ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ

Surfers Paradise delivered warm weather, calm seas, and bright sunshine for this year’s UniSport Nationals, a welcome change from last year’s blustery conditions in Canberra. The event brought together more than 6,000 university students from across Australia to compete in over 30 sports. ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç once again fielded a strong team of over 300 student athletes, including many from the ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç Elite Athlete Program (EAP). 

After not fielding a team last year, ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç returned to the AFL 9s competition with purpose. The team started slow with two losses but rebounded strongly to win four consecutive group matches, finishing third in Group B. Despite this run of form, their playoff campaign ended in the quarter finals, securing 8th overall.

Badminton continued to be a strong point for ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ. The women’s team, led by EAP athletes Isabella Yan, Carina Sam, and Sydney Tjonadi, captured the gold medal after an impressive campaign. Having lost to UQ in the group stage, they turned the tables in the gold medal match, winning 3 to 2 to reclaim top spot. The men’s team, featuring EAPs Asher Ooi and Rashan Rajkumar, narrowly missed back-to-back titles. Missing teammate Ricky Tang due to international duties, the squad went undefeated until the gold medal match, where they fell 3 to 2 to Monash University.

Basketball again saw one of ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼǒs largest groups of EAP athletes. The men’s team, Leon Bailey, Melvin Chan, Jacob Corry, Joshua Louttit, Luca Madella, Marlon Reid, Alec Ryan, and Lachlan Stone, finished top of their pool after a dominant group stage. They were narrowly defeated by Macquarie University in the semi-finals and placed 4th overall.

The women’s side, featuring Danielle Campos, Madeleine Coman, Pippa Davis, Xanthe Fitzgerald, Kirsty Gill, Jasinta Haydar, Gabrielle Neal, Emily Nguyen, and Victoria Vale, found their rhythm late, winning their final three pool matches but missing out on finals qualification.

With temperatures exceeding 30°C, ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼǒs beach volleyball squads battled challenging conditions. The men’s team finished 12th, while the two mixed teams placed 5th and 6th, impressive results in one of Nationals’ most physically demanding competitions.

Our cycling team managed to finish 7th overall in a very strong class of competitors across 10 universities. 

ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼǒs fencers brought home an impressive medal haul. The men’s sabre team, including EAPs Peam Palakawongse Na Ayutthaya and Zeno Radnoti, earned bronze, while Caleb Yong claimed silver in the men’s foil.

In the women’s events, Ella Ball, Renee Cheung, Ellen Liu, and Sze Yan Nicole Wong secured silver in the team epee. 2024 Vice Chancellor’s Blues recipient Aedyn Pratley took bronze in the men’s epee and silver in the team event alongside Alexander Clancy, Nick Peters, and Zabedee Tan.

The novice divisions also delivered standout results: Jocelyn Keung took gold in the women’s sabre, while ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç achieved a clean sweep in the men’s sabre with Vivek Singleton, Ming Ngai Maurice Chiu, and Zhihang Chen taking gold, silver, and bronze respectively.

Dodgeball made its UniSport Nationals debut this year, with ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç finishing 5th overall. The team adapted quickly to the format, laying the groundwork for future campaigns.

ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼǒs men’s football team claimed a historic gold medal, the first in over 15 years. Led by EAPs William Friend, Angus Martin, and Domenico Abruzzese, and coached by Thomas Wharton, the team overcame a tense final against the University of Sydney. After a 1 to 1 draw in extra time, ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç won the penalty shootout with flawless execution and a decisive miss from Sydney’s final kicker.

The women’s football team, featuring EAPs Meg Simpson, Sonali Singh, Natalie Milenkovski, Alessia Dal Pane, and Sophia Karatasos, finished 7th after a narrow loss to Monash University in the quarter finals.

The men’s futsal team finished 10th after strong group stage performances.

In golf, defending gold medallists Saahil Nanda and Henry Pike were unable to replicate last year’s success, finding the Queensland conditions more challenging than Canberra’s cooler climate.

Hockey saw Georgina O’Sullivan representing ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç in the women’s competition, with the team finishing 12th, while the men’s team placed 8th overall.

ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼǒs mixed lacrosse 5s team had a solid campaign, conceding the fewest goals in the tournament but falling 7 to 5 to USYD in the bronze medal match.

After winning gold last year, ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼǒs lawn bowls team finished 5th, still a strong showing for a fresh lineup.

The mixed netball team produced a polished campaign to win gold, defeating UTS 43 to 36 in the final. Coached by Mitchell McBurnie, the team, including EAPs Chad Buckman, Nic Mulquiney, Reuben Hansen, and Abbie Worswick, were composed and cohesive across the week.

The women’s team, coached by NSW Swifts player and ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç Ben Lexcen Scholar Sophie Fawns, finished outside the medals but showed steady improvement through the tournament.

The mixed Oztag team finished 9th after a series of close matches, falling short of improving on last year’s 4th place result.

In rowing, Gina Browning took silver in the women’s Para 3 Single Scull, while the women’s eight and men’s lightweight double scull both finished 4th.

Rugby 7s saw the men’s team finish 7th and the women’s 8th, with powerhouse UTS claiming both golds.

ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç earned bronze in sailing, a notable achievement in a discipline where the university has been building depth over recent years.

In squash, ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç fell just short of the podium, losing to UTS 87 to 73 in the bronze medal match.

The surfing squad took advantage of early morning swells, with the men’s team finishing 6th and the women’s 8th, placing 8th overall in combined standings.

Taekwondo once again proved to be a strength for ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ, with both the men’s and women’s teams winning gold. EAP athlete and Vice Chancellor’s Blues recipient Ryan Lee led from the front. While the kendo and judo squads didn’t medal this year, they demonstrated steady progress.

The men’s tennis team secured silver in Division 2 after a close final against Deakin University, while the women’s team missed the podium.

ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼǒs touch football squad fielded only a mixed team this year but made a strong impact, earning silver in Division 2 after a 7 to 6 loss to UTS in a tightly contested final.

Ultimate Frisbee’s mixed team, The Stubbies, featured seven EAP athletes, Saskia Blackburn, Mack Calder, Elysia Chua, Mayley Gao, Jenna Kim, Anita Ung, and Alexander Yecies. After an excellent pool stage, they were edged out 10 to 7 by Melbourne University in the bronze medal match.

Volleyball featured nine EAP athletes, Ashley Parkes, Henry Pham, Mobin Shafeian, Joshua Tato, Markus Zarak, Justin Zhang, David Zhou, Jennifer Kim, and Karan Dahiya. The men’s team finished 5th, while the women’s placed 6th.

In water polo, the men’s team finished 5th and the women’s 10th, with EAPs Rhys Pattern Richens, Lexie Tait, and Stephanie Reade making valuable contributions.

While ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç didn’t match its 4th place overall finish from Canberra, the results in Surfers Paradise reflected a balanced and competitive performance across multiple sports. Every team showed commitment and camaraderie, hallmarks of ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼǒs sporting identity.

The event’s success was made possible by Arc Sport, whose staff ensured smooth operations for over 300 student athletes, coordinating logistics, accommodation, and wellbeing. Special thanks go to James Yau, Matt Corso, Dan Kwon, Ollie Karras, Charli Rose Ellis, Keira Good, Jo Stephens (photographer), Hayley Stanford, and physios Sam King, Josh Wong, and Enrique Ng, whose work behind the scenes supported ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼǒs athletes from start to finish.

ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç leaves Surfers Paradise 6TH OVERALL with medals, memories, and momentum, ready to build on this foundation at the 2026 UniSport Nationals in Perth.