Thirty-two University of Queensland student-athletes have been recognised for their sporting achievements at the annual UQ Blues Awards Dinner.
10 students were awarded a Blue – UQ’s highest sporting honour – for exceptional results at national or international level competitions.
A further 22 students received Half Blues, bestowed for outstanding achievements at state, underage or UniSport-sanctioned events.
Blues recipients include UQ Sportsman of the Year Justin Cridland, Queensland Reds forward Harry Hockings, and Brisbane Broncos’ Rookie of the Year winner Patrick Carrigan.
Carrigan said he was honoured to be the third UQ student to win a Rugby League Blue since the inception of the Awards in 1912.
“To be in the company of some amazing athletes from a wide range of sports, and to join only two UQ Rugby League Blue recipients is something that I am grateful for,” he said.
“Playing for the Broncos was something I dreamt about as a little kid, so to be able to play consistently for the club this season was well and truly a dream come true.
“Whilst the season was challenging, I was grateful to build upon on some great friendships, get a taste of the relentless nature of the competition and mingle with some of sports most passionate fans.”
UQ Sporting Scholarship recipient Lachlan Crook is the first student to win a Fencing Blue since 1988, while Ria Thompson added a UQ Rowing Blue to her collection after receiving the same accolade from The University of Melbourne in 2018.
Thompson said winning a gold medal for Australia at the 2019 World Under 23 Rowing Championships was a career highlight.
“A few years ago, I could not even imagine competing at a World Championship, so to cross the line first this year was one of the proudest and most surreal moments of my life,” Thompson said.
“This is my first year studying at The University of Queensland, and I am humbled and overwhelmed by the support and acknowledgements from the University.
“This support has been integral to myself and so many other athletes in balancing our sport and academic endeavours.”
A total of 24 sports were represented, with 10 UQ Sporting Scholarship recipients among the awardees.
Bachelor of Engineering student and Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge competitor Harri Jones became the first UQ student-athlete to win a Motorsport Half Blue in the Award’s 107-year history.
Junior Wallaby representative Joshua Nasser (Half Blue) joined his father and former Wallaby, Dr Brendan Nasser (1986 Blue) as an Award recipient.
Queensland Firebird Maddison Hinchliffe was awarded a Netball Half Blue a year after her twin sister Tara Hinchliffe received a Blue, while Australian Squash player Thomas Calvert followed his brother Nicholas Calvert (2018) as a Half Blue recipient.
Blues recipients were presented with a commemorative Blues Blazer at the event, held at Customs House.
Former ABC Grandstand broadcaster Gerry Collins hosted the Awards, and Olympic Beach Volleyball gold medallist Natalie Cook OAM was the evening’s guest speaker.
View images of the 2019 UQ Blues Awards here.
2019 UQ Blue recipients
Lily Alton - Rowing
Bachelor of Exercise and Nutrition Science
2017 UQ Half Blue
Lily won gold medals in both the Under 23 Women’s Single Scull and Quad Scull events at the 2019 Australian Rowing Championships. She represented Australia at the 2019 World Under 23 Championships, finishing ninth in the Women’s Four. Lily also won gold for UQ in the Women’s Single Scull and Women’s Coxed Four events at 2019 UniSport Nationals.
Jock Campbell - Rugby Union
Bachelor of Commerce
Jock represented the Queensland Reds 10 times in this year’s Super Rugby competition, and was also part of UQ Rugby Club’s title-winning Premier Grade side in 2019. Jock has also represented Queensland Country on 14 occasions in the National Rugby Championship.
Patrick Carrigan -Rugby League
Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)
UQ Sports Achievement Scholarship
Patrick debuted for the Brisbane Broncos in Round 5 of the 2019 NRL Telstra Premiership, playing a total of 18 games for the season. Patrick capped his debut year by being named a joint-winner of the Broncos’ Rookie of the Year Award.
Justin Cridland - Touch Football
Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)
UQ Sports Achievement Scholarship
2017 UQ Half Blue
Justin was a member of Australia’s Mixed Open team that won the 2019 Touch Football World Cup in Malaysia. He also won this year’s NRL Touch Football Premiership with the North Queensland Cowboys in a season where the team went undefeated. Justin led UQ’s Mixed Touch side to a gold medal at UniSport Nationals, and in April, was named 2019 UQ Sportsman of Year at the UQ Sport Club & Sport Awards. Justin is the third UQ student to receive a Touch Football Blue.
Lachlan Crook - Fencing
Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)
UQ Sports Achievement Scholarship
2016 UQ Half Blue
Lachlan is UQ’s first Fencing Blue since 1988. During the award period, he took out his sixth-consecutive Queensland Under 20s Fencing Championships, and scored a gold medal at the 2019 National Under 20 Fencing Championships. Last year, Lachlan claimed a silver medal in the Teams event at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships.
Tom Cutler - Australian Football
Bachelor of Commerce
Tom is UQ’s first male Australian Football Blue awardee since three-time Brisbane Lions Premiership winner Luke Power in 1999. Tom represented Brisbane Lions three times during 2019, adding to his tally of 66 AFL Premiership matches since debuting in 2014. In October, Tom received a trade to join Essendon Bombers for the 2021 AFL season.
Caitlin Hockings - Rowing
Bachelor of Health Sport and Physical Education (Honours)
UQ Sports Achievement Scholarship
2017 UQ Half Blue
Caitlin represented Australia at the 2019 World Under 23 Rowing Championships where she coxed the Men’s Four to a gold medal. She also competed at this year’s UniSport Nationals event, coxing UQ’s Women’s Four to gold, and the Women’s Eight and Mixed Eight crews to bronze medals.
Harry Hockings - Rugby Union
Bachelor of Commerce
2016 UQ Half Blue
Harry had a strong 2019 season, earning 11 caps for Queensland Reds in the Super Rugby competition. He also represented Queensland Country in the National Rugby Competition, and was a member of UQ Rugby Club’s victorious Premier Grade side.
Tiffany Ko - Tae Kwon Do
Bachelor of Arts
2018 UQ Half Blue
Tiffany won a gold medal in the Poomsae event at the 2019 Tae Kwon Do National Championships, as well as a bronze at the World Tae Kwon Do Hanmadang in South Korea. She also won silver and bronze medals for UQ at UniSport Nationals on the Gold Coast.
Ria Thompson - Rowing
Bachelor of Science (Honours)
UQ Sports Achievement Scholarship
Ria represented Australia at the 2019 World Under 23 Rowing Championships where she won gold in the Women’s Single Scull. At this year’s Australian National Rowing Championships, she won gold in the Women’s Single Scull and Quad Scull, and claimed silver in both the Under 23 Double Scull and the Interstate Women’s Eight events.
2019 UQ Half Blue recipients
Tomas Atchison - Handball
Bachelors of Arts / Education (Secondary)
Monique Brummer - Indoor Cricket
Bachelor of Architectural Design
Thomas Calvert - Squash
Master of Sports Coaching
Tom Culleton - Water Polo
Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours)
UQ Sport Scholarship Ambassador Scholarship
Elliott Cutmore - Judo
Bachelors of Engineering (Honours) / Computer Science
Ellery Dunn - Hockey
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
Cara Feain-Ryan - Athletics
Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours)
Clem Jones Sporting Scholarship
Ellie Gambling - Powerlifting
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)
Maddison Hinchliffe - Netball
Bachelors of Business Management / Arts
Harri Jones - Motorsport
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
Cameron Jones - Swimming
Bachelors of Economics / Laws (Honours)
UQ Sports Achievement Scholarship
Georgia Moore - Surf Life Saving
Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)
Patrick Morrey - Rugby Union
Bachelor of Business Management
Kate Muscat - Rugby Sevens
Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)
Joshua Nasser - Rugby Union
Bachelors of Commerce / Economics
Natalie Otway - Athletics
Bachelors of Engineering (Honours) / Science
Lauren Robards - Cycling
Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)
UQ Sports Achievement Scholarship
Charisma Taylor - Judo
Bachelor of Arts
UQ Sports Achievement Scholarship
Kristen Wadley - Sailing
Bachelor of Exercise and Nutrition Science
Liam Walsh - Cycling
Bachelor of Information Technology
Matthew Willans - Cricket
Bachelor of Business Management
Jaymie Wood - Archery
Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
Media: Jamie Mitchell, UQ Sport, JamieM@uqsport.com.au, 0423 785 752.
