When Mikayla Gross played for the Australian Schoolgirls against the New Zealand Schoolgirls in Austinville, Queensland, on Sunday afternoon, it was a massive step in a career gaining seemingly irresistible momentum.
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Getting to this point has been an exercise in intensive single-mindedness and laser focus. The making of an elite athlete does not happen overnight, and it is a process that does not tolerate fakes.
On Sunday, Gross showed that she belongs at that level - scoring two instrumental goals in Australia's come-from-behind 9-7 win.
To get to this point - debuting for the Australian Schoolgirls, in a three-Test series - the Year 11 Tamworth High student has put herself through an almost continual marathon for years.
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The 17-year-old plays for the Newcastle-based Hunter Hurricanes in the Australian National League. She also plays for Lake Macquarie in the Newcastle competition.
On top of that, she competes in Tamworth's schoolgirls competition, and plays in the local men's and women's competitions on Sunday.
Each week also involves three swimming sessions, while she tries to fit in gym work and other water polo sessions. Oh, and she also teaches kids how to swim four times at week at 360.
"I really don't know how she fits it all in sometimes," her mother, Kim, said. The making of an elite athlete is a process that does not tolerate slackers.
This has been the biggest year of Gross' career. She represented Australia for the first time when named in a national junior squad ahead of the 2020 FINA Youth Championships.
The 34-member squad last month went to Tokyo, where a training camp was held and games against university sides were staged. Next year a whittled down squad will tour Europe and Israel.
Gross said: "Every time I'm asked what my goal is, I've always said, 'To make an Australian team'.
"Now that I have done that ... my next step would be to make the Australian [senior] team itself. And then from there I'd look to go on to bigger things."
"Bigger things" no doubt includes the Olympics and world championships.
Gross has obviously been identified as possessing the right stuff. She is a left-hand driver, meaning she drives into centre-forward. She plays on the wing and "up the top". "So I basically control the right side of the field."
Gross said she played a "fast and physical game". "So I like to get in a few wrestles. I really like to drive and shoot. So shooting is probably one of my strengths in the game."
Her intensity and work ethic is that coaches look for. And as such, this delightful young woman stands at the precipice of achieving great things. The excitement and the anticipation of what lies ahead crackles on her voice.
She hopes to receive a scholarship that will allow her to play water polo and study at a US university. There is also the potential option of playing professionally in Europe. "I don't know if my mum would let me ... But I'm definitely looking to go to college in America ... It would be amazing."
