On Friday, 17th May, St Anthony’s competed in the Noble Park District Cross Country Championships at Tatterson Park, Keysborough. 34 students from years 3-6 represented the school against a range of schools within the Noble Park district in a series of 2km and 3km races.

Since the beginning of term 2, the squad practised once a week in preparation for the event. All students were determined to complete the race and give their best efforts. It was pleasing to see the excellent sportsmanship the students displayed during the event. This was highlighted by two of our Year 4 students sacrificing their race to help another student who was struggling with illness. This was an outstanding example of respect and putting others first before themselves. It was wonderful to witness each squad member receive encouragement and support from their teammates as they crossed the finish line.

This year was one of our most successful cross country squads, with 15 of the 34 students placing in the top 30 and nine of those students placing in the top 10, more than double the amount we had last year. Our 12/13 year old boys were the strongest group in the entire event, with five boys placing in the top 15! Multiple students also achieved personal best results which was a testament to their hard work and dedication in their training efforts. They are all to be congratulated for their amazing achievements.

A huge congratulations to the following students who all placed in the top 10 in their respective races:

Kobe - 1st place (9/10 year old boys)

Ruth - 1st place (9/10 year old girls)

Francesco - 2nd place (12/13 year old boys)

Melan - 5th place (12/13 year old girls)

Loi - 5th place (12/13 year old boys)

Nathan V - 6th place (12/13 year old boys)

John - 6th place (11 year old boys)

Esme - 8th place (9/10 year old girls)

Dhyan - 8th place (12/13 year old boys)

These students progressed to the Greater Dandenong Division Cross Country Championships which was held a week later. All students managed to place in the top 25 in their races and represented the school amazingly well. We had a further four students progress to the next phase with Kobe taking 1st place once again, Francesco coming in 3rd, Loi in 7th, and Nathan in 9th. These boys will now compete in the Southern Metropolitan Regional Cross Country Championships in two weeks time. An incredible achievement and one all of them should be extremely proud of!

Finally, an incredible day was capped off with our school finishing 2nd overall in our district! This is the highest St Anthony’s has finished in 15 years and eight places higher than last year. It is a testament to our wonderful group of students who showed that hard work, persistence and a positive mindset can lead to success. They should be praised for the manner in which they represented the school and should all be extremely proud of their efforts.

Well done everyone!

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