the QLD school girls State Championships for Capricornia as Northern doesn’t have a team. We finished the carnival coming 4th overall and myself being the highest run scorer of the carnival with a total of 184 runs averaging just over 60 also leading into a selection in the QLD state team. Later the next week I went Albury/Wodonga to play in the Open Women QLD Country team scoring just over 50 for the carnival. In the second week of school, I was also selected to play in the Open Women’s QLD Indigenous team although the trip was sadly cancelled due to rain.
HUNTER BOSCHEN, YEAR 9
Achievements:
· Competed in 3 World Titles
· Oceania 1st and 4th
· Qualifying for The World Championships
· 1st and 4th National series ·
HEATH FISHER, YEAR 8
Motocross
Achievements:
No 1 Motor Cross Rider at The Freestone Spring Champions (equivalent to a State Championship, very rare for an outside of US competitor to win). He is heading back to America shortly to compete.
JETT ZIELSKI, YEAR 9
National Age Champion Jiu Jitsu 2022.
SOPHIE DAVIS, YEAR 10
Hockey
Achievements:
Co-Captain QLD under 15 National Champions Hockey Team
Even as she approaches just her first year of under-15s, Doherty is confident Sophie Davis will assume a leadership role very quickly in Townsville hockey.
A player he described as dynamic, Doherty said her ability and nature had her primed to bestow the wisdom she gains in the Queensland camp upon her teammates to inspire those she comes across on the field.
“I’m looking for a fair bit of leadership opportunity for her to be honest, to bring that Queensland level back to Townsville and help her teammates push themselves,” Doherty said.
“I think she’ll be exposure to some really quality older players so it’s important she soaks up as much of that experience as she can.
SOUTHERN CROSS CATHOLIC COLLEGE
LACHLAN JONES – AFL
Lachlan Jones represented the North Queensland U/15 AFL team at the State Championships in Hervey Bay during Term 2. Lachlan was a member of the leadership group within the team and played a number of roles for the team during the carnival. His strong performance throughout the carnival resulted in him being named in the Queensland team.
Lachlan will travel with the Queensland team to Lavington, NSW in July to compete at the National Championships.
ADAM JORGENSEN – ATHLETICS
During Term 1 Adam competed at the State Athletic Championships where he came 3rd in both long and triple jump, 4th in the 100m hurdles and first in the 300m hurdles where he broke the state record. Also during Term 1 Adam attended the National Athletics Championships in Sydney where he placed 9th in the 100m hurdles, 8th in Long jump and 6th in triple jump, the 400m hurdles didn’t go to plan.
During Term 2 Adam competed for the Regional Australia team at the Oceania Area International Championships where he came 5th in the 110m hurdles, 4th in Long Jump and first in the 400m hurdles. He also came 3rd in the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays.
Adam is in the High Performance Program here at Southern Cross, his hard work and training pays off!
GABE RICHARDS - SOCCER
We are really proud of our student, Gabe, who has been saving goals at a high level for quite a few years now.
Gabe is a Football (Soccer) Goalkeeper who has represented our region on multiple occasions since Under 10. At this age, he was chosen as the Townsville representative Goalkeeper as well as the Goalkeeper of the year at the Filippo Mele Memorial carnival. The very next year, he was chosen to represent North Queensland.
Gabe has been part of the Football Queensland representative program, the “Talent Support Program” for the past couple of years. At only 13 years of age, Gabe regularly plays for his U15/16A club team and has recently been chosen as the U16 Northern Schoolboys Goalkeeper.
He is a dedicated sportsperson, spending many hours each week at training, including additional Academy training as well as Professional Goalkeeping Tuition (PGT). Luckily his family love their football as they spend a lot of time visiting places like Cairns and the Gold Coast during their school holidays so Gabe (and his younger brother Elliott – who is also a representative Goalkeeper!) can play in various competitions and carnivals
including a Premier Invitational Carnival on the Gold Coast. Gabe’s achievements have involved hard work and dedication while displaying sportsmanship as well. We look forward to his ongoing achievements in the “beautiful game” in the future.
REMI BISHOP – RUGBY LEAGUE
Remi Bishop started her Rugby League journey at Southern Cross Catholic College in 2019 when the school implemented a Rugby League Development Program for both boys and girls. Throughout her short time in the game, she has continually developed and in 2021 at just 17 years of age was rewarded with selection in the U19 Townsville Blackhawks team. Her experience playing high level statewide Rugby League in 2021 aided in her rapid development, cementing a place in the 2022 U19 Townsville Blackhawks team in the centres, gaining selection in the 16-18 Years Northern Schoolgirls team and being named as a shadow for the 16-18 years QLD Schoolgirls at the state championships. While illness ruled her out of the Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Confro Carnival, her development didn’t stop, with selection in the Queensland Under 19 Sapphires team who competed at the National Championships in June this year and being recognised by the North Queensland Cowboys, with a call up to train with the North Queensland Goldstars on occasions, which was a great development opportunity. With the North Queensland Cowboys gaining an NRLW licence for 2023, we hope to see Remi’s development reach further heights and hopefully she achieves her next goal of being a future North Queensland Cowboys NRLW player.
WILLIAM ROSS STATE HIGH SCHOOL
HUNTER BRISCHETTO
Qld Primary Schoolboys Cricket
NQ Primary Schoolboys Cricket – captain
NQ U13 Club Cricket – Captain
Highest run scorer in junior cricket 2021/22 season
Selected in the Brisbane Premier League U14 competition for the Coastal Marlins
MADELYN GALLAGHER
NQ Primary Schoolgirls Softball
NQ Swimming Team
U13 Townsville Blackhawks Oz Tag
ARCHIE KEHL
NQ U15 Schoolboys Touch Football
NQ U14 Boys Cyclones Touch Football Team
EMILY DRIEHUIS
NQ Open Schoolgirls Touch Football
NQ U16 Girls Cyclones Touch Football Team
JADE WALKOM
FNQ U15 Schoolgirls AFL (travelled to Cairns to trail as NQ didn’t have a team)
Member of the Gold Coast Suns AFL Academy
AMEALIA-ROSE HOISS
NQ Schoolgirls Athletics (1st on North Queensland)
MORE NEWS:
Video: ‘Alarm’ at spike in crashes with cane trains
Former NQ doctor accused of rape
Gaming manager bets $30K of employer’s money on Keno
Originally published as Nala Iosefo, Sarah Bourke, Sienna Monteith: Townsville’s best school sport stars revealed
The powerplay that makes Katter Qld’s kingmakers
One of Australia’s most stable and unified minor parties has showed its hand with a calculated declaration that could decide who becomes the next premier, writes Hayden Johnson.
SCRAPPED: Strand paid parking rollout paused
The Townsville City Council have voted in favour in a unanimous decision to overturn the rollout of paid parking in The Strand, Palmer St and The Pimlico Precinct.