The Girton eLink

Sports News

Senior School Representative Sport Program 

At the beginning of term, Dr O’Rielly announced that Girton’s Senior School will adopt a single-competition model for our Representative Sports Program from 2025. This shift will see us expand our participation in the Independent Country Co-Educational Schools (ICCES) association while withdrawing from the School Sports Victoria (SSV) competition.

 

Having led this year’s review of our Representative Sports Program, I am of the firm belief that this change will prove beneficial for our program and, most importantly, for our students and staff. Our decision to shift to a new model has been made after careful consideration, taking into account the views shared at our recent parent, student and staff forums. Those in attendance at these events resoundingly supported the proposal to move to a new model focused on offering sporting experiences of the highest quality rather than quantity. The new model will offer a range of benefits, including the following:

  • Access to elite-level competitions and venues: ICCES is a fully incorporated association that offers a high standard of competition against like-minded independent schools at some of the best venues in the state. Expanding our involvement with ICCES will give students the opportunity to progress to state and national competitions as part of the ICCES division, and will also provide access to new experiences, such as the Summer Tour (cricket, volleyball, tennis, golf and softball). For a full list of ICCES sporting events, see the table below.
     
  • Exclusive access to ICCES while maintaining community connections: Girton is the only school in Bendigo that offers students access to the elite ICCES competition, giving the school a unique point of difference in the region. At the same time, the school will maintain strong sporting connections within the community by hosting friendly competitions and practice matches with other local schools, which will provide an additional opportunity for students to prepare for representative competitions. The school also welcomes family involvement in the representative sporting program through coaching, umpiring and administrative roles. 
     
  • More balance for students: Streamlining the school’s competition schedule will reduce time out of class for our students and allow staff to minimise clashes between academic assessments and competition dates, providing students with more balance between academic and sporting commitments.
     
  • Enhanced competitiveness: By focusing the school’s efforts on ICCES, students will no longer have to choose between two competitions to minimise the number of classes missed, enabling the school to assemble the most competitive teams for each sport. This will facilitate a program where students are both challenged and supported. 
     
  • More efficient use of resources: At present, Girton is running twice as many representative sports activities as other schools. With fewer overlapping competitions, our staff will have more capacity to attend competitions and run trials and training sessions, ensuring our students receive the best possible preparation and coaching. It will also provide our teams with better access to our school’s sporting facilities.
     
  • Better integration with other sporting programs: A single-competition model will enable better alignment with Girton’s Sports Excellence and Physical Education programs, further enhancing our students’ athletic development. 

Looking to the future, Girton’s Representative Sports Program will aim to support high-performing students to strive for excellence in their chosen fields, while our co-curricular sporting program will remain focused on supporting student participation. I look forward to the exciting possibilities that this new model will bring and would like to thank our students, parents and staff for their ongoing support of our sports program at Girton. 

 

Mr Jay Weston

Deputy Principal

Loddon Mallee Regional Athletics

On Thursday 10 October, amid bright sunshine and warm conditions, Girton Grammar students delivered a series of outstanding performances at the Loddon Mallee Regional Athletics, bringing home a collection of first-place victories and new records.

  • Hugo Byrne (9 Riley) dominated the track, securing first place in three of the most demanding events: the 400m, 800m and 1500m. His endurance and speed were highlights on the day.
  • Not to be outdone, Abbey Reid (10 Jenkin) also took home three golds, claiming victory in the 800m, 1500m and 3000m. Her strength and stamina in long-distance events made her one of the standouts.
  • Kate Wilson (9 Jenkin) had an incredible day, winning the high jump with a new record, alongside firsts in the triple jump and hurdles. She also took second place in the 200m, showcasing her versatility across both track and field events.
  • Tom Evennett (9 Frew) showed crossed the line first in the hurdles, and also finished fourth in the 200m sprint.
  • Kyah Spiteri (8 Riley) sprinted to victory in the 100m and also soared to first place in the long jump, proving her dominance in both speed and power events.
  • Lewis McIntosh (10 Frew) powered through the 400m to claim first place and also finished second in the 100m, narrowly missing out on a double victory.

Other notable performances included Alicia Crowley (7 Jones), who placed third in the 400m, and Sarah Crowley (9 Jones), who finished second over the same distance. Charlie Cordy (7 Jones) also put in a strong effort, finishing seventh in the 1500m.

 

Girton Grammar’s relay teams were in top form as well. The 15-year-old girls 4x100m team, consisting of Kate Wilson, Sarah Crowley, Chloe Tweed (9 Riley) and Kyah Spiteri, took first place. The 16-year-oys 4x100m relay team, made up of Harry Byrne (10 Jones), James Peter (10 Jenkin), Noah Willits (10 Jones) and Lewis McIntosh, also sprinted to victory.

 

It was a day filled with personal bests, team spirit and incredible athletic achievements. Congratulations to all the students who participated and represented Girton Grammar so proudly.

Aeroschool National Championships

We had pleasing results at the Aeroschool National Championships on the Gold Coast over the holidays. Our students competed against the top schools in the country, with some sections competing in large categories. Please congratulate the following students on their fine results:

  • 2nd: Rosie Kuhle, Maddy Canobie, Lilly Smith, Emelia Carlson 
  • 4th: Lauren Leung, Stephanie Carlson 
  • 4th: Rosie Kuhle, Maddy Canobie, Lilly Smith, Emelia Carlson, Bea Batters, Camilla Christian 
  • 4th: Rosie Kuhle and Maddy Canobie 
  • 7th: Amelia O’Rielly, Lauren Leung, Siun O’Malley, Stephanie Carlson, Abi Cullen 
  • 7th: Lilly Smith, Emelia Carlson 

Thank you to Mrs Deirde Tunzi for all of your assistance, Dr Emma O'Rielly for giving up your time to support the team, our captain Ruby Conti (12 Millward) for coaching, and Stephanie Carlson (9 Frew) for stepping up as an assistant coach and supporting the younger students. We are also grateful to the team at Palmers Gym for coaching our students and inviting them into their venue to allow for extra training in the lead-up to the competition.