Our U16 Girls’ & Boys UAA Basketball sides after claiming their 2022 Your Local Club Academy Games gold medals with UAA CEO Michael Murphy (far left back row)

Hosted by the Southern Sports Academy (SSA), 117 WRAS athletes and coaching staff members arrived in Wagga Wagga for the 2022 Your Local Club Academy Games.

The Games were held across various venues in Wagga Wagga from Friday, April 8th to Sunday, April 10th.

1300 athletes across 11 regional academies came together to celebrate the talent across the state with WRAS represented in six sports at the Games; Basketball, Cycling, Golf, Hockey, Netball and Triathlon. 

Across the three days of action, our athletes came away with two gold medals, five silver medals and three bronze medals.

Below is a list of all the medal winners and notable results:

Basketball

  • U16 Girls: After a confident start to the round-robin stages claiming three wins, the side went on to secure the gold medal in a closely contested final against Southern Sports Academy.
  • U16 Boys: Securing two wins from three in the group stages, the boys played well to win through the playoffs and also claim the gold medal against Southern Sports Academy.
  • U14 Girls: Finishing third overall via points difference, the girls put on some impressive displays on their way to securing five wins from six games at the Games.
  • U14 Boys: Coming up against some strong opposition the side fought in every match and were rewarded with a final game victory over North Coast Academy of Sport.

Cycling

WRAS finished with all riders on the Podium and second overall in the Academy Points Score, beaten only by the local Southern Sports Academy.

  • U15W: Lara Allen raced extremely well to claim three second-place finishes in the Individual Time Trial, Handicap and Criterium events to secure her age group’s silver medal overall.
  • U17M: Cadel Lovett and Xavier Bland both returned home with some impressive results, having each claimed a handful of podiums across the weekend. Cadel (2nd Overall) secured first place in the Criterium; second place in the Handicap; and finished third in the Individual Time Trial and Italian Pursuit. Xavier (3nd Overall) claimed first place in the Individual Time Trial and Italian Pursuit alongside a third place in the Handicap, Criterium and Team Relay.
  • U17W: Ebony Robinson (2nd Overall) and Charlotte Lovett (3rd Overall) continued their success this year also collecting multiple podiums between them. Ebony finished first in the Criterium, second in the Team Sprint and the Individual Time Trial. While Charlotte secured second in the Handicap and third place in the Individual Time Trial, Criterium and Team Relay.

Golf

The WRAS Golf squad returned to Academy Games for the first time since 2018 and battling some trickery conditions over the two days the golfers performed well.

  • Overall Boys Scratch Runner-Up: Jake Davis

Hockey

  • Men’s: The side showed great determination playing with one outfield sub for the whole weekend, narrowly missing out on playing in the Grand Final match.
  • Women’s: The Girls’ grew throughout the weekend, claiming two wins and going down in a penalty shoot in the 5th vs 6th

Netball

Both the Div I and Div II teams improved throughout the weekend, gelling well and building some terrific combinations. Both teams were able to secure impressive wins on Sunday with Hallie Wolfenden (Div I) and  Maddison O’Riley (Div II) announced as the WRAS Most Valuable Players for the Games.

WRAS umpire Caitlin Cox also had a terrific weekend developing her skills under the guidance of our mentor coaches Michelle & Shelley, alongside Netball NSW Umpire coaches.

Triathlon 

Triathlon returned to WRAS in 2021/2022 and the academy was represented at this year’s Games by six of our triathletes.

  • Male Junior Competition: William Kelly 2nd Place & A Final

The results are an added bonus as across the weekend it was clear to see the enjoyment and support each and every squad received across the Games.

“The aim is for our athletes to leave our programs as better people on and off the court. It was great to see the squads bond, demonstrate incredible sportsmanship and recognise the immense talent within the regional academies,” WRAS Executive Officer Candice Boggs said.

“We were also pleased to have UAA CEO Michael Murphy in attendance over the weekend. It was a great opportunity for our basketballers to meet Michael and thank UAA for their support of a successful 2022 program,”

‘To the WRAS coaches, managers and the administration teams from all the regional academies, this event would not be possible without your care, time and effort.’