Emerging star Matilda McDonell has been named the UNSW Female Athlete of the Year award for the second time at the UNSW Blues and Sport Awards on Friday night.
Previously winning the Female Athlete of the Year award in 2020, McDonell was also awarded a ‘Blues Award’, an award that recognises and celebrates UNSW students who have achieved the highest level of sporting excellence in their chosen sport, are of outstanding character, and have contributed greatly to sport at the university.
McDonell is widely recognised as an emerging star of the Australian netball scene – gaining selection in the Australian Under 21 team in 2021 and the Australian Diamonds Development Squad in 2022.
The 22-year-old enjoyed a breakout Suncorp Super Netball season in 2022, finishing the season with 17 intercepts, 45 deflections and 22 rebounds.
For McDonell, studying and playing professional sport in tandem is an important part of her journey.
“I think it’s really important to balance study with sport, she said.
“There are a lot of studies about mind and body working together, so it’s always been important to me to study really hard and get a job, as well as reaching my goals in professional sport.”
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