Adelaide University students take home medals at Nationals

After an action-packed week in Perth, Western Australia, our squad of over 120 Adelaide University students has returned from the 2026 UniSport Nationals, bringing home an impressive haul of medals and leaving a lasting impression of outstanding sportsmanship.

Between September 26 and October 2, our student-athletes went head-to-head with 5,000 fellow competitors from across the country. Led by men’s captain Isaac Hampel and women’s captain Chloe McPherson, the AU team competed fiercely across 12 different sports, but it was their incredible team spirit, camaraderie, and respect for their opponents that truly stood out on the national stage.

The hard work of our athletes culminated in some fantastic podium finishes throughout the week. A major highlight was Angus Thomas taking home the Gold medal in the Senior Men's Saber (Fencing), while Gayle Hillier, Yuen Lam Lam, and Brinda Manimaran secured Bronze in the Senior Team Women's Foil.

On the Judo mats, the AU squad showed incredible strength and technique, with Cindy Dang fighting her way to the Women's -57kg Silver and Lev Tarasenko the Men's +100kg Silver, while Valen Kostich earned a hard-fought Bronze in the Men's -90kg division.

Our team sports also saw tremendous success. Both our men's Basketball and men's Badminton teams put together brilliant campaigns, each finishing as runners-up and claiming Silver medals. Meanwhile, the Futsal team showed great grit to secure a Div 2 Bronze in their first Nationals campaign.

Out on the sand, our Beach Volleyball pairs dominated. The men’s pairs took up two spots on the podium, with Millon Jones and Aidan Kelly winning Silver, and Ayush Kharel and Luke Huddleston taking Bronze. Not to be outdone, our women's pair of Nancy Zhang and Carah Louw also spiked their way to a fantastic Bronze medal.

But UniSport Nationals is about more than just the competition, and our students fully embraced the vibrant social atmosphere in Perth. The mid-week UniFest music and entertainment festival provided a well-deserved break and a chance to network with peers from around Australia.

Of course, the annual Mascot Race was a highly anticipated event. While our beloved mascot, Gus the Lion, might not have had the speed to take out the race this year, they were an absolute champion of AU spirit. Gus spent the night winning over the crowd, making best friends with fellow big cat the University of Tasmania's Mumford, and posing for endless photos with students from all over the country.

We are incredibly proud of all 120+ students who represented Adelaide University. Whether they stepped onto the podium or cheered on their teammates from the sidelines, they all emboded the values of respect and good sportsmanship that define Adelaide University Sport.

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