On Friday October 13, 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 Army started to build a lead. However JCU were slowly able to claw back the deficit to put them back in the game at halftime. However in the second half the Army proved to be too strong for JCU to win the basketball match for the third straight year.
Final Score: 60-31
MVP – Bobby Lee (Army)
Women’s Netball
The women's netball clash was a thrilling encounter. The Army were able to get off to a strong start however JCU was able to claw back the lead the deficit to then lead at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Army were able to reduce the deficit to make it an exciting finish to the game.
The Army were able to grab the lead with less than a minute to go however JCU on the last play of the game had the chance to level the scores to go into extra time however the shot from JCU did not go through the hoops with the Army claiming victory.
Final Score: 28-27
MVP – Meghan Marbelli (JCU)
Mixed Netball
In the second straight year, the mixed netball game was a hotly contested clash. The first quarter was was a tight contest between both sides however once the Army were able to get the lead, they were able to build more confidence extending the lead. Whilst JCU gave it their all, the Army proved to be too strong in the end with the Army winning the mixed netball clash for the first time.
Final Score: 37-20
MVP – Brad Smith (Army)
Women’s Soccer
We returned back to the Joe Baker Field for the rest of the games. This year the soccer matches returned with the women's game coming first.
The match was fairly even for both sides with no side really dominating however in the second half, the Army were able to score a goal in the second half to claim advantage. JCU were then chasing the game however the Army were able to hold on in the clash.
Final Score: 1-0
MVP – Shania Cox (Army)
Men’s Soccer
Just like the women’s soccer clash, the JCU v Army clash was back on in the men's soccer.
The game was very tough and physical match with both sides showing their passion.
It was an even match with neither side getting the upper hand with the game looking set to go to penalties. However in the last minute of the game, JCU were able to break the deadlock from a free-kick with a shot from Sean Young finding the back of the net.
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The goal secured a win for JCU winning the men's soccer clash for the first time since 2014.
Final Score: 1-0
MVP – Sean Young (JCU)
Mixed Touch Football
Touch football is beginning to become a favourite amongst the JCU Uni v Army event.
The clash saw the Army start well against JCU getting out to an early lead. Whilst JCU did show a lot of fight in the game, the Army showed their dominance as they were too strong for JCU to claim the Touch Football for the second straight year.
Final Score: 8-4
MVP – Aiden Todd (Army)
Women’s Rugby 7s
Like any other year, the JCU Commander’s Cup match is always a great clash and tight encounter between JCU and the Army. The Army did get out to a strong start against JCU leading 10-0 however JCU were able to score two tries of their own to level up the game. However a last minute try from the Army sealed the game for them to reclaim the JCU Commander's Cup.
Final Score: 15-10
MVP – Emily Murphy (Army)
Men’s Rugby Union
The men's rugby clash like every other year is a tough physical encounter and this year it was no different. The game showed a lot of passion early on from both sides with the referees needing to intervene to control the game.
The Army did start to control the game with two tries to go ahead in the clash at halftime however with any attack JCU had, the Army were able to contain them defensively. With the game coming to the end, JCU did try to pull off some miracle plays however the Army were able to counter the match with tries of their own sealing the game for the fifth straight year.
Despite the victory for the Army, JCU played well with the team eager to win back the Cup for the first time since 2017.
Final Score: 29-0
MVP – Jack McKechnie (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 2024.
Photos by Greg Hamblin from G Digital Media.
