Ava Prince has been crowned the 2026 Athlete of the Year by the Central Coast Academy of Sport (CCAS), capping off a year in which the young golfer’s rise from junior ranks toward the professional stage has been impossible to ignore.
The honour was presented at CCAS’s 2026 Awards Night on Wednesday at Mingara Recreation Club, where close to 120 guests gathered to recognise standout athletes, coaches and volunteers from across the region. Prince was named both Golf Athlete of the Year and the Academy’s overall Athlete of the Year, the top individual honour on the night, awarded across all sports.
It’s hard to overstate the year Prince has put together. She went back-to-back as Regional Academy Games champion, added the Combined Catholic Colleges Overall Girls Championship, the Toukley Ladies Club Championship and the Magenta Shores Junior Club Championship to her tally, and finished runner-up at the NSW Champion of Champions. Amid all of that silverware, she notched a personal first: her maiden hole-in-one.
Prince’s season wasn’t confined to junior and club golf, either. She teed it up against the world’s best at the Australian Ladies Classic at Magenta Shores, a Ladies European Tour (LET) event, and also tested herself against some of the country’s top professionals at the Webex Players Series Castle Hill, finishing first in the Girls Division and third overall. She also went undefeated through three rounds to help the Central Coast claim the Eric Apperly Shield Regional Playoff title, then teamed up with fellow CCAS golfer Max Atwell for an unbeaten run to win the JNJG North vs South Cup.
Her results across JNJG’s own program tell a similar story, a runner-up finish at the Nick Faldo Series and a string of top-10 placings across JNJG events and amateur tournaments spanning New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Prince is a member of the JNJG Development Squad, reflecting the trajectory she’s on.
Prince wasn’t the only golfer celebrated on the night. Fellow Academy member Max Atwell, her North vs South Cup-winning partner, picked up the Golf Rising Star award, underlining the depth of talent coming through the Central Coast pathway alongside Prince.
CCAS Regional Manager Roxanne Wain said the night was a reminder of what the Academy means beyond results on the field, pointing to the confidence, life skills and relationships athletes build along the way.
Congratulations to Ava on a truly outstanding year. Golf NSW and Jack Newton Junior Golf look forward to following her journey as she continues to develop through the JNJG Development Squad and beyond.
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