Rowing

Mr Ben Watt (MIC Rowing)

Early January Camp

KWS Rowing took a selected squad for the annual early January camp in Penrith which capped off a fantastic start to 2025, with our rowers covering over 50 kilometres daily and displaying outstanding effort and behaviour.

A standout moment was our visit to the Penrith Panthers Rugby League Academy, where we met Ivan and Nathan Cleary, Liam Martin, Brian To’o, and the great Royce Simmons. We attended a presentation in the Academy theatre on culture, performance, and the Panthers’ core values, which deeply resonated with our team. The Academy staff were incredibly accommodating, with our guide praising our group as one of the most engaged and friendly he’s hosted.

This unforgettable experience reinforced key lessons about teamwork, resilience, and excellence, inspiring the team as we move into the second half of the season. A big thankyou to Mr Sam Jones (Penrith Panthers) and Mr Jackson Hill for organising the tour for our Rowers.

Entire Squad Late January Camp

In the last week of the holidays an 86 strong Rowing Squad came back to school early to complete a 5-day camp at Spring Creek and Wolaroi Campus. Students completed three grueling sessions each day spanning from on water training, erg tests, S&C, running, pool recovery and mindfulness sessions. The camp itself flowed smoothly with all Rowers displaying outstanding behavior and fantastic work ethic throughout the 5 days.

The squad could not be more grateful for the efforts of the dining hall staff, transport team and Weymouth and Wolaroi boarding houses for allowing us the opportunity to use the school campus over the holiday break.

NSW State Rowing Championships

Our rowing squad delivered spectacular results at the NSW State Championships this past weekend. For the third consecutive year, Kinross Wolaroi was the top-performing school, finishing fourth overall on the medal tally—behind three of Australia’s elite clubs and universities.

The NSW State Championships saw 1,700 athletes competing across 70 events spanning Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Highlights included:

Our Schoolgirl 1st VIII dominated the A Final, leading from start to finish to secure victory—marking the first time in the program’s history that KWS has won this event.
Our Schoolboy quads made history with a clean sweep in the U16, U17, and Schoolboy 1st Quad events, all winning gold in their respective A Finals. This is the first time since 2015 that Kinross has achieved a quads clean sweep at NSW States. Notably, KWS remains the only school to have ever done this in the regatta’s history—previously in 2014, 2015, and now 2025. This achievement is a testament to the program’s depth, and it was fantastic to see the ‘Brotherhood’ bringing energy across all age groups!
A special mention to the Schoolboy 2nd Quad, the only second-ranked quad in the A Final, finishing fifth while pushing the top field. As we shift focus to more speed work, this crew is set to flourish—an exciting month lies ahead for them.
A standout performance came from the Men’s U16 Quad, which led from start to finish to win gold by an impressive three boat lengths—making a strong statement against GPS heavyweights Kings and Shore. Imperious rowing was how the commentator described this performance.
Both Under 17 Women’s Quads delivered solid performances, with the 1st crew dominating and the 2nd crew—featuring three members returning from injury—earning a commendable fourth place.
The Under 17 Men’s Quad, stroked by Will Kirby, led from start to finish. A special acknowledgment to Maddox Bruem, who showed remarkable determination by competing despite illness over the weekend.
Harry Dymock showcased outstanding endurance, competing in six events and securing two golds and two silvers. At times, he had to be transported directly from the finish tower to the start line for back-to-back races—an incredible effort. Well done, Harry!

Every Kinross Wolaroi crew raced proudly for the crest, collectively finishing with 5 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze medals—a phenomenal achievement. Congratulations to all students who competed!

Results

Gold

Schoolgirl 1st 8 (Tessa Wong, Xanthe Staniforth, Olivia Searle, Lucy Reidy, Emily Wise, Rahni Jarick, Laura Chudleigh, Bell Clinton coxed by Pip Martin)
Schoolboy 1st Quad (Oliver Smith, Oscar Cleary, Toby Buckland, Harry Dymock coxed by Henry Baker)
Under 17 Women’s Quad (Bell Clinton, Emily Wise, Rahni Jarick, Laura Chudleigh coxed by Jane Bruce)
Under 17 Men’s Quad (Will Kirby, Hamish Searle, Maddox Bruem, Hugh Nash coxed by Jock Petersen)
Under 16 Men’s Quad (Ash Robinson, Heathcliffe Bell, Xavier Zinga, Angus Sawtell coxed by Sam Thomas)

Silver

Under 16 Men’s Double (Heathcliffe Bell, Xavier Zinga)
Under 19 Men’s Coxless Quad (Oliver Smith, Oscar Cleary, Toby Buckland, Harry Dymock)

Bronze

Schoolgirl 4 (Maggie Kirby, Jemima Scammell, Sophie Luelf, Sienna Wilkin).
Under 16 Women’s Quad (Georgia Tancred, Paxton Buckerfield, Alexandra Karrasch, Matilda Whitely coxed by Sophie Caro)
Under 19 Women’s Coxed Four (Tessa Wong, Xanthe Staniforth, Olivia Searle, Lucy Reidy coxed by Pip Martin)
Schoolgirl Double Scull (Sienna Wilkin, Maggie Kirby).

We now set our sights on the Kings/PLC Regatta on 22 February.

Best of luck to all sporting teams for their upcoming fixtures.

Tennis

ISA Tennis Report Round 7 Saturday 08/02/25

After a lovely holiday break, the ISA Tennis Team were back into the full swing of the season, with Round 7 of the competition being held in Orange.

Our KWS Odds team were up against old rivals SSC Odds, while our KWS Evens team had some tough competition in SASC Evens. Our doubles started off well for our Odds team, with Ashton Quinn-Woonton and Anabelle Van Wyk, and Lucy Baldwinson and Frankie Mitchell both winning their matches. Our singles players in our Odds team brought the win home, with Ashton Quinn-Woonton, Milli Mackay, Lucy Baldwinson and Frankie Mitchell winning their respective matches. The final score was 12 sets to 7 sets KWS.

In our Evens team, we welcomed a new player, Ollie Hyde, who made his debut in the ISA team. Sam McLaughlin and Sam Balcomb won their doubles match comfortably to put us in a close fight with SASC. The singles matches were neck and neck, with Ollie Hyde and Will Hoskins coming away with wins in their games. However, this unfortunately wasn’t enough, with SASC Evens pipping us at the post 12 sets to 7 sets.

Round 8 (15 February) will be in Bathurst this weekend, and we encourage parents to come along and watch some tennis in the sunshine!

Triathlon

Triathlon students put their holiday training to the test on Sunday 9 February, competing in the Orange Interclub at Gosling Creek. Students competed in the Super Sprint (270m swim, 8.8km ride, 2km run) as well as the Sprint race (540m swim, 23km ride, 4.4km run).

The sprint race is a grueling event, seeing competitors on course for around 50min. Max Horne was the first Kinross Wolaroi student home, followed by Ashton Montagliani, Flynn Jones and Oscar Zielinski. This was the first attempt at the distance for Flynn and Oscar. All four students have a bright future in the sport.

Sam Commins (year 9) was the first male home in the super sprint race and Anna Childs (year 10) finished second in the female race. This was a notable achievement as students raced against adults!

It was great to see 2023/4 triathlon captain, Will Ward, back in the water swimming in his race. Thanks also go to all senior students: Zoe, Jess, Isobella and Amelia, for ensuring all students were ready to race after completing bike checks with everyone.

Touch Football

The 2025 Touch Football season kicked off with all teams traveling to Bowral with an overnight stay at Berrima Bakehouse Motel. Despite previous seasons, due to the overnight stay the girls were able to have a sleep in on Saturday as games were set to start at 10:30am.

The Division 1 girls played their first game against Chevalier College. Despite having not played together in over 7 weeks, the girls worked as a team and comfortably won the game 10-1. Next up was Oxley College. Undeterred by not having a break between the games and it being extremely hot, the girls dug deep and matched Oxley’s intensity. With a draw at half time, Captain Lily Bruce gave a motivational speech, and the girls scored another 5 tries in the second half. This was an excellent effort, and the girls won 8-5. Special mentions go to Kate Deshon and Lucy Atkinson who played both games without a sub.

The first game for the Inter A’s saw our girls put in a dominant performance against Oxley College, coming away with a 14-2 victory. This was a particularly impressive defensive effort given we played the 2nd half with only 5 on the field. Special mentions to Grace Hosie and Charlotte Cox who between them scored an impressive 9 tries. The second game was against Chevalier College. After letting the opposition get away to an early lead, the KWS inter team showed great fight through some crafty play by Clancy Murray and Grace Hosie to draw level at 4-4 midway through the 2nd half. Unfortunately playing back-to-back games in the heat took its toll and the girls were unlucky to go down 7-4.

After a restful holiday, the Junior A's were slow to start. After a first half filled with plenty of dropped balls we clicked into gear for the second half of the first game and the entire 2nd game. Beating Oxley 8-0 and then Chevalier 10-2, we continue our unbeaten streak towards the finals. Unsung heroes of the weekend go to Lucy Campbell and Amelia Lawrie, two who may not score or set up all the tries but are vital in our team's performances!

The Junior Bs played well and worked hard for each other in both games. Their first game against Chevalier College ended up a 2-2 draw but later in the day a 2-0 win was secured against Oxley College thanks to a great effort as a team in defense and some runaway tries to Asher and Ingrid.

Cadets

As we progress through this Cadet year, we would like to remind everyone of some important updates and upcoming events:

Bivouac Camp (2-4 December):

During last year’s Camps Week in Term 4, KWSCU successfully ran the annual Bivouac Camp, involving activities in both Sydney and Orange’s surrounds over three days. The whole unit spending the first day at Mount and Lake Canobolas, trekking and kayaking in stunning weather. A, B, and D Companies (Year 8 2024) spent a day at Treetops, which included climbing, walking tightropes and ziplining through the Western Sydney Parklands. Meanwhile, C and E Companies (Year 7 2024) persevered through the rain to complete activities such as archery, cooking, abseiling, and first aid. These activities aim to not only be enjoyable but also develop fundamental skills for their time in the KWSCU, especially during overnight Cadet camps.

Uniform Standards:

All Cadets must wear their full uniform correctly, including: hats during recess, lunch, and the Wednesday afternoon parade; no jewellery (except for a single plain gold or silver stud in each ear); sleeves rolled down; and long hair must be tied into a neat bun. Please ensure your uniform is clean and well-presented during the school day and home training.

Home Training Schedule:

Please note that home training sessions will occur on Wednesday afternoons for weeks 2–4 and 6–9. There will be no Cadets on Wednesday week five due to Wellbeing Day. Home training is a mandatory activity, and if you are unable to attend, please complete a green slip located outside the PDHPE staffroom, or have a parent/guardian email cadets@kws.nsw.edu.au .

Annual Camp (6th–10th April):

Annual Camp will take place from the 6th – 10th April. This is a key event in the Cadet calendar, offering a range of exciting activities and new experiences. More details, including joining instructions, will be released closer to the end of term.

Basketball

Mr Lee Taylor, MIC

It has been a busy start to 2025 for the Basketball program.

Straight back into games and training last week with both the 1st Boys and Girls starting this year well with wins. I appreciate everyone’s efforts in making the games the first week back. I was particularly impressed by the way in which we presented ourselves and the school and the teamwork and sportsmanship that you have shown.

It was great to see the number of nominations to represent the Western Associated Schools in Sydney later in the term. Kinross Wolaroi School has a number of boys and girls trialling for both the 16s team and Opens teams. Trials took place in the Anderson centre gym and more than 60 players attended from Schools across the district. This was by far the biggest turn out and most competitive trails that I have seen.

The selections will be made in conjunction with coaches from other schools within the region. This is a good avenue for those wanting to perform at a high level and test there skills and abilities. Thankyou for all who have expressed interest in this. Please keep an eye on the Basketball HUB page for further information.

I would like to thank our Captains of Basketball both Lincoln and Olivia who have provided some feedback as to where they would like to improve the program and what this would look like. It has been fantastic to see them in action and leading by example. I am glad that they are receiving some positive outcomes in there games and at training.

Please can I encourage all players to ensure that they bring water bottles and hats to training. It is that time of the year that we need to be mindful of being sunsmart and keep hydrated. Coaches will always adapt training to the conditions and as players we have a responsibility to ensure we are looking after ourselves.

Please remember the way that you train is the way you play. If you train well and with intent this will transfer directly to the game and the results will speak for themselves.

Girls Div 3

3rd - KWS Wildcats

4th KWS Pumas

Girls Div 2

2nd KWS Magpies

3rd KWS Wolves

Women Div 1

4th - KWS 1sts

Boys Premier 2

2nd - KWS 1sts

Boys Senior 2

1st KWS Nets

3rd KWS Jets

4th KWS Lakers

Swimming Carnival

The Senior School Swimming Carnival was a great day filled with friendly competition and plenty of house spirit. Students took to the pool with enthusiasm, giving their best in every race while cheering each other on from the sidelines.

Congratulations to all who took part, and a special mention to our age champions and the winning house, Gordon, with 1195 points!

Final house results:

Gordon– 1195
Richards – 1118
McLachlan – 1084
Dean – 1015.5
Brown – 988
Douglas – 857
Blackman – 849.5
Williams – 805

A big thank you to the staff and students who helped make the day a success!

Around the Junior School

Pre-Kinder