Amelie lands golden state double

Redcliffe’s Amelie Hoefel, pictured above, led the local medal haul with two golds, in two different age groups, at the Water Polo Queensland State titles (April 2-11) earlier this month.

The Redcliffe State High School student was in the Mermaids Pink team which took the Under 14 Maroon section and Mermaids Rose team in the Under 16 White competition.

The former came in the dying seconds with a goal against North Brisbane Polo Bears, from Albany Creek, and the latter a comfortable 13-4, with only one player change, against All Hallows.

“I was excited for my team as we worked hard throughout the year to peak at this moment,” said Hoefel, who is also a member of Southern Cross Swimming Club.

In the family

Hoefel is the third generation of her family to play with sport with her grandfather, father and uncle playing league competitions in Germany and Switzerland.

Mia Doyle, a student at Grace Lutheran College, won a silver medal with the North Brisbane Polo Bears in the Under 14 Maroon Division, missing gold in that dramatic finale.

Goalkeeper Annabelle Clarke, also at Grace Lutheran College, was in Mermaids’ Blue side which won a bronze medal in the Under 16 Maroon Division at Chandler.

Tiana Doyle, sister of Mia and also at Grace Lutheran, was in the under 16s competition, playing for Polo Bears.

'Best time'

Phoebe Dobson, of Newport, was in Mermaids’ Under 18 and Opens teams at the state titles and said it was a “great competition” to play against teams not in the Brisbane competition.

Her sister Trinity, who has been playing three years, was with North Brisbane Polo Bears’ Under 16s at her first state titles and said she had “the best time”.

Eden Weir, in her first Queensland titles, was also in action for the North Brisbane Polo Bears Under 12 Girls.

Hoefel and Doyle, a member of Grace Swimming, also helped Mermaids win the President’s Cup for the most successful club in Queensland.

Sharp shooting

At the Brisbane Water Polo Grand Finals (March 26), Mia Doyle was one of the Under 14 Polo Bears to score in the deciding penalty shots to win the championship, after a thrilling 4-4 draw.

Hoefel played up two age groups with new club Mermaids, based at Yeronga, scoring two of her team’s four goals in the under 16s where they lost to an older Brisbane Grammar side.

Trinity Dobson played for the Polo Bears’ 15B side at the Brisbane titles with sister Phoebe playing in the 17A for St Rita’s College and 18A for Mermaids.