The Mermaids water polo club has 24 players named in LA Olympic Games national youth squads
The Mermaids water polo club has 24 players named in Australian youth water polo squads while an additional 14 Queenslanders from either All Hallows’ School, Barracudas or St Rita’s College have also made squads preparing for the 2028 LA Olympics.
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The Mermaids water polo club has 24 players named in Australian youth water polo squads while an additional 14 Queenslanders from either All Hallows’ School or St Rita’s College have also made squads preparing for the 2028 LA Olympic Games.
The girls are part of Launch to LA (Olympics) training camps and recently impressed during a series of talent identification sessions.
They will now attend Water Polo Australia camps in September-October on the Sunshine Coast.
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“Due to the cancellation of the national championships the main purpose of the Launch to LA Camps is to select the Australian Cadet (16 and under) and Youth (18 and under) squads for the next 15 months until the 2021 nationals,’’ explained Mermaids head coach Nicole Johnson who co-founded the Mermaids club with her husband Lance in 2014.
She said following the September-October camps, squads will be chosen for a national camp next April and an international tour next June-July - COVID-19 restrictions pending. There were also hopes for a December Test series.
The Mermaids players in the 18 years and under Launch to LA squad are Paige Black
Kate Blew, Olivia Camilleri, Lily Carrick, Mary Comiskey, Lulu Elliott, Sabine Hatzipetrou, Emily Humphries, Tori Kininmonth, Molly Nasser, Lara Owen, Lucy Peers, Ruby Pinn, Gabrielle Seccombe and Isabel Scott.
“This is another great achievement for the club and recognition of the high calibre of coaching that is in the club program as well as the high level of training and commitment that the girls, and their parents, put into their water polo,’’ Johnson said.
They will be joined by fellow Queenslanders Olivia Camilleri, (St Rita’s), Lily Garrick (St Rita’s), Lesha Feeney (Barracudas), Hannah Fredericks (All Hallows’), Eve Garth (All Hallows’), Anigale Houston (St Rita’s) and Amelia Watt (St Rita’s) in the 18 years and under national squad.
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The Mermaids club players in the cadet (16 years and under) national squad are Annie Cowan, Fifi Crimmins, Louisa Downes, Meg Hofstee, Mia Freeman, Chelsea Johnson, Olivia Muir, Emma Pickering and Taafili Taoso.
Other Queenslanders named in the 16 years squad include Lauren Brownhill (All Hallows’ School), Olivia Bryam (All Hallows’ School), Phoebe Fredericks (All Hallows’ School), Grace Gallagher (All Hallows’ School), Tilly Hughes (St Rita’s), Phoebe McGuire (All Hallows’ School), Horatia Schlect (St Rita’s).
“The girls will continue to train about 5-6 sessions per week in the pool throughout term 3 as they prepare for the WPA Launch to LA Camp,’’ Johnson said.
Originally published as The Mermaids water polo club has 24 players named in LA Olympic Games national youth squads
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