On Friday October 14, JCU took on the Army in the annual Uni v Army event. It was a fantastic day of sport across the Townsville region.
Here is a breakdown of what happened across each event.
Men’s Basketball
We started the event at Townsville Stadium with a strong crowd of 150 coming to watch the game.
The JCU side started slowly as the team struggled to score in the first half which allowed the Army to build a comfortable lead. JCU were able to reduce the score line in the second half and were able to bring the deficit within single digits however the fightback proved to be too little too late.
The Army were able to hold on to go back to back in the men’s basketball.
Final Score: 41-27
MVP – Finley McCarthy (Army)
Mixed Netball
For the very first time, mixed netball was added part of the Uni v Army program. It was hotly contested match between both teams with the game showing a lot of physicality.
JCU were able to get out to an early lead however the Army were not backing down.
With the crowd behind them, the Army started to fight back in the fourth quarter to get the game within two points however JCU were able to hold on and claim the inaugural Mixed Netball trophy.
Final Score: 23-19
MVP – Jesse Rickard (JCU)
Women’s Netball
The women’s netball continued the day of close results between JCU and the Army. It was an evenly matched game with the score line changing several times between both sides.
It all came down to the final quarter where the Army were able to pull ahead midway through the final quarter which meant JCU were chasing the game. Despite the late push by JCU, the Army were able to cling onto the victory to end JCU’s 10 year reign in the women’s netball clash.
Final Score: 28-26
MVP – Jami-Lee Lucas (Army)
Women’s Soccer
We returned back to the Joe Baker Field for the rest of the games. This year with the Army unable to put a team together, instead we had the JCU against the Riverway JCU Football Club.
This was an even match between both sides as the score was deadlocked at 0-0 at the end of the game.
This meant the match went into penalties.
In the penalty shootout, JCU were able to make a save which lead to JCU claiming victory.
Final Score: 0-0 (5-4 on penalties)
MVP – Kyah Szepanowski (JCU)
Men’s Soccer
Just like the women’s soccer clash, the match featured a JCU side against the Riverway JCU Football Club.
Riverway got an early goal in the clash which allowed them to control the game with the score line 2-0 at halftime.
The second half was much the same with Riverway scoring two more goals to seal the victory. Late in the game, JCU were able to get a consolation goal.
Final Score: 4-1
MVP – Eddy Juknaitis (Riverway)
Mixed Touch Football
Much like last year, the mixed touch football was a close encounter.
Both sides were exchanging leads several times throughout the clash however towards the end of the game, the Army were able to pull away from JCU to have a 2 try lead. This allowed the Army to control the game with the game clock in their favour.
The Army were able to claim the mixed touch football trophy for the first time.
Final Score: 12-10
MVP – Zachary Green (Army)
Women’s Rugby 7s
The JCU Commander’s Cup match between JCU and the Army proved to be a thrilling encounter. The Army were able to score early to lead 5-0 however the JCU were able to gain the lead before halftime.
In the second half, the Army started strong to score two tries which looked like they were going to win the clash for the third straight time.
With one more play of the game, JCUs Genya Doherty was able to run 100 metres going past multiple players to score underneath the posts to help JCU claim the JCU Commander’s Cup for the first time since 2018.
Final Score: 19-15
MVP – Genya Doherty (JCU)
Men’s Rugby Union
For the first time since 2018, the JCU Chancellor’s Cup was played 15-a-side. As usual, the men’s rugby match is always a touch physical encounter and this year it was no different.
In the first 5 minutes, the Army were able to score in the corner to lead 5-0. Just minutes from halftime JCU had the chance to put points on the board however they decided to go for the try. Unfortunately JCU were unable to convert and the next set the Army was able to score to go into halftime 12-0.
The second half continued to be an exciting but physical match with neither side getting the better of each other. Whilst JCU did have possession and territory in the second half, they were unable to convert their chances with the final score remaining 12-0.
Despite the victory for the Army, JCU played well with the team eager to win back the JCU Chancellor’s Cup for the first time since 2017.
Final Score: 12-0
MVP – Matt Hamil (Army)
A big thank you to everyone who came down and watched the games throughout the day. It was a highly successful event and we look forward to it in 2023.
Photos by Greg Hamblin from G Digital Media.
