Sport News

With the covers away and the posts going up, we transition from summer sport to winter sport this week. Boys should by now have finalised their decisions and completed registrations, and preparing the equipment you need for the new season. Do your boots still fit? Do you need a mouthguard or shinpads? Does the Marist shirt still fit you? These are questions you should be asking yourself and solving before the return to school next term. From Steve Smith to Billy Slater, Ian Thorpe to Ash Barty, our own John Eales to Tim Cahill, the one set of characteristics they all had in common as athletes is their preparation was meticulous, attention to detail perfect and their organisation skills exemplary. We cannot all play like these champions but we can take our cues from them by making sure our organisation, preparation and attention to detail is at our highest level, allowing us to all play at our sport at our optimal level.

One area I would like to see us improve upon is our dress standard when spectating. I have been impressed with our boarder supporters who look great in the College uniform. They look smart, they present as a unified body and, in terms of appearance, they are fine ambassadors for the College. A reminder for everyone spectating, including boys that have played matches before and are staying to watch mates or cheer on the firsts teams, no slides, thongs or Birkenstocks at sport. Arriving and departing sport means covered in shoes.

A number of boys are this week competing in the 2022 Australian National Track and Field Championships. Details of their achievements so far, with the event still continuing, are in the Track and Field section below. Congratulations to all these boys on these simply outstanding results. The College acknowledges and thanks Mr Robin Martin for his leadership and dedication to the College track and field program.

The Term 1 sports conclude this week with the Term 1 Sports Dinner, where we recognise the achievements of our leading sportsmen in the summer sports. Congratulations to all boys who won awards and well done to all these teams on fine seasons. No Marist first team finished lower than third in Term 1. We will recognise the individual award winners in a future newsletter.

Have a great holiday, relax, recharge, keep fit and come back raring to go for the winter sports.

Football – Mr Derek Lennon (Coordinator)

A combination of COVID-19 and wet weather has had another impact on the start of sport, similar to Term 1. This week’s internal trials and three-way matches against Padua and St Laurence’s College has been cancelled as all three schools deal with the ongoing challenges at the moment.

We will recommence trialling of teams upon our return from the holidays and aim to give every boy as much opportunity to be considered as we possibly can. If there are boys who have not registered and were not at the trials on Saturday and you have decided now that you want to play you will need to email me at lennond@marash.qld.edu.au with the year level you are in and why you did not register in time. I can only accept players now if we have space in existing team numbers, we will not be adding more teams to the AIC draws.

Year Coordinators

If you have any questions about teams and team lists your first point of call is the Year Co-ordinator in your year level.

Contact details for all staff are on the College App but most questions should go through the Year Co-ordinator.

Football Handbook

The handbook for football will be on the College App for your information by the return to school next term. This should have most of the information you need to get started or any of those questions you may have.

Tennis – Mr Andrew Ward (Coordinator)

What’s on in Tennis?

After a disappointing last trial where the rain washed us out we are rescheduling this session to Wednesday 20 April 3:30pm – 5:30pm. All students who think they can make 1st or 2nd team but especially Year 11-12 students are invited to try out for 1 of 10 positions to train for free in Term 2. Positions will be picked Thursday 21 April and training will start Week 2 of Term 2.

At this stage, training will be on Monday and Wednesday afternoons 3:30pm – 5:00 pm.

Stage 2 of selection for the opens teams will start in Week 9-10 of Term 2.

Years 5 – 10 will start their tryouts in Week 6 of Term 2. 

This year’s Marist Club Championships singles will be held over two Friday afternoon and nights - Friday 10 and 17 June 3:30pm – 7.30pm. Finals will be on Saturday 18 June at 8:00am. We will put on food for all boys who attend Friday matches.

This year we will be running and returning Marist doubles Championships which will be run Monday and Tuesday afternoon 3:30pm- 8:00pm on 15 and 16 August (Ekka week). Again we will put on food both nights with the final on Tuesday night. There will be no coaching on these days or that whole week. So if you think you have what it takes get your partner organised and start preparing for a great week of tennis.

Squad coaching Term 2 is filling fast so please get in early to avoid disappointment. This will be an 8 week term finishing the end of Week 8. Group coaching will be offered Wednesday and Thursday afternoons 3:30pm-4:30pm for 10 weeks.

Want to practice over the holidays become a member today and receive free daytime court hire.

Track and Field – Mr Derek Lennon (Coordinator)

At the 2022 Australian National Track and Field Championships there have been some excellent performances in the first 3 days (Saturday-Monday) with an additional 6 days still to go with a number of additional Marist athletes yet to compete. Results included:

• Connor Campbell - U14 400m 7th Place and U14 200m 9th Place. An excellent run in the 400m heat to chase down a tiring ACT opponent and qualify for the final where he managed a PB. A close miss on the final by 0.2s in the 200m.
• Jonah Miles - U16 Javelin 8th Place. Great result to make the Final 8 in Australia for his age in a tough javelin competition
• Asher Parkin - U16 3000m 10th Place. An excellent run in tough conditions in the late evening. Around his PB time. Great to see additional depth in the 3000m.
• Zac Milligan - U15 3000m 11th place. A strong run in a large field of 26 athletes
• Elliot Aldridge - U16 400m 18th place overall - running in a deep field and age division for the 400m with Discus still to go on Tuesday
• Zac Milligan - U15 800m. An incredible 2m09s performance, less than a day after completing his 3000m event. Just outside his States run. Brave running.
• MCA Old Boy (Dan Drew - Graduate 2021) - 10th 110m Hurdles U20. Good run competing against many a year older.
• Tom Prole - U20 800m - 12th place  1m52.91 - also achieving a new school record pending final ratification by Track and Field coaching team. Potentially breaking a 29-year-old 800m record at the College. A fast time in a challenging national U20 heat against older opponents.

QLD 3000m Championships

Note the 3000m results of Asher Parkin and Zac Milligan follows on from their success at the QLD 3000m championship held 3 weeks prior where Zac Milligan won the U15 age group and Asher Parkin was 5th in his U16 age group. The qualification times and performances at this 3K championship qualified them both for Nationals. Well done to both boys who have gone from strength to strength in recent months with their distance running.

There are still additional athletes to compete in the second half of the Nationals Track and Field week; including:

• Xavier Simms - 100m/200m/400m
• Joel Drew - 400m hurdles
• James Prole - 800m
• Lee Martin - Shot put and Javelin
• Elliot Aldridge - Discus

Well done to the boys competing to date. Their dedication to compete at this high level working by themselves at times and some with specialist external coaches has meant they have gone to compete with the best in the nation in their age group. A great result for their endeavours since AIC season last year.