Athletics star Ethan Kent has won the Stanthorpe RSL/Town and Country Journal Granite Belt Junior Sports Star of the Year award after an outstanding 12 months at regional, State and national levels. The 15-year-old left Stanthorpe State High School at the end of last year to take up an apprenticeship in plumbing. He won $700 from the Stanthorpe RSL for his overall win on top of the $100 he won in March as a monthly winner.
The junior awards were the first for the Granite Belt for 30 years and were started by the Stanthorpe RSL and Town and Country Journal with magnificent support from Debbie-Ann Wilmot from Gracious Giving and her committee.
Ethan won his monthly award after finishing third in javelin and shot put at the Queensland Athletic Club Championships before finishing fourth and eighth in javelin and shot put at the nationals in Perth. He was placed first or second in five events at the little athletics regionals and placed in javelin and shot put at the State championships. In schoolboy athletics, he was second in javelin and fifth in shot put at the State championships and then travelled to Melbourne for the nationals to come fifth in javelin.
He travels to Warwick weekly to train under coach Nathan Rogers and does his own training in Stanthorpe in between. While his annual win was determined by 2025 results, Ethan is already starring in 2026. He was second in javelin at the Queensland State Championships in March and will compete in the nationals in April in Brisbane.
On May 18-23, he is part of the Regional Australian team to compete in the Oceanic Championships in Darwin. “I am keen to compete in athletics and see how far it takes me,” he said.
The Stanthorpe RSL and Town and Country Journal will sponsor the awards again.
The junior sports star committee is now seeking nominations for January, February and March, 2026, from athletes under 18 in Stanthorpe, Wallangarra and Districts. Please email graciousgiving@hotmail.com or leave nominations at Gracious Giving.
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