Community & Business
25 February, 2026
St Stephen’s students win national competition
THREE students from St Stephen’s Catholic College had the trip of a lifetime recently, after winning a national competition that earned them a $25,000 Australian Open experience.
Mercedes Fontaine, Lisa Nobbs, and Lani Maro, or “Team Toast”, were the winners of the Australian Open Schools Block Buster Tennis Challenge for the Year 10-12 category.
The Challenge, hosted by the Australian Open and the Australian E-Sports League, aimed to inspire creativity and teamwork by inviting students from across Australia to rebuild and reimagine the iconic Australian Open precinct within the immersive world of Minecraft Education.
The team of students produced a futuristic Australian Open complex that focused on innovative technologies and sustainability. They had three months to create a new version of the complex from scratch in Minecraft, which was accompanied by a presentation explaining the key elements.
The prize was equivalent to $25,000, which included flights, accommodation, a photoshoot with the AO trophies, and tickets to see both the men’s and women’s finals in the Rod Laver Arena.
Each student also received an AOC 24G4 gaming monitor and Hyper X gaming package (headphones, keyboards, and mice).
“For the complex, we wanted something that was futuristic with sci-fi elements while still being functional overall,” Lisa said.
“Winning felt surreal and it was one of, if not the most, exciting achievements of my life so far. The trip was fun and well executed and it was exhilarating to be able to experience the iconic event that is the Australian Open.
“My favourite part of the trip had to be the men’s finals. We had excellent seats and the atmosphere was intense and exciting.”
Alongside this, the students experienced a once in a lifetime opportunity to undertake a behind the scenes tour which included the ‘Walk of Champions’, the broadcasting centres, and the AO lab animation and statistical team.
Additionally, another St Stephen’s team comprised of Jem Williams and Len Davies received an honourable mention in the competition.
