From the Assistant Principal, Cocurricular
Athletics
Basketball
Cricket - ISA & MWJCA
Football AGM and Information Night
Rugby
Summer Squash
Tennis (NSTA)

From the Assistant Principal, Cocurricular

ISA summer pre-season preparations are well underway, and will continue during the holidays. Week 1 next term will see pre-season games in basketball with Round 1 of the ISA and NSTA competition seasons starting in Week 2, 25 October. The exception being for our 1st XI cricketers who will play their first competition game on 18 October.

We have holiday camps for basketball and cricket, and for the junior students, football camps run by Sydney FC. The Sydney FC camps are not exclusive to St Pius X. These camps are a great way for your son to learn new skills and get them ready for the coming season.

A reminder that all students playing summer sport should ensure they have the correct uniform for their sports. This should be obtained from the Uniform Shop prior to the competition starting.

I thank in advance our sport convenors and coaches for their time and efforts in training and preparing our summer teams for the season.

Please see information in the football section below on the Football Club's AGM and Information Night, which is being held on Tuesday 21 October at 6:30 pm in the Sarto Centre.

I am pleased to announce the following list of our summer sport cocurricular coaches and convenors.

We head into the spring break this weekend and I wish everyone a restful and relaxing holiday.

Mr Matthew Stearn - Assistant Principal, Cocurricular

Athletics

ISA Athletics Championships – Outstanding Results!

Last Tuesday, 16 September, our Athletics squad delivered an exceptional performance at the ISA Athletics Championships. Competing with determination, skill, and school spirit, our athletes achieved remarkable success – finishing 1st in both the Junior and Senior divisions, 2nd in the Intermediate division, and 2nd overall.

Many students recorded personal bests on the day, and we are proud to celebrate several ISA record-breaking performances:

Nikolai Dimantha – Boys 18–19 110m Hurdles (17.32 sec)
James Mikan – Boys 14 Long Jump (5.97m) and Boys 12–14 Triple Jump (12.19m)
Cristiano Calcarao – Boys 12–14 1,500m (4:23.80)

Outstanding Individual Results – Top 3 Placings

Cristiano Calcarao – 1st 12–14 3,000m, 2nd 14 years 800m, 1st 12–14 1,500m
Oliver Ward – 2nd 12–13 90m Hurdles
Liam Zoncape – 2nd 14–15 100m Hurdles, 2nd 15 years Long Jump
Lukas Vivot – 2nd 16–17 110m Hurdles, equal 2nd 16 years High Jump
Nikolai Dimantha – 1st 18–19 110m Hurdles, 2nd 400m, 3rd 200m, 3rd 100m
Hunter Austin – 1st Shot Put, 2nd Javelin, 2nd Discus (14 years)
Luke Austin – 1st 17 years Shot Put, 2nd Discus
Charlie Woolf – 3rd 18–19 years Shot Put
Christian Wong – 3rd 18–19 years Triple Jump, 3rd Long Jump
Maximilian Allende – 1st 12 years 400m, 2nd 200m, 3rd 100m
James Mikan – 1st 14 years 100m, 1st Long Jump, 1st 12–14 Triple Jump, 2nd 200m
James Patchett – 1st 17 years 400m, 2nd 200m, 2nd 100m
Rafael Gomez De Membrillera Perez – 3rd 16 years 800m
Tyler Jago – 2nd 17 years 800m
Lukas Gazey – 3rd 13 years Long Jump
Leon Fazzari – 2nd 16 years 100m
Aidan McNeilly – 3rd 18–19 years High Jump
Zachary Rapa – 1st 16 years Javelin
Ethan Leong – 3rd Shot Put

Relay Results

1st Junior Relay – Parker Ball, Finn Sutherland, Patrick Butler, James Mikan
2nd Intermediate Relay – Leon Fazzari, Bradley Newman, Blaise O'Brien, Xavier Davidson
2nd Senior Relay – James Patchett, Christian Wong, Hugo Hart, Nikolai Dimantha

A huge congratulations to all our athletes for their dedication, hard work, and teamwork. Special thanks to our coaches – Chris Zilifian, Ethan Li, Matteo Dall’Amico, Jess Johnston, Ryan Dowling, Ron Bendall, Maddison Duncombe, and Mikayla Duncombe – whose guidance and commitment were instrumental to the team’s success. Finally, we extend our gratitude to Mrs Sally Richardson, Mr Scott Steinman, and Mr Matt Stearn for their support and contributions to ensuring the day ran smoothly.

CIS Athletics Championships

On Tuesday, 23 September, our Pius athletes proudly represented ISA at the CIS Athletics Championships, achieving outstanding results across both track and field. Many boys recorded new personal bests, secured podium finishes, and demonstrated remarkable school spirit.

A special mention goes to Cristiano Calcarao, for breaking a CIS record in the 800m (2:01.43) and also claiming gold in the 1,500m (4:23.7) – an extraordinary achievement and a testament to his commitment and talent.

Other standout performances included:

Maximiliam Allende – 1st 400m (1:03.36)
James Mikan – 1st Long Jump (6.10m), 1st Triple Jump (12.53m), 3rd 100m (11.91), and a member of the winning relay team
Junior Relay Gold Medal Team – James Mikan, Parker Ball, Patrick Butler, and Finn Sutherland (47.61)
James Patchett – 1st 200m (22.92), 1st 100m (11.30), 2nd 400m (53.83)
Nikolai Dimantha – 1st 400m (52.96), 2nd 110m Hurdles (17.65), 3rd 200m (23.43)
Liam Zoncape – 1st 100m Hurdles (15.73)
Hunter Austin – 1st Shot Put (13.21m)
Oliver Ward – 2nd 90m Hurdles (16.40)
Luke Austin – 2nd Shot Put (13.53m)
Aidan McNeilly – 3rd High Jump (1.70m)
Charlie Woolf – 3rd Shot Put (10.07m)
Christian Wong (Athletics Captain) – 2nd Triple Jump (12.71m)

Congratulations to all competitors for their hard work, dedication, and achievements.

Ms Leanne Lee – Athletics Convenor

Basketball

SPX Basketball

Team Updates

All grading for the SPX Basketball program is now complete, and team allocations will begin appearing in your Clipboard calendar shortly.

We’ve done our best to place each player in a team where we believe they will experience the most growth and success throughout the season. Please note that there is scope for adjustments over the first few rounds, as coaches provide feedback from training sessions and games. Players may move between teams based on performance, attitude, and team needs.

We appreciate your patience as we finalise the placement of all 46 teams involved in this year’s program, it’s a huge undertaking, and we’re excited for what’s ahead.

A massive thank you to Jack and Danny Garrett for their detailed player analysis and the time they have dedicated to ensuring thoughtful and fair placements.

Training sessions and Fixtures

Over the holiday break, we will begin posting draft fixtures, which will be confirmed during the week of each game. We’re excited to see the season take shape and appreciate your support in keeping everything running smoothly!

You will also be able to see your son’s allocated training sessions. This will also be posted via Canvas in the first week of the School Holidays.

Stay Updated with Clipboard Notifications

To ensure you receive the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding fixtures, events, and registrations, please make sure notifications are enabled within the Clipboard App and on your device.

This involves two quick steps:

Approving permissions within the Clipboard app
Allowing notifications through your device settings (Apple or Android)

For iPhone Users:

Open the Settings app.
Scroll down and tap Clipboard (you may need to open the app first for it to appear).
Tap Notifications.
Toggle Allow Notifications to ON.
Choose your preferred alert style (Lock Screen, Notification Centre, Banners).
Ensure Sounds and Badges are also enabled if desired.

For Android Users:

Open the Settings app.
Tap Apps or Apps & Notifications.
Find and tap Clipboard.
Tap Notifications.
Toggle notifications ON.

By enabling notifications, you’ll never miss an important update again!

Basketball Singlet and Shorts Orders

With Round 0 kicking off on Saturday, 18 October, now is the time to ensure your son has his basketball singlet ready to go.

If your son needs to purchase a singlet and shorts, please do so via the link below. When ordering online, be sure to include your son’s year group in the purchase notes, this helps us avoid number clashes across teams.

Please note:

Orders must be placed by the end of the second week of the school holidays at the absolute latest.
Due to the large number of players in our program, processing takes time. Orders placed in Week 1 of Term 4 may not arrive in time for the first games.

A reminder that:

All Year 7 players are required to purchase a singlet and shorts.
All blue loaned singlets are now overdue for return. These must be returned before the internal matches on 18 October.

We appreciate your patience as the College Uniform Shop processes these orders and thank you for your support in helping us prepare for a successful season.

https://www.spx.nsw.edu.au/parent-community/uniform-shop/

Preseason Fixtures

Save the date: Saturday 18 October will be a preseason game

All internal matches will be taking place at Oxford Falls. Times and court allocations will appear in Clipboard. For A and B teams, venues and times are still being finalised but will again appear in Clipboard.

Holiday Basketball Camp

We’re excited to announce our 2-day Holiday Basketball Camp, open to all ages and abilities!

Week 2 of the school holidays
Registrations via Clipboard

This is a fantastic opportunity for boys to:

Stay active over the break
Build skills and confidence
Enjoy basketball in a fun and supportive environment

Places are limited, so don’t miss out.

See the flyer for more info – we would love to see as many students involved as possible!

ISA Season Dates

Round 0: 18 October 2025
Round 1: 25 October 2025
Round 2: 1 November 2025
Round 3: 8 November 2025
Round 4: 15 November 2025
Round 5: 22 November 2025
Round 6: 29 November 2025
Round 7: 31 January 2026 (TBC)
Round 8: 7 February 2026
Round 9: 14 February 2026
Round 10: 21 February 2026
Semi Finals: 28 February 2026
Finals: 7 March 2026

We’re incredibly grateful for the ongoing support from our families and the SPX Basketball Supporters Committee. A special thank you to those who have already expressed interest in getting involved, it’s great to see such enthusiasm around the program.

If you would like to join the committee or help out in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out via email: jbourke@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au Your support makes a real difference!

Thank you for your continued support.

Mr James Bourke - Basketball Convenor

Cricket

ISA Cricket

October holiday trial teams are attached for the following matches:

All players are requested to confirm that they can play ASAP and advise either Mr Reay or Mr Rodgers.

Training continues Monday and Thursday afternoons.

Where possible potential ISA players should compete in MWJCA matches prior to the ISA season start.

ISA season commences Saturday 18 October v St Stanislaus’ College at Oxford Falls for both 1st and 2nd XI.

Mr David Reay - ISA Cricket Convenor

MWJCA Cricket

Holiday Camp - Wednesday 1 October

Junior Cricket Skills Day – Oxford Falls

Date: Wednesday 1 October

Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm (arrival from 8:45 am)

Location: Oxford Falls Playing Fields

Who: Junior cricketers (all abilities welcome)

Coaching: Delivered by Cricket Appeal

Lunch: BBQ provided

Give your skills a spring tune-up before the season! Across batting, bowling, fielding and match awareness, players will rotate through fun, high-energy drills led by Cricket Appeal coaches. Perfect for building confidence, sharpening technique and enjoying a great day out with mates.

What to bring: cricket gear (bat, pads, gloves, helmet if you have one), hat, sunscreen, water bottle, morning tea/snacks.

Registration: via Clipboard

Contact: Mr Balboa - RBalboa@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

Mr Ryan Balboa - MWJCA Cricket Convenor

Football

Football Committee AGM and Information night

After a great 2025 football season, we will look to get ahead of preparations for next season by conducting the Information Night & AGM in Term 4 (rather than Term 1 next year).

All football parents are welcome and encouraged to attend as the college's Football and cocurricular leaders discuss the season that was and outline what is planned for 2026.

SPX Football Information Night & AGM

6:30 pm, Tuesday 21 October 2025

Sarto Centre

Mr Matt Zanello - Football Committe

Rugby

Annual Golf Day 2025

Friday 17 October

Northbridge Golf Club

296c Sailors Bay Rd, Northbridge

Following the success of last years’ event, we are returning to Northbridge GC in October for our annual Ambrose golf outing.

The Committee’s focus this year is to maximise the appeal and to encourage as many parents as possible to join us for a great opportunity to mix with other parents and friends of the school. And, of course, to have fun. We are particularly keen to see more mums participate this year. Pull together a 4 Ball or just join as a single … either way, a great day is guaranteed.

For more information, please see attached flyer below.

For all bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/spx-2025-golf-day

Mr Justin Gates - Rugby Convenor

Summer Squash

Mr Joe Madani - Summer Squash Convenor

NSTA Tennis

Team Allocations:

In the coming days, your child will receive their team allocation and the division in which they will be playing via Clipboard. These placements have been thoughtfully determined using a combination of grading day results, prior performance data, and the guidelines set by NSTA regulations.

As I step into this role, I want to express my appreciation for your support and understanding during this transition. While every effort has been made to ensure fair and balanced team placements, there may be instances where a student is placed in a division that is higher or lower than anticipated. If your child’s placement raises any concerns, please rest assured that we will review and make appropriate adjustments when forming teams for Term 1, 2026.

Mr Christopher Nouragas - NSTA Tennis Convenor

P&F News

Year 11 High Tea