West Gippsland and Gippsland Cross Country Results

Earlier this term we had a number of our students represent Lowanna College at the West Gippsland Cross Country held in Warragul.

Those who advanced to the Gippsland Round competed on the 5th of June, with a number of students having a very successful day. Year 7 student Harvey Briggs placed 2nd in his age group, Year 12 student Darcy Knowles placed 2nd in her age group and Year 12 student Kyson Cornwall placed 3rd in his age group. Well done everyone!

Student Achievements

Congratulations to Year 10 student Cruze Ross who made his Senior football debut for Buln Buln Football Club. Well done, Cruze.

Well done to Year 9 student Sam Jones who recently competed at Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula, representing Lowanna College alongside two other students. Sam placed 9th overall!

Earlier this year, Year 10 student Alex Ingham competed in the Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup for the U16 Bushrangers. Well done to Alex and the team who were the champions of the tournament.

Student Sport Updates

Football Success

At the end of May our Year 9 and 10 boys competed in the Intermediate Gippsland Football Competition, winning all of their games on the day and advancing to the State quarter/semifinals in August. Well done boys and good luck!

Soccer Excitement

Year 7 students Jamison Frendo, Micah Noy, Logan Scott, Jayden Ryan and Jai Cann competed in the LVSL (Latrobe Valley Soccer League) Albury Championships Tournament recently.

Basketball Stars

Year 9 students Shayla Smith, Lexie Jackson and Tayley Reaper recently played for the Gippsland United U16 Girls in the Nunawading Tournament. They won 6-0 and Shayla was the Grand Final MVP, well done!

Moe Basketball Awards

Pictured below are the students who received an award at the Moe Basketball Junior Squad Presentation. Well done everyone!

Pictured above, with Information below:

Lexie Jackson – U16 Girls - Player’s Player Award

Cooper Beckett – U14.3's Player’s Player Award

Patrick Manning – U16.1s Best Defensive Player Award

Lee Crookston – U16.2s Player’s Player Award

Xavier Reed – U16.2s Best Defensive Player Award

Preston Laidlaw – U18.1s Best Defensive Player Award

Well done to the following students who also received an award but are not pictured above:

Marah Xerri (U16 Girls) - Coaches Award

Lahni Xerri (U14.1s Girls) – Coaches Award

Paul Gatpan (U18.1s Boys) – Coaches Award

Beau Tipping (U18.2s Boys) – Coaches Award

Vic Country Trials

Xavier Ladbrook (Year 11, middle) with Year 12 students Brodie Atkins (left) and Tom Matthews (right) at the Victorian Country Trials for football.

Go Girls!

Year 7 student Keira Ingham recently represented West Gippsland in the SNA Netball Tournament, winning Division 1 with her team. Great job, Keira.

Continuing her success, Keira played for the winning West Gippsland U13 Girls Interleague Football Team recently.

Well done to Year 9 LSA students Libby Hoare and Kaylea Rudling for receiving Best on Ground at their recent Gippsland Allstars football matches. Well done girls!

Congratulations to Year 7 student Kyah Brown for being selected to play in the U14 Girls LVSL (Latrobe Valley Soccer League) squad, where she will compete in the 2025 Victorian Country Championships. Well done Kyah and good luck!

Sports Academy Theory

Senior students

Year 11 and 12 football students participated in a video session with Gippsland Power and Sports Academy Football Coach Rhett Mclennan recently.

Year 9 students

Year 9 Sports Academy students have been learning about the cardiovascular system. Students had fun completing sketches recently to reinforce the anatomy of the heart.

Previous Academy Student Bio

Blake Metcalf-Holt - Class of 2021

I commenced at Lowanna in 2016, finishing VCE studies in 2021. Like many, I constantly questioned my future and what was next for me. Halfway through high school, I worked it out.

Sports was my thing; I obsessed over basketball and football but always had a keen eye and love for competition. English was always my favourite subject - so combining my two key interests made it actually quite simple to work out what I wanted to do i.e. a sports writer/journalist.

The Sports Academy (or Sports Excellence Program as it was previously known as) is where most of my key memories flow through during high school - with some great teachers and great schoolmates that brought on a fun and educational time. Sports teachers like Allan Chandler, Mike Santo and Malcolm Swinley all created an enjoyable environment that was pivotal through my years at Lowanna. Not just due to teaching us new skills or giving us ideas to preserve and look after our bodies, but because of the sound relationships they forged with all the students that made their way through the program during that time.

I was lucky enough to find the perfect degree to see my dreams become reality, and in 2022 I began travelling to Chadstone three times a week to study a Bachelor of Sports Media at Holmesglen Institute.

I graduated in May (this year) having commenced working as a journalist at the Latrobe Valley Express 12 months prior. Covering local sport, community and hard news has been a great thrill in my early working life and something I don’t take for granted - it all stems back to my time at Lowanna College.

Sports Academy Diaries

Reminder: Students are expected to use their Sports Academy diaries and bring them to all of their classes.

Lowanna College Sports Academy

Better Student, Better Athlete, Better Person.

Issue 5 · 16 Jun 2025

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