Rowing: A Fortnight of Momentum and Milestones

It’s been a bustling fortnight for Kinross Wolaroi Rowing as we put our foot firmly on the accelerator to round out what has been an exciting and rewarding term to date. The energy, enthusiasm, and commitment across all squads continue to grow — and the results speak for themselves.

Golden Oar Regatta – Top Performing School

A Raging Success for the Two Blues!

During the first weekend of November, Kinross Wolaroi proudly stamped its mark on the Golden Oar Regatta — a vibrant, festival-style event that drew Olympic champions and elite rowers from across the globe.

Our 15-strong athlete contingent, supported by a dedicated five-member staff team, made the journey through the Lachlan Valley to the nation’s capital. Competing in the Mixed Quad Under 19 Division, our crews lined up against some of the finest young rowers in Australia, including composite crews featuring Australian Junior representatives, all vying for the impressive cash prizes of $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500.

But for Kinross Wolaroi, it was never about the prize money. It was about embodying the very DNA of our program — community, collaboration, and co-education. The mixed-gender format provided the perfect stage to showcase what makes our rowing culture so special: genuine camaraderie, mutual respect, and a deep sense of purpose.

Laughter, smiles, and great energy filled the weekend, but beneath it all ran a fierce competitive spirit and an unwavering desire to row hard for the person beside you. The regatta’s unconventional format — a 1500m heat, 3km time trial, and a 450m sprint final — played right into our hands.

KWS 1 (Reidy, Searle, Buckland, Grout, Bruce) – Qualified for the A Final, the only school crew to do so. 6th in A Final.
KWS 2 (Bell, Dymock, Jarick, Sawtell, Petersen) and KWS 3 (Robinson, Soster, Leigo, Tancred, McKay) – Claimed Gold and Silver in the B Final.

In the end, Kinross dominated the school division, finishing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd — a phenomenal result and testament to the strength and depth of our program.

A heartfelt thank you to Mr Angus Brotherton (Performance Manager), Ms Elly Reynolds (“Ms Fix It”), Mr Gary Brotherton (Chief of Transport & Logistics), and Mr Bettle (Strength & Conditioning) for their tireless work, positive energy, and commitment. Driving out of Lake Burley Griffin on Sunday evening there was an overwhelming sense of pride, gratitude, and belonging — proud to wear the Two Blue and to be part of something truly special.

Juniors – Levelling Up

A famous boxer once said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

After their debut regatta, our Junior squad had a few valuable reality checks — the kind that great athletes grow from. While it was a strong start, the realisation quickly set in: the learning curve is steep, and we’re no longer novices.

Over the past fortnight, their collective attitude, effort, and mindset have transformed. In rowing, we call these “lightbulb sessions” — moments when things click and you begin to truly move forward.

One particularly cold, wet, and windy morning became a defining moment. Unable to row, we turned the session into a gruelling circuit workout. A few honest words, a shift in focus — and suddenly, the energy flipped. The squad has been training with purpose and passion ever since.

The results? Outstanding. In our most recent erg testing, 95% of our Junior squad achieved personal bests. A phenomenal effort — well done, Junior Rowers. Keep that fire burning!

The Next Challenge

Our focus now turns to the Loreto Kirribilli Regatta this weekend, where our girls’ crews will line up against strong Sydney opposition. This event will be a valuable hit-out in preparation for the NSW All Schools Regatta later this month.

Special Mentions

A huge congratulations to Year 9 Senior Coxswain, Jock Petersen, for receiving the ‘Kinrossian Award’ at the recent KWS Gatho.

At the Golden Oar Regatta, Jock demonstrated extraordinary courage and composure when he noticed a young girl in distress during a recovery swim at our accommodation. He acted swiftly, pulling her to safety and assisting her until help arrived. Jock, your actions embody the true spirit of Kinross — bravery, compassion, and leadership.

On the water, Jock also earned recognition from event commentators for steering what was described as “the line of the day” during the 3km time trial. A well-deserved double commendation!

Rowers of the Fortnight

Year 9 Boy: Hamish Macdonald
Year 9 Girl: Elizabeth Latham
Intermediate Boy: Heathcliffe Bell
Intermediate Girl: Georgia Tancred
Senior Boy: Toby Buckland
Senior Girl: Emily Wise
S&C Performer of the Fortnight: Angus Hunt
Coxswain: Jock Petersen

The Two Blue spirit continues to thrive — full of grit, heart, and good humour. As we move into the next phase of the season, let’s keep lifting each other, keep striving, and keep enjoying every moment of the journey together.

Best wishes to all KWS summer sports teams in their upcoming fixtures — may your hard work, teamwork, and determination shine through.

Ben Watt

MIC Rowing

Basketball Season Update

The basketball season is well underway, and we’re thrilled with the strong start our teams have made. The first few weeks are always busy — from assigning teams and registering players to establishing routines for training, transport, and games. Now that we’ve settled into the season, it’s been wonderful to see our players embracing expectations and representing Kinross Wolaroi School with pride.

This year, Kinross Wolaroi has 20 teams registered in the Orange Basketball Association. Across the board, our students have shown great sportsmanship, teamwork, and commitment. Feedback from coaches has been overwhelmingly positive, and it’s been a pleasure to watch many games at PCYC and witness the enthusiasm and effort firsthand.

Reminders for Players

As we move further into the season, we ask for your continued support in reinforcing the following expectations with your child:

Training: Students must bring a hat, water bottle, and wear the correct training gear.
Games: Players should arrive on time, in full game uniform, and bring a water bottle.
Effort: We expect all players to give 100% at both training and games.

Attendance at scheduled training and games is essential. If a player is unable to attend, a valid reason must be communicated in advance.

Registration & Communication

Please ensure your child is fully registered with the Orange Basketball Association. If you have any concerns or questions regarding registration, feel free to contact me directly.

All basketball-related communication — including transport details, game times, and other key updates — will be shared via the Basketball HUB page. We encourage parents and guardians to check this page regularly to stay informed.

Thank you for your ongoing support. We look forward to a successful and enjoyable season ahead!

Congratulations to Josh Brett for Boys captain of Basketball and Giselle Brogan Girls captain of Basketball.

Warm regards,

Lee Taylor, MIC Basketball

Touch Football Report

The 2025/26 ISA Touch Football season has commenced in outstanding fashion, with the girls teams delivering exceptional performances across the opening rounds. Despite facing challenges with low player numbers across several divisions, the girls have demonstrated remarkable determination, teamwork, and skill—setting a positive tone for the season ahead.

The first round saw Kinross Wolaroi host Redlands and Barker on home turf, marking an exciting start to the campaign. For many of our Junior A and Junior B players, this was their first experience playing competitive touch football, and both teams should be immensely proud of their enthusiasm and commitment. A special mention goes to Camilla Hutchings, who displayed outstanding dedication by playing a total of five games across Divisions 1, 2, and 3, as well as in the Junior A team.

Round Two took the teams to Bowral to face Chevalier and Oxley College. Despite overcast skies and persistent rain, the girls maintained their composure and competitive edge, securing eight wins from ten matches—an exceptional achievement. Both the Division 1 and Division 2 teams delivered dominant performances, each winning their matches by margins of at least ten points.

The momentum continued in Round Three, with another home fixture that drew wonderful support from boarders, families, and staff. Division 1 and Division 3 both opened against Oakhill, recording impressive victories of 8–5 and 6–3, respectively. Division 2 continued their strong form, comfortably defeating St Andrew’s College by eight tries. Later in the day, Division 1 faced Central Coast Grammar School—the team that eliminated them from last year’s finals. Determined to turn the tables, the Kinross Wolaroi girls played with intensity and precision, securing a well-earned 5–3 victory. Captains Lucy Carney and Katie Ivey led by example, while Ava Healey and Lucy Atkinson deserve special recognition for their tireless efforts in playing both games without a sub in warm conditions.

The dedication and sportsmanship displayed across all teams have been truly commendable. With 29 games played and 23 wins recorded in just the first three weeks of the season, the our Touch Football program has enjoyed an exceptional start.

A sincere thank you is extended to Rob Bell and the Trathen House boarders for their invaluable assistance with the setup of tents, their continued support contributes greatly to the success and smooth running of match days.

The season has begun with great promise, and with the enthusiasm, resilience, and skill already on display, our Touch Football girls are well on their way to another successful season.

Emma Sweeney, MIC Touch Football

Triathlon

On Sunday 9 November our Triathlon team arrived bright and early at Gosling Creek to participate in the Orange Triathlon Clubs Interclub events. We had a total of 16 students participating in individual events, proudly representing our school.

Our triathletes competed in the Super Sprint Duathlon which consisting of doing a 1km run, 8.8km bike, 2km run. A special mention goes to Sam Cummins who came in 1st in his event, as well as Thomas Nelson, who finished 4th, and George Davis, who came 5th. Zoe Fox came home as the second female with Elsie Godfrey-Ryall in 3rd and Anna Childs in 4th. These are fantastic results showing the effort and dedication that they have put in. This was the first event of the season for our triathlon team, it was great to see all the hard work that the team has been putting in at trainings paying off. A big congratulations to all the students who completed their first event, which consisted of more than half of the Triathlon team, a great achievement for those involved.

Throughout the morning, our athletes show great team spirits and were very supportive of each other, cheering everyone on as they went past each other, on and off the course. Our older and more experienced students also did a great job helping mentor the younger students as well as answering any questions that that had about the race.

A huge thank you to all the parents and supporters who came out to cheer along our athletes and celebrate their achievements. It was a fantastic start to the season, we have many more events coming up very soon and are very excited to see what else our Triathlon team has instore for us.

Ashton Montagliani

Triathlon Captain

Junior Performing Arts

Mrs Katie Sinclair, Junior Performing Arts Coordinator