More than 120 nominees, ranging in age between 13 and 18, took to the stage all vying for top spot in four categories.

Sport, Arts and Culture, Academia and Community and Leadership were all celebrated attributes in an event recognising the region’s highest achieving youngsters.

Monique Jones and Jace Nepean won the Warrnambool Overall Youth Achiever of the Year award with Rebecca Zerbe and Yann Fielder the runners up.

Siblings Joshua and Emily Bartlett took out the Moyne Shire’s top honours with Samuel Sutcliffe and Kirsty Hausler the runners up.

Warrnambool City Council youth development planner Katie McKean said the talent represented at the event reflected a positive future for the city.

“I’m always blown away by the breadth and commitment of the nominees,” she said. “They are a great representation of the potential of our region’s youth.”

For Moyne Youth Leader Geraldine Edar-Ralph it was the volume of talent that impressed her.

“We had 51 nominees in Moyne,” she said. “So 51 biographies to look at and I was quite amazed at their achievements.

“It’s like achieving comes so naturally to these kids, that’s what amazed me about them.”

Warrnambool Youth Award Winners:

Sport – Georgia McCullagh and Ted Collins

Arts and Culture – Eden Agnew and Nicholas Northeast

Academia – Finn Laidler and Monique Jones

Community and Leadership – Gabrielle Steel & Rebecca Zerbe (joint female winners) and Liam Keegan

Overall Runners Up – Rebecca Zerbe and Yann Fiedler

Overall Youth Achiever of the Year – Monique Jones and Jace Nepean 

Moyne Youth Award Winners: 

Sport – Brody Couch and Emily Bartlett

Arts and Culture – Jacob Pugh and Angelique Van Antwerpen 

Academia – Joshua Bartlett and Louise Tamer

Community and Leadership – Samuel Sutcliffe and Casey Williams 

Overall Runners Up – Samuel Sutcliffe and Kirsty Hausler

Overall Youth Achievers of Year – Joshua Bartlett and Emily Bartlett

About the overall winners:

Monique Jones

• National finalist, Apex Youth Fashion Awards

• Top student in VCE unit 3/4 Fine Art

• Senior Winner, Spotlight Student Design Awards – Senior section, People’s Choice Award

• Brauer Art Exhibitor – 2 pieces of work selected for the exhibition

• Lead Dancer – Mary Poppins

• Lead Role - Brauer Amateur Dramatics – Maid Marion in Robin Hood

• Brauer College Public Speaking – DAV team member, Lions Youth of the Year participant and Eisteddfod competitor, placing first in the senior drama section

• Diploma of Modelling – Completed and graduated from Tanya Powell modelling school in 2017

• State Finalist 50m Breaststroke

• Regional Finalist Under 17 cross-country

• Brauer College Senior Swimming Champion, 2017

• Brauer College Under 17, Athletics Champion, 2017

• Brauer College Under 17 High Jump, Winner

• Winner of the Coordinators Choice Award for the best overall sportsperson of any age or gender at Brauer College for 2017

• Attained the John King Citizenship medallion for 2017 (Top 10 students for leadership and citizenship at Brauer College)

• Achieved a place on the Young Endeavour Youth Training Ship, crewing from Mackay to Brisbane, being selected by the crew as Watch Leader

• Selected as School Captain for 2018

Jace Nepean

• Received A+ AMEB Preliminary Piano Exam

• Received mark of “Outstanding” for trumpet skills on School Report

• Year 7 Leader Emmanuel College 2017 (Elected)

• Year 8 Leader Emmanuel College 2018 (Elected)

• Co-captain Emmanuel College Junior Soccer Team (Year 7 & 8)

• Vice-Captain Warrnambool Wolves Yellow U13 Soccer Team 2017

• Member of Warrnambool Surf Lifesaving Club (7 Years)

• Member of Warrnambool Wolves Soccer Club (6 Years)

• Member of Warrnambool Kayak Club (2 years)

• High Distinction, Australian Science Innovations – Big Science Competition 2017

• High Distinction, Australian Mathematics Trust – Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) 2017

• High Distinction, Australian Geography Competition 2017

• Dux of Year 7 at Emmanuel

• Consistently scored in the 95%-100% range for all Mathematics assessment tasks in 2017, completing the Maths Pathways program. In 2018, while Jace is in year 8, he will be undertaking maths classes at the year 10 and 11 level.

Joshua Bartlett

• Received an ATAR score of 97.50

• Received an offer for a Vice Chancellor’s scholarship to Monash University

• Received the Brauer Cup, being the award for the Most Outstanding Male student in Year 12

• Competed in two rounds of the VCKL Karate Championships - receiving 3 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals over the two tournaments

• Won several awards at the Funakoshi Karate Annual Awards, including the award for Senior Male Kata, Instructor of the Year, and Senior Best and Fairest

• Senior School Captain at Brauer College

• President of the Funakoshi Karate Student Fund Inc

• Team leader and crew trainer at McDonalds Warrnambool Central

• Achieved a lead role in the Brauer Amateur Dramatics performance of Robin Hood

• Received the Golden Oldie Award for being the best Senior Student in the cast (for Brauer Amateur Dramatics)

• Received an A+ for Theatre Studies performance and written exams

Emily Bartlett

• Dux of year level for 2017 for the Overall Highest Achieving Student

• Awarded the Top VCE Outdoor and Environment Unit 1/2 Award

• Outstanding Effort Award for general schooling

• Selected for the Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars program for high-achieving students

• Volunteer patrol at the Warrnambool Beach

• Surf Life Saving Bronze Certificate

• Involved on tree planting days at the Flume and collecting money for the Royal Children’s Hospital

• Peer Support Leader assisting students transitioning from Year 6 to 7

• Minor role in Brauer College’s production of ‘Robin Hood’

• Received ‘Honorable Mention’ or higher in all Eisteddfod Sections

• Member of a debating team winning the ‘Best Debating Team’ of the competition

• Awarded the Overall Intermediate Girls ‘Sportswoman of the Year’ at Brauer College

• Age group champion for both school and district levels of school swimming and Overall Girls Champion at regional level

• Qualified for and competed at State Championships for competitive swimming, successfully making multiple finals at these events.

• Awarded the Age Group Champion within the District