Griffith is sending a ‘mini army’ of athletes to the 2022 Commonwealth Para-sport Games with more than 50 current students and alumni making up team red in Birmingham.

It represents a near 20 per cent increase on representation from Gold Coast 2018 when Griffith assembled a team of 41 athletes.

Olympic gold medallist and manager of Griffith Sports College, Naomi McCarthy, is among the speakers at the 2017 Future Leaders Retreat.

Griffith Sports College Manager Naomi McCarthy OAM

“To have 51 athletes from Griffith Sports College, alumni and our swim team be on the plane to England is a tremendous achievement,” General Manager of Griffith Sports College Naomi McCarthy OAM said.

“No other Australian university could boast similar representation at an elite competition level.”

Griffith will have 30 current Sports College students, 15 alumni and six Swim Squad members under the tutelage of Michael Bohl on the ground in the English midlands city when competition begins on July 28.

Leading the charge will be Australia’s most decorated Olympian in Emma McKeon.

Emma McKeon could become Australia’s best-ever performed athlete at a Commonwealth Games

The champion swimmer, who graduated last year with a Bachelor in Public Health, is eying off four individual gold medals and is set to eclipse Susie O’Neill as the nation’s best-ever performed athlete at a Commonwealth Games.

Olympic gold medallist Zac Stubblety-Cook, in fine form after being crowned World Champion in Hungary, will be a hot favourite in the men’s 200m Breastroke while Bachelor of Nursing student Chelsea Hodges, GBS student Meg Harris and Bachelor of Exercise Science student Kiah Melverton should also figure prominently.

Back in the national team is Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice student Shayna Jack who won gold in the 4 by 100m Freestyle Relay at the recent world titles in Budapest

On the athletics track, discus thrower and Bachelor of Business student Matt Denny, racewalker Katie Hayward ( B Occupational Therapy) and sprinter Riley Day (Business) should be prominent in their events.

History could also be created when Madison de Rozario (B Business) looks to defend her Marathon T54 and 1500m T54 crowns.

Griffith athletes are eying off a record number of medals and surpassing the effort of the team on home soil in 2018.

“We picked up 40 medals at GC2018, with 23 gold, 7 silver and 10 bronze which was a tremendous achievement.

GBS Student and sprinter Riley Day will contest the 200m.

All signs are showing Griffith’s tally should eclipse that mark as we are fielding a larger team in Birmingham,” Ms McCarthy said.

The full team of Griffith Sports College athletes, alumni and swimming squad is:

Current Griffith Students:

Madison de Rozario (B Business) – Athletics / Marathon

Matt Denny (B Business) – Athletics / Discus

Taneille Crase (B Education) – Athletics / Heptathlon

Katie Hayward (B Occupational Therapy) – Athletics / 10K Racewalk

Ella Connolly (B Education) – Athletics / 100m, 200m, 4x100m Relay

Riley Day (B Business) – Athletics / 200m

Lani Pallister (B Biomedical Science) – Swimming / 800m Freestyle, 1500m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle

Shayna Jack (B Criminology & Criminal Justice) – Swimming .100m Freestyle, 50m Freestyle

Kiah Melverton (B Exercise Science) – Swimming / 800m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, 400m Individual Medley

Grayson Bell (B Software Engineering) – Swimming / 50m Freestyle

Meg Harris (B Business) – Swimming / 100m Freestyle, 50m Freestyle

Griffith dual degree student Zac Stubblety-Cook will be a hot favourite to win the 200m Breaststroke title in Birmingham

Abbey Harkin (B Business) – Swimming / 100m Breaststroke, 200m Breastroke, 200m Individual Medley

Chelsea Hodges (B Nursing) – Swimming / 100m Breaststroke

Josh Edwards-Smith (B Business) – Swimming / 200m Backstroke, 100m Backstroke

Jenna Forrester (B Psychological Science/B Business) – Swimming / 400m Individual Medley

Zac Stubblety-Cook (B Psychological Science / B Business) – Swimming / 200m Breaststroke, 100m Breaststroke

Tom Nowakowski (B Psychological Science / B Business) – Swimming / 50m Freestyle

Georgia-Leigh Vele (B Exercise Science) – Swimming / 50m Breaststroke, 50m Freestyle, 50m Butterfly, 100m Freestyle (representing Papua New Guinea)

Michaela Pulford (B Biomedical Science) – Swimming

Kijan Sultana (B Business) – Squash / Men’s Doubles

Alex Haydon – (B Psychology) – Squash / Women’s Singles

Brandon Copeland (B Commerce) – Triathlon

Cara Koenen (B Forensic Sc/B Criminology & Criminal Justice) – Netball / Women’s Diamonds Team

Kristina Clonan (B Business) – Cycling / Sprint

Bachelor of Business student Kristina Clonen will cycle for glory in Birmingham

James Moriarty (B Business/Commerce) – Cycling / Track Endurance

Grace Brown (M Marketing) – Cycling / Road Race

Lily Dick (B Business) – Rugby 7s

Cassiel Rousseau (B Psychological Science) – Diving / 10m Individual & 10m Synchronised

Domonic Bedgood (B Commerce) – Diving / 1m Individual, 10m Synchronised

Alumni:

Brandon Wakeling (B Business) – Weightlifting / 59kg Class

Liz Clay (B Business) – Athletics / Women’s 100m Hurdles

Jess Jonassen (B Laws) – Cricket / T20

Beth Mooney (B Secondary Education) – Cricket / T20

Emma McKeon (P Public Health) – Swimming / 50m, 100m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly

Rosie Malone (B Sport Development) – Hockey

Tim Howard (B Business) – Hockey

Griffith Swim Team Coach Michael Bohl is part of the Dolphins coaching unit at the 2022 Games

Matt Hauser (B Business) – Triathlon

Gretel Bueta (B Nutrition) – Netball

Lynsey Clarke (B Business) – Bowls / Open Triples, Fours

Jake Fehlberg (B Business) – Para Lawn Bowls – B2,B3 Mixed pairs

Jesse Wagstaff (Grad Cert in Financial Planning) – Wheelchair Basketball

Ella Sabljak (B Education) – Wheelchair Basketball

Felicity Cradick (B Science/Data Science) – Para Triathlon

Jess Turnbull (B Criminology & Criminal Justice) – Squash / Doubles & Singles

Griffith Swim Squad:

Cody Simpson – 100m Butterfly

Mack Horton – 200m & 400m Freestyle

Kaylee McKeown – 200m & 400m Individual Medley, 100m & 200m Backstroke

Bowen Gough – 200m Butterfly

Taylor McKeown – 200m Breaststroke

Brendon Smith – 200m & 400m Individual Medley

Michael Bohl – Dolphins Team Coach

Janelle Pallister – Dolphins Team Coach