Sportswomen of South West Qld making region proud

Whether it’s on the field or in the water, South West Queensland is is home to an abundance of female sporting talent making their mark. See the list here.

Southwest Queensland is home to a number of talented sportswomen who have continued to prove their abilities on the big stage.

From the field to the water South West Queensland has continued to produce a number of star athletes.

Some of the region’s top female performers have seen their talents play out on national and international stages.

Among those well-known faces are many young sportswomen who are quickly making their mark.

See the list of sportswomen making their country towns proud below.

BETHANY MOORE-KIRKLAND & ELLIZA MOORE-KIRKLAND

Bethany and Elliza Moore-Kirkland are two of Warwick's rising sports stars quickly making a name for themselves.

The Warwick sisters have continued to prove their skills in their respective sports, recently competing at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships.

Their coach Tom Bradbury was ever impressed with the girls’ efforts at the event and their continued growth.

Bethany was sixth in the 3000m walk and Elliza finished 10th in the 400m hurdles.

MAEVE MOORE

Allora swimming master Maeve Moore. Photo: Supplied

Allora young gun Maeve Moore already has an impressive number of wins under her belt at just the age of 12.

Maeve competed as part of the School Sport Australia Swimming championships in Southport earlier this year, taking out second place in the girls aged 12 category 200 LC metre freestyle relay.

At the School Sport Australia National Championships in 2023, Maeve finished fourth place in the country competing as part of the Queensland Swim Team.

HARRIET HUDSON

Amanda Bateman (left) and Harriet Hudson won the double scull at World Cup III in Poznan, Poland, the final international regatta before the Olympics. Photo: Rowing Australia

Warwick’s Olympic rowing champion Harriet Hudson first had her dreams come true in 2021 when she competed at the Tokyo Olympics.

Harriet also represented her country at the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside a number of other southwest sports stars.

DENIKA MURRAY

Beating out Laura Geitz’ long jump record at the Border Athletics Carnival in 2019, Denika has continued to prove her talents.

Denika’s sporting talents also extend to triple jump, javelin and rugby league, named alongside her sister Kiah as among the top players at the 2024 Toowoomba Warriors Reconciliation Carnival.

ZARA KRUGER

Zara Kruger plays for Young Matildas.

The 18-year-old has been welcomed back to Brisbane Roar for the 2024/25 Liberty A-League season, after a stint playing for Sydney FC.

A former student of Scots PGC in Warwick, Zara has previously played in the Darling Downs representative side, West Wanderers in Toowoomba and the Queensland Schoolgirls team.

Zara told Warwick Daily News in 2023 she first played football in Warwick with the under-7 team, and is always trying to improve at the beautiful game.

“It’s a great environment to play in, I like the intensity and there’s a lot more training, but it’s been something I’ve been working towards since I was young,” she said.

AMY LORENZ

Roma girl Amy Lorenz was among three other Darling Downs rising stars who played in the Australian Schoolgirls Rugby Sevens touring team in New Zealand. Photo: Australian Sports Federation

The Roma teenager was one of three southwest Queensland rugby stars to be named in the inaugural Australian Schoolgirls Rugby 7s touring team.

The touring team played in New Zealand from December 13-15, with Lorenz set to follow in the footsteps of fellow Roma girl and Rugby 7’s Olympic gold medallist Emilee Cherry.

LUCY BOURKE

Junior cricketers Lily Bassingthwaite, Hugh Weibgen, and Lucy Bourke will be in the prime of their careers when cricket will be in the Olympics, Allan Border Field, Albion. Picture: Liam Kidston

Warwick’s cricket star Lucy Bourke has featured in the Brisbane Heat’s T20 Spring Challenge and is also part of the Queensland Fire squad.

Bourke’s talent has only taken her from strength to strength, making her a prime shoe-in for the 2032 Olympics.

MORGAN O’LEARY

Warwick rising gymnastics superstar Morgan O'Leary. Photo: Contributed

The 17-year-old impressed at the Queensland Senior State Championships in 2023 where she took home new PBs.

O’Leary was among a number of Warwick gymnasts who walked away from a fantastic performance at the event.

CHARLOTTE CASLICK

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DECEMBER 01: Charlotte Caslick of Australia runs the ball for a try during the semi-final match between Great Britain and Australia on day two of the HSBC SVNS at The Sevens Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Christopher Pike/Getty Images)

Rugby gun Charlotte Caslick competed in her third Olympics in 2024 and is highly regarded for her speed and talents on the field.

Caslick owns a cattle property at Stanthorpe and although is Brisbane-born, has been embraced with open arms by the Southern Downs region.

MADELINE GLEESON, ANNABEL GLEESON, ANITA SHEPHERD & MELISSA KERR

Warwick trio Madeline Gleeson, Annabel Gleeson and Anita Shepherd alongside Stanthorpe’s Melissa Kerr represented the state at the Australian Polocrosse Nationals in Chinchilla back in June.

The Southern Downs has widely adopted the sport with three active clubs in Warwick, Killarney and Cunningham.

Warwick Polocrosse president Les Fraser said the sport is only growing in the bush.

“The sport has never been bigger in Warwick, we’ve got three active clubs – at Warwick, Killarney and Cunningham – that could field seven or eight teams each, enough for its own league,” Fraser said.

“The sport is going strong and is evolving, we’ve got more ladies and juniors playing than ever before, and many generational players that are passing the sport down.”

If you think there’s a young sportswoman who should be on this list, email their name and sporting achievements to [e-mail].

Originally published as Sportswomen of South West Qld making region proud