Over 140 people packed into Carlton Football Club’s Ikon Park Function Room on Thursday 7 November to acknowledge the successes of the University’s sporting fraternity at La Trobe Sport’s showcase event.

In the major awards presented on the night, the highly acclaimed Sports People of the Year Awards were presented to Laura Paeglis (Archery, Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science) and Thomas Reynolds (Athletics, Bachelor of Health Science).

Paeglis was selected in her first Australian Olympic Team for the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she made history by recording the highest score by an Australian woman in Olympic Archery since the current 72-arrow ranking round format began at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Reynolds on the other hand represented Australia at the World Relay Championships in the Bahamas, where he recorded a season best in the Men’s 4 x 400m relay event.

Both Paeglis and Reynolds were also recognised for the prestigious University Blue award, which acknowledges students for their professional sporting achievements on the national or international stage. 2024 Australian Opals (Australian Women’s Basketball Team) pre-Olympic squad member and WNBL star Keeley Froling (Basketball, Master of Sport and Exercise Physiotherapy) also received a University Blue award.

University Half Blues for significant sporting achievements or representation at state or national level were awarded to Chris Jones (Cheerleading, Bachelor of Primary Education), Lucia La Terra (Beach Volleyball, Master of Physiotherapy), Luke Zeliff (Speed Skating, Bachelor of Sport Coaching and Development), Kayla Smit (Taekwondo, Bachelor of Wildlife and Conservation Biology), Sophie Kurzman (Lawn Bowls, Master of Physiotherapy), Ella Gurry (Sport Aerobics, Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science), Cooper Goulding (Judo, Master of Exercise Physiology), Stephanie Dimovska (Karate, Bachelor of Health Science), Olivia Cartwright (Lawn Bowls, Bachelor of Education), Vivian Mauderer (Canoe Polo, Bachelor of Dental Science), Sean Dempsey (Snooker, Bachelor of Sport Coaching and Development), Cody Cuthbert (Golf, Bachelor of Psychological Science) and Hannah Scott (Softball, Bachelor of Education).

Scott was also named the recipient of the Sporting and Academic Excellence Award recognising the highest academic achievement of a University Blue or Half-Blue recipient with a weighted average mark (WAM) of 80.

Rounding out the Elite Athlete Program awards for the evening was the presentation of the newly introduced Alumnus of the Year award, which went to Australian Olympian Andy Buchanan (Athletics). Buchanan (who studied at the Bendigo Campus and completed a Bachelor of Physical and Outdoor Education in 2017) was the second Australian athlete to cross the line in the Men’s Marathon at the Paris Olympics, finishing in 45th position overall with a strong time of 2:12:58.

In the Team La Trobe awards, Eliza Stone was awarded the highly coveted Team La Trobe Athlete of the Year thanks to her efforts at the 2024 University Nationals competition in Canberra, leading over 90 student athletes over the week. Stone was recognised for her contribution as co-team captain of Team La Trobe and as team manager of the Women’s Volleyball team who took home a gold medal in Division 2.

La Trobe University Men’s Basketball Team was named the Team La Trobe Team of the Year after a standout season which saw them secure their first University Basketball League (UBL) national championship, while Jack Carey took out the Outstanding Service to Sport Award for his vital contribution to the La Trobe University Volleyball Club.

Coach of the Year which was presented to Glenn Williams of the La Trobe University Netball Club off the back of leading La Trobe 2 to a Northern Football Netball League Division 6 premiership, while the La Trobe University Hockey Club took out the Sport Club of the Year Award for its excellence both on and off the pitch.

Stay tuned to the La Trobe Sport Facebook page for a full gallery of images from the 2024 Blues Sport Awards in due course.

Report written by Casey McGuire. Casey is a third-year Bachelor of Media and Communications (Sports Media) student at La Trobe University and contributor to upstart Magazine. You can follow her on Twitter/X - @caseymcguire01.