A large contingent of student athletes from the University of the Sunshine Coast will head to Rockhampton and Yeppoon this weekend for the annual Northern University Games from 2-6 July.

USC’s squad of 144 athletes will compete in nine different sports – basketball, 3x3 basketball, football, futsal, golf, netball, tennis, touch and volleyball – during the carnival run by Australia University Sport and hosted this year by Central Queensland University.

More than 1,600 student athletes from tertiary education institutions across Queensland and northern New South Wales will be vying for glory.

USC Sport spokesman Gary Moore said USC’s athletes would be led by experienced campaigners Yoel Jogiono (futsal) and Chloe Wolski (volleyball), and several teams were likely to feature among the medals.

“Our women’s volleyball team, which won gold at the Australian University Games in Perth last year, is probably our strongest chance,” he said.

Meanwhile, USC has had 11 representatives competing this week in a variety of sports at the annual Indigenous Unigames in Geelong, Victoria.

— Terry Walsh