Over 150 athletes, coaches, and managers representing the Hunter Academy of Sport (HAS) descended upon Wagga Wagga on April 12th, joining a gathering of the state’s most promising young talents for the 2024 Your Local Club Academy Games.
The event, organized by the Southern Sports Academy (SSA), unfolded across multiple venues in Wagga Wagga from April 12th to April 14th. This marked the third year of the Games being held in Wagga Wagga, with an announcement made at the Opening Ceremony that the event will go to Tamworth, hosted by Northern Inland Academy of Sport (NIAS) for the next three years.
With participants hailing from 11 Regional Academies across New South Wales, over 1,200 athletes and their families embarked on the journey to compete in this prestigious tournament. HAS emerged as a standout performer over the weekend, showcasing remarkable talent and skill across all their squads in the face of tough competition. Details of their impressive results are outlined below:
Basketball
The HAS Boys and Girls Basketball teams both achieved a commendable 6th place finish at the Your Local Club Academy Games. Despite facing stiff competition, both teams showcased their skill, determination, and teamwork throughout the tournament. Their performance highlights their potential and sets a promising foundation for future competitions.
Darcy Wade, Hayley De Friskborn and William Dobbins were named in the All-Star Team.
Cycling
Boston Gillanders secured 3rd place in both the U15 A Grade Road Race and U15 Boys Criterium. Ruby Savage demonstrated her skill by finishing 3rd in the U15 Girls event. Caitlin Rose stood out with a stellar performance, clinching 1st place in the U19 Women’s category in both the Road Race and Criterium, followed closely by Chelsea Gillanders in 2nd in both races.
In a notable team achievement, the Hunter team finished 2nd overall.
Golf
Lachlan Lawson was the Boys Scratch Runner Up across the Friday and Saturday of competition. The HAS team secured 5th place based on individual scores on Friday and Saturday, entering the team’s Division 2 event. They clinched 2nd place on Sunday at Wagga Wagga Country Club, outperforming strong competition.
Hockey
Boys: Our boys hockey team put up an intense fight in the grand final, narrowly losing 2-1 in the final moments. Securing 2nd place is a significant accomplishment for this talented squad.
Girls: Our girls squad clinched 2nd place in a thrilling grand final that ended in a 2-2 draw. The final standings were determined by ladder position, earning our girls a well-deserved silver medal.
The HAS hockey squad is sponsored by UAA.
Netball
Both HAS Netball Team 1 and Team 2 had an outstanding weekend, showcasing strong and determined play throughout the competition. Both teams secured impressive victories against their academy rivals. A shoutout to Sienna Liva, named MVP for Team 1, and Emma Cooke, MVP for Team 2.
Netball umpire Keeliah Ridley was awarded the Rising Star umpire award, after coming to the event unbadged and leaving with a B Badge (completely skipping C Badge) and Kiara Hedger was awarded her C Badge.
The HAS Netball squad is sponsored by Greater Bank.
Triathlon
Grady Platt took 3rd place in the A Final Boys, while Madeline Platt secured 2nd in the A Final Girls. Lucas Doherty impressed with a 3rd place finish in the C Final Boys. And a special shoutout to our HAS Junior team, who clinched 1st place in the team relay.
The HAS Triathlon squad is sponsored by Voco Kirkton Park.
Volleyball
Our HAS boys’ squad secured an impressive 4th place finish and our girls’ team also showcased their skills and determination, achieving a commendable 6th place in the competition.
The 2024 Your Local Club Academy Games is proudly supported by Your local club, the NSW Government, Wagga Wagga City Council, Active Health Riverina, Southern Cross Austereo, Regional Academies of Sport and Southern Sports Academy. Full results from the tournament can be found on www.academygames.com.au
