School Sports 

Badminton - Interschool

Another full busload of our keen athletes competed in Interschool Sport on Friday June 9th, as 35 players, joined by 3 “coaches”, headed to the Wodonga Leisure Centre for the Upper Hume Badminton Carnival.

It took a full week of lunchtime tryouts where Round Robin singles tournaments were used to decide the cream of the crop, including an epic two days where 15 Year 9 and 10 boys turned up vying to make the team of 5, to finalise the spots and rankings.

In the end we fielded 8 teams, 4 girls and 4 boys, in all age groups, competing against schools from Wangaratta, Wodonga and Myrtleford, with hundreds of kids competing across 17 courts inside the venue.

Having won last year as Year 7s and eventually making it to State, our Year 8 girls (Milly O’Kane, Isabelle Christison, Lillian Hooper, Casey Sheppard and Alanna Hepburn) were our Hot Ticket, and they did the school proud again, disposing of Catholic College Wodonga in the Final in a dominant 6-0 fashion (meaning they won all 4 singles, and both Doubles matches). They only dropped 2 matches of the 18 they played. A well deserved result from a crop of some of the most talented and overall impressive kids I’ve seen come through our school.

Special mention to usual team member Angela Keenan, who volunteered on the day to play in the Year 8 Boys team when one of the boys couldn’t make it. Despite obviously preferring to play with her mates, Angela did this with no complaints, and her unselfish act was an outstanding reflection of her character and a window into the top quality young people we have representing us regularly in school sport. Thanks Angela.

On the neighbouring court, our Year 7 Girls (Liv Day, Ruby DeFazio, Kaity Ford, Inanay Gilson and Ruby O’Kane) won 3 of their 4 contests, defeating Cathedral College 5-1, Grace Christian College Wodonga 3-3 (53-49), and Wodonga Middle Years 5-1, however succumbed to Victory Lutheran College Wodonga 1-5 to finish an admirable 2nd place. These girls are to be acknowledge for their commitment, training for multiple days at lunchtimes prior to practice a news sport most of them hadn’t played before. They are another crop of outstanding sports girls and most importantly, top quality individuals, which I’m sure will form the fulcrum of many of our sports teams over the next 6 years. 

Both of our Intermediate teams were good enough for 3rd. The Girls (Pieper Gottschling, Ellie Meggs, Georgia Meggs and Matilda Taylor) won against Wodonga Middle Years 3-3 (49-44), however got stitched up by a strong Grace Christian College 1-5. The Boys (Tom Ford, Lachlan Suffield, Ned O’Kane and Oscar Benson) won 2 of their 3, demolishing Wodonga Middle Years 5-1, and Victory Lutheran College Wodonga 4-2, before falling to a gun Grace Christian team 0-6. 

Thanks to all players for your representation of the school in a sport that most of you don’t play at competition level. Thanks too to Alannah Baguley for coming and coahing the girls. It was another great day out and another reminder of the power of Interschool Sport.

Cross Country - Hume Region @ Benalla

We extend a huge congratulations to 5 of our students who have made the State Cross Country, after finishing Top 12 at the Hume Region Cross Country in Benalla last Friday June 16th. Having qualified via a Top 15 position at the Upper Hume race in Myrtleford, 10 of our runners raced, this time against runners from schools as far as Seymour, Alexandra, Mansfield, Tallangatta, Rushworth, Broadford, Yea, Mount Beauty, Cobram, Shepparton, Yarrawonga, Benalla, Wodonga and more.

Year 9 Merlin Tzaros won the Silver Medal by coming 2nd, running a time of 9:42 in the 3km race, despite coming of illness the week prior. For Merlin, another top medal to add to his growing trophy cabinet. Can he this year better his 2nd place at State last year? The school community is proud of you Merlin and we admire you and your significant achievements. 

Best mates Clare Collins and Claire Christison of Year 10 were our next best, finishing 5th and 6th respectively, crossing the line virtually together with times of 12:46 in their 3km, Clare .123 of a second ahead. An amzing coincidence for two best friends.

Year 11 Clove Boonzayer finished 8th, running an 18:12 time for 5km, and Year 7 girl Liv Day got 12th in her 3km race with a time of 13:07. 

Special mention to Clare Collins and Tom Ford, who both at the last minute to attend, coming off three days and 2 nights at the Kimberly Cultural Camp at Barmah National Park 90 minutes away, and going straight from the camp to the race. Unreal commitment from two of our brightest stars and best kids we have at the school, and thanks to Pete Christison for driving them from the camp to get them there.

Thank you to all 10 runners for again having the courage to test your endurance against your peers at such a high level of competition. We are proud of you all, and we wish the 5 the best of luck at State on Thursday July 13th. 

Special thank you also to the parents who transported their children to and from the event. We appreciate and acknowledge that we have so many outstanding families and children involved in our School Sport, continuing a long tradition.

Year 8 Boys AFL Footy

22 of our junior boys took their opportunity to wear the hallowed WHS school footy jumper on Tuesday 23rd May at the Barr Reserve, suiting up in the Upper Hume Year 8 Footy Carnival.

Fielding a combined team with half of the line-up Year 7s, it was always going to be tough to compete, but the boys were able to play some decent football across their two group games, despite coming away with a win.

Max Marek, our Year 8 Captain, was our major playmaker across the two matches. Playing as midfielder -- a different role to last year as a small forward when his keen goal sense allowed saw him come away our leading goalkicker for the carnival – Max covered the whole ground gathering possessions, using his skill, strength, clean hands and ability to read the play and win the ball whenever it came near him.

James Chisholm was our next best player. For someone who doesn’t play football on the weekend, his ability to step into the school side as our ruckman so seamlessly and have such an impact was remarkable. With height, strength and athleticism, and a freakish ability to get in the right position and gather it cleanly, James has natural talent to burn and could be one hell of a footballer if he was to play weekend competition.

Kayden Vozlic, another of our tall Year 8 boys stationed in the centre square, was prolific in both games, finding the ball with ease and showing an ability to handle the ball when open or under pressure. An excellent and consistent display.

Our standout Year 7 was Zeke Hogan at half back. Playing against boys a year older and often a bigger, Zeke was as cool as a cucumber, continually reading the play to outpoint his opponents. He took clean one-grab marks in the air, had clean hands on the ground, and hit targets with efficient skills. One of those players that makes it looks easy and everything seem in slow motion, he was the classiest player in our side and is one for the footy enthusiasts.

Will Sayers was another Year 7 who despite being one of the smallest boys on the ground, and having just come back from a broken collarbone, showed natural flair for the game, picking up plenty of the ball and winning it bravely. Another of our lads to not play footy on the weekend, but who could be a gun if he did.

Dylan McCombe was one of the great stories of the day. Another who doesn’t play weekend footy but was super keen to make the team, he forced his way in with sheer enthusiasm, did everything required, and when he got his chance, made it count. He was not only our best tackler with his courage and tenacity, but also found the ball more than most and showed skill in collecting and distributing it. Like Will and James, he could become a good footballer if he was to play week to week.

Coach Alex Johnson and I thank the boys for respresenting the school on the day, some doing some for the first ever time, and doing so in an exemplary fashion. We certainly look forward to fielding full teams in both the Year 8 and Year 7 carnivals in 2024.

BEST PLAYERS: Max Marek, James Chisholm, Kayden Vozlic, Zeke Hogan, Will Sayers, Dylan McCombe.

GOAL KICKERS: Sam Morey

THE TEAM

- Jud Mullins