Nine who shine: School sports stars of tomorrow
These nine aspiring athletes from top Victorian schools are balancing their studies with their preparations to become future star athletes.
These nine aspiring student athletes from country Victoria are determined to make their mark in all codes and competitions.
While keeping up their studies, the following rural secondary students are also well on track to realise their sporting dreams.
HAYLEY BARKLEY, SWIMMING, METHODIST LADIES’ COLLEGE
For Year 11 Methodist Ladies’ College student Hayley Barkley, from Corowa NSW, competitive swimming isn’t just about how fast she can pull herself through the water or follow the black line at the bottom of the pool.
It is about seeing the challenges she can overcome, the growth she can make over time, the people she calls friends and teammates, and the places she gets to see.
Having competed at junior and state level, Hayley hopes to reach Nationals next year.
“Swimming is such a great sport to be a part of as it is so encouraging, competitive, rewarding, fun and enjoyable,” Hayley says. “Swimming makes up the best parts of my life, filled with memories I will never forget.”
DAISY SUDHOLZ, ATHLETICS, BALLARAT CLARENDON COLLEGE
Ballarat Clarendon boarder and competitive runner Daisy Sudholz, from Horsham, has the Commonwealth Games in her sights after winning both the U17 1500m and 3km titles at the Australian National Athletics Championships.
The Year 11 student runs every day, attends three gym sessions a week and races every weekend in season. Next year she hopes to make the World Junior team for athletics and eventually the Commonwealth Games.
“I am generally a very self-motivated person but connection in sport helps a lot. I have a really fun training group in Ballarat so even though the trainings are challenging I still love it,” she says.
JAMISON TOWERS, ATHLETICS, THE GEELONG COLLEGE
Disciplined Year 8 student Jamison Towers has proven that whatever she puts her mind to, she can achieve.
The Geelong College student is a back-to-back Nationals champion after winning gold in the U15 long jump, silver in the 90m hurdles and bronze in the 200m hurdles at the Australian Track and Field Championships.
She has competed at three Nationals and was second in Australia for the heptathlon.
“I want to make the 2024 World Juniors and the Commonwealth Games 2026, 2028 LA Olympics
and 2032 Brisbane Olympics in the heptathlon,” Jamison says.
“This is the sport that I love and I want to go far in it. I believe that whatever I put my mind to I can do because one day it will come down to mindset.”
ALWYN DAVEY JR, AFL, XAVIER COLLEGE
For Xavier College student and proud Kokatha man Alwyn Davey Jr, football is not only a way to represent his family but also his culture and people.
The talented Year 12 boarder from Palmerston in Darwin has represented the NT, played in the NTFL Premier League at the age of 15, been a member of the James Hird Academy at Essendon Football Club for four years and was recently invited to complete the AFL pre-season with Essendon. He is a member of the Oakleigh Chargers NAB League team and the Xavier College First XVIII.
Alwyn says his dad, uncle and brother Jayden all played competitive football and encouraged him to play.
“My family have a long and proud history in AFL football,” Alwyn says. “It has allowed me to learn new skills both on and off the field and make great connections and friendships. I am hoping to be drafted to the AFL this year and play AFL football while studying zoology. I also hope to be a leader in my community.”
TOM TEMPLETON, HOCKEY, THE HAMILTON AND ALEXANDRA COLLEGE
Twelve-year-old Tom Templeton dreams of playing hockey for Australia and is working hard to achieve it.
The Hamilton and Alexandra College Year 7 student not only plays in both the U16 and Division 4 College teams but was selected in the 2021 School Sport Victoria State team and the U13 Academy State Team, which involved twice weekly training in Melbourne.
“I love everything about hockey. The skills, the speed, the team connections and camaraderie. Keeping fit for hockey helps with all aspects of life,” Tom says.
“I love the team environment and playing with both older and younger players. I hope to start coaching a younger College hockey team in the next couple of years.”
MYAH HEALEY, BASKETBALL, NETBALL, WOODCHOPPING, ST PAUL’S ANGLICAN GRAMMAR
Talented all-rounder Myah Healey is not only focused on achieving incredible things in basketball and netball but aims to compete at the highest possible level in woodchopping as well.
The Year 12 St Paul’s Anglican Grammar student from Warragul plays basketball for Dandenong Rangers in Youth League and NBL1, played in the U20s Victorian Navy Team in the Australian Championships at Mackay in Queensland, plays for Casey Demons U19s in the Victorian Netball League and competes in woodchopping across Victoria and interstate.
Myah has a string of state and national championships under her belt already. She is passionate about all three sports and said they complement each other.
“Sport has given me different groups of friends, given me leaderships skills that I can use in other aspects of life, given me a purpose, but most of all enjoyment,” she says.
TOM CLARK, CLAY TARGET SHOOTING, MONIVAE COLLEGE
Putting on a green and gold shooting jacket is Tom Clark’s ultimate goal and if the accolades already under his belt are anything to go by, the dream is well within reach.
The Year 10 Monivae College student is from a farm at Warrayure, near Hamilton, and represented Victoria this year in the junior team at the Australian Clay Target Association National Championships at Wagga Wagga in NSW. He has had back-to-back selection in the South West Zone junior team for the Victorian State Titles at Echuca, won the Overall Junior High Gun at the SA State Titles in Adelaide, and competed at the 2019 National titles in Queensland at Roma.
“Clay target shooting is a great sport to be part of because I get to interact with people of all ages and travel around and see difference places,” Tom says.
“With clay target shooting you build really strong relationships with fellow shooters that will last a lifetime. Everyone is so supportive and helpful within the clay target shooting community and everyone is always encouraging and supporting up-and-coming juniors.”
PHOEBE RUSSELL, FIELD HOCKEY, ST CATHERINE’S SCHOOL
Since she was five years old, Phoebe Russell has been involved in field hockey and her list of achievements over 13 years is longer than you could poke a stick at.
The Year 11 St Catherine’s student has played for the Victorian state team for six years, come second at the 2018 National’s tournament and won the player of the tournament in the same year, won three consecutive grand finals from 2017 to 2019 in her previous open women’s club in regional Victoria, made this year’s U18 Victorian women’s first team, and received the Hawthorn Premier League reserves open women’s best and fairest player as the youngest player in the team
in 2019.
Originally from a farm near Balmoral in western Victoria, Phoebe hopes to make the U21 Victorian state team this year and her long-term goal is to be selected in the U18 Australian futures squad and eventually the Jillaroos and Australian teams.
“Hockey is a source of determination and resilience and is so important to me because it shows me what I can do when I put my mind to something,” she says.
TEDDY RIPPER, SWIMMING, GIPPSLAND GRAMMAR
The camaraderie felt from other swimmers and coaches is what Gippsland Grammar student Teddy Ripper loves best about competitive swimming.
The talented Year 9 student recently qualified for four events at Nationals and made the finals in three, including a silver medal in the 200m breaststroke. At the Victorian State Championships, Teddy competed in the breaststroke relay and came first in the 200m, second in the 100m and third in the 50m finals. He also qualified in the 200m individual medley for Nationals. Last season he was selected for the Swimming Victoria Junior Performance Squad, School Sports Victoria Team Victoria squad, and the Gippsland Sports Academy Performance Squad.
“There are so many aspects of swimming that I love,” Teddy says.
“I really enjoy being part of the Sale Swimming Club because everyone wants everyone else to succeed and I love that comradeship. I really enjoy the challenge of just training every day and seeing improvement, even if it’s just gradual on things like my technique or my strokes. If I put in the work, I see improvement.”
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