SPORT NEWS
JUNIOR SQUASH
After training throughout Term 2 during sport education sessions, seven McKinnon Year 7 & 8 students participated in the Squash Victoria Secondary Schools Squash Finals competition held at MSAC on Thursday 9 August. An action packed day was held where calls of Not Up, Out Hand Out, Double, Down and Let were heard!
After a Round Robin format in the morning our McKinnon Year 7 Girls A team and McKinnon Year 8 Boys D team had won their way through to the Finals.
In close fought games, the McKinnon Girls team defeated Koonung Secondary College and the McKinnon Boys team defeated Camberwell Grammar to win the pennant and banner for the best performing school for the competition!!
A Huge Congratulations to McKinnon Team D consisting of Connor Hayes, Nikita Osadchiy, Alex Burstall and McKinnon Team A Girls - Alessia Frantzis, Julia Khorouji and Jolee Sacks.
Some comments from our star players on the day:
"I loved squash because I got to meet new people and play a game." Jonathan
"I loved squash because I learnt a new sport and met new people." Liam
"I liked playing squash because it was fun and I got to meet new people." Sam
“I liked playing with people my age and gender. It was fun to meet the Year 7s whom I have befriended.” Nicole
“I enjoyed the day because I got to interact with new people and learn new skills along the way.” Emily
“The competition was great and you could see everyone wanted to win. Everyone was friendly and showed great sportmanship. Everyone was nice even if you won or lost.” Akash
“I loved this event because I got to compete against good players.” Kevin
“It was a real challenge. I loved this event and hope to do it again next year.” Jasper
“I just liked meeting new people and socializing with them.” Julia
“It was tons of fun and I wish I'd had more time. The atmosphere was intense and made it even more exciting and nerve-racking.” Genevieve
“I enjoyed playing squash because I got to meet new people and have fun playing the games. We also won a medal for our efforts!” Alessia
“I enjoyed meeting and playing with new people, the competition was very good and I hope to play here again, I also enjoyed getting a medal.” Jolee
Congratulations to the whole team on being such fine ambassadors for the school. A big thank you to Mr Buntman and Mr Cukierman for their superb coaching throughout Term 2 and to Mrs Hooper for organizing us to enter into the competition and supporting us on the day.
Go McKinnon!!
Carole Hooper
Head of Junior Sport
YEAR 7 & 8 BOYS AND GIRLS SMR BADMINTON FINALS
Three McKinnon teams ventured to Springers in Keysborough to compete in the Badminton Southern Metro Finals.
The Year 8 Girls team consisting of Victoria Sinyavker, Joanna Lee, Surina Chakravorty, Lisa Liu, Chloe Shin and Emilia Mason had quite a successful day, finishing Runners-up.
In their first game we came up against Narre Warren SC and in a very tight and tense affair, we managed to win 4 rubbers to 2.
Game two was against Doveton was much more comfortable for our girls with an easy 6-0 victory. This qualified us for the Final against KC Banksia school.
In the Final we lost three very tight singles matches which eventually proved costly. Victoria Sinyavker managed to win her singles match which kept the doubles rubbers live.
Unfortunately, we were only able to win one of the doubles matches and went down 4 rubbers to 2.
The Year 8 Boys team consisting of Kevin Feng, Aaron Zachariah, Tom Willaton, Harsh Sharma, Kai Sawaki and Kishore Maheshwaran nearly tasted success as well.
Game 1 was against overall finalist Albert Park. After the four singles rubbers, we lead 3-1, however we were unable to win the doubles and went down on points, despite it being 3 rubbers all.
We needed a win in game 2 to have any chance of making the Final and managed to beat Doveton 4 rubbers to 2. Aaron Zachariah was the star of the day, managing to win all of his matches.
The Year 7 Boys team consisting of Calum MacGregor, Varun Tangri, Nathan Nguyen, Wyatt Truong and Kevin Zhou had been undefeated in the Kingston Division and were competitive throughout the entire Southern Metropolitan Finals.
In Round one, the boys lost the first three singles rubbers, before mounting a comeback, falling just short, 4-2 to eventual SMR Champions, Narre Warren South. Wyatt Truong was the star of this round, being undefeated.
Their Round 2 encounter was even closer. They won 3 rubbers and lost 3 rubbers, losing on a countback by only one point.
Congratulations to all participants and a big thank you to Amandu Wu of Year 9 who carried out her role as assistant coach on the day with great enthusiasm and leadership.
Greg Hoskin and Deon Weingarten
Coaches
SENIOR BOYS SOCCER
Having won the Kingston Division, McKinnon’s Senior Boys Soccer team went to the Southern Zone confident that they would play well. Having been trained regularly and with some great talent in the squad, it was expected that the team would do well. With defensive mainstay and regular captain Stefan Simic out injured, the team would be led by Billy Zontanos.
The first game was against Alkira. Despite dominating the game and looking very composed throughout on the ball, it was a solitary goal which decided the outcome. A low strike by Liston Diaz secured the result for McKinnon. Our midfield comprising of Jonathan Papageorgiou, Luka Inglis and Eric Pagoulatos linked well ably supported by the full backs of Tom Johnston and Billy Zontanos. Lucas Catherall and Liam O’Brien were calm in defence, organising and defending well.
Our next game was against Gleneagles. Goals from Eric Pagoulatos and Sean Bass settled the outcome. Peter Tomaras was impressive, screening the defence with Almog Vernik and Sean Bass playing well in attack. Michael Koletsas made some good saves in goal. Jonathan Vernik played a good game at right back and Chris Hoang deputised well in defence.
Having won our two games, we now progressed to the Final against Frankston. Frankston had progressed to the Final with two wins and the same amount of goals scored (3) and with none conceded. The wind was becoming a huge factor and McKinnon with the wind in the first half were expected to score. We created good chances but despite some tactical tweaks late in the half it was nil all at the break. Frankston were confident, having kept McKinnon scoreless and now kicking with a howling gale. McKinnon showed character to hang in during the second half with Matthew Main making two world class saves saving certain goals, one was a fingertip save onto the crossbar which was hit with such venom that it went sailing onto DFO. Words will do justice here, suffice to say it left Frankston shell shocked. Three minutes later, Almog Vernik who had played his heart out all day but had not scored, dribbled his man and slotted calmly past the keeper to settle the game with two minutes left. It was a great game and McKinnon had prevailed in a classic. Liam Atchison was the key player in the final, playing with such heart and skill that he simply willed his midfield onto victory.
The Senior Boys are now onto State in a couple of weeks where the team, I believe have a good chance to do well, with a little luck to hopefully go their way. It is a tight knit squad who have been training regularly and have a team first attitude at all times. I hope they do well.
The SMR squad was : Billy Zontonos, Sean Bass, Lucas Catherall, Liston Diaz, Chris Hoang, Luka Inglis, Tom Johnston, Michael Koletsas, Matthew Main, Liam O’Brien, Eric Pagoulatos, Jonathan Papageorgiou, Stefan Simic, Peter Tomaras, Almog Vernik and Jonathan Vernik.
Jonathan Jhoomun
Coach
INTERMEDIATE BOYS SOCCER - SOUTHERN ZONE
It was with much anticipation that the Intermediate Boys Soccer team travelled with the Senior Soccer team to Kingston Heath, hoping to qualify for the State. With an impressive team culture, the team was expected to do well and it did, qualifying for the State Final. However, it was not to be their day with the team conceding their only goal late in the Final to miss out on qualifying for the State Finals in a few weeks. The team can be very proud of their efforts, winning Kingston Division and narrowly missing out in the Zone Final on the day.
The team won their opening games enroute to the Final v Lyndale, beating Nossal and Gleneagles. Highlights on the day were cracking goals from Captain Oliver Lopez, Cian Ford and Levi Scholz. Despite the team playing gallantly in the Final, a single goal from Lyndale would be enough for them to make the State and the McKinnon team to miss out.
A special thanks to Mr Chris McDonald who deputised for myself on the day as coach. I would like to thank all the boys who tried out, who trained hard and did as I asked at both training and games.
The squad comprised of was: Liam Ayres, Mina Aziz, Sam De’ath, Cian Ford, Killian Ford, Fergus Frost, Sam Ghobrial, Liam Haidaris, Manny Hontzogloy, Owen Lancelot, Mini Levy, Christian Lignos, Oliver Lopez, Ishan Malakar, Mannie Psarakis, Morgan Raffety, Matt Sagiadelis, Marcus Sarra, Levi Scholz, Max Van Denderen, Oscar Yuen and Ethan Zelmanovich.
Jonathan Jhoomun
Coach