Every athlete nominated for Sports Darling Downs senior and junior sports star of the year awards

One of the biggest nights on the Darling Downs sporting calendar is here with the annual Sports Darling Downs awards night being held this Saturday. Check out the 24 athletes nominated for two of the biggest sporting prizes in the region.

Mackenzie Grimes celebrates winning the 2023 Sports Darling Downs Junior Sport Star of the Year award. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The region’s best athletes will be recognised on Saturday night with the annual Sports Darling Downs awards night back for another year.

Among the several awards up for grabs, there are two which hold the most significance, the junior and senior sports stars of the year.

With 12 athletes nominated for each category, check out all 24 local sports stars vying for the top awards.

Junior sports star of the year

January – Bailey Harm – Swimming

At the Queensland Swimming Sprint Championships Harm won the gold medal in the 15 years 50m freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke.

He also competed in the School Sport Australia National Championships where he won the gold medal in the 16 years 100m freestyle, silver in the 50m freestyle and bronze in the 50m backstroke and breaststroke.

February – Tiffany Ham – Volleyball

Ham starred in the youth volleyball scene, earning a call-up to the Volleyball Australia Indoor Youth National School.

March – Dusty Schroder – BMX Racing

In the sport of BMX racing Schroder is the current girls’ 12 years Oceania, Australian and Queensland Champion on the 20 inch bike and cruiser bike.

She is currently ranked fourth in the world in the girls’ 12 years division on the cruiser bike.

Her efforts earnt her automatic qualification to represent Australia at the BMX World Championships in Copenhagen this year.

April – Porter White – Track Cycling

White claimed first place in the men’s under 17 Queensland Time Trial Championships and the Queensland Individual Time Trial Series.

At the Australian Junior Track Championships he won the gold medal in the Men’s under 17 team pursuit and bronze in the under 17 scratch race.

May – Stella Suey – Hockey

Suey was vice-captain of the Queensland side which claimed the national under-16 championships after going undefeated throughout the competition.

She was also selected for the Queensland under-18 side and will line up for the Australian Joeys development squad which till tour Europe in 2025.

Gold Coast Titans v Brisbane North Cougars U16 Nissan State Titles grand final. Pictured: Simone Botha catches the ball

June – Simone Botha – Netball

After an impressive 2023, Botha had a breakout 2024 and asserted herself as one of the rising stars of Queensland netball.

After a strong performance for the under-17 Queensland side, she was called into the Australian under-17 squad and selected for the Queensland Firebirds Future Academy.

She was also named in the Queensland under-19 Schoolgirls team.

July – Mackenzie Grimes – Swimming

Fresh off the back of a stunning 2023 where she took out the Junior Sports Star of the Year award, Grimes was once again a force to be reckoned with in the pool.

At the National Age Swimming Championships she won the gold medal in the girls’ 15 years 50m backstroke and silver in the 200m backstroke.

She picked up one gold, a silver and a bronze medal in individual events at the Australian Schools Swimming Championships.

Grimes also featured in the mixed medley relay and girls’ medley relay teams and won gold in both events.

August – Bryce Krause – Swimming

Krause is another who has been in fine form in the pool as he starred at the Australian Schools Swimming Championships.

He took home the gold medal in the 14 years 50m backstroke - setting a new Australian record along the way - and also won gold in the 100m backstroke.

He set a new Australian record at the Queensland Short Course Swimming Championships in the 50m backstroke and set a record time in the same event at the Queensland Swimming Championships.

September – Lucinda Barnes – Cross Country

Barnes won the gold medal in the girls’ under-12 3km and 5 x 1km relay at the Queensland School Sport Cross Country Championships.

She took home the silver medal in the under-13 3km events at the School Sport Australia Cross Country Championships and Australian Cross Country Championships.

Lilli Hamilton of the Heat celebrates dismissing Georgia Voll of the Thunder during the T20 Spring Challenge match between Sydney Thunder and Brisbane Heat. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

October – Lilli Hamilton – Cricket

It has been a breakout season for Hamilton as she kickstarted the summer of cricket with a call-up to the extended Australian under-19 women’s squad and played for the Brisbane Heat in the T20 Spring Challenge.

“It was awesome, I was very, very happy to be a part of it,” she told this masthead after the T20 challenge.

“I actually only got told the day before that I was going.

“I got told on the Wednesday and we flew out on the Thursday so I didn’t really have much time to like mentally process it, but it was pretty exciting.

“A lot (of players) in that Brisbane Heat team, I also played with them in club, so it is good to be a little more competitive with them.”

Her unforgettable summer continued into the new year as she was called up to make her debut for the Queensland Fire in the WNCL in January.

Darling Downs athlete Cedar Johnson

November – Cedar Johnson – Athletics

At the Australian Junior Athletics Championships Johnson picked up a bronze medal in the boys’ under-15 1500m.

He followed this up with the gold medal in the 3000m, breaking the national record and a gold in the 2000m steeplechase at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships.

Speaking to this masthead, Johnson was over the moon to with his performances and revealed he dreams of making the 2032 Olympics.

“It felt great to set a record and I’m very proud,” Johnson said.

“I reckon it kind of hits you (breaking a record) a day or two afterwards, you’re kinda like ‘wow’.”

December – Scarlett Sippel – Touch Football

Sippel co-captained the Queensland 13-15 years girls’ touch football team to a gold medal

win at the Australian School Sport Touch Football Championships.

Her efforts were rewarded with selection into the Australian School Sport touch football merit team and was also named in the Australian Emus under-18 squad.

Senior sports star of the year

Sienna Deurloo after being named the 2022 Junior Sports Star of the Year. Picture: Nev Madsen.

January – Sienna Deurloo – Swimming

Sienna competed at the Australian Open Water Swimming Championships at Busselton

where she won the gold medal in the 19 years 5km and took home silver in the 10km event. She was selected in the Australian team to compete in the World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships in Italy and won the silver medal in the 1500m freestyle at the Australian Open Swimming Championships.

February – Ashley Bidgood – Target Rifle Shooting

Bidgood is the world champion in the sport of target rifle long range shooting after

competing as a member of the Australian rifle team at the World Long Range Team

Championships in South Africa.

March – Hugh Campbell – Ice Hockey

Campbell earnt selection in the Australia under-18 ice hockey team for the Ice Hockey Federation World Championships in Spain.

He was a member of the Queensland men’s and under-18 sides which competed in the 2024 National Championships.

April – Edward Rogan – Athletics

At the Queensland Athletics Championships Rogan won the gold medal in the under-20 javelin with a throw of 68.11m.

He followed this up with the gold medal at the Australian Athletics Championships.

Rogan was then selected for the Australian under-20 side to compete at the World Athletics Championships.

May – Holly Gilbar – Hockey

Gilbar was a member of the Australian Open Women’s Hockey 5’s team when they competed

at the inaugural Hockey 5’s World Cup in Oman.

She was the vice-captain of the Australian Country field hockey side to tour New Zealand and was also named in the Australian Indoor Hockey World Cup squad.

June – Connor Larsen – Athletics

Larsen claimed the silver medal at the open men’s high jump at the Queensland Athletics Championships with a personal best of 2.1m.

He then equalled his person best to claim fifth place at the Australian Athletics Championships.

Tatum Stewart of Team Australia celebrates scoring her team's second goal with teammates during the Quarter Final Women's match between Australia and People's Republic of China on day ten of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

July – Tatum Stewart – Hockey

While it was an injury interrupted year for the Brisbane Blaze and Hockeyroos star, it was still a year which will live long in the memory of Stewart.

The 22-year-old made her Olympics debut at the Paris 2024 Games and wasted no time in making an impact as she scored the winning goal in Australia’s opening pool game.

Stewart was a force to be reckoned with from set pieces as she scored three goals during the team’s run to the quarter-finals.

Toowoomba Marathon Visit Toowoomba Region 5km event winner Brielle Erbacher. Photo: Supplied

August – Brielle Erbacher – Athletics

At the Australian Athletics Championships which included the Olympic trials Erbacher crossed the line in fourth in 3000m steeplechase, just missing out on a position on the Australian Olympic team.

However, she finished first in the 5km Bridge to Brisbane run and first in the 10km Perth Running Festival.

September – Matthew Hawthorne – Hockey

Hawthorne was a member of the Queensland under-21 men’s hockey side which claimed the bronze medal at the Australian Under 21 Championships.

He was a member of the Queensland under-18 side that picked up a silver medal and was also selected in the Australian Futures under-18 squad.

October – Jai Gordon – Athletics

At the Queensland Athletics Open Championships Gordon finished second in the 100m.

He then finished fifth in the men’s 100m final at the Australian Open Athletics Championships.

Competing at the Australian University Athletics Championships Gordon won the gold medal in the 100m, breaking his own UniSport national record with 10.26 seconds.

November – Tom Campbell – Hockey

Campbell was a member of the Queensland under-21 hockey team which took home the bronze medal in the Australian Championships and was also selected in the under-21 Australian side to compete against Malaysia.

He is also a member of the Brisbane Blaze Hockey One squad who won the bronze medal

at the Australian Championships. He has been selected in the Australian under-21 Men’s team to

play a series against Malaysia and is a member of the Brisbane Blaze Hockey team.

Jackson 'Stoneleigh' Griffiths lands a punch on Thailand's Anuson Thonglueang during the fight for the WBC World Youth Welterweight Title. Picture: Darren Burns

December – Jackson Griffiths – Boxing

2024 was the year which Jackson Griffiths sent a statement to boxers across the world that he is going to be a force in the sport for many years to come.

He kickstarted 2024 in style, winning the WBC World Youth Title in March before defending his Australasian title in his home town of Pittsworth.

In one of his most highly anticipated bouts yet, he took on former world champion Miguel Vazquez and came out on top to win the WBC Grand Australasian Title in November to round out another unbeaten year.