GolfWA has announced a power-packed lineup for the Australian Junior Interstate Teams Matches, with high expectations of a strong title challenge.
Five girls and five boys will represent WA in the annual event, which this year takes place at Brookwater Golf & Country Club in Brisbane from April 14-17.
Spearheaded by Australian internationals Josiah Edwards and Spencer Harrison, all but one of the 10 GolfWA team members have prior experience of playing in the Interstate Series, and all have represented the state at some level.
Joining Edwards and Harrison in the boys team are 2023 WA Amateur Champion Ollie Marsh and 2023 WA Boys’ Amateur Champion Nate Johnson. Both represented WA in the 2024 Interstate Series, while Marsh has been a stalwart of the team for some years.
The sole new face in the team is Liam Sullivan (The Vines), who has been rewarded for a year of consistent excellence with a chance to shine on one of Australian amateur golf’s biggest platforms.
On the back of winning all five of her individual matches in last year’s series, Isabella Leniartek leads the line for WA’s girls, and she takes her place in the line-up alongside 2024 teammates Aileen Sirait and Halia Edwards.
The two other members of the girls’ team both have experience in the competition, albeit playing for different states.
Kortni Houston represented ACT in 2024 before moving back to WA earlier this year, while Katie Seol relocated from South Australia to WA late last year. Both are considered amongst the Australian junior game’s most promising talents.
WA in confident mood
GolfWA’s state coaching duo of Jess Speechley and Ollie Goss believe their young charges have what it takes to bring home the combined team title after several years of near-misses.
“We have a formidable junior team for both boys and girls,” Speechley told GolfWA. “All our players have extensive experience representing their state and participating in previous series. They possess remarkable strength, resilience, and a positive mindset, which I’m confident will lead us to victory.”
Goss echoed those sentiments, adding: “We’ve got a very balanced team with good abilities across the board and we’re absolutely going to QLD with the aim of winning the combined title.
“We’ve been conducting a lot of practice sessions where the players have to perform under pressure, and they’ve responded really well. I think this is WA’s best chance to win a junior series in a long time.”
Josiah Edward will captain the WA junior team for the second year running
In his final Junior Interstate Series before turning 18, Josiah Edwards will once again captain the team after leading WA to third position in 2024. Like his state coaches, Edwards believes WA are genuine title contenders.
“It’s a very strong team and I’m pretty excited to see what we can do in Queensland,” he told GolfWA. “We’ve got a good mix of abilities and I’m really proud to be captaining the side in my final junior series.”
About the Interstate Series
Teams will compete in Boys’ and Girls’ divisions, with individual players going head-to-head over 18 holes of match play. The overall series winner is decided on the combined results of both the girls’ and boys’ teams.
WA’s boys and girls finished second in their respective divisions in 2024, but finished third overall behind Queensland and NSW.
WA team for Junior Interstate Matches
From left: Aileen, Kortni, Katie, Isabella, Halia, Josiah, Spencer, Nate, Ollie and Liam
Girls: Halia Edwards (Gosnells); Isabella Leniartek (Royal Perth); Kortni Houston (Lakelands); Katie Seol (Joondalup) Aileen Sirait (Gosnells)
Boys: Josiah Edwards (Gosnells, captain); Spencer Harrison (Royal Perth); Nate Johnson (Joondalup); Ollie Marsh (Wanneroo); Liam Sullivan (The Vines)
Coaches: Ollie Goss; Jess Speechley
Team Manager: Christina Edwards
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