Sports news
Senior School sports wrap up
Game. Set. Match! Term 4 and 2022 sports finish on a high
As we all know, Term 4 can be very busy with end-of-year festivities and exams, but it was excellent to have a number of Year 7-10 students participate across four different sports including touch football, tennis, regional basketball tournaments and AFL.
Well done to the following teams for representing St Mary’s this term and who, despite the number of wash outs, were still willing to give it their all:
- Two Year 7 and 8 tennis teams
- Two Year 7 and 8 AFL teams
- Two Year 7 and 8 touch football teams
- Three regional basketball teams, with both our Year 7/8 and Year 9/10 Division 1 teams progressing through to the state championships and finishing second.
Being the last Fountain for the year, let’s take a look at what happened in sport at St Mary’s during 2022…
Across the four terms we fielded a total of 45 teams in 17 different sports. For the first time in five years, we managed to field first grade and second grade teams in soccer, tennis, netball, volleyball and badminton. I suspect it may have had something to do with the very sought-after sports badges.
We participated in four swimming carnivals in Term 1, including the much-loved (and super fun!) Big Splash where all students get the opportunity to earn points for their respective Houses. Shout out to Manresa who took out the Spirit Award and College for finishing first at the Night Swim Carnival.
In Term 2, cross country season kicked off with our St Mary’s Carnival followed by the Southern SATIS Carnival and, despite the cold and muddy conditions, we walked away with a number of podium finishes and second in both the Junior and Aggregate Shields.
Term 3 meant athletics, athletics and more athletics, which saw Nagle take out both the House Spirit and Participation awards at our school carnival. Well done to the Green Machine!
Southern SATIS Athletics Carnival was another great success with St Mary’s taking out the Girls' Aggregate Shield thanks to strong performances from the U13, U14 and U16 Age Groups who all finished in the top three of their pennants.
Unfortunately, La Niña intervened, and we were unable to hold the State Athletics Carnival this year. Fingers crossed for better weather in Term 1 2023 so we can have a clean run of carnivals!
Term 4 saw us finishing strong with representation in AFL, touch football, tennis and the regional basketball tournament.
The annual Schools Triathlon Challenge was once again a big hit with 51 students enjoying the day out at Bellerive Beach participating in either a team or individually. Pictured below, our Year 7 triathletes representing SMC proudly at the event.
I would also like to congratulate all of the teams who made finals in their respective sports throughout the year. At St Mary’s participation and enjoyment is our main focus when it comes to sport, but it is always nice if you can bring home a bit of silverware at the end.
Before I sign off on what will be my fifth year as Sports Coordinator (gosh, that has gone quick!), I would like to thank the numerous parents, grandparents, older siblings and St Mary’s students who have assisted with coaching, training and supervising our teams throughout the year. Without your help, we would not be able to field these teams, and I am forever grateful of your generosity. Here’s to more chats at games in 2023!
To the St Mary’s students, well done on another great year in the sporting arena! It is always a pleasure witnessing your energy, enthusiasm and great sportsmanship. Thank you for making my job so much fun.
See you all in 2023.
Yours in sport and fun,
Mia Blignaut
Sports Coordinator – Senior School
News from the Junior School
What a full year of sport it has been in the Junior School! We kicked off the year with our swimming carnival in Week 1, followed by many school and representative carnivals and sports rosters, culminating in our final event last Friday - the annual Schools Triathlon Challenge. It has certainly been a jam-packed year of action.
The triathlon is always a nice end to the sporting year, and it was great to be able to participate again after two years. For many of our athletes it was their first year competing and they did so brilliantly. Well done to all of our athletes who participated; I hope that it will be the first of many triathlons.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all families who have been involved with junior sport in 2022. Whether it be helping out at our carnivals, with sport teams, or transporting to and from games, the opportunities for our students wouldn’t exist without you and for that I am most grateful.
Keep an eye out for 2023 registration details early next year in Term 1.
I wish all families a wonderful and safe festive season and a very happy new year.
Fiona Rhodes
Sports Coordinator – Junior School
Athletes take on triathlon challenge
SMC's Year 4 students put their best foot forward when they took on the Schools Triathlon Challenge on Friday 2 December, where they ran, rode and swam around Bellerive Beach under sunny skies.
Pictured below, from left, Indigo Macpherson, Stella Thristan, Darcy Woods, Jemima Innis, Molly Medhurst and Annabelle Pritchard (Year 4). Excellent effort, team SMC!
