Doug Ellis has had enough time to earn a PhD given how long he’s resided at Bond University.
If he was a student, that is.
For the eighth consecutive year, and the twelfth time since 2009, Bond University has clinched the coveted Doug Ellis Per Capita Trophy at the UniSport Nationals, cementing its status as the little university that can, and does.
This time around the battleground was Canberra and the nation's capital was abuzz with the excitement and noise only thousands of students can generate.
Bond’s swimmers had already done their part pre-Olympics by claiming their third consecutive National Title and giving Bond a handy points lead heading into the rest of competition.
The Bondie’s didn't put all their eggs in one basket and fielded competitive teams across a variety of sports including tennis, basketball and water polo.
The Bond University touch team proved they were a force to be reckoned with, narrowly missing out on gold in a nail-biting 6-7 defeat in the Division 1 Final.
In the end, the Bull Sharks swam upstream from their 15th place overall in 2023 to secure a top 10 spot this year, further emphasising that size doesn't matter when it comes to sporting excellence.
It was once again enough to clinch the Doug Ellis Trophy awarded to the university that earned the most points per student.
Bond University Director of Sport Mike Collins congratulated the team on its success and the spirit of participation that has become a hallmark of student life at Bond.
“At Bond we are all about the student experience and we firmly believe sport plays a major role in that,” he said.
“Finding the balance between academics and sport is vitally important for our elite athletes and we encourage all students to enjoy the social and wellbeing benefits recreational sport provides.
“The UniSport Nationals cater for all types and will always hold a key position on the annual Bond sporting calendar.”