2 October 2007 By Graham Croker
Standout performances from the men’s eight and swimmer Matt Jaukovic helped Sydney University to win a record 8th overall points title at the 15th Australian University Games held on the Gold Coast during the mid-semester break.
Tennis team (Gold men's and women's)
Rowing on the Hinze Dam, the Sydney University men’s eight won the Oxford and Cambridge Cup for a fourth consecutive year, edging out the University of Adelaide and the University of Melbourne.
The famous Oxford and Cambridge Trophy was donated in the 1890s and is competed for annually among the Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide universities.
Defending champion coxswain Marty Rabjohns said it was a great effort to defeat Melbourne, who had started favourites for the title. “There’s a lot of history behind the men’s eight race for the Oxford and Cambridge Cup,” he said. “It’s a huge honour to be here and win the race."
Benjamin Cook, Andrew Conolly, Mitchell Estens, James Goswell, William Townsend, Justin Quigley, David Neuhaus, Terrance Alfred and coxswain Rabjohns are in their first season as a crew. Individually, they are members of different teams competing for the same university.
Rabjohns said the next big targets for eight are the NSW Championships next February and the National Championships in March. “Individually the guys will be pushing up for selection in the Australian team," Rabjohns said.
Victoria Johnson (Women's hockey - Gold)
Meanwhile, on the still water, Sydney University’s Matt Jaukovic smashed the Games record for the men’s 50m butterfly when he carved out a lap in 24.84s to beat the 2005 record of 25.37s.
“The previous record was very good,” Jaukovic said. “I wanted to break at least 25 seconds and I did. I’m very happy.”
Jaukovic also broke the Games 100m butterfly record, lowering the old mark of 56.11s to 55.64s.
Other individual gold medals were won by Justin Merlino in the 110m hurdles, Werna Botha in the 800m, Annabelle Smith in the 400m and Tara Holt in the 110m hurdles.
Sydney University dominated the teams events on the final day of the Games, winning gold medals in men’s badminton, tennis (Division I and II), touch football and women’s hockey, soccer, tennis, rowing, swimming and water polo.
With silver medals in men’s volleyball and rugby union and bronze medals in golf, ten pin bowling, tae kwon do, judo, men’s hockey and water polo and women’s basketball, netball, volleyball, softball and handball, Sydney University edged out Monash University and the University of Melbourne in the overall points tally.
Werner Botha (1st 800m athletics)
The Doug Ellis Trophy, based on student population, was won by the Australian College of Physical Education, while the Spirit of the Games trophy went to Charles Sturt University.
It was a record eighth win for Sydney University since the inception of the Games in 1993.
The University of Queensland hosted and won the inaugural 1993 AUG and the University of Wollongong took the title in 1994. Sydney University became the first university to win away from home when they won the 1995 Games in Darwin and the 1996 Games in Canberra. Melbourne University hosted and won the 1997 Games and La Trobe University and Monash University hosted and won the 1998 Games. Sydney University then dominated with wins in Perth in 1999, Ballarat in 2000, Sydney in 2001, Adelaide in 2002 and Newcastle in 2003. Melbourne University won the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Games.
