The UniSport Australia Sports Awards honour the outstanding achievements of student-athletes, university teams, and sport programs across the country. Rooted in a proud tradition of recognising excellence, these awards showcase the talent, spirit and impact of university sport; on campus, in competition, and beyond.
Tim Hodge OAM
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), Western Sydney University
In 2025, Tim was the standout performer at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore, securing a triple crown of world titles and taking home five medals.
He took home gold in the SM9 200m Individual Medley for the third consecutive year, and another gold in the S9 100m Backstroke, where he set a new Championship Record. In the S9 100m Butterfly, he won silver, and he took home bronze in the S9 100m Freestyle and Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay events.
Tim also had success at home in Australia, as he opened the 2025 season at the Para Swimming World Series in Melbourne by winning nine medals, including three golds in a single meet. Later in the season, he secured a gold and two bronze medals at the Australian Swim Trials.
Mackenzie Davis
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, Australian Catholic University
In 2025 Mackenzie made her senior debut for Australia at the Cape Town SVNS, playing 25 games and scoring 16 tries in her first international season. She also received the 2025 Rugby Australia Young Player of the Year Award.
Mackenzie is not only a member of the Elite Athlete and Performer Program at the Australian Catholic University, but also a recipient of an EAPP scholarship and ACU Blue.
Annabel Sutherland
Bachelor of Science, The University of Melbourne
In 2025, Annabel was awarded her second consecutive Belinda Clark Medal from Cricket Australia, recognising her as the most outstanding Australian female cricketer of the season. She was also crowned Australia’s One Day International Cricketer of the Year.
Annabel was the first female cricketer to score a Test Match century at the MCG, smashing an unbelievable 168 runs off 258 balls against England in the Women’s Ashes. She has now scored the second-most women’s Test centuries in history!
Georgia Harris
Bachelor of Business, Griffith University
Georgia attended the 2025 FISU World University Summer Games in Rhine-Rhur, Germany as part of the Australian UniRoos team competing on Athletics. She won gold in the women’s 100m event, the first Australian gold of the games and her biggest title of her career to date! She was also a member of the gold medal winning 4x100m relay team, winning Australia’s first ever sprint relay medal.
Benjamin Guse
Master of Osteopathic Medicine, Southern Cross University
In 2025, Ben was the Men’s Open Decathlon Champion at the 2025 UniSport Nationals Athletics before heading to Germany and becoming the Men’s Decathlon Champion at the 2025 FISU World University Summer Games, setting nine personal bests across the ten disciplines.
Ben also spends his time as a mentor to developing Elite Athletics Athletes at Southern Cross University, providing guidance on all things academic and sporting commitment. He was also the recipient of other awards, including the SCU Student Excellence Award in Outstanding Achievements in Co-Curricular Activities and The Excellence in Prompting Sports and Wellness awarded at the 2025 Experience Gold Coast Student Excellence Awards.
Victoria University *thrive program
Victoria University
thrive* was launched within VU Sport in late 2023 to expand participation in sport, recreation and active living across Victoria University. Traditional sport pathways alone were not reaching large segments of the university community, thrive* was designed to address this gap by creating accessible, low-barrier entry points into physical activity and campus sport.
In 2025, thrive* recorded 62,495 student engagements from 5,826 individual participants and 24,715 staff engagements from 1,712 individuals. This reflected a significant increase from the previous year and a higher uptake of returning participants, with an average of over ten sessions each.
thrive* has broadened the participation base for VU Sport and embedded active living as a visible and ongoing part of campus life.
Lucas Grigg
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Aerospace), RMIT University
Lucas demonstrated exceptional leadership, initiative and commitment to student sport through the establishment of the Victorian Intervarsity Futsal League. Bringing together six teams from five Victorian universities, significantly strengthening inter-university futsal opportunities within the state.
Lucas independently formed a partnership with the Australian Futsal Association, resulting in the league receiving official recognition and Elite ranking status. A key achievement was the ability to deliver the league at no cost to participating students, removing financial barriers to competition and significantly improving accessibility and inclusion.
The league achieved substantial reach and engagement, generating over 500,000 views across social media platforms, while the livestreamed finals attracted more than 1,000 live viewers, highlighting its success, visibility, and positive reception within the broader sporting community.
Sydney University Athletics Club
The University of Sydney
The Sydney University Athletics Club believes in a university setting that is not solely about high performance – it’s about connection, wellbeing and fostering a lifelong appreciation for an active lifestyle.
The club has created a vibrant, community-driven sporting culture, achieving 32% membership growth, a 50% increase in para athletics membership, delivers RUNSYDUNI (the University’s largest-ever campus fun-run), all whilst retaining the UniSport Nationals Champions title in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
Vincenzo Rovetto
RMIT University
Vincenzo demonstrated outstanding achievement and leadership as a university sport official through his sustained coaching success and program-wide impact within the RMIT Big V basketball program.
Since being appointed as the Senior Men’s Head Coach in 2023, Vincenzo has led the team to its most successful period in competition history. In 2025, guiding the team to a fourth-place finish and finals appearance in their first-ever season in the BIG V Championship division – the highest state-level competition prior to NBL1. His performance also led him to being recognised as BIG V Coach of the month in March of 2025.
Men’s 3×3 Basketball Team
The University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne Men’s 3×3 Basketball Team had a great year in 2025. First winning the UniSport National 3×3 Basketball championships, then becoming the FISU Oceania 3×3 Basketball champions, and finally winning the bronze medal at the FISU 3×3 Basketball World Cup!
The team was made-up of four student-athletes who all competed in the University Basketball League, winning the minor premiership, and in Basketball at the UniSport Nationals on Gold Coast, going undefeated to win the national title.
Most Outstanding Performance by a Student-Athlete with a Disability
Emily Beecroft – University of the Sunshine Coast
Bachelor of Communications (Social Media)
Most Outstanding Achievement by an Indigenous Student-Athlete
Anna Solomon – Federation University Australia
Bachelor of Social Work
Charlie Pade – The University of Sydney
Bachelor of Project Management
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance by a Student-Athlete
Jemima Montag – The University of Melbourne
Doctor of Medicine
Student-Athlete of the Year (Female)
Camryn Newton-Smith – University of Southern Queensland
Master of Learning and Teaching (Primary)
Student-Athlete of the Year (Male)
Roman Anastasios – The University of Melbourne
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Most Outstanding University Sport Project/Program
UWA Sport, LGBTQIA+ Allyship in Sport Program – The University of Western Australia
Most Outstanding Contribution by a Student Volunteer
Liam Tully – The University of Melbourne
Bachelor of Commerce
James Henderson – RMIT University
Bachelor of Environmental Science/Bachelor of Environment and Society
Club Leadership Award
RMIT Surf Club – RMIT University
Official of the Year
Amelia Smith – The University of Melbourne
Team of the Year
Monash Cheer & Dance/Team Australia – Monash University
Most Outstanding Performance by a Student-Athlete with a Disability
Curtis McGrath – Griffith University
Bachelor of Aviation Management
Most Outstanding Achievement by an Indigenous Student-Athlete
Emily Watts – The University of Sydney
Bachelor of Education (Health and Physical Education)
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance by a Student-Athlete
Jakara Anthony – Deakin University
Bachelor of Business
Student-Athlete of the Year (Female)
Cara Feain-Ryan – The University of Queensland
Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours)
Student-Athlete of the Year (Male)
Reece Holder – Queensland University of Technology
Bachelor of Urban Development
Most Outstanding University Sport Project/Program
Women in Sport Leadership Retreat – Monash University
RMIT Sports Media Program – RMIT University
Most Outstanding Contribution by a Student Volunteer
Adila Abdul Halim – The University of Adelaide
PhD Astrophysics
Club Leadership Award
La Trobe University Football Club (AFL)
La Trobe University
Official of the Year
Jessica Musson – University of South Australia
Bachelor of Business
Team of the Year
USYD 3×3 Basketball Men’s Team – The University of Sydney
Most Outstanding Performance by a Student-Athlete with a Disability
Tim Hodge – Western Sydney University
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
Most Outstanding Achievement by an Indigenous Student-Athlete
Rae Anderson – The University of Sydney
Bachelor of Arts
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance by a Student-Athlete
Jemima Montag – The University of Melbourne
Doctor of Medicine
Female Student-Athlete of the Year
Quennie Laurentia – The University of Melbourne
Bachelor of Arts
Male Student-Athlete of the Year
Alastair Christie-Johnson – RMIT University
Bachelor of Applied Science (Property and Valuation) (Honours)
Most Outstanding University Sport Project/Program
RMIT Sport Academy – RMIT University
Most Outstanding Contribution by a Student Volunteer
Alexander Smyth – RMIT University
Bachelor of Science (Applied Science)/Bachelor of Business (Management)
Club Leadership Award
The Melbourne University Women’s Football Club (AFL) – The University of Melbourne
Official of the Year
Andrew Truong – University of South Australia
Team of the Year
Macquarie University 3×3 Basketball Team – Macquarie University
Most Outstanding Performance by a Student-Athlete with a Disability
Jaryd Clifford (Para-Athletics) – The University of Melbourne
Bachelor of Arts
Most Outstanding Achievement by an Indigenous Student-Athlete
Caitlyn Costello – Bond University
Diploma of Business
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance by a Student-Athlete
Jessica Fox (Canoe Slalom) – Griffith University
Masters of Business Administration
Female Student-Athlete of the Year
Katja Dedekind (Para-Swimming) – University of the Sunshine Coast
Bachelor of Arts
Male Student-Athlete of the Year
Joel Rimes (Basketball) – The University of Melbourne
Doctor of Philosophy (Immunology)
Most Outstanding University Sport Project/Program
ECU Sport and Fitness – Edith Cowan University
Sport for Thought Program – University of the Sunshine Coast
Most Outstanding Contribution by a Student Volunteer
Belinda Rutherford – The University of Adelaide
Bachelor of Arts
Club Leadership Award
Melbourne University Lightning Netball Club – The University of Melbourne
Official of the Year
Tyler Miller – The University of Western Australia
Bachelor of Arts (Psychology)
Team of the Year
The University of Sydney Water Polo Teams – The University of Sydney
Most Outstanding Performance by a Student-Athlete with a Disability
Katja Dedekind (Para-Swimming) – University of the Sunshine Coast
Bachelor of Arts
Most Outstanding Sporting Achievement by a Student-Athlete
Madeleine Gough (Swimming) – Bond University
Bachelor of Biomedical Science
Female Student-Athlete of the Year
Caitlin Adams (Athletics) – University of South Australia
Master of Teaching (Secondary)
Male Student-Athlete of the Year
Ben Tacey (Athletics) – University of the Sunshine Coast
Bachelor of Sport Studies
Most Outstanding University Sport Project/Program
The Strong Women Network, The University of Melbourne
Most Outstanding Contribution by a Student Volunteer
Douglas Howard, University of South Australia
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Medical Physics
Club Leadership Award
Melbourne University Soccer Club
Official of the Year
Jay McCracken (Basketball) – University of the Sunshine Coast
Team of the Year
UniSA Men’s Cycling Team – University of South Australia
Most Outstanding Performance by an Athlete with a Disability
Jaryd Clifford (Para-Athletics)
Bachelor of Arts – The University of Melbourne
Most Outstanding Performance by an Indigenous Student-Athlete
Jemma Mi Mi (Netball)
Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology – Queensland University of Technology
Most Outstanding Sporting Achievement by a Student-Athlete
Minna Atherton (Swimming)
Bachelor of Biomedical Science – Bond University
Female Athlete of the Year
Catriona Bisset (Athletics)
Master of Architecture and Diploma in Languages – The University of Melbourne
Male Athlete of the Year
Matt Denny (Athletics)
Bachelor of Business – Griffith University
Most Outstanding Contribution by a Student Volunteer
Tyson Lingham
Bachelor of Health Science/Bachelor of Applied Science – RMIT University
Community Leadership
Casey Sims
Doctor of Philosophy – Queensland University of Technology
Official of the Year
Peter Rowe
University of South Australia
Tyler Miller
Bachelor of Arts (Major in Psychology) – The University of Western Australia
Team of the Year
University of Wollongong – Men’s Football Team
Most Outstanding Social Media Campaign
RMIT University
Most Outstanding Photo from a 2019 UniSport Nationals Event
Nick Sterkenburg
Macquarie University
Most Outstanding Sporting Achievement:
Madison de Rozario (Para-Athletics) – Griffith University
Bachelor of Business
Most Outstanding Performance by a Student-Athlete with a Disability:
Lakeisha Patterson (Para-Swimming) – The University of Queensland
Bachelor of Architectural Design
Most Outstanding Performance by an Indigenous Student-Athlete:
Asha Steer (Orienteering) – The University of Melbourne
Bachelor of Environments
Female Athlete of the Year:
Laura Waldie (Rugby 7s) – Griffith University
Bachelor of Dentistry
Male Athlete of the Year:
Simon McTavish (Canoe Sprint) – The University of Sydney Bachelor of Project Management
Team of the Year:
Federation University Men’s AFL Team
The University of Sydney Women’s Football Team
Coach of the Year:
Nathan Doyle (Para-Swimming) – University of the Sunshine Coast
Community Leadership Award:
Deakin Dragons & Deakin University Alcohol Culture Change Project
Most Outstanding Performance:
Jordan Mercer (paddleboard) – University of the Sunshine Coast
Most Outstanding Performance by an Student-Athlete with a Disability:
Hannah Macdougall (para-cycling) – La Trobe University
Most Outstanding Performance by an Indigenous Student-Athlete:
Courtney Hagen (cricket & basketball) – Australian Catholic University
Female Athlete of the Year:
Sian Whittaker (swimming) – Deakin University
Male Athlete of the Year:
Kyle Cranston (athletics) – Australian Catholic University
2006 UniSport Australia Award Winners
Team of the Year:
Macquarie University men’s 3×3 basketball team
Coach of the Year:
Chris Lucas (basketball) – Emerging Opals Head Coach
Community Leadership Award:
Kicking Goals Together Project – Australian Catholic University and
Queensland University of Technology
President’s Citation Award (Special Award):
The University of Queensland Aon Women’s Rugby 7s team
Most Outstanding Performance:
Emilee Cherry (rugby union) – The University of Queensland
Most Outstanding Performance by a Student-Athlete with a Disability:
Ellie Cole (para-swimming) – Australian Catholic University
Most Outstanding Performance by an Indigenous Student-Athlete:
Ryan James (rugby league) – Griffith University
Female Athlete of the Year:
Amy James (rowing) – Queensland University of Technology
2006 UniSport Australia Award Winners
Male Athlete of the Year:
Cyrus Monk (cycling) – The University of Melbourne
Team of the Year:
Monash University 3×3 basketball team
Coach of the Year:
Michael Shaw (swimming) – The University of Western Australia
Community Leadership Award:
The University of Western Australia Hockey Club
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance:
Bronte Campbell (swimming) – Queensland University of Technology
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance by an Athlete with a Disability:
Dylan Alcott (tennis) – The University of Melbourne
Male Athlete of the Year:
Dane Bird-Smith (athletics) – The University of Queensland
Female Athlete of the Year:
Holly Barratt (swimming) – The University of Western Australia
2006 UniSport Australia Award Winners
Team of the Year:
Women’s rowing team – The University of Melbourne
Coach of the Year:
Edward Denis (water polo) – Monash University
Community Leadership:
Raise the Bar Academy – The University of Melbourne
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance:
Emma McKeon (swimming) – Griffith University
Male Athlete of the Year:
Sam Gilmour (sailing) – The University of Western Australia
Female Athlete of the Year:
Fiona Albert (rowing) – The University of Queensland
2006 UniSport Australia Award Winners
Team of the Year:
Sailing team – The University of Western Australia
Coach of the Year:
Bruce Vyvvan (swimming) – UNSW Sydney
Service to Sport Awards:
Bruce Ross – The University of Sydney
Amy Ryan – Queensland University of Technology
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance:
Mathew Belcher (sailing) – Bond University
Male Athlete of the Year:
Chris Dyson (water polo) – University of Technology Sydney
Female Athlete of the Year:
Katie-Rae Ebzery (basketball) – The University of Sydney
2006 UniSport Australia Award Winners
Team of the Year:
Athletics team – The University of Sydney
Coach of the Year:
Iain Scott (football) – The University of Melbourne
Service to Sport Award:
Dean Gleeson – The University of Sydney
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance:
Matthew Cowdrey (Paralympic swimming) – The University of Adelaide
Male Athlete of the Year:
Sam Gilmour (sailing) – The University of Western Australia
Female Athlete of the Year:
Grace Loh (swimming) – The University of Melbourne
2006 UniSport Australia Award Winners
Team of the Year:
Sailing team – The University of Western Australia
Coach of the Year:
Dean Gleeson (athletics) – The University of Sydney
Service to Sport Awards:
Joshua Van Kampen – The University of Western Australia
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance:
Blake Cochrane (swimming) – University of the Sunshine Coast
Male Athlete of the Year:
Lachlan Renshaw (athletics) – The University of Sydney
Female Athlete of the Year:
Marieke Guehrer (swimming) – The University of Melbourne
2006 UniSport Australia Award Winners
Team of the Year:
Women’s Swim Team – The University of Melbourne
Coach of the Year:
Alex Henshilwood (rowing) – The University of Melbourne
Service to Sport Award:
Jean Ryan – Charles Sturt University
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance:
Lauren Mitchell (gymnastics) – The University of Notre Dame Australia
Male Athlete of the Year:
Liam Adams (cross country) – Victoria University
Female Athlete of the Year:
Katya Crema (snow sports) – The University of Melbourne
Sarah Kent (cycling) – The University of Western Australia
2006 UniSport Australia Award Winners
Team of the Year:
The University of Sydney Athletics Club
Coach of the Year:
Grant Landers (triathlon) – The University of Western Australia
Service to Sport Awards:
David Price
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance:
Dani Samuels (athletics) – The University of Western Sydney
Male Athlete of the Year:
Tristan Thomas (athletics) – The University of Canberra
Female Athlete of the Year:
Madeline Pape (athletics) – RMIT University
2006 UniSport Australia Award Winners
Team of the Year:
Snows Sports Team – Macquarie University
Coach of the Year:
Paul Oberman (water polo)
Service to Sport Award:
Warren Rosser – The University of New South Wales
John Kanis – The University of Melbourne
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance:
Susan Pratley (netball) – The University of Sydney
Male Athlete of the Year:
Liam Adams (cross country) – Victoria University
Female Athlete of the Year:
Taniele Gofers (water polo) – The University of Sydney
2006 UniSport Australia Award Winners
Team of the Year:
Women’s Rowing Team – The University of Melbourne
Coach of the Year:
Ian Wright (rowing) – The University of Melbourne
Service to Sport Awards:
Deidre Anderson – Macquarie University
Jeannette Meakins – The University of Western Australia
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance:
Alice McNamara (rowing) – The University of Melbourne
Male Athlete of the Year:
Sean Wroe (athletics) – Swinburne University of Technology
Female Athlete of the Year:
Jess Foley (basketball) – Flinders University
Georgia Woodyard (basketball) – University of Technology Sydney
2006 UniSport Australia Award Winners
Team of the Year:
Men’s Volleyball Team – Queensland University of Technology
Coach of the Year:
Carrie Graf (basketball)
Service to Sport Award:
Chris Noel – The University of Sydney
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance:
Lisbeth Lenton (swimming) – Griffith University
Male Athlete of the Year:
Hugh Tait (sailing) – University of Technology Sydney
Female Athlete of the Year:
Elsa O’Hanlon (rowing) – The University of Sydney
2006 UniSport Australia Award Winners
Team of the Year:
Snow Sports – The University of Melbourne
Coach of the Year:
Phil Bourguignon (rowing) – The University of Sydney
Service to Sport Awards:
Rene Leveaux – University of Technology Sydney
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance:
Alexandra Blackwell (cricket) – University of New South Wales
Male Athlete of the Year:
Trent Franklin (water polo) – The University of Sydney
Female Athlete of the Year:
Jacqueline Bonnitcha (sailing) – The University of Sydney
Team of the Year:
Men’s Water Polo – The University of Sydney
Taekwondo – Monash University
Most Outstanding Sporting Performance:
Grant Hackett (swimming) – Bond University
Male Athlete of the Year:
Fergus Pragnell (rowing) – The University of Sydney
Female Athlete of the Year:
Sally Kehoe (rowing) – The University of Queensland
Team of the Year:
Athletics – The University of Queensland
Male Athlete of the Year:
Brenton Rickard (swimming) – Monash University
Female Athlete of the Year:
Loudy Tourky (diving) – The University of Sydney
Team of the Year:
Women’s Hockey – The University of Sydney
Male Athlete of the Year:
Joel Wing (waterski) – The University of New South Wales
Female Athlete of the Year:
Kirsten Thomson (swimming) – The University of Sydney
Team of the Year:
Athletics – The University of Queensland
Men’s Soccer – The University of Newcastle
Male Athlete of the Year:
Thomas Whalan (water polo) – The University of Sydney
Female Athlete of the Year:
Rebecca Gilmore – The University of Sydney
Team of the Year:
Women’s Touch – James Cook University
Don’t miss a beat, subscribe for exclusive updates, events, and insider news!
Be part of the action and follow us for the latest moments, wins, and behind-the-scenes action.
Copyright © 2026. UniSport Australia All rights reserved.
The best university Sports action from Australia – stream it live now on UniSportTV.
Watch Live
