Mater Dei produces national athletes
28 July 2023
Two Mater Dei College students and an alumna have been selected to compete in the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games to be held in Trinidad and Tobago from 4 to 11 August.
Year 11 student Clara Wigley will compete in netball with the Australian Fast5 team. Clara was also selected for Netball Australia’s 2023 17/U Australian Pathway Squad earlier this year. She was one of 36 netballers across Australia and five from WA chosen for the squad. In April, Clara shone during the championships in Darwin, helping her team to win bronze.
Joining Clara on the national stage is Year 11 student Reese Prior, who earned a place on the Australian Junior Track and Field Athletics Team, showcasing her talent in the Women’s Para Athletics T38 event. Reese was named second fastest in Australia for the Women’s U17 T38 classification in the 400-meter run, following her outstanding performance at the 2023 Australian Junior Track and Field Championships held in Brisbane. The current record holder belongs to her fellow alumna Rhiannon Clarke. Reese has also gained the bronze medal in the Women’s Para U17 long jump and placed fifth in the Women’s U17 Para 400-metre running event. This achievement means Reese moves to sixth place in the World Para Athletics Women’s T38 rankings.
The athletic successes did not stop with current students. This month, Mater Dei alumna Rhiannon Clarke secured the silver medal in the T38 Women’s 400-metre final at the 2023 Paris World Para Athletics Championships, setting a new Australian and Oceanic record with a time of 1:02.36. Rhiannon also achieved impressive fourth place finishes in the T38 100-metre and 200-metre finals, matching her Australian and Oceania record in the 100-metre with a time of 12.91 (0.2).
