Sports News
School spirit soars at Cross Country
Blue skies, big smiles and plenty of determination set the scene for a standout day at our Cross Country carnival today. From Kinder to Year 12, students embraced the beautiful conditions at Soldiers Memorial Oval, arriving ready to challenge themselves, support their peers and give their best.
With participation strong across every House, students showed resilience, courage and a genuine sense of team spirit as they tackled the course, with each runner inspiring others with their determination and perseverance.
What stood out most was the culture of care and encouragement among students. Whether cheering from the sidelines or encouraging a friend up the final hill, their kindness and camaraderie shaped the day's atmosphere.
While the main races were underway, the fun continued on the nearby ovals, where games and novelty activities kept everyone engaged, energised and smiling throughout the day, while stalls selling sausages, lollies and Gatorade gave students plenty of chances to refuel.
The success of the carnival was made possible thanks to the dedication of our teachers and support staff – in particular our passionate HPE team and House Leaders, together with our fabulous Prefects – whose encouragement ensured every student felt safe, supported and confident to participate.
A huge well done to every student who took part – your effort, enthusiasm and sportsmanship were outstanding. Thank you also to the many parents, carers and friends who joined us to cheer on our students and share in the joy of the day.
St Mary's College takes on the SB20 Schools Sailing Championship
St Mary’s College was proudly represented in the SB20 Tasmanian Schools Sailing Championship held at the Royal Yacht Club last Saturday 9 May. Each SB20 carries a crew of four, and we entered one St Mary’s team, comprised of Bella Carter, Annie Carter and Lexie Parker, as well as a combined St Mary's and Guilford Young College team with Sophie Robertson (GYC), Millicent Corkhill and Sophia Cater. Joining the students on board were coaches Marcus Carter and Richard Parker.
Fifteen teams were competing in total, including one visiting team from Sydney. The first four races were sailed in gusty, unpredictable winds, providing a real challenge for all crews. For the final race, the breeze built from the southwest before fading away again, leaving just enough wind to complete the course.
These boats were new to all of us, and setting and dropping the spinnaker, without it trawling in the water, proved to be a steep learning curve. It certainly kept us on our toes and warm throughout the day.
Our aim for the day was, first, to enjoy ourselves and have fun; second, to finish all races; and third, to improve our teamwork and race results as the event progressed. We achieved all these and added an unofficial fourth goal: consuming an impressive number of lollies, which was a highlight for the girls!
The St Mary’s College team finished on a high with a sixth place in the final race – well done!
Thank you to the girls and to Marcus and Mia Blignaut for their support. We hope to be back on the start line again next year.
Richard Parker
Team Manager