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Array of talent honoured at Sport and Performer Awards

New St Kilda teammates Tom De Koning and Mason Wood were among the high achievers honoured at the 2025 Australian Catholic University Sport and Performer Awards.

Olympians, Paralympians and the brightest stars from the pool, football field, hockey pitch and athletics track featured in the procession of talented students who were recognised for their excellence in academic and cocurricular endeavours.

Held in a series of events across the North Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane campuses, the awards reflected the emphasis ACU places on the importance of sport, health and wellbeing programs in the lives of students while at university.

“At ACU we value the whole person,” Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor Tania Broadley said. “These award recipients embody the notion that a healthy mind and body should co-exist, and we will continue to support and encourage participation so that our athletes and performers can focus on what matters to them.”

It was a prolific collection of achievers on show, with University Blues and other awards presented for 2024 and 2025.

Mason Wood’s (Master of High Performance Sport) Elite Athlete and Performer Program Academic Excellence Award was another accolade for a consistently high achiever who was an ACU Blue recipient in 2022.

He will be joined at the Saints next season by Bachelor of Business Administration student Tom De Koning, a recipient of an ACU Blue after reaching 100 AFL games for Carlton.

NRLW foundation player Brydie Parker (Bachelor of Physiotherapy) epitomizes the notion of healthy body and mind.

An ACU Blue recipient in 2025, Brydie is a two-time premiership winner with the Roosters, has played in every backline position and is the Rugby League Players’ Association’s player operations manager.

“I’m one to admit I’m a high achiever so to have that balance and support in all avenues is important,” Brydie said.

“The Elite Athlete and Performer Program helps me juggle fulltime work and my playing career and it’s so comforting to know I’m supported no matter what.”

The arts were another distinguished feature of the 2025 student cohort.

Stunt actor Xanthia Marinelli (Bachelor of Education/Bachelor of Arts), whose credits include The Fall Guy and Mad Max Furiosa, and dancer Chloe Young (Bachelor of Commerce) both received Academic Excellence Awards.

ACU students excelled in the pool where physiotherapy student Brenden Hall was the university’s 2024 Athlete of the Year for his swimming bronze medal at the Paris Paralympics and budding teacher Sienna Hearn was the 2025 award recipient after her feats at the Olympics and World Championships for water polo’s Australian Stingers.

Brenden also collected the Most Outstanding Performance by an Athlete or Performer with a Disability Award for 2024 while para triathlete Maggie Sandles (Bachelor of Education) was the 2025 winner.

Jillaroos hockey under-23 squad member Chelsea Holmes and rising Australian rugby sevens star Mackenzie Davis (both Bachelor of Occupational Therapy) were the Indigenous Athlete of the Year winners for 2024 and 2025.

University Blue: 

2024 – Melissa Wu (diving), Sienna Hearn (water polo), Chloe Young (contemporary dance), Tiana Kritzinger (swimming)

2025 - Molly McDonald (AFLW), William Thompson (athletics), Mitch Salisbury (rowing), Madelaine Shevlin (Australian football), Mackenzie Davis (rugby union), Reilly Flanagan (aerial skiing), Tom De Koning (Australian football), Brydie Parker (rugby league), Codie Davidson (kayak cross), Drew McJannett (water polo), Troy Sitkowski (gymnastics), Imogen Rice (fencing)

Half Blue:

2024 – Lisa Gardiner (gymnastics), Isla Watson (triathlon), Tilly Hughes (water polo), Imogen Rice (fencing), Charlie Anderson (cricket), Tom Straker (cricket), Caitlyn Hosking (softball), Luke Barrable (canoe polo)

2025 - Kali-yah Taoso (water polo), Georgia Chapman (water polo), Layla Smith (water polo), Oliver Purcell (water polo), Loralai Cox (futsal), Thomas Foley (rowing), Rhiannon Castle (biathlon), Anna Morrison (rowing), Alexander Badolato (football), Josie Lawton (hockey), Laura Sypher (rowing), Madyson Jones (hockey), Alana Jancevski (football), Jessica Cole (swimming), Pia Murphy (touch football)

EAPP Academic Excellence: 

Xanthia Marinelli (actor and stunt actor), James Weir (volleyball), Luke Barrable (canoe polo), Mason Wood (Australian football), Chloe Young (dance), Alexandria Perkins (swimming), Tilly Hughes (water polo),

EAPP Academic Commendation: 

Rhiannon Castle (biathlon), Bronwyn Cox (rowing), Laura Milford (hockey), Laura Wilson (football), Emma Vogel (gymnastics), Holly Smith (gymnastics)

Athlete or Performer of the Year

2024 – Brenden Hall (swimming)

2025 – Sienna Hearn (water polo)

Club of the Year: 

 ACU Football Club (Strathfield) and ACU Cheerleading (North Sydney)

Outstanding Performance by an Athlete/Performer with a Disability: 

2024 - Brenden Hall (swimming) 

2025 – Maggie Sandles (para triathlon)

Indigenous Athlete/Performer of the year: 

 2024 - Chelsea Holmes

2025 – Mackenzie Davis

Team of the Year 

2024 – UniSport Nationals Women’s Netball and UniSport Nationals Men’s Water Polo

2025 – UniSport Nationals Mixed Touch Football