A team of 16 junior athletes have been named to represent Lake Macquarie at the 2020 International Children's Games (ICG) in Hungary next year.
The swimmers and track and field athletes will take on competitors from a range of countries in Kecskemet from June 30 to July 5.
The ICG is described as the biggest youth multi-sport event in the world and is sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee.
Lake Macquarie has been a regular participant since 2008 and was the first Australian city to host the event in 2014.
The track and field athletes selected in Team Lake Mac are: Jacob Wheeler, Amber Xavier, Brooke Xavier, Jemma Pollard, Hannah Jarvis, Emily Richardson, Paige Wheeler and Amanda Young.
The swimmers in the team include: Chloe Scanlon, Ella Kohl, Taylor Allen, Amelia Hall, Blair Southam, Caleb Baker, Che Van Beek and Spencer Hamilton.
Lake Mac Junior Pro qualifying
FRENCHMANS surfer Dom Thomas secured his spot for next year's Lake Mac City Pro Junior by winning the final of the boys trials at Redhead beach on Saturday.
Thomas led from the start of the four-surfer final but secured victory with an 8.17-scored wave with five minutes left to surf.
His combined two-wave score of 13.84 was more than enough to beat Readhead's Phoenix Visscher (9.47) and Noah Litchfield (5.97), and Catherine Hill Bay's Max Chisek (5.20) in fourth.
Sixteen boys from Leggy Point, Redhead, Dudley, Frenchmans and Catherine Hill Bay boardriding clubs contested the trials, which featured up to one-metre high waves near first creek.
Thomas' victory hands him a guaranteed start in the World Surf League's Junior Qualifying 1000 boys and girls events at the same beach in February.
The 14-year-old Swansea High School student is the reigning under-14 Sanbah Cadet Cup champion and was also part of the Frenchmans' team that won the Orica Teams Challenge at Stockton earlier this year.
"It's so exciting because I'm 14 and it's going to be an under-18 comp," Thomas said. "It's going to be a really big learning curve for me."
Only 15-year-old Ava Doyle from Redhead Boardriders took part in the girls trials, securing the wildcard after scoring a walk-through victory in the small waves on offer.
The Whitebridge High School student surfs against the boys in club events and did so again on Saturday due to the lack of competitors.
"I'll have the opportunity to surf against some really competitive girls," she said.
The Lake Mac CityPro Junior will be held at Redhead beach on on February 8-9. With $9,000 in prize money up for grabs, the event is expected to attract about 100 male and female surfers.
