Celebrating Achievements
Seth Spacek - Massive Murray Paddle
St Joseph’s College is proud to celebrate Year 10 student, Seth Spacek, for his outstanding achievement in this year’s Massive Murray Paddle — a five-day, 415 km challenge that brings together young people, community leaders and police to build resilience, teamwork and cultural connection.
Seth participated as a member of the Indigenous youth paddling program Dungulayin Mileka (“from the river, to the river”), a long-running initiative that strengthens relationships between young people and police while promoting confidence, pride and connection to Country.
Despite being new to the sport, Seth showed exceptional commitment. He attended every training session, paddled over 120 kilometres, and volunteered for extra legs of the journey - even when he wasn’t rostered on. His team leader described him as a true standout for his strength, determination and positive attitude throughout the event.
At the conclusion of the paddle, Seth was formally recognised with a Warma Team Award, acknowledging his leadership, teamwork and contribution to the program.
We congratulate Seth on this incredible accomplishment. His dedication, courage and community spirit are an inspiration, and we are extremely proud to celebrate his achievement.
Kokoda Kids Take Their Story to Probus
Three of this year’s Colin Sinclair Kokoda Scholarship recipients addressed Echuca Moama Probus Club recently about their trip to Papua-New Guinea earlier this year to walk the Kokoda Trail.
St Joseph's College student Stella Elliott, along with Jane Fish and Eden Beaumont, spoke for more than 30 minutes about their moving experiences on the walk, the lessons they learnt about the enormity of the task confronting Australian troops and their vital Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel support network and the values they will carry with them through their lives.
They received warm applause from the club members for their presentation and their individual stories.
Hunter Reid - NSW Open Junior Pro Am
We’re sure many of you have been eager to hear how Hunter Reid went at the 2025 NSW Open Junior Pro Am on Wednesday, 12 November at The Vintage Golf Club in the Hunter Valley.
A big thank you to Hunter’s mum, Kellie, for sharing this update:
Our family travelled to the Hunter Valley to support Hunter at the Junior Pro Am, where he played alongside professionals Jayden Cripps, Blake Phillips and junior Jai Del Bradley.
Hunter played exceptionally well, shooting an impressive even-par round, enjoying every moment and even beating one of the pros and equalling another!
From the moment we arrived, Hunter thrived - straight to the range, excited to warm up among the professionals and confident in his ball striking. Jayden and Blake were fantastic with the juniors, offering guidance, creating a relaxed atmosphere and making the day unforgettable. Playing in front of crowds, cameras and even doing an unexpected interview was a whole new experience for Hunter.
We stayed an extra day to follow Lucas Herbert in the morning and Jayden Cripps in the afternoon. Jayden expressed his appreciation for our support, chatted with Hunter throughout the round, gifted him his glove and encouraged him to keep pursuing the game, saying, “I’ll see you playing in a couple of years.”
The event was invaluable - immersed in the excitement of a major tournament, Hunter learned the importance of course management, preparation, thoughtful shot-making and staying composed under pressure. In Hunter's words:
“It was a great experience, a learning curve that will help me achieve my goals. Thank you to Rich River for making it possible.”
The Hunter family also expressed their appreciation for the support from Joel Watson, Rich River Golf Club, Rich River members, the Ladies Social Committee and the wider community.
Congratulations, Hunter - you’ve made everyone proud!
Marcus Keirl - National ACTA
Over the weekend, Marcus attended the ACTA National Ground at Wagga Wagga and competed in two new disciplines. The National ACTA English Sporting Clays Championship, where you shoot only pairs of targets, which means you only have one shot at each target. Some pairs are simultaneous - where both targets are thrown at the same time, and some pairs are report pairs. This is where the second target is released as soon as the shooter fires their first shot.
He also entered the ACTA FITASC Compak Nationals. The 200 target Compak event is shot over five different shooting stands on eight different grounds, with all targets flying within a 40 metre area in front of the shooter.
Marcus shot well on the first day of competition, winning his grade in the 100 target National ACTA English Sporting Clays Championship on the Friday.
He started off a bit shaky on Saturday for the first of two days for the Compak event but composed himself on the Sunday, putting some good consistent rounds on the board to finish just two targets short of a podium finish for that event.
Our “Glow Getters” Take on a 28km Night Hike for a Cause
We are incredibly proud to celebrate a remarkable achievement by a dedicated group of St Joseph’s College staff who recently took on a challenging 28km “Hike the Night” trek to raise funds and awareness for the Cancer Council.
Earlier in the month, staff members Jess Oliver, Brenda Auhl, Rebecca Billing, Joanna Lee, Nawaal Titus, Julie-Ann Watson, Nerina Meth and Yosie Beggs braved the Two Bays Trail - beginning with the famously steep climb up Arthur’s Seat - to honour loved ones who have been affected by cancer. Despite tough terrain, unpredictable weather and the demands of a late-night event, the team showed extraordinary determination, teamwork and spirit.
In the lead-up to the event, the group trained together for months, tackling long distances including the Echuca bridge-to-bridge loop and the Axedale Rail Trail. Their commitment is a wonderful example of the strength, compassion and camaraderie that exists within our staff community.
We are delighted to share that the team has already surpassed their fundraising goal of $1000, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported them so far. We also acknowledge the support of Rachel McAsey and the College in helping make this experience possible for our staff.
If you would still like to contribute, donations remain open. Every contribution helps support vital cancer research and services for individuals and families affected by this disease.
We are so proud of our staff - our very own “Glow Getters” - for their dedication, resilience and generosity. Their efforts truly embody the values of our College community.
