2026 Queensland Junior State Team Play-Off & Championships
What an incredible weekend of pool, sportsmanship and outstanding talent.
Queensland’s finest junior cueists travelled from across the state to Gladstone Eight Ball, all with the same goal — earning selection in the 2026 Queensland Junior State Team and, for some, becoming a Queensland Champion.
From the opening break to the final black ball, every player represented themselves, their families and their associations with pride. The standard of play was exceptional, the sportsmanship was second to none, and the respect shown both on and off the table was something everyone involved should be incredibly proud of.
A huge thank you goes to every player, parent, coach, referee, volunteer and supporter who helped make the weekend such a success. These young players truly are the future of our sport, and if this weekend was anything to go by, the future of Queensland eight ball is in very safe hands.
Under 12s
The Under 12s competition showcased some fantastic young talent.
After the round robin, Destin Spasojevic dominated the standings, winning 17 frames (94.44%). Jessica Hall finished second on 11 frames, while Zarleha Fulloon and Archer Areora tied on 10 frames, requiring a playoff to determine the finals positions and third Queensland Team spot.
Zarleha claimed the playoff victory to progress. A special mention must go to Archer, who impressed everyone at his very first Queensland event. An outstanding effort, and we can’t wait to see you back next year!
Jessica’s experience shone through in the elimination final as she defeated Zarleha 3–1 to earn her place in the Grand Final.
Destin, however, was in outstanding form all weekend and capped it off with an impressive 4–1 victory to become the 2026 Queensland Under 12 Champion.
Congratulations to:
🏆 Destin Spasojevic — 2026 Queensland Under 12 Champion
🥈 Jessica Hall — 2026 Queensland Under 12 Runner-Up
Under 15s
In the Under 15s, 16 quality young players produced one of the closest competitions of the weekend.
After the round robin, Nate Stone and Alex Anderson both finished on an outstanding 25 frames, forcing a playoff to determine who would advance directly to the Grand Final. Xava Williamson finished just behind on 23 frames to secure third place.
Nate got the playoff underway in spectacular fashion with a master break before claiming a 2–0 victory, earning his place in the Grand Final and sending Alex into the elimination final.
Determined to defend her title, Xava produced a dominant performance against Alex, winning 3–0 to secure her place in the championship match.
The Grand Final lived up to expectations, with Xava continuing her exceptional form to defeat Nate 4–1 and successfully defend her Queensland title.
Congratulations to:
🏆 Xava Williamson — 2026 Queensland Under 15 Champion
🥈 Nate Stone — 2026 Queensland Under 15 Runner-Up
Under 18 Opens
With 19 of Queensland’s best junior players competing, the Under 18 Opens was impossible to predict.
When the round robin concluded, experienced campaigner Cooper Hawley topped the standings with 29 frames (80.56%), followed by cousins Nate Stone and Samuel Stone on 26 frames, with Scotty Denston close behind on 25.
A playoff between Nate and Sam determined second place, with Nate earning the victory.
Sam then faced Scotty in a thrilling elimination final. Neither player gave an inch, with Scotty eventually prevailing 3–2 to continue his finals run.
Meanwhile, Cooper and Nate battled for a direct place in the Grand Final. In another match that went right down to the wire, Nate dug deep to edge out his good mate and book his place in the title decider.
Scotty wasn’t finished yet. Facing Cooper in the preliminary final, he produced another outstanding performance to claim a 3–1 victory and set up one final showdown.
The Grand Final saw another battle between friends, but Scotty was clinical when it mattered most, producing a superb display to win 4–1 and claim the Queensland title.
Congratulations to:
🏆 Scotty Denston — 2026 Queensland Under 18 Open Champion
🥈 Nate Stone — 2026 Queensland Under 18 Open Runner-Up
With Nate and Xava already committed to the Under 15 Queensland Team, the final Under 18 Open team position was awarded to Connor Cork, who finished on 24 frames, equal fifth with Xava.
Under 18 Girls
The Under 18 Girls division delivered exactly what everyone expected — high-quality pool featuring some of Queensland’s most experienced junior players.
Roxie Cooper topped the round robin with 11 frames (78.57%), followed by Xava Williamson on nine. Tammy Smith, Anora Barratt and Sharney Davies all tied on seven frames.
Tammy successfully progressed through a three-way playoff, while Anora defeated Sharney to secure the remaining Queensland Team position after Xava committed to the Under 15 team.
Congratulations to Anora on a fantastic achievement, and well played to Sharney on an excellent day’s competition.
Tammy then produced one of the performances of the finals, defeating Under 15 Champion Xava 3–1 to book her place in the Grand Final.
An all-Gladstone Grand Final followed, with both players determined to finish on top. In what was her final year of junior competition, Roxie delivered a composed performance to win 4–1 and become Queensland Champion.
Congratulations to:
🏆 Roxie Cooper — 2026 Queensland Under 18 Girls Champion
🥈 Tammy Smith — 2026 Queensland Under 18 Girls Runner-Up
Congratulations to the 2026 Queensland Junior State Team!
Under 12s
- Destin Spasojevic
- Jessica Hall
- Zarleha Fulloon
Under 15s
- Nate Stone
- Alex Anderson
- Xava Williamson
Under 18 Girls
- Roxie Cooper
- Tammy Smith
- Anora Barratt
Under 18 Opens
- Cooper Hawley
- Samuel Stone
- Scotty Denston
- Connor Cork
A Special Thank You to Rio Tinto
We would also like to extend a very special thank you to Rio Tinto for their ongoing support of the club and junior eight ball.
Their assistance has helped us make some fantastic improvements, including new tablets, refelting of our tables and new playing balls. Support like this makes a real difference to our club and, most importantly, helps us provide a better environment and experience for our junior players.
We genuinely appreciate Rio Tinto’s support and commitment to our club and the future of eight ball in our community. Thank you!
Finally, congratulations to every player who competed throughout the weekend. Representing your association at a Queensland event is an achievement in itself, and every one of you should be incredibly proud.
To our newly crowned Queensland Champions and our 2026 Queensland Junior State Team members, we wish you the very best as you prepare to represent Queensland.
We know you’ll wear the maroon with pride!
Congratulations to everyone involved, and thank you for making the 2026 Queensland Junior State Team Play-Off & Championships such a fantastic weekend!