In a closely run race, Commonwealth Gold Medallist and Andrew and Geraldine Buxton Athletics Scholarship recipient Jemima Montag was awarded Outstanding Performance of the year at the 2022 Blues and Sports Awards for her dominant win at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games 10km race walk earlier this year.
Although unable to attend the awards in person, Jemima pre-recorded a video message that was played for the 200-person crowd. “I feel grateful to be a part of Melbourne Uni Athletics Club and Melbourne Uni at large. This is a really special community to be a part of.”
The annual Blues and Sports Awards presentation recognises the accomplishments of the University’s varsity athletes both domestically and overseas. Originating at Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the mid-19th century, half and full blues are awarded to University of Melbourne athletes for high performance in intervarsity events, especially UniSport Nationals and UniSport National Championships.
In addition to Half and Full Blues, this year the University also awarded a Distinguished Service Award to Kusal Goonewardene for his service to intervarsity sport over a 25-year period. Head of Sports Medicine at Elite Akademy, Kusal has given tireless effort in providing recovery and physiotherapy services to the University’s student-athletes.
Picture: Kusal Goonewardene and MU Sport Board Chairperson Ian Marshman
“Elite Akademy’s presence at intervarsity events across Australia throughout this 25-year period has been a vital resource for the University’s athletes and served as a pedestal for Melbourne’s prolonged sporting success.” Tony Sephton, Sport Performance Coordinator and MC for the evening.
In 2022 there were 415 student-athlete representatives who took part in 66 intervarsity student opportunities. The Six top Sports Awards were presented by Gold Medallist and University of Melbourne alumni Joanne Weston, the evening's keynote speaker. These awards recognised various figures within the University’s sporting sphere and the impressive accomplishments of individuals and teams throughout the year.
Picture: Commonwealth Gold Medallist and alumni Joanne Weston (keynote speaker)
Table Tennis student-athlete Raymond Myrteza was named Male Athlete of the Year for his remarkable efforts in leading the University of Melbourne to both a Big Blue Championship and a national university title.
Similarly, Quennie Laurentta was awarded Female Athlete of the Year for her significant contributions towards the University’s Badminton Big Blue championship and national university title
The Women’s Netball team took home Team of the Year honours after their impressively dominant national university run which saw them secure the University’s first pennant in women’s netball since 2010.
Picture: Team of the year winners - Women's Netball Team
Coach of the Year went to Women’s Hockey coach Gwen Lynch, who led the team to an unexpected but vehemently earnt national university title, the first since 2013 in Women’s Hockey.
Team Manager of the Year was awarded to both Badminton’s Carmen Lim and Table Tennis’s Preston Tan-Kang for their incredible efforts organising their notably high-performing teams.
Outstanding Performance of the Year recognised Jemima Montag’s dominant gold medal in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games 10km race walk, in which she finished 63 seconds ahead of second place with the 15th fastest time ever recorded. She was also recognised by the Victorian Institute of Sport with the prestigious Award of Excellence.
The University awarded 28 Full Blues and 57 Half Blues for 2022, with athletes nominated across 32 sports.
