Like the changing of the guard, both glory and heartbreak took centre stage as new champions were crowned in the Sunshine State during the 2023 Foot Locker National School Championship finals yesterday.
Representing the Gold Coast, The Southport School emerged as hometown heroes, causing a shock upset against the two-time defending champions from the nation’s capital, Lake Ginninderra, with a dominant 61-point win.
Captain Ben Tweed had a standout performance, filling up the stat sheet with a whopping 42 points, 10 assists, and 14 rebounds, earning himself a well-deserved triple-double.
Victoria’s Rowville Secondary College finished with a two-for-two success as both their Men's and Women’s teams secured medals.
In a flawless Championship campaign led by former Australian Boomer-turned coach Adam Gibson, Rowville’s Women faced Sydney’s Westfields Sports High School for the gold, proving too strong after defeating them with a 17-point margin.
Manuela Puoch maintained a strong court presence throughout the week, and the final game was no exception as she notched 21 points. Sharing the spotlight was Bonnie Deas, a standout athlete from Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence, finishing the game with 26 points.
Adding the finishing touch to Rowville’s golden achievements, the Men brought home the bronze, with the crafty Joel Foxwell leading the way against the Sydneysiders from Newington College. The 18-year-old Melbourne United development player put up a casual 31 points in his standout performance on Friday.
After losing by just three points to their Queensland rivals in the state championships last year, revenge was sweet for the Women from Marsden. Entering the Women’s Championship division on a wildcard entry, Marsden had everything to prove, and they did just that, securing a medal finish – a first in their school’s history – with a commanding 31-point victory.
Basketball Australia would like to congratulate every school that competed in the 2023 Foot Locker National Championships, and we can't wait to do it all again next year!
For all results from all divisions, please click here.
