SPORT OUR YEAR IN 2024
SWIMMING
TABLE TENNIS
FOOTBALL
OUTSIDE SPORT
MERLIN TZAROS 15-18,23,26-27,107-110,163164,254,358-360,406-407,484488
REUBEN SMITH 19-22,72-75 INANAY GILSON 97-98 RUBY STEVENS 99-100 REP SOCCER 192-194,375,483
LAWN BOWLS
WHAT A YEAR
WELCOME
Welcome to the 2024 edition of Our Year In Sport,the2ndeverissue.
School Sport in 2024 provided 236 students with the experience of representing our school in our 86 teams, across 49 events, in 17 different Sports. This totalled 842 seperate Sport“experiences”(days).
Ittook500pagestocaptureitallproperly.
As we have released more snippets of our Sport History this year, past players continue to remind us that W.H.S School Sport means something to people. Years and decades later, peoplestillreminisce.Thisiswhywehavetried so hard to document everything in this magazine.
We hope you look back on it in years to come, and remind yourself that you were and will alwaysbepartofsomethingspecial.
Many of you are writing your own history. Among these pages, you will see numerous HonourBoards,wheremanycurrentnamesare nowetched,alongsideourpastchampions,and for some, statistically right up there with our greatestofalltime.
The likes of Merlin Tzaros, Bella Boulton, the O’Kanes, the Fords, the Christisons, the Hoopers, the Boonzaayers, Stevie Driscoll, Kalika Miliankos-King, Jye Laxton, and James Chisholm, proudly sit on many of these Boards already. Youngsters such as Inanay Gilson and LeoWoodburne looklikelytojointhemsoon.
Not just the elite either. Each and every player islistedhere.Fromthosethatplayedin1Sport, to Kaity Ford who played in 13, every one of youhascontributedin2024.
In2025weplanto:
Create a Sport History tab on our school website. This will have everything in the one place, categorised by Sport and year/era. Every single Korrumbeia (old Newsletter) and Yearbook has already been scoured, going back to 1909. Any alumni that ever played in a W.H.S Sport team, will be able to find themselvesthere.
Start up a W.H.S Sport Hall Of Fame. This will be officially announced and broadcast, to celebrateandthankthosepastlegends.
Announce both our All-Time Football Team and our Team Of The Last 25 Years (20002025). Create Honour Boards for every Australian and StateChampion,Australian or StateTeam member,andotherelitecategories.
Wewantouralumnicelebratedandinterested.
Thank you to everyone at the school that helped ourkidscompeteinSportthisyear.Ourstaffwho coached and helped on the trips, but also Admin forhelpinggetthemthere.
Externally we thank Di Larkin (Upper Hume Division) and Rohan Larkin (Hume Region Division) who organise our schedules, our Bus Drivers, our parents and families, all umpires and oppositionwecompetedagainst.
Most of all of course, thank you to our players. You turned up in hordes to tryouts which often had to extend for days. You entered every single Sportonoffer.Youcompetedhard,butbestofall, fair. The amount of comments we got from Bus Drivers and other schools about your conduct, manners and Sportmanship, was telling. You are a sterling group of young people that make us proud.Biggerandbetternextyear.
JudMullins SportCoordinator
2024 IN NUMBERS
HOUSE CAPTAINS
48 CAPTAINS ELECTED
Congratulations to our Sport House Captains electedtotheprestigiousrolefor2024.
Students nominated themselves, and then Sport and P.E staff selected 48 Captains, with each 4 Houses having a Female and Male for everyageofthe6agegroups.
Captains were picked according to how well theymetthekeycriteria:
Participation in P.E classes, Sport teams, andpastSwimming&Athleticscarnivals.
Consistencyofdisplayingschoolvalues
Leadershipqualities
There were many cases where 2, and sometimes more, candidates couldn’t be split, and so we chose to share it around to those thathadn’thadtherolebefore.
To our 48 House Captains - you are now etched into our History Books. Our list of past House Captains goes back at least 90 years. You now sit alongside some of our greatest ever names.
Some significant Family History was made when Year 7 Bella Boulton was elected. Her father Jason was Merriwa JuniorCaptainin1985.
Which of our Year 12 “Senior” House Captains will get the prestigious honour of lifting our Swimming and Athletics Shieldsin2025?
THE CARNIVALS
SWIMMING + ATHLETICS
HAZELJUNEWOODWARD(SISELY)
AWARDS NIGHT
UPPERHUMESCHOOLSPORT AWARDS
Silver Medal - SSV State Championships 3000m
Silver Medal (Vic Team) - Cross Country Nationals All Schools
10th - Triathlon Nationals All Schools
13th - Cross Country Nationals All Schools
Upper Hume & Hume Champion - 1500m, 3000m
Upper Hume Champion - 200m Freestyle Swim
Upper Hume Champion - Cross Country
Hume Region Runner-Up - Cross Country
2x Record Breaker @ Upper Hume (1500m, 3000m)
1x Record Breaker @ W.H.S Aths Carnival - 1500m
SSV State Triathlon Team
SSV Victorian State Cross Country Team
Aus Triathlon Talent Target Athlete
Vic Triathlon State Series Champion 15-19yo
6th - SSV State Championships 400m
3x W.H.S Record Breaker 100, 200, 400m
1st in 26 years to break 100,200,400 in same day
Upper Hume Champion - 400m
Member of 9 W.H.S Sport teams (14 days total)
Star of Hume Region Runner-Up AFL Football team
AWARDS NIGHT
SSVACADEMIC+SPORTINGACHIEVEMENTMEDAL
This School Sport Victoria medal recognises the most outstanding student in the school who has achieved a high level academically, combined with a strong sporting contribution to the school.
YEAR11
SilverMedal-SSVTenPinBowlingStateChampionships
UpperHume AgeGroupChampion-Track&Field
UpperHumeChampion-TripleJump&Javelin 7th-UpperHumeCrossCountry
AgeGroupChampion-W.H.SAthletics
Becameholderof7W.H.SAgeGroupChampionMedals(mostever) Memberof6W.H.SSportteams
TopOfClass-PhysicsUnit1/2
TopOfClass-MathematicalMethodsUnit3/4(asYear11 FastTracker)
TopOfClass-OutdoorEducationUnit3/4(asYear11 FastTracker)
1stYearUniversitysubjectviaCHES(CentreForHigherLearningStudies)
OFTHEYEAR SPORTSPERSON Reuben Smith
We congratulate Year 12 Reuben Smith, our 2024 winner of the prestigious Sportsperson Of The Year award. This award has been running since 1973, and reflects outstanding achievements in Sportoutsideofschool.
Smith stamped himself as the 2nd fastest Under 19 Track Cyclist in Australia in 2024, behind only South Australian Tate Ryan, the Junior 1km WorldChampion and all-timeAustralianJuniorRecordHolder.
The Wangaratta West Primary School product won two individual Silver Medals inhisUnder19agegroupatthe Australian Cycling Track Nationals - one in the Sprint, one in the 1km Time Trial. He also wona3rdSilverMedal,intheTeamSprint
The then-17-year-old also raced internationally in an Under19“AustralianComposite”team,atthe Oceania TrackCyclingChampionships in NewZealand. There, he won two medals - an individual Bronze (Keirin) andateamSilver(TeamSprint).
Other nominees for the award were: 2023 winner Merlin Tzaros of Year 10 (10th in AustraliaTriathlon, 13th in Australia -Cross Country), Year 9 Ruby Stevens (Australian Champion - Canoe Marathon Women’s Doubles), Lacy Solimo (9th in Australia Equestrian), RubyBurns (9th in AustraliaMountain Biking Flow, 10th in Australia - Mountain Biking All Mountain), and Milly O’Kane (State Squad of25- Netball attimeofprinting).
Fulldetailsoftheachievementsofallnomineesarein thepagestofollow.
EVERY PLAYER
EVERY SPORT
EVERY PLAYER EVERY SPORT
EVERY PLAYER EVERY SPORT
EVERY PLAYER EVERY SPORT
THE TOP 25
MERLIN TZAROS
SSV TRIATHLON STATE TEAM
Congratulations to Year 10 Merlin Tzaros who over summer was selected to the School Sport Victoria (SSV)StateTeamfor Triathlon.
The 15-year old Peak Athlete Coaching member is oneofjust6boysselectedinthe Intermediate age group(15-16yo).Theothershailfromsomeofthe most prestigious private schools and sporting colleges in the state - Ivanhoe Grammar, The Geelong College, Maribyrnong Secondary College, SalesianCollegeChadstone andApolloBayP-12.
It’sthe3rdyearinarowhehasmadethe SSV State Triathlon team. Incredibly, he only took upthe sport in2022, andhas beenselectedin all3yearssince.
He is our 1st student to make a State Triathlon team since Angus McLean in 2015, and joins an illustrious list of past W.H.S athletes to have done so including Gary Arnold (late 1990s), Tim Briggs (1990s) and RowanBarrow (1990s).
MERLIN TZAROS
WINS TRIATHLON + 5KM FRENZY
Our2023 SportspersonOfTheYear,now Year 10 Merlin Tzaros, jumped out of theblocks,rackingupearlyaccolades.
On Saturday 18th January, a week before the start of the school year, he won 1st place for his Age Group (1516yo) in the Echuca Moama Triathlon, andwas11thoverallof233competitors.
On Friday 9th February, in the 4th Annual 5km Frenzy running race at the Bendigo Athletics Track, he was 1st place in his Age Group (16yo) and 3rd overall, running a sub-16minutetimeandbreakingtheAllTimeRecordfor hisage.
It looks like it will be another big year of Merlin adding to his Trophy Cabinet, and we can’t wait for a big 2024 fromthechamp.
MERLIN TZAROS
WINS BENDIGO 5KM FRENZY
REUBEN SMITH
OCEANIA TRACK CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Congratulations to Year 12 Reuben Smith, who has won 2 medals at the Oceania Track Cycling Championships in New Zealand.
This was an International meet made up of the best cyclists from the 12 Oceania countries - Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Northern Mariana Islands & Tahiti.
It was held at the Grassroots Trust Velodrome in Cambridge, New Zealand betweenFebruary14th-18th.
On Day 3, Reuben was part of an Under 19 "Australia Composite" team that won the Silver Medal in the Junior Mens Team Sprint.
OnDay5,hethenwontheBronzeMedalin theJuniorMensKeirinindividualevent.
WhatIstheTeamSprint?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=uv9QsSb-m98
WhatistheKeirin?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ZU0QGFAAsHw
He also qualified 4th fastest in the 1000m Time Trial, taking a second off his Personal Best.
Well done Reuben on a tremendous achievement at your first International Cycling event. You are a mighty role model for our youngsters, and the whole school communityisextremelyproudofyou.
REUBEN SMITH
OCEANIA TRACK CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
REUBEN SMITH
OCEANIA TRACK CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
REUBEN SMITH
OCEANIA TRACK CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
MERLIN TZAROS
WINS 7.5KM CITY 2 CITY
CRICKET SENIOR BOYS
The SeniorBoys Cricket teamwere our first to compete in Interschool Sport for 2024, locking horns on Monday 19th February in a 20/20 showdown with a strong Wodonga Senior Secondary College XI at WareenaPark.
Captain Ned O'Kane won the toss and elected to bat, and opening batsmen Tom Ford and Euca Boonzaayer looked solid in the first over against a nifty swing bowler, until Euca ran himself out in the 2nd over looking for a quick singlethatprobablywasn'tthere.
The Skipper and #3 O'Kane joined Vice Captain Ford at the crease andthetwomulti-talentedYear11s dug in for our biggest partnership oftheday,with Ford gettingastart before finding himself caught out for10. O’Kane creptto10purelyon singles before opening the shoulders and smashing a boundary, on his way to a Top Scoreof17beforefallingLBW.
It was slim pickings for our batsmen after that, with Ned and Tom the only players to reach Double Figures, and #8 Jack Lockhart the only other to score a boundary. We crawled to a total score of 56 from our 20 overs, which Wodonga Senior chased down in just 8 overs without losing awicket.
Thank you to the boys for representing us today, to new staff member AshClayton for coaching, and Brandon Ryan for being there tosupporttheboysaswell.
OPENING BATSMEN: Euca Bonzayer and Tom Ford.
CRICKET
SENIOR BOYS
MERLIN TZAROS
WINS BARWON HEADS TRIATHLON
Year 10 Merlin Tzaros picked up another massive win on Sunday 23rd February, taking out 1st place at the BarwonHeadsTriathlon.
He was 1st for his Age Group (15-19) despite being bottom age having only turned 15 2 months ago, and he was 4th overallofthe920competitors.
SWIM CARNIVAL
KING WINS THRILLER
King House etched itself into the history books, pulling off one of the most remarkable comefrom-behind victories ever seen at the 2024 SwimCarnival onTuesday27thFebruary.
Languishing in 4th place for most of the morning, suffering from a clearly visible lack of numbers during the novelty events, and overall numbers at the venue, they stormed back into contention on the back of 6 standout individuals who would collect 6 of the 12 Age GroupChampion medals.
Lateinproceedings,theLeaderboardfluctuated race by race, with the top 3 Houses all at various stages in 1st position, and Ovens well withinstrikingdistancetoo.
In the end though, it was King who saluted by a mere 2 points from last year's champions Merriwa,with Wareena just13pointsback.
Apart from the Once-In-A-Century draw between Wareena & King in2021, Newmo saidit was the closest finish she could recall in her 26 yearsofrunningtheevent.
In a wonderful scene, King's two Senior House Captains Clove Boonzaayer and Zoe Baguley lifted the iconic Shield, flanked by the other 10 King House Captains, in front of a packed auditorium during the Presentation Ceremony atthePAC.
FinalScores:
1st-KING-410
2nd-MERRIWA-408
3rd-WAREENA-397
4th-OVENS-354
Interestingly, King finished last in 2023, a whopping 126 points behind the winner Merriwa. It goes to show that any House can win,anyyear.
Individually, there were 12 Age Group Champion medals awarded during the Presentations. Again, these champions become part of W.H.S history forever, some winning for the 1st time and others nowmultiplewinners.
AgeGroupChampions.
13Girls-ArohaWaddell-KING 13Boys-HaneshGovindaSamy-WAREENAand AngusFraser-WAREENA
14Girls-RubyO'Kane-MERRIWA 14Boys-OskarMcGahan-OVENS
15Girls-LillianHooper-KING 15Boys-SamMorey-MERRIWA 16Girls-MillyO'Kane-KING 16Boys-MerlinTzaros-WAREENA 17Girls-TaraGenn-KING 17Boys-JyeLaxton-KING 20Girls-ZoeBaguley-KING 20Boys-TristanScott-OVENS
Lillian Hooper (pictured below) scored the most individual points, with 34 from her 5 events, while MerlinTzaros wastheothertopullmorethan30,
SWIM CARNIVAL
HISTORY MADE
Tzaros now has 4 Age Group Champion Swimming medals, which makes him equal 15th in the school’s history, as is Year 12 Clove Boonzayer Hooper and Tom Ford have3,puttingthemequal33rdalltime.
Tzaros is on track to make it a Clean Sweep of 6 Age Group Swimming medals in 6 years. If he wins in Years 11 and 12, he’ll be just the 7th person to ever do it (at least since 1980). The others ar legends Simone Gladigau, Heath Fulton, Troy Witte, Ashlee Martin, Jake Colville and Phillip Shiels. Only 8 othershavewon5,and18others4
Other than Tzaros, Hooper and Year 8 Ruby O’Kane are the only others who can complete the Clean Sweep, having won their AgeGroup everysingleyearsofar.
Year 12, Head Prefect and our 2024 Dux, Kalika Miliankos-King, could have completed the Clean Sweep and joined the only other 6 to ever do it - had she won this year. She will leave school with 5, and sits equal7thall-time.
The O’Kane sisters, Ruby and Milly,werethe only pair of siblings to win Age Group medals this year. Interestingly, Ruby did it with brother Ned, last year. If all three win in 2025, they will become the first family to everhave3siblingsdoitinthesameyear.
Only two other families in our history, have had more siblings win an Age Group - the Shiels champions of the 2010s (Thomas, Phillip, Eliza and Nicola), and the Moroney girls of the 1990s-2000s (Katie, Laura, Julia and Joanna).
The other fascinating piece of history, is that MillyO’Kane’s win puts her in a stong position in the race for the most Age Group Champion medals in our school’s history, when combing SwimmingandAthletics,
TomFord, who was beaten to this year’s medal by Jye Laxton, currently has 3 of each, for 6 total.
Only legendary girls Xanthea Dewez (6 Athletics, 1 Swimming), Brianna Archer (5 Athletics, 2 Swimming) and Rowan Barrow (2 Athletics, 5 Swimming) have more - all with 7. Ford has 3 more carnivals remaining, to catch them.
Milly now emerges as Ford’s main rival to be statistically the “Greatest Ever.” The Year 9 is already sitting on 3 Age Group medals (1 Athletics, 2 Swimming), with 7 more carnivals acrossher3yearstocome.Shehasprovenshe can win both, and could easily walk away with 10.
Milly’s total will depend on her main rival, Stevie Driscoll. Year 10 Stevie has won Age Group 4times,with2ofeachinboth.Like Ford with Laxton,it’sastackedagegroup.
LillianHooper is another who could challenge. At Year 9 she already has 3 Swimming medals, and will likely end up with 6 of those, but challenges each year for the Athletics medal too, so could finish with 7+. Ruby O’Kane is in theexactsameboat.
Only 25 students in history have won both. Jye Laxton now joins the list, alongside other currentstudents Ford, Milly, Stevie and Clove.
SWIM CARNIVAL
KING WINS THRILLER
Laxton may be the most important story of the 2024 Carnival Jye was sadly going to miss the original date as he was on a family holiday. However, the rescheduled date saw him suddenly available today. This stroke of fortune was likely a keyreasonfor King'svictory.
Big thank you to all Students who participated or came along to support the day. Likewise to the many Parents who popped in to support their children.Itwasamonumentaltriumphintermsof SchoolSpirit.
Huge thank you to all Staff in attendance, all of whom undertook various roles to make the day runsmoothly.
Specialthankyoutoour PrefectTeam,whoranthe BBQ,our9DclasswhorantheirownFoodStall,to Year 12 Cody Lepoidevin who was again our DJ controllingthemusic,andour48 HouseCaptains.
Thank you also to current parent and former teacher Kev McGennan for volunteering his considerablephotographyexpertise.
Finally, thank you to Sandy "Newmo" Newman. Newmo has been the W.H.S Sport Coordinator since 1999, and today she was running her 26th Swim Carnival. As she is retiring at the end of this year, this was her final Carnival. We thank her for being there (despite being on "leave"). It's staggering to think of how many students for whom she's provided special days and moments like this, over those years. It would likely amount to tens of thousands of young people. An all time legendofourschool.
The 50 race-winners & relay team members qualified to race in Wodonga at the Upper Hume stage.
SWIM CARNIVAL
KING WINS THRILLER
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KING WINS THRILLER
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KING WINS THRILLER
SWIM CARNIVAL
KING WINS THRILLER
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KING WINS THRILLER
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SWIM CARNIVAL
KING WINS THRILLER
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KING WINS THRILLER
SWIM CARNIVAL
KING WINS THRILLER
SWIM CARNIVAL
AGE GROUP CHAMPIONS
SWIM CARNIVAL
FEATURE IN THE CHRONICLE
SWIM CARNIVAL
HOUSE HISTORY
AGEGROUPCHAMPIONS
SWIMMING
12-13 YEARS 14 YEARS
15 YEARS
16 YEARS
17 YEARS
18-20 YEARS
Tristan
Laxton
Tara Genn Jye Scott
Zoe Baguley
Sam Morey Lillian Hooper Merlin Tzaros Milly O’Kane
Hanesh Govinda-Samy
Angus Fraser Aroha Waddell Oskar McGahan Ruby O’Kane
WAREENA KING WAREENA OVENS MERRIWA
SWIM CARNIVAL
HONOUR BOARD
HONOUR BOARD
SWIM CARNIVAL
HONOUR BOARD
SWIM CARNIVAL
HONOUR BOARD
SWIM CARNIVAL
HONOUR BOARD
SWIM CARNIVAL
HONOUR BOARD
SUPER 8 CRICKET
YEAR 8 BOYS
16 of our best Year 8 Boys competed on February 22nd in the Upper Hume Super 8 Cricket tournament at the Barr Reserve, against the 7 othersecondaryschoolsinourregion(Wangaratta &Wodonga).
Our “A Team” finished 2nd overall - a big achievement to be the best school in Wangaratta (althoughGalendidn’tenteranyteamsontheday).
The A Team won their Pool easily, smashing the Wodonga Middle Years Felltimber campus 204120, and crosstown rival Cathedral College's B Team 151-130. They then stitched up Catholic College Wodonga's B Team in the Semi Final, 215168.
IntheSemi, ClarenceLampa putonaphenomenal performance. Coming in to bat with the team’s score on 99 after 6 overs and with 2 overs left, he pulverised an incredible 56 runs from one single over.Cracking4sixesoverthebowler'shead,each of which scored double runs, he went 12, 8, 12, 12, dotball,and12from6balls,
Forgoodmeasure, Clarence thentooktwowickets from his 1st two balls to find himself on a Hat Trick, before finishing with 3 wickets from his 6ballover.
Even more remarkably though, Clarence had done the same in the previous match against Felltimber. Inoneoverhewentbangwith6,12,12,6,12and4, to chalk up 52 from 6 deliveries. What a talent he is,ineverySporthetrieshishandat. .
Zach Wills was the chief wicket taker in the Pool matches and Semi Final with 6 in total including 3 in the big win against Cathedral, while Xavier Garsed, Hugh Spring and Andrew Fraser all pickedup3tomatch Clarence'sfigures.
They met the Catholic College Wodonga A Team in the Grand Final, but succumbed 116-203 - a gallant effort against a school with 1250 students, wellovertwiceournumber.
Our “B Team” had a tougher draw, losing to the eventual champion (Catholic College Wodonga A) 70-206, as well as Victory Lutheran College Wodonga A(121-173).
For our B Team, it was a spread of wicket takers with Lachlan Downing leading the crew with 3, and IsaacRobinson and ThomasFieldew snaringa paireach.
Big thank you to the boys for representing us today, Newmo for running the day, Ash Clayton forcoaching,andawonderfulbunchofyear8girls who went as helpers - RubyBurns,LivDay,Kaity Ford, Ruby O'Kane, Poppy Scholte and Taylah Wyatt.
SUPER 8 CRICKET
YEAR 8 BOYS
SUPER 8 CRICKET
YEAR 8 BOYS
MOUNTAIN BIKING
VICTORIAN ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS
There was huge success on Friday 23rd February at Mount Bulller, as 10 of our brave students competed inthe VictorianAlpineHighCountrySchoolsMountain BikeCompetition.
We are pleased to announce we finished in 3rd place in Victoria - a wonderful achievement considering it's the1sttimewe'veeverenteredaMountainBiketeam, and that we were competing against schools from all over Victoria including private schools Geelong Grammar, Ballarat Grammar, Whitefriars College and CatholicLadiesCollegeEltham.
Individually, our standout rider was Year 8 Ruby Burns, who won Gold in her Junior Girls (Year 7 and 8)agegroup.Shewoneasilywithacumulativetimeof 10:54.2 across her 3 rides - a clear 8 seconds in front ofhernearestrivalfrom CathedralCollege.
LukeGriffiths ofYear11,wastheotherstudenttoget aplaceonthepodium.HefinishedwithaSilverMedal in the Senior Boys (Year 11-12), with his cumulative time of 8:45.5 being just under 2 seconds behind his rival from Geelong Grammar. Teammate and fellow Year 11 Euca Boonzaayer did well to finish 4th in the sameagegroup,just5secondsfrom3rdplace.
Thankstoallofthe10riderswhohadthecourage to compete: Alec Armstrong, Euca Boonzaayer, Ruby Burns, Oliver Cleave-Sessle, Coen Coppinger, Andrew Fraser, Luke Griffiths, Gus Hedderman, Mike Sheppard and Cameron Vincent.
We hope to take up an even larger team in 2025, andtoenterthisannually
A massive thank you to Principal Dave Armstrong for driving and coaching the crew including a 6:00am departure, and to parents Penny Everingham, for being on hand as a volunteer to support our kids, and Ian Burns, who was invaluable in securing for us a trailer from the BeechworthMTBClub tosafelytransportourbikes in.
Very special thank you also to Year 12 Clove Boonzaayer,whocouldn'tcompetedueaninjurya few days prior, but still made the trip to support staffandstudents-whatafantasticyoungman.
Also best of luck to the few riders who are competing at Thredbo,NSW next week, as part of the AustralianInterschoolsMountainBike comp.
MOUNTAIN BIKING
VICTORIAN ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS
MOUNTAIN BIKING
VICTORIAN ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS
MOUNTAIN BIKING
VICTORIAN ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS
MOUNTAIN BIKING
VICTORIAN ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS
MOUNTAIN BIKING
VICTORIAN ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS
SWIMMING UPPER HUME CHAMPIONSHIPS
It was a big day in Wodonga on Thursday 29th February at the Upper Hume Swimming Carnival, as a huge contingent of 41 W.H.S swimmers competed against the best from the other 7 schoolsinourregion-Galen,Cathedral,Wodonga Senior, Wodonga Middle Years, Victory Lutheran College, Grace Christian College, and Catholic CollegeWodonga.
We finished 4th in overall standings at the WodongaWavesComplex,with13ofourswimmers qualifyingforthenextstage,whichis HumeRegion onFriday15thMarch.
Individually, Year 10 dynamo Merlin Tzaros won Gold in the 400m Freestyle, making him our only swimmer to qualify for Hume Region in an individual event, and he also placed 3rd in his 100mFreestyle.
Others to place in individual events were Year 9 girls Lucy Armstrong (50m Butterfly) and Milly O'Kane (50m Breaststroke) as well Year 10 Jada Ryan (100mButterfly),whoallfinished3rd.
Year 7 boys Angus Fraser (50m Backstroke) and Hanesh Govinda Samy (50m Freestyle), plus Year 8 Mike Sheppard (50m Butterfly) all managed 4th, asdidYear9 LillianHooper whodidittwice(50m Freestyleand50mBackstroke).
In the 4x100m Freestyle Relays, three of our teams have qualified for Hume Region. Those were the 15 YearsGirls team(LucyArmstrong,LillianHooper, Jada Ryan and Casey Sheppard) who won by a clearbodylength,andbothour Year7Boys (Angus Fraser, Hanesh Govinda Samy, Nicholas Jones and Austin Whitehead) and Year 7 Girls (PaigeLee Dummett, Darcy Fox, Ellie Hutchieson and GeorgiaKelly),whobothgot2ndplace.
TwootherRelayteamscame3rd,narrowlymissing out on qualifying. Those were the 17 Girls (Ava Byrne, Stevie Driscoll, Milly O'Kane and Imogen Robinson) and the 17 Boys (Alec Armstrong, Jye Laxton, Emilio Miliankos-King and Lachie Pensak).
For our 11 Year 7s, it was a Milestone Day as they got their 1st taste of Upper Hume competition. There are some outstanding characters in that year level, and we'll see these names feature regularly over the next 6 years that they are with us.NotonlydidYear7sdominatethepointsatour own Swim Carnival, but they today made up 8 of the13W.H.Sstudentstoqualifyfor HumeRegion.
Another thing of note was our number of swimmers. Our tally of 41 swimmers dwarfed, for example, that of one of the other Wangaratta schools with twice our numbers, who could only get 14 swimmers to compete today. We love the enthusiasm of our students and their willingness to compete. Thanks kids. We'll keep providing every opportunity to you and we'll pack out every buswecan.
Overall it was an epic day with a great vibe and sense of camaraderie among the large contingent of 51 total students that came. On the bus on the way up there were feel-good singalongs, the John Willliamson classic "Home Among The Gumtrees" and the always-popular "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift the most vigorous, and on the way home Aroha Waddell, whose positive energy and enthusiasm was infectious all day, was the star of the show singing along to songs with her peers cheeringheron.
Thanks to all the kids who were part of it. Especially our racers, but also to the many helpers thatcontributed,someofwhomfilledinforracers whocouldn'tmaketheday.
Special thanks again to Newmo, who volunteered herowntimeagaintobethere.
SWIMMING
UPPER HUME CHAMPIONSHIPS
SUPER 8 CRICKET GIRLS
We had a terrific bunch of 36 girls across 5 teams competing on Monday 4th March at the Upper Hume Girls Super 8 Cricket carnival at the Barr Reserve.
Pittedagainsttheother7secondaryschoolsinour region, we had two teams that finished an admirable2nd.
The Year 7 Girls team (Amelie Booth, Isabella Boulton,Paige-LeeDummett,GeorgiaKelly,Zara McCrae, Polly Oats, Shaylah Williams and Annabelle Wills) kicked off their campaign winning a thriller of an opening match against Catholic College Wodonga 107-104. This was a huge win against a school of 1250 students - more than double our size. We then went on to crush VictoryLutheranCollegeWodonga, 197-74, which was enough to win our pool and book a place in theFinal.
In the Final against crosstown rivals Cathedral College, our Year 7s put up a great fight and fell only just short, 92-119. Wicket tackers in the Final were Polly Oats and Zara McCrae who picked up oneeach,with Zara'soverconcedingzeroruns.
Great stuff by our Year 7s, most of whom were playing their 1st Upper Hume comp. How about Paige-Lee and Georgia though - backing up from their Runner-Up place Swimming at Wodonga last Thursday. Tremendous signs that we have a talentedcohortofYear7sonourhands.
Our Year 10 team (Ava Byrne, Stevie Driscoll, Pieper Gottschling, Jayla Keys, Ellie Meggs, Georgia Meggs, Zoi Miliankos-King and Jada Ryan) executed a demolition of Wodonga Middle Years'HuonCampusintheiropener,201-97.Their Final was also against a crosstown-rival, this time Galen, who got us 83-173. Pieper Gottschling, Georgia Meggs and Jada Ryan were our wicket takers in the Final. Jada is another to bring home her 2nd Upper Hume Runner-Up placing in the spaceofthelast3schooldays.
Anotherteamtoimpresswasour Year9 team(Lily Byrne, Erin Collins, Jedda Driscoll, Milly O'Kane, Kyanna Payne, Casey Sheppard and London Sloan). Playing in the Intermediate competition, and drawn to play the Catholic College Wodonga "A Team" (which would have been made up of mostly Year 10s) they came within 5 runs of victory,goingdown117-122.Amassiveeffort-they finished the day with a 3-1 record and would have likelywonastraight-Year9competition.
Our Year 8 team (Tirandi Abeyawardana, Ciara Bennett, Alexis Cox, Liv Day, Kaity Ford, Hallie Hart,LeilaHyland and RubyO'Kane)weremissing some guns and also had a tough draw, going down to Catholic College Wodonga 108-164 and then narrowlyto VictoryLutheranCollege 85-107.
Thanks also to our Year 8 "B Team" who, with just 3 players (Ruby DeFazio, Lanie Evans and Bella White) due to some players pulling out to illness, soldiered on to lose one match by just 2 runs (105107)andanother60-117.
Big thank you to our four Year 8 boys who helped coach and score (Lachlan Downing, Clarence Lampa, Hugh Spring and Zach Wills). A special day for the Wills family, with Zach coaching youngersister Annabelle.
Thanks too to staff Andrea Belci, Jaime Ryan and Ash Clayton for looking after the kids. Massive thankyouagainto Newmo,whoagainvolunteered hertimetorunthecarnival.
SUPER 8 CRICKET
YEAR 7 GIRLS
SUPER 8 CRICKET
YEAR 8 GIRLS
SUPER 8 CRICKET
YEAR 9 GIRLS
SUPER 8 CRICKET
YEAR 10 GIRLS
REUBEN SMITH
AUSTRALIAN TRACK CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Massive congratulations again to Year 12 Reuben Smith who won 3 Silver Medals at the AusCycling NationalTrackCyclingChampionships.
This event was held between the 1st- 5th of March at the Anna Meares Velodrome in Chandler, Queensland, just a fortnight after the Oceania Championships in New Zealand where we recently reportedReubenalsowonmultiplemedals.
Racing in the Junior Men (Under 19) Division, Reuben picked up his 1st Silver in the Sprint, an individual event over 750m (3 laps), behind a South Australiariderwhoisthe JuniorWorldChampion.
He then teamed up with two other Victoria riders to take Silver in the Team Sprint (also 750m) again behindSouthAustraliaandaheadofNSW.
His 3rd Silver Medal came in another individual event - the prestigious 1000m Time Trial, raced over 4 laps. The only Victorian to make the Final, hefinishedwithatimeof1:04.849.
Welldoneagain Reuben.Everyoneisproudofyou, and I'm sure there are many junior W.H.S students looking at these pictures and getting inspired by you.
REUBEN SMITH
AUSTRALIAN TRACK CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
REUBEN SMITH
AUSTRALIAN TRACK CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
REUBEN SMITH
AUSTRALIAN TRACK CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
MOUNTAIN BIKING
AUSTRALIAN INTERSCHOOLS, THREDBO NSW
An intrepid cohort of Mountain BIke riders travelled to Thredbo in NSW to compete at the Boost Mobile Australian MTB Interschools competitionbetween3-7March.
Year 11 Wirra Gilson, Year 10 Alec Armstrong, Year 8s Ruby Burns, Old Cleave-Sessle and Inanay Gilson raced in various events acrossthecourseoftheweek.
The standout results-wise, was Ruby Burns, who placed Top 10 in Australia in two events. She got 9th in the Norco “All Mountain” race and then 10th in the Fox “Flow”. Congratulations Ruby on a wonderful achievement for the top shelf all-round talent and personality. You may recall Ruby also won her age group at the Victorian Alpine High CountrySchoolsMTBcompat MrBuller inFebruary.
Thanks to the riders and their families who transported their children their independently, for flying the flag for ourschoolataNationalcompetition.
MOUNTAIN BIKING
AUSTRALIAN INTERSCHOOLS, THREDBO NSW
MOUNTAIN BIKING
AUSTRALIAN INTERSCHOOLS, THREDBO NSW
SWIMMING HUME
REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS
Thank you to the 12 swimmers who competed Friday 15th March at the Hume Region Swimming carnival at the Wodonga WavesSwimmingComplex.
Ourthree4x50mFreestylerelayteamsallfinished1stor2ndat the previous Upper Hume stage, and this time were coming up against over 40 secondary schools in the Hume Region which stretches as far as Seymour, in the final stage before State Championships.
It was a great experience for the crew, getting to compete against a lot of top level talent. We couldn't speak higher of their courage, and commitment to representing theschool.Outstanding.
SWIMMING
HUME REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS
SWIMMING
HUME REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS
SWIMMING
HUME REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS
VOLLEYBALL
INTERMEDIATE
Another busload of our students hit the border on Monday 18th March, as 18 of our top Year 9 and 10s competed in the Upper Hume Intermediate Volleyball carnival at the WodongaLeisureCentre
With a large team of 11 players, the Girls were the best of our two teams on the day. They started the day of with a bang against crosstown rival CathedralCollege, winning the opening set (20-16), dropping the 2nd set (1220), but then clinching the win in the deciding set(15-10).
They then came very close to a win against WodongaMiddleYearsCollege, a team with a number of players who play in the Wodonga Volleyball competition. We dropped the 1st set narrowly (16-20), won the 2nd set (20-17), but lostcomposureinthedecider(5-15).
It was a tougher match against Wodonga Senior Secondary College, another team with numerous competition Volleyballers and who were all in Year 10. Our girls went down two setstonil(8-20and11-20).
The 7-strong Boys team started their campaign off strongly against Wodonga Senior SecondaryCollege.
Despite the opposition having a number of experienced competition players, our boys dominatedthe1stset(20-10).
Onlookers acknowledged our boys' natural sporting prowess and athleticism easily crossed into Volleyball despite not knowing thegamethatwell.Thenexttwosetswerea different story though somehow (11-20 and 8-15).
TheBoysweregoodenoughtotakeasetoff both of their other two opponents as well. They stripped the opener off Wodonga Middle Years College (20-17) before dropping the next two (17-20 and 9-15), and did the same to Catholic College Wodonga (20-15) before allowing the next two to slip (17-20and10-15).
Bothteamsshowedplentyofnaturalskillina Sport still quite unfamiliar to them, against much more experienced players. With further training, or the joining of the local Wangaratta Volleyball comp which will hopefully return to the Wangaratta WSAC once renovations are complete, they could dosomedamage.
Thanks to all 18 players for making it in anotherterrificdayofInterschoolSport.
VOLLEYBALL
INTERMEDIATE GIRLS
VOLLEYBALL
INTERMEDIATE BOYS
VOLLEYBALL
INTERMEDIATE BOYS
VOLLEYBALL
VOLLEYBALL
INTERMEDIATE BOYS
VOLLEYBALL
INTERMEDIATE GIRLS
VOLLEYBALL
INTERMEDIATE GIRLS
VOLLEYBALL
INTERMEDIATE GIRLS
LAWN BOWLS
HUME REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS
It was a massive day for our school on Wednesday 20th March at the Wangaratta Bowls Club today as 12 students across 4 teams competed in the Hume Region Lawn Bowls tournament.
Our JuniorBoys team(JeremyBagley,ClarenceLampa and Zach Wills) won their competition emphatically, earning themselves the title of Hume Region Champions, making them the best from over 40 secondary schools in the region.
They've also booked themselves a place at the State Championships in Melbourne in May - the 1st W.H.S team toachievethatfeatsofarin2024.
Remarkably,our JuniorGirls team(LivDay,KaityFord and TaylahWyatt) finished 2nd place in the same competition, andactuallyplayedagainsttheboysintheFinal.
A sterling effort from both Junior teams who are all Year 8 students, competing inafieldwhichincludedYear9s.
Our Senior teams also competed well despite also being bottom-agers - the Boys(Year11s RyleyDowning,TomFord and NedO'Kane) and the Girls (Year 10s AvaByrne,MillyO’Kane,JadaRyan and PieperGottschling).
Special thank you to Leah Anderson for lookingafterourkidsacrosstheday.
Thank you as always to our great kids for competing and representing the schoolinaterrificmanner.
LAWN BOWLS
LAWN BOWLS
LAWN BOWLS
LAWN BOWLS
CHAMPIONSHIPS
INANAY GILSON
STATE CHAMPION - MTB ENDURO
Congratulations Year 8 Inanay Gilson, who becamea MountainBiking StateChampionon Sunday24thMarch.
The Alpine Cycling Club member won the Under 15 Girls category at the Victorian Gravity Enduro State Championship at Mystic Park,Bright.
INANAY GILSON
RUBY STEVENS
AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION - CANOE MARATHON
Congratulations to Year 9 Ruby Stevens who can call herself a National Champion, after winning an event at the Padde Australia Canoe Marathon Championships, at Encounter Bay in South Australia betweenApril5th-7th.
Ruby, a member of the Yarrawonga Mulwala Amateur Canoe Club, was part of a pairing that wontheK/SW2Under16raceover7.73km.
Ruby has previously won multiple State Titles, including in 2022 at the Victorian State Kayak Championships, a Year 7, winning the Under 14 Women’s singles over 12km along the Barwon River in Geelong (in a time of 1 hour, 29 minutes) and then the Under 16 doubles the next day, stepping up an Age Group and defeating pairings from some of the biggest clubs from the Yarra RiverinMelbourne.
Shealsocame6thinVictoriain2022atthe Victorian Schools Championships at the Nagambie Regatta Centre, over 2.2km in the Under 14 K1 individual race, and got a 3rd in the Under 18 K2, stepping up twoAgeGroups.
Ruby is our first Australian Champion in any sport, since runner Jack Boulton won the Under 18 400m sprint at the Australian Athletics Championships in Sydney in April 2021, when in Year 11, in a time of 47.51.
Watchhisracehere: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=NKRaUW1sS8g
OurlastAustralianChampionpriortothat,wasYear 8 RileyCorke in 2018, intheCrossCountryOlympic (XCO) Mountain Biking. Both Corke and Boulton, coincidentlywereinthesameyearlevel.
RUBY STEVENS
AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION - CANOE MARATHON
FOOTBALL
SENIOR BOYS
Our Senior Boys got the chance to pull on the hallowed W.H.S Football Jumper on Wednesday 17th April, continuing a 100+ year tradition.
Taking part in the Upper Hume Carnival at Martin Park in Wodonga the majority of the side was made up of a very strong cohort of Year 11s, with just 5 Year 12s playing, but they came away with a respectable 1-1 record for theday.
They got off to a flyer against Victory Lutheran College Wodonga, winning comfortably 49-30. Year 11 Ryley Downing in the forward pocket was reportedly dominanthe kicked 4 goals but could have finished with 7.OthersnamedasinfluentialwereCentreHalf Back TomFord ofYear11,BackFlanker Hayden Currie also of Year 11 and the midfield squadronofskipper LachlanBarbour (Year12), and Year 11s Luke Griffiths and Lachlan Suffield.
The second match was a different story, with opponents Catholic College Wodonga too strong, handing us a 12-90 defeat. Catholic College, a juggernaut with over 1200 students who often win the football carnivals, were the eventual champions on the day. Our boys to their credit, got 2 goals against them, which is more than their Grand Final opponents managed.
Thank you to our Leadership Group, Year 12s Lachlan Barbour (Captain) and his Vice Captains in Wil Carmody,BrandoHarrison and CopeSwinburne,who have all given the school great service over their 6 years.
Big thank you to teacher Alex Johnson for coaching, and the many helpers, especially Year 8s Clarence Lampa and Will Sayers as Boundary Umpires (Clarence actually chimed in as a Central Umpire at onestage),andinjuredYear11 NedO'Kane asAssistant Coach.
GOALKICKERS: Ryley Downing 4, Luke Griffiths 1, Jye Laxton1,JackLockhart1,XavierZachariou1.
BEST PLAYERS: Ryley Downing, Tom Ford, Hayden Currie, Lachlan Barbour, Lachlan Suffield, Luke Griffiths.
HOWTHEYLINEDUP
-
B:ReeceBatten,WilCarmody(VC),NateStavely
HB:HaydenCurrie,TomFord,JackPreston
C:KallamPensak,LachlanBarbour(C),WirraGilson
HF: Daniel Hammond, Brandon Harrison (VC), Jack Lockhart
F:RyleyDowning,XavierZachariou,KaydenHarrison
FOLL: Cope Swinburne (VC), Luke Griffiths, Lachlan Suffield
INTER:JyeLaxton,AnthonyChisholm
FOOTBALL
SENIOR BOYS
TABLE TENNIS SENIORS
Our Seniors headed to the Wangaratta Showgrounds on Friday 20th April to take part in the Upper Hume Table Tennis carnival.
Our Senior Girls (Sienna Box-Corsini, Amy Griffiths, Hannah Lockhart and Kalika Miliankos-King) went down 1-5 to Wodonga Senior Secondary College, but canclaimthetitleof UpperHume Runners-Up.
Our Senior Boys (Euca Boonzayer, Sam Couch, Hayden Currie, Harry Goeby and Robbie Leadbetter) went down 1-5 to VictoryLutheranCollegeWodonga,and06 to overall winners Cathedral, to finish 3rd.
Thanks to all players for competing, and DaleUnwin foraccompanyingthem.
TABLE TENNIS SENIORS
MERLIN TZAROS
AUSTRALIAN TRIATHLON INTERSCHOOLS
Our Year 10 Merlin Tzaros had a massive March and April across the Triathlon season in all corners of Ausrtralia.
On Saturday 18th January at the Echuca Moama Triathlon, he won his Age Group (15-16yo) and was 11th overallfrom233competitors.
On 25th February at the Barwon Heads Triathlon, he again won his Age Group (15-19yo), and was 4th overall from920competitors.
In March he raced at the School Sport Australia Triathlon National Championships in Rockingham, Western Australia. In a field of the best Intermediate (Years 9 and 10) 38 kids in the country, he finished 10th inAustralia,despitethingsnotgoingtoplanintherace.
On Sunday 7th April, he raced at Broadwater on the Gold Coast in Queensland, winning 1st place for his Age Group in the Luke Harrop Memorial Triathlon Sprint, over a 750m swim, 20km bike ride and 5km run, in peltingrainandwind.
He finished off the season with the Australian Triathlon National Junior (16-19) Sprint Championships in Wollongong, NSW. Against 52 of the best 16-19 Junior Elites in thecountry,hecameawaywith20thdespite being the youngest in the field, having only justturned15.
He’ll have a short break to rest, before firing upforthecoming CrossCountry season.
MERLIN TZAROS
AUSTRALIAN TRIATHLON INTERSCHOOLS
MERLIN TZAROS
MERLIN TZAROS
AUSTRALIAN TRIATHLON INTERSCHOOLS
FOOTBALL
YEAR 7 BOYS
It was a momentous day for the school on Wednesday 24th April, as our Year 7 Boys got their 1st chance to wear the W.H.S School Football jumper.
As was expected might be the case, they proved themselves the best Year 7 Boys Football team we haveseeninanumberofyears,finishing3rdinthe Upper Hume carnival, the best result since we came3rdin2018.
They made history and heralded a potential New Era in their 1st match, comfortably defeating crosstown rivals and winners of the last 3 years, Galen College (30-21). Due to Galen having more than twice our enrolments, it’s been at least 7 yearssinceourboyshaveachievedthisfeat.
Theyalsotookthescalpof WodongaMiddleYears College (37-7) on their way to a 2-2 record across the day, losing to both Catholic College Wodonga andeventualwinners Cathedral.
Ruckman Mason Skermer was awarded the Best Playerbycoach AlexJohnson.Tall,strong,athletic and determined, the Vice Captain was said to be a dominant and inspirational figure all day. He won his ruck duels, but also the ball at ground level, gaining multiple clearances, as well as taking strong marks around the ground, always kicking long into attack. A father-son enrolment whose father Jack alsoattendedW.H.S,theconfidentand charismatic natural leader appears to be the type to build not only a football team around, but an InterschoolSport culture.
FOOTBALL
YEAR 7 BOYS
Lane Sloan was also outstanding. The smooth moving and strong running midfielder not only picked up large amounts of possessions, but he was neat with his hands and skills. Such was his ability to use his running power to get forward and do damage on the scoreboard, he ended up the side’s leading goalkicker for the day with 3. Another father-son, he follows in the footsteps of dad Corey, who was a member of our State Title winningIntermediateFootballteamof1998.
Rover Angus Fraser was another skilful, hard running midfielder with the ability to win and handle the ball cleanly whenever it was in his area,anddeliveritwithconsiderableskill.Inand under and popping up everywhere around the ground, Angus was one of the team’s CoCaptains underlining his leadership potential andhigh-standingwithstaff.
DodgeLawrey wasanothertostandout,showing a great ability to get to contests, get his hands on the ball, and break out of congestion. He was alsosaidtobeagreatselflessteamplayer,laying shepherdsandusinghisvoice.
Luke Pensak, another of our Vice Captains, was excellent in the two most important key positions onthe ground. At Centre Half Back, he proved a solid defender providing heaps of rebound kicking out of the defensive 50, and when at Centre Half Forward was a strong target. Like older brothers Lachie (Year 10) and Kallam (Year 11), he appears set to be a cornerstone of our Sporting teams for years to come.
AustinWhitehead drewpraiseaswell,patrolling his wing all day, continually getting to the right spots, winning lots of the ball and displaying neat skills. He is another of our Year 7s to have an excellent mix of size, strength, skill and athleticism, and also a good attitude and leadershipqualities.
FOOTBALL
YEAR 7 BOYS
Nicholas Jones, our other Co-Captain, was a regular ball winner at both ends of the grounds. Athletic and tall with a long wingspan, the cool customer was very strong in the air when at Half Back, reading the ball’s flight and taking multiple marks, then when up forward, was dangerous enough to kick two goals to beequaloursecondhighestgoal-kickerfortheday.
Jayden Butterworth was also a pivotal player. For someone who hasn’t played much football, he was remarkable in the way he was able to be a dominant presence. When in the Ruck, he won every single ruck tap, and had a knack of positioning his body in a way to own his space and win one-on-one contests. With his significant height, frame, strength and physicality, he is another who could be a dominant force in a numberofsportsinthecomingyears.
ThankstoourboysforplayingandrepresentingW.H.S in such a strong manner. Thank you also to Mr Johnsonforcoaching,andourhelpersespeciallyagain Year 8s Clarence Lampa and Will Sayers for running theboundary.
GOAL KICKERS: Lane Sloan 3, Jack Ambrose 2, NicholasJones2,AngusFraser1,HuntahVoss1,Austin Whitehead1,ZakWinn1.
BEST PLAYERS: Mason Skermer, Lane Sloan, Angus Fraser,DodgeLawrey,LukePensak,AustinWhitehead, NicholasJones,JaydenButterworth.
HOWTHEYLINEDUP -
B: Crosbie Govers-Styles, Jayden Butterworth, Noah Anderson
HB: Nicholas Jones (C), Luke Pensak (VC), River Mackinnon-Burman
C: Austin Whitehead, Lane Sloan, Dodge Lawrey
HF: Bailey Bridgfoot, Logan Wilson (VC), Jack Ambrose
F: Huntah Voss, Jaxson Davern, Zak Winn
FOLL: Mason Skermer (VC), Will Boulton, Angus Fraser (C)
INTER: Tyler Martin, Xavier Bassett
FOOTBALL
FOOTBALL
YEAR 7 BOYS
FOOTBALL
INTERMEDIATE BOYS
Our Intermediate Boys Football team got their chance to pull on the W.H.S jumper on Tuesday 30th April, taking part in the Upper Hume carnival attheBarrReserve.
They stormed out of the blocks in their opening match against Victory Lutheran College Wodonga, kicking the first 3 goals of the match in a blistering display. Vice Captains Lachlan Pensak and Oscar Benson both hit long-range shots from 50m near the boundary on the run which rolled through. Then, wingman and rep-Soccer player Emilio Miliankos-King gathered cleanly in congestion, weaved past a couple of defenders, and cooly threaded a checkside on the run from 30mout,whichwasasgoodasanygoalwesawall day.
Victory clawed their way back however in the 2nd half, to overrun us by 11 points (3.1.19 - 4.6.30), and then eventual Grand Finalists Catholic College Wodonga proved too slick in our 2nd and final match.
IndividualperformerstoleadthewaywereallYear 10s,mostofthemfromourverytalented10ESEAL class.
JackFord was our best player, dominating at both Centre Half Back and through the midfield. With size, speed, strength, skill and football IQ, he won the ball whenever it came in his area, outpointing his opponents in close, on the outside, in the air and on the ground. He took pack marks, moved like a panther at ground level, burst through congestion often shrugging off multiple tacklers, laid strong tackles himself, had sticky fingers, hit targets, and did it all at an explosive speed and intensity. Quite brilliant, he ranks right up there with the best Intermediate footballers the school hasseen.
FOOTBALL
INTERMEDIATE BOYS
LeviZachariou was our next best. A barnstorming and remarkable performance from someone who has never played competition footy. Playing the critical Full Back position, he outbodied, outpositioned, outmarked, and outplayed his opponent at every contest. Whenever a high ball wentintotheoppositionforwardline,Leviwasthe one to read the flight of the ball and then mark it every time. With loose balls too, he would win the contest,thenbreakthroughtackleswithforce,run away and deliver it forward. An absolute natural, hecouldbeasuperfootballerifhestartedplaying.
Emilio Miliankos-King was another standout. For a rep-Soccer player who has only ever played a couple of Footy seasons, his ball handling was exceptional. He continually got to the right positions, put his head over the ball, and gathered itcleanly,abletousehisenduranceontheWingto be everywhere. With ball in hand, he was nimble and hard to tackle, often zigzagging through and around opponents, reminding coaches of the way Gary Ablett Jnr used to move. He also took marks abovehisheadandkickedgoaloftheday.
Oscar Benson was his usual classy self, switching with Ford between midfield and Centre Half Back. The smooth mover has clean hands, good skills, and could be relied upon to win the ball when it wasinhisareaanddeliveritontoateammate.His rakinggoalfrom50minspiredhisteam.
Lachie Pensak and Cooper Young were also solid players, despite both coming from the field with injuries and missing game time during the day, with Lachie igniting the team early with his long goal after pushing forward from his midfield position. Cooper held down the all-important and tough-to-play Centre Half Forward position and was a good marking target. Eli Beach & Haydn Cornhill too were handy players, getting their hands on the ball and proving strong physical presences.
FOOTBALL
INTERMEDIATE BOYS
Thankstoallofourboysforplaying,andourmany helpersespeciallyYear8s ClarenceLampa (Central Umpire), Lachlan Downing, Will Sayers and Hugh Spring (Boundary Umpires) and Kaity Ford (Goal Umpire).
GOALKICKERS:OscarBenson1,EmilioMIliankosKing1,LachlanPensak1.
BEST PLAYERS: Jack Ford, Levi Zachariou, Emilio Miliankos-King, Oscar Benson, Lachlan Pensak, CooperYoung,EliBeach,HaydnCornhill.
HOWTHEYLINEDUP -
B:LukeMacklan,LeviZachariou,CooperHardman
HB: Tane Massey-Chase, Jack Ford (C), Dylan McCombe
C: Emilio Miliankos-King, Oscar Benson (VC), Kayden Vozlic
HF:HaydnCornhill,CooperYoung,SamMorey F:CooperLack,HamishTanner,NoahGraham FOLL:JamesChisholm,LachlanPensak(VC),EliBeach INTER:JimShepherd,JaysonBounpraseuth
FOOTBALL
INTERMEDIATE BOYS
LAWN BOWLS
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
It was a big day on Tuesday 7th May for our Junior Boys team at the SSV (School Sport Victoria) Lawn Bowls State Championships at Club Sunbury in Melbourne.
The boys (Year 8s ClarenceLampa,JeremyBagley and Zach Wills) were aiming to become our 1st State Title winning Lawn Bowls team in 22 yearssince Year 12s Daniel Barassi, Jordan Fisher, Judd Porter and Rob Smith clinched the Senior trophy in2002,incredibly,forthe2ndyearinarow.
They finished with a 1-2 record for the day, defeating Camperdown College (5-4), a country school from near the Great Ocean Road. They however went down to Vermont Secondary College (1-8) and Maribyrnong College (2-7), both Cityschoolswithapproximately1500students,and in the case of Maribyrnong College, a school who has half of their enrolments there on Sport Scholarships with the MSA (Maribyrnong Sports Academy).
The boys were exemplary across the day, showing excellent sportsmanship when interacting with their opponents, representing our school with aplomb.Tofinish7thinVictoriaissomethingtobe proudof.
Thanks boys for your efforts yesterday, starting with a 5:00am alarm, hitting the highway at 6:00am, then returning to Wangaratta at 5:00pm. Theboysalsoshowedinitiativeintheleadup,with Clarence contacting the Wangaratta Bowls Club and arranging times to practise at the greens on half a dozen occasions striving to improve their skills.
Big thank you to Principal Dave Armstrong for lendingushiscarforthedrive.Thanksalsoto Lars Croft whoattendedasTeamSupport.
We appreciate the Wangaratta Bowls Club for lending the boys bowls to play with, and allowing themtopractiseanumberoftimessincetheywon the HumeRegion titleinMarch.
Special thank you to club member Maurie Braden for helping train them. There is also a bit of W.H.S historyintertwined,with Maurie'sson Aaron being a member of our last State Champion Senior Football team in 2003. Coincidently, Aaron 4 years later would be teammates with Porter (who was Captain) in the Wangaratta Magpies back-to back Senior O&M Footy premierships in 2007-2008, theirfirstsince1976,31yearsprior.
LAWN BOWLS
LAWN BOWLS STATE
CHAMPIONSHIPS
SOCCER
YEAR 8
It was a rollercoaster day in Wodonga for our 24 Year 8s competing at the Upper Hume Soccer carnivalonThursday9thMay.
Our Year 8 Girls blasted their way past Victory Lutheran College Wodonga in the opening match at Kelly Park, winning 4-0 with LivDay brilliantkicking3goalsherselfin the 40 minute match, and Inanay Gilson addinganother.
They then disposed of crosstown rival CathedralCollege (1-0), with the inspirational Gilson scoring the match winner with a tremendous individual effort after a long surging run to lead her team into the Final against WodongaMiddleYears.
After 40 minutes of Soccer in the Final, the scores were 0-0, and it came down to a Penalty Shootout. Wodonga Middle Years werefortunatetohaveaGoalkeeperwellover 6-feet tall, and despite Day and Ruby Burns bothputtingtheirshotsintotheNet,wewent down 2-4 in the Shootout to narrowly miss out being Upper Hume Champions and progressingtothe HumeRegion stage.
The girls should be extremely proud of themselves as a team. With only 4 of the 12 girls that play competition Soccer, it's a great effort. Other than outstanding playmakers andscorers Day and Gilson, RubyO'Kane was said to be outstanding and "impenetrable" in defence.
SOCCER
YEAR 8
Over at WillowPark, the Boys team had mixed results but some epic highlights. They went down (0-8) in their opener against a very strong Catholic College Wodonga, with our only 2 Soccer players (Co-Captains Darcy Waide and Leo Woodburne) playing a lone hand although Hugh Spring was solid as Goalkeeperandsavedseveralcertaingoals.
The boys improved dramatically in Game 2 vs Cathedral College, with all players proving capable, and could have scored a few times, butwentdowneventually(0-2).
Their final match was the highlight, against Wodonga Middle Years College. After finding themselves down 0-1 early in the 2nd half, it was ClarenceLampa whosetupourfirstgoal, working with Andrew Fraser then brilliantly finding Leo Woodburne alone in the box, who turnedandscoredtrulytolevelitat1-1.
Shortly after, the miraculous Lampa pulled off the play of the day. He won the ball 30m from goal, rolled his ankle, recovered, beat his defender,dribbledintothebox,andputitpast the goalie (who just got his fingertips to it) to scoreascreamingmatchwinner.
It was a terrific day overall, with highs and lows, and eventually heartbreak for the Girls, butthat'sallpartofSport.
Thankyoutothe24playerswhocompeted,to Year 10s Emilio Miliankos-King and Levi Zachariou forcoachingtheBoys,HeadPrefect Kalika Milinkos-King for coaching the Girls (someofwhoshe'scoachingthisseasonandin fact has training with tonight!), and staff member Ash Clayton and trainee P.E teacher BaileyAnnett forhelpingtoo.
BIATHLON
NORTH EAST VICTORIAN INTERSCHOOLS
We had 4 adventurous Year 10 Boys compete at the North East Victorian Interschools Biathlon event last Friday 17th of May at the SSAA Wodonga shooting range inByawarthaNorth.
Competing in the Senior Boys (Years 10-12) age group, theboyscompetedineventsontheday-BiathlonRelay (running & shooting), Laser Gun, and Shooting at a TargetOverDistance.
Overall our boys were the best performed government school, and best performed Wangaratta school, with only Catholic College Wodonga, Victory Lutheran College Wodonga, Trinity Anglican College Albury and The Scots School Albury outperforming them. An excellenteffortconsideringtheyonlyhad1or2training sessionsbeforehand.
Alec Armstrong and Skelly Manning finished 8th in the Biathlon Relay with a time of 8:02 minutes, narrowly missing a top 7 spot which would have put them in the Final. Elliott Rowles and Harry Hyland finished 11th (10:26minutes).
IntheLaserGunevent,theboysrecordedthe following scores out of 55: Alec Armstrong (43.1), Harry Hyland (38.7), Elliott Rowles (33.3)and SkellyManning (32).
For the Paper Target Over Distance (scored out of 100), scores were Alec Armstrong (88), Elliott Rowles (87), Skelly Manning (78) and HarryHyland (71), with Alec and Elliott only a fewpointsbehindthetopscorers.
Well done boys on repressing W.H.S so strongly. Special thank you to Alec who brought in a Laser Gun and offered training over a few Lunchtimes accompanied by Skelly. Big thank you to parent Sue Armstrong fortakingtheboysontheday.
Next year we hope to have more teams, both Junior (Yr7-9) & Senior (Yr10-12), with both Boys and Girls encouraged. If interested, speaktotheboys.
BIATHLON
NORTH EAST VICTORIAN INTERSCHOOLS
BIATHLON
NORTH EAST VICTORIAN INTERSCHOOLS
CROSS COUNTRY
UPPER HUME CHAMPIONSHIPS
Our Cross Country Running team made history on Monday 20th May at the picturesque Dederang Racecourse, winning the Upper Hume Championshipforthefirsttimein10years.
Despitemanyofourgunrunnersmissingtheevent due to Year 10 Work Experience and the Year 9 Future Makers Camp, we had 43 runners in our team, with 9 finishing Top 5, 21 finishing Top 10 (10 more than last year) and 25 finishing Top 15 to qualifyforthe HumeRegion stageinBenallaon21st June,thefinalstagebefore StateChampionships.
In the Overall Standings, we were 1st of 9 schools, triumphing comfortably on 44 points, over Victory Lutheran College Wodonga (38) and Catholic CollegeWodonga (36),afterfinishing3rdlastyear.
Year 10 Merlin Tzaros was our star of the day. Having missed the last two years due to injury and illness,theChampwasbackattheeventforthe1st time since breaking the all-time Upper Hume record for the 12/13 Boys age group as a Year 7 in 2021, and promptly won 1st in his 16 Boys 5km event, over 3 laps of the horse track wearing the vintage gold & blue Athletics singlet worn to Athletics State Title wins by past legends such as JackBoulton and DanielBoyle.
The Team Victoria Triathlon member and last year's W.H.S Sportsperson Of The Year continues toinspireusall.
CROSS COUNTRY
UPPER HUME CHAMPIONSHIPS
CROSS COUNTRY
UPPER HUME CHAMPIONSHIPS
CROSS COUNTRY
UPPER HUME CHAMPIONSHIPS
CROSS COUNTRY
UPPER HUME CHAMPIONSHIPS
CROSS COUNTRY
UPPER HUME CHAMPIONSHIPS
Others to place were Year 10 EmilioMiliankosKing who got 3rd in the same race, and Year 8 Clarence Lampa who collected 3rd in his 14 Boys 3km. Clarence is making an early bid for Interschool Sport student of the year. He recently was the Skipper of our Junior Boys Lawn Bowls team which won Hume Region and went to State Finals, was the match-winning goalscorerinthe Soccer team,andalsowasthe star of Super8Cricket, scoring over 50 runs in an over not once but twice. The massive allround talent now looks set to be a chance to make a 2nd State Championship in a matter of months.
Elsewhere,Year7girls Paige-LeeDummett and BellaBoulton snared 4th and 5th in the 1st race oftheday.Bothgirlsmadeitto State inPrimary School and are wonderful additions to our Athletics & Sport teams. Paige-Lee has already represented us at Hume Region for Swimming thisyear,andlookssettodosoagainhere.
Boulton of course is one of our great names, with brother Jack being a 200m & 400m Athletics State Champion when with us in 2022 at Year 12, and winner of multiple other State & National titles in Athletics, and even an Australian 400m all-time record, as a teenager. Their father Jason is also a former House Captain and Athletics Age Group Champion when attending W.H.S, and we love history like that.
An outstanding group of Year 8s also finished Top 15. In the Girls 3km, we got 5th (Inanay Gilson),7th(RubyO’Kane),8th(KaityFord)and 14th (Ruby Burns). If not for a Soccer injury to Liv Day who made it to State last year, we wouldhavehad4oftheTop10.Coincidently,all 5 of these outstanding all-rounders were the Engine Room of our Soccer team that finished Runners Up at the Upper Hume carnival two weeksprior.
CROSS COUNTRY
UPPER HUME CHAMPIONSHIPS
For the Year 8 Boys, Clarence (3rd) was closely followed by Hugh Spring (7th), Jed Murray (8th) and Oskar McGahan (14th), with another Year 8 boy in Leo Woodburne, younger than his counterparts, getting 8th in his age group (12-13 Boys).
We also dominated points-wise in the 16 Boys and both Senior races (17-20yo). We took 3 of the top 5 spots in the 16 Boys - Merlin Tzaros (1st), Emilio Miliankos-King (3rd) and Sam Day (5th). Four of our Senior Girls went Top 10 – Isabelle Hooper (4th), Clare Collins (5th), Phoebe Bosley (7th) and IambeinThompson-Laban (8th).
Five of the Boys did likewise - Reuben Smith (6th), Tom Ford (7th), Wirra Gilson (8th), Darcy Stone(9th)and AnthonyChisholm (10th).
For Smith, running 5km on a horse track potted with holes from horse hooves, is a big change from the slick velodromes of New Zealand and QueenslandwherehehasbeenwinningNational & International medals in Sprint Track Cycling thisyear.
Otherstoqualifywere TristanScott (13th), Cope Swinburne (14th)and BodeCrawford (15th).
CROSS COUNTRY
UPPER HUME CHAMPIONSHIPS
Big thank you to all runners. To have 43 of you courageous enough to compete in such a gruelling event, says something about our school's character. We were by far the largest team at the event.Withyourcontinuedparticipationandeffort in Interschool Sport, you are driving our School Culture,andaremakingasignificantimpressionon the community, with multiple staff from other schools commenting on your willingness to enter everySportavailable,andtocompetehard,fairand punchingaboveweight.
I'm convinced after observing many such events that the collective of names mentioned here (and many others who were absent) are up there with the best quality young people in not only Wangaratta,butourentireregion.
Another point to note was that 4 of the 9 Upper Hume Sport Coordinators are former Wangaratta High School students that attended here under Newmo - Dale Carmody (Cathedral), Briony Henderson (Wodonga Middle Years College), and our greatest swimmer of all time and 7x Swim Carnivalrecordholder RowanBarrow (Wangaratta District Specialist School). Testament to Newmo's phenomenalinfluenceoverhercareer.
Thanks to Ash Clayton for coming along, and Newmo forvolunteeringagain.Thankstooto Chris & JulieTzaros for supporting, and especially Chris forthesegreatphotographs.
CROSS COUNTRY
UPPER HUME CHAMPIONSHIPS
CROSS COUNTRY
UPPER HUME CHAMPIONS
CROSS COUNTRY
UPPER HUME CHAMPIONSHIPS
NETBALL GIRLS
It was a beautiful day at the Upper Hume Netball carnival on Friday 23rd May at the WangarattaBarrReserve.
After 4 days of tryouts with 36 players selected, it was our Year 7 and Intermediate teams that led the way, both winning 3 matches to finish 4th, with the Inters missing outon3rdplacebyagoal,whileour Year8 (2 wins & 4th place) and Senior teams also won matches.
Coach Kylie Wealands guided our Year 7s to a 3-3 record with wins against Victory Lutheran College Wodonga (27-5), and both Wodonga Middle Years College outfits (17-3 and 12-6). However they were outclassed by Galen Catholic College (7-16), Catholic College Wodonga (3-30) and Cathedral College (5-20), who would eventually win both Upper Hume and Hume Region to progress to State. Best On Court were Summer-Rae Brown (GA), Bella Boulton (C), ScareltAdamo (GS)and GeorgiaKelly (WA).
The Intermediate team, coached by Ricki Ryan, were missing arguably their best player Milly O’Kane (attending the Year 9 Future Makers Camp) however still managed a 3-3 record for the day. They defeated local rivals Cathedral College (19-14), Wodonga Senior Secondary College (21-`16) and Wodonga Middle Years College (33-3). However lost to Catholic College Wodonga (15-27), Victory Lutheran College Wodonga (14-15),withthelattergamecostingthem3rd place by a solitary goal, and Galen Catholic College (11-20) who would end up 2nd in the State. Best On Court were listed as Matilda Taylor (Netball Victoria Talent Academy member), Ellie Meggs, Stevie Driscoll and JadaRyan.
Our Year 8 side, coached by dual A Grade Premiership Captain Michelle Wilson, also finsihed 4th. with a 2-3 record. They snagged wins against locals CathedralCollege (15-11)and WodongaMiddle Years (10-6), but dropped matches against Galen Catholic College (12-18), Victory Lutheran College (11-19) and champions Cathlic College Wodonga (623).
Kaity Ford was named the stand out, playing the Center for most games, and controlling the ball movement down the court. Remi Thewlis and Ciara Bennett were strong in goals. Talyah Wyatt and CharlotteWalker playedinthemidcourtwithsome fantastic passes into the shooters. Tirandi Abeyawardana,InanayGilson,RubyO’Kane and Zya Da Silva worked tirelessly all day in defence, all taking some great intercepts. Thanks also to Emily Matthews and Kate Preston for scoring each game andsupportingtheteam.
Our Senior team, coached by former Australian Under 21 Netball team member, and Australian Institute Of Sport alumni Zelda Yeates, had the toughest day out. They went in missing key players including GraceNoonan and ImogenRobinson, then lost gun Hannah Lockhart to a knee injury, and consequently ended with a 1-4 record and 5th place. They had an excellent victory over Wodonga Senior SecondaryCollege (19-16),butdroppedto Cathedral College (14-24), Catholic College Wodonga (6-24), Victory Lutheran (7-19), and the champions Galen College (5-30). Year 11 Isabelle Hooper was named theirbestplayer.
Big thank you to our very strong coaching team of Ryan, Wealands, Wilson and Yeates, to Sandy “Newmo” Newman for convening the day, umpires Leah Anderson and Cindy Chalmers, and the many familymemberstheresupporting.
Thanks as always to our players, and helpers, for againrepresentingusadmirably.
NETBALL
SENIOR GIRLS
NETBALL
INTERMEDIATE GIRLS
NETBALL
YEAR 8 GIRLS
NETBALL
YEAR 7 GIRLS
NETBALL
YEAR 7 GIRLS
NETBALL
NETBALL GIRLS
NETBALL GIRLS
NETBALL GIRLS
BADMINTON
BOYS - INTERMEDIATE + SENIOR
While the Girls played Netball, inside the Intermediate and Senior Boys Badminton teams became our 1st teams to use the new WSAC courts, and both teams finished Upper Hume Runners-Up.
The Seniors whitewashed Cathedral College, butlostto WodongaSeniorSecondaryCollege.
The Intermediates, all Year 9s, got past Wodonga Middle Years easily, but were disposed of by Wodonga Senior SecondaryCollege
Thanks to the boys for your representation and to Dale Unwin for takingtheBoys.,
BADMINTON
BOYS - INTERMEDIATE + SENIOR
SOCCER
SENIOR
It was a character building day in Wodonga at the UpperHumeSenior Soccer, onTuesday28thMay.
With only 7 players (4 short) turn up to the Bus Stop, the crippled boys bravely boarded the Bus saying “Let’s play anyway”, and two youngsters originally coming to help (Year 7 Zak Winn and Year8LeoWoodburne)agreedtoplay.
Still with 2 boys short however, and star Captain Wirra Gilson not having much support, they suffered huge defeats. First it was a 0-17 drubbing by GalenCatholicCollege.Then,a0-18demolition from WodongaSeniorSecondaryCollege.
Our boys miraculously held Wodonga Senior scoreless in the last minutes, allowing Galen to progress to the Final. Year 7 AWFA Rep player Zak Winn wasinspirationalclearingoutballafterball.
SOCCER
SENIOR
The Girls over at Kelly Park, went in with a full squad of 11, plus two young guns (Year 8s Inanay Gilson and Ruby O’Kane) who were coaxed into playing some minutes as well, andhencefaredbetterthanthelads.
Their heaviest loss was 0-7 to eventual winner Galen, They also lost 0-3 to Wodonga Senior Secondary College, and 0-1 to both Catholic CollegeWodonga,and CathedralCollege.
Thankstoallplayers,andcoaches AshClayton and ChristineWatson.
SOCCER
27 of our Year 9 and 10s stripped up for the Upper Hume Intermediate Soccer in Wodonga, on Thursday30thMay.
At Kelly Park, the Girls proved our standout outfit of the day, managing a 1-1 draw against Wodonga MiddleYearsCollege,andthenalsogettingasgoal against the undefeated powerhouse Catholic CollegeWodonga (1-7).
Year 8s Inanay Gilson and Ruby O’Kane, both members of the Under 14 Albury Wodonga Football Association Rep team, who were making the trip as helpers but eventually took the field, showed their talent with Ruby named best player, and Inanay scoring one of the team’s 2 goals for the day. Year 10 Jayla Keys got the other goal, despite spending timeasGoalkeeperaswell.
SOCCER
SOCCER
MERLIN TZAROS
STATE SERIES TRIATHLON
Year 10 Merlin Tzaros was awarded another significant trophy on Monday 1st June, when announced as the 2023/24StateSeriesChampion in the 15-19 age group, at the 10th Annual AUS Triathlon Victorian Awards at the Melbourne Sports&AquaticCentre, AlbertPark
Despite only entering 3 of the 7 races, and being a bottom-age 15-year old, Tzaros amassed 28 points across the 7 events encompassing Triathlon, Aquathlon and Duathlon races.
His 28 points put him 8 points clear of this nearest rival in a field of 18 athletes Victoriawide.
It’s Merlin’s 3rd straight State Series Championship. Last year he won the 2022/23 series for the 14-15 age group, and the year prior, was awarded the 12-15yo 2012/22 championship atthe SandringhamYachtClub
Not bad for a kid who only took up the sport of Triathlon in2022.
MERLIN TZAROS
STATE SERIES TRIATHLON - 3 YEARS IN A ROW
BADMINTON
GIRLS + JUNIOR BOYS
It was an epic day of Upper Hume Badminton at the Wodonga Leisure Centre on Monday 3rd June, with 33 players across 6 teams competing and doingusproud.
Our Year 8 Boys became Upper Hume Champions after defeating crosstown rivals Cathedral College 4-2 in the all-Wangaratta Final. Number 1 and 2 seeds Clarence Lampa (21-15) and Hugh Spring (21-10) both dominated their Singles matches, before the team won both Doubles contests to put it beyond doubt - Lampa & Spring (21-13), then LachlanDowning and ZachWills (21-11).
The 8 Boys had earlier booked their place in the Final by putting Wodonga Middle Years Huon campus into a casket (6-0), and then winning 5-1 against a tough Victory Lutheran College Wodonga. The Victory victory was on the back of winning 3 of the 4 Singles battles by a matter of points- Lampa (21-19), Spring (21-18)and Downing (24-22).
IThey then picked them apart in both Doubles matches - Lampa & Spring (21-8), then Downing & Wills (21-14).
This result can be attributed to the boys matching considerable talent, with practise. They have trained in the Sport Centre regularly over the last fortnight, virtually every Lunchtime. Well done boys. The boys now progress to the Hume Region stage on Tuesday 20th August in Shepparton. Can theymakeittotheStateFinalslikeourYear8Girls didbothlastyear,andtheyearbeforeasYear7s?
For Bagley, Lampa & Wills, it's a chance to make their 2nd StateChampionship event this year, after making the LawnBowls event. And they should be even stronger next time, regaining Isaac Robinson whomissedduetoillness.
BADMINTON
GIRLS + JUNIOR BOYS
BADMINTON
GIRLS + JUNIOR BOYS
Elsewhere, both of our Year 7 teams performed tremendously, finishing 2nd to Grace Christian College, who are the crack Badminton school at themoment.
The 7 Girls (Millie Bosley, Arwen Castens-Hall, Paige-Lee Dummett, Willow Norris, Polly Oats and Annabelle Wills) defeated local rivals Cathedral College first up (3-3, 114-83), with dominant wins from Norris (21-4) and Bosley (212), and Top 2 Seeds Norris & Dummett winning theirDoublesencounter(21-14).
The 7 Girls then demolished Victory Lutheran College 6-0, with all of their Top 4 Seeds winning their Singles matches - Norris (21-16), Dummett (21-8), Bosley (21-8) and Wills (21-18). The Girls then pushed eventual champions Grace Christian College to the brink in the Final, with Bosley and Wills both winning their Singles to level it 2-2 before the Doubles, where they sadly fell short to bow down 2-4. Like the 8 Boys, these Girls had been practising daily, and deserved their results. Apart from Millie, none had ever tried Badminton before,eveninaP.Eclass.
The Year 7 Boys, all of who had never played the Sport until last week, also finished an admirable 2nd. Led by their Top 3 seeds TeoValle (1), Mason Skermer (2) and Noah Anderson (3), they "swept' Cathedral College (6-0) and Wodonga Middle YearsCollege (6-0), and tore up VictoryLutheran College (5-1), but succumbed to eventual winner GraceChristianCollege (1-5).Overallagreateffort byboyswhowillbemuchbetterfortheexperience nextyear.
BADMINTON
GIRLS + JUNIOR BOYS
Our Intermediate Girls were heartbreakingly unlucky. After winning their 1st two rounds against Wodonga Middle Years College's Felltimber Campus (4-2) and Victory Lutheran College (6-0), they had an agonising draw against Grace Christian College, level with 3 match wins each, and incredibly the same number of "points won" (100). A count back saw Grace progress to the Final, as they had one more win against the other schoolsthanus.
Our Year 8 Girls also had terrible luck, with Number 1 Seed Ruby DeFazio rolling her ankle in the Warm Up minutes after arriving at the venue, thenhavingtospendtherestofthedayonice.The 8Girls werestillgoodenoughtofinish2ndintheir Pool and 3rd overall. They swept Catholic College Wodonga (6-0) and put away Wodonga Middle Years College (4-2), but were stitched up by a strong Victory Lutheran College who ended up sweeping GraceCC intheFinal.
Our Senior Girls came up against two very strong outfits from Grace Christian College and Catholic CollegeWodonga,butweregoodsports.
Overall it was a sterling day. Thanks to all 33 players and our large Cheer Squad for coming along. We once again had the largest contingent at theevent,withsomemuchlargerschoolsfailingto entersometeams,oratall.
BADMINTON
GIRLS + JUNIOR BOYS
BADMINTON
GIRLS + JUNIOR BOYS
BADMINTON
GIRLS + JUNIOR BOYS
BADMINTON
YEAR 8 BOYS
BADMINTON
YEAR 7 BOYS
BADMINTON
YEAR 7 GIRLS
BADMINTON
INTERMEDIATE GIRLS
BADMINTON
YEAR 8 GIRLS
BADMINTON
SENIOR GIRLS
SOCCER
YEAR 7
It was another tremendous day of Interschool Sport on Thursday 6th June, with 29 of our great Year 7s competing at the Upper Hume Soccer in Wodonga.
At Willow Park the Year 7 Boys stormed out of the blocks in their opener defeating Wodonga Middle Years College (Felltimber Campus) 2-0, with Captain Zak Winn scoring a "brace" (2 goals). Leading a full squad of 16 players, Winn took control 5 minutes into the game with a blistering run through the midfield and scored our 1st goal. Winn then continued setting up multiple plays dribblingpastdefenders.
A group of gun Aussie Rules footballers were prominent - Nick Jones and Mason Skermer reliable in defence, Angus Fraser dogged with Chase Downs and physical pressure, Lane Sloan withastrongphysicalpresence,and JackAmbrose atenaciousforward.
ExperiencedSoccerplayers LucasCarson-McIlroy and Jackson Hickson-Richards were Defensive Generals,organisingthebackline.
Jones almost scored a screamer from 30m out, missing by just a foot, and then Skermer followed the suitof Jones,almostscoringascorcherfromthesame distance, curling it just over the crossbar. W.H.S 1-0 at halftime.
Zak Winn continued in the 2nd half setting up play and putting in quality crosses. Teo Valle, after goal keeping the 1st half, was in fine form chasing down every ball and setting up multiple attempts at goal. Forward pressure from Valle and Fraser led to Winn scoring the 2nd goal of his "brace" to give his side a 20victory.
Next up was a playoff for a spot in the Final, against crosstown rivals GalenCollege who our boys defeated easily in the Footy in May. A very tense and even 1st half saw us look like going up 1-0 until our goal was disallowed,andthen Galen alsohadonedisallowedfor offside. The seesawing Tug-O-War looked like ending ina0-0drawuntilacontroversialendingwhere Galen were awarded a goal despite the referee's vision being obscured and not realising the ball hadn't crossed the line, meaning our boys lost 0-1. A heartbreaking and unfortunate way to end the day, but again that can happeninSport.
SOCCER
YEAR 7
Over at Kelly Park, our 13-strong squad of Year 7 Girls played magnificently in their 1st match for a team of girls who didn’t have a single player that had ever played Soccerbefore. Led by Wangaratta Rovers Footballers and all-round sporting talents Bella Boulton, Mia Simpson and Paige-Lee Dummett, with PaigeTanner also a standout in an even side, they lost narrowly to Victory Lutheran College Wodonga (0-1) in that opener, then 0-4 to CathedralCollege intheir2nd,and0-5againstthe always-strong and eventual Champion Catholic CollegeWodonga.
Thank you to the 30 players for competing today and representing the school strongly again, proudly wearing the Gold & Navy strip. You again put your hand up to compete today, while again, other much larger schools failed to enter some teams. We fielded all 8 possible teams, with a total of76kidsplayingacrosstheSoccerSeason.
Big thank you to staff members Nathan Manning and Lisa Norris for taking them up. A memorable dayforthe Norris familywith Lisa gettingtocoach her daughter Willow. Special thank you to Year 8 girls Ruby O'Kane and Inanay Gilson for Head CoachingtheGirls,andYear10s EmilioMiliankosKing & Levi Zachariou for coaching the boys, ably assisted by Team Managers in Leo Woodburne & DarcyWaide ofYear8.
SOCCER
SOCCER
YEAR 7 GIRLS
SOCCER
YEAR 7 BOYS
SOCCER
YEAR 7 GIRLS
FOOTBALL
SHOWDOWN 1
Our inaugural Junior Boys Football Showdown, dubbed Showdown 1, took place on Friday 7th June at Lunchtime on the W.H.S Oval, with our Year7Boys pitted against our Year8 Boys ina30minute,full-ground,no-tacklingcontest.
Withour Year8s preparingfortheir UpperHume carnivalnext WednesdayattheBarrReserve,itwasagoodhit-outforthem despite missing multiple key players including Lachlan Downing, Oskar McGahan & Hugh Spring. They faced a close-to-full-strengthandverystrong Year7 teamthatwon2 of 4 matches at their own Upper Hume carnival in May, including becoming our 1st Football team of any age group to beat GalenCollege inatleast7years.
Kicking with a strong breeze in the 1st half, the Year 8s dominated early, appearing to be too big, too fast and too good. Riley McKay was strong in the ruck giving his midfielders first use, Andrew Fraser, Noah Williams and Clarence Lampa were busy on the ball, and talls Thomas Fieldew and IsaacRobinson werehardtostop,with Robinson kickinganicegoal.
The Year 7s however began getting their hands on the ball and almost scored a couple of times against the wind, but still went in at halftime 0-9 down and lucky the 8s hadn't kicked straighter.
WhileVicePrincipalandTallangatta& District FL League Medalist Mr Paola addressed the Year 8s at half-time, calls of "we have to put someone on Clarence" could be overheard from theYear7huddle,withmanyofthe7s hurting from yesterday's Upper Hume Soccer carnivalinWodonga,ontopof Footy Training last night, plus an intense match of Soccer in P.E just prior to Lunchtime. Still, the character,competitiveness&talentof our Year 7s would soon be proven again.
FOOTBALL
SHOWDOWN 1
Thomas Fieldew goaled against the wind to put the Year 8s up by 15 early in the 2nd half, and a blowoutlookedlikely.Butthemomentumquickly shifted after that moment. With ruckman Mason Skermer taking ascendency at the centre bounces,bothfeedinghisroversandfollowingup hisowntapskickinghisteamforward,the Year7s begantheirfightback.
Luke Pensak was vital at Centre Half Back, reading the play before his opponents, attacking it with pace, gathering it brilliantly sometimes with one hand, and booting it forward. Nick Jones was likewise, winning it in the air through themiddleandlinkingforward.
Lane Sloan swooped on loose balls time and again, with electrifying pace and scarily smooth movements and hands, with one intercept the most brilliant piece of football of the match and causing Football Enthusiasts to nod their heads. HewastheRollsRoyceintheYear7parkinglot.
After Sloan scored his team’s 1st goal to give them a fighting chance, it was Angus Fraser who emerged the potential match winner. Opposed to his bother Andrew, the rover and Co-Captain got forward and took a mark 30m out, kicking truly to put the Year 7s within a kick. The Central Umpire controversially awardedthegoal,despitebeingadistanceaway & the 8s adamant it hadn’t crossed the line. It was an apparent replica of the incident at the Upper Hume Soccer yesterday, however this time, for a time at least, it appeared to go in the favourofour Year7 boys.
When twenty seconds later, the crafty Fraser marked cleanly again unchecked in virtually the same spot and then kicked his 2nd goal in a minute to put the 7s in front, they had kicked 3 goals in a few minutes and the 8s realised they hadagameontheirhands.
FOOTBALL SHOWDOWN
1
Under pressure, the 8s stepped it up with Isaac Robinson now at Centre Half Back taking control and spearing kicks to damaging targets through the middle. The Rolls Royce of the Year 8 side, Robinson is one of the smoothest movers and classiest, skilled tall players we've seen come throughtheschoolinalongtime.
Jeremy Bagley was also busy clearing it out of defence, and suddenly ZekeHogan, our best Year 7 player at the Upper Hume carnival in 2023, marked 20m out directly in front at the One Mile Creek end, and converted to put the Year 8s back infrontby4points.
However, with a minute left, the inspirational Mason Skermer drifted forward and marked to givethe7sashotattheleadfrom25moutona45 degree angle. He kicked it straight through to put the7sinfrontby2points.
It “appeared” the match-winning goal, with the 8s on their one final foray left, almost scoring in the dying seconds only to be held up on the goal line asthesirensounded.
Final scores were adjusted post-game to reflect the Central Umpire's goal error in awarding Angus’ 1st major. Wonderful sportsmanship from Year 7 leaders Mason Skermer and Luke Pensak, as well as Jaxson Davern and others, who admitted after the game that the goal hadn't crossed the line, led to consultlation with others on the goal line. This confirmed the fairest thing to do was to amend it to a behind, meaning it was a3pointvictorytothe Year8s
FINALSCORES -
Year8Boys -3.6.24
Year7Boys -3.3.21.
BESTPLAYERS -
Year 8: Isaac Robinson, Clarence Lampa, Thomas Fieldew, Riley McKay, Andrew Fraser, JeremyBagley.
Year 7: Mason Skermer, Angus Fraser, Lane Sloan,LukePensak,NickJones.
GOALKICKERS -
Year 8 - Thomas Fieldew 1, Zeke Hogan 1, Isaac Robinson1.
Year 7 - Angus Fraser 1, Lane Sloan 1, Mason Skermer1.
Thanks boys for a great spectacle. It was a reflection of the terrific and talented group of youngsters you both are, and a fine example of thepositiveSchoolCultureyouaredriving.
FOOTBALL
REP SOCCER
VICTORIAN COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Congratulations to our 4 players that played in the elite Albury-Wodonga Football Association representative Soccer teams over the long weekend between 8-10th June,atthe2024 CLFAVictorianCountryChampionships heldinMildura.
Year 7 Zak Winn, Year 8s Inanay Gilson and Ruby O’Kane (incredibly, classmates) and Year 10 Emilio Miliankos-King wereselectedamongthe16bestplayers intheir12-teamleaguewhichincludesteamsfromtowns such as Wangaratta, Myrtleford, Albury, Wodonga and Cobram. This (4) is the largest number of Rep players we've had in the same year on record (which go back to 2018)..
The Under14Girls teamfeaturing Inanay and Ruby,both 13, defeated the 6 other regions in Victoria to take home the Championship, while 16-year old Emilio’s Under 16 Boys teamalsowontheTitle.
Interestingly, this is the 3rd Rep team Winn has made, having twice made it while in Primary School (Under 11 Boys in 2022 and Under12 in2023).
There must be something in the water up in Whitfield. Christison, Miliankos-King, Gilson and O'Kane all attended Whitfield District Primary School together - a school of less than40students!
Our current crop, with our other previous Rep Player in Year 12 Kalika Miliankos-King (Under 16 Girls in 2022 and Under 14 in 2019), continue a long line of W.H.S Soccer players toexcelinthesport,including AimeDelahaye who made the Under 18 Australian Girls Soccerteamin2012.
REP SOCCER
VICTORIAN COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
REP SOCCER
VICTORIAN COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
FOOTBALL
YEAR 8 BOYS
Our Year 8 Boys Football team competed at the Upper Hume carnival at the Barr Reserve on Wednesday 12th June, the 4th and final day of anotheraction-packedBoysFootySeason.
Illness and injury saw the team missing Lachlan Downing, Cooper Grimshaw, Mike Sheppard and ZekeHogan (our best Year 7 player last year), with 20 boys in the line-up taking the field against Wodonga Middle Years College in the 10:00am opener.
The boys got off to a flying start in the 1st half, banging on 2 goals to none, with both Centre Half Forward and Vice Captain Thomas Fieldew, and Wingman Will Sayers hitting the scoreboard. The 2nd half however was a different story, with the Wodonga Middle Years boys staging a comeback and kicking 3 goals themselves to take it by 3 pointsinathriller(3.2.20def2.3.15).
That saw us thrust into the 11:00am match against the usual powerhouse Catholic College Wodonga, who some staff recall current Carlton Senior AFL goalkicker ElijahHollands playingforonthesame ground just a few years ago. This one was a whitewash, with Catholic College far too strong and then eventually dominating GalenCollege in a fieryFinaltobecome UpperHume champions.
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Best players according to Coach Alex Johnson wereasfollows:
Vice Captain and midfielder Clarence Lampa was described as being "everywhere", showing silky skills, proving slippery (hard to tackle) and explosive out of the contest. Remarkable considering Clarence doesn't play footy. Since writing recently about his all-round Sporting ability having already been our best player in the Cricket, Lawn Bowls and Cross Country, he has since been the #1 seed in our Badminton team leading them to the Upper Hume Championship in Wodonga, and now the best Footballer as well. What a talent he is. To top it off, after being awarded Best On Ground in both matches, he then volunteeredtoUmpiretheendmatchwhilewehad thebye.Asupercharacter.
Captain Isaac Robinson was dominant at Centre Half Back, taking contested marks and allowing us to slingshot back into attack. Like Lampa, he is a smooth mover and classy disposer of the ball, two attributes you rarely see in such a tall footballer. A footballertowatchinthefuture.
Rover Andrew Fraser was in and under, not afraid togetthehardball,andshowedanuncannyability to find space on the Wing. Along with his younger brother Angus, he forms one of the best sets of Footballingbrotherswehaveatthemoment.
Hugh Spring patrolled the midfield and half forward area ensuring multiple forward entries. Like Lampa, Spring doesn'tplayfootballbuthasall the natural instincts to be an excellent footballer. Interestingly, he was the #2 seed to Lampa in the all-conquering Badminton team and is a natural all-round sporting talent and wonderful young character.
Riley McKay played in the Ruck most of the day, winning most of his taps due to his outstanding vertical leap and sheer "want" for the ball. He often foundhimselfrovinghisownrucktaps.Heprovided that big, strong, athletic and tough physical presenceallfootballteamswanttobebuiltaround
Vice Captain Noah Williams worked hard in the Centre, with his game featuring selfless blocking and multiple hard ball gets. Another super young man from the Wangaratta West Primary School factory, who interestingly has given us 5 of the 6 playersfromtheBestPlayerlist-allbut Fraser.
Big thank you to all 20 boys for representing us and competing hard. Thanks to Alex Johnson for coaching the boys. Thank to Young Guns Angus Fraser and Lane Sloan of Year 7, as well as Year 8 Girls KaityFord,LeilaHyland and BellaWhite,who were all said to be excellent helpers. Thanks of courseto ClarenceLampa andalso WillSayers who both officiated as Central Umpires after playing two matches.
Another great day of Interschool Sport. Thanks to current parent and former W.H.S-teacher Kev McKennan forthegreatactionshots.
GOALKICKERS:ThomasFieldew1,WillSayers1.
BEST PLAYERS: Clarence Lampa, Isaac Robinson, Andrew Fraser, Hugh Spring, Riley McKay, Noah Williams
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B:PatrickAlker-Jones,ZachWills,CharlieBell
HB: Oskar McGahan, Isaac Robinson (C), Charlie Walsh
C:HughSpring,NoahWilliams(VC),JedMurray
HF:TaylorRowley,ThomasFieldew(VC),WillSayers
F:JeremyBagley,AsherHardman,NickDarkJr
RUCK: Riley McKay, Clarence Lampa (VC), Andrew Fraser
INTER:LarsCroft
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JUNIOR GIRLS
One of the most talented and courageous Girls Football teamswehavefieldedinsometime,today (June 19th) finished 2nd at the Upper Hume Junior Girls AFL carnival at the Barr Reserve, and will progresstothe HumeRegion stageonTuesday23d July, the 1st W.H.S Football team to do so since 2017.
The team of nine Year 8s and a whopping twelve Year 7s (a disadvantage regarding size and strength), finished with a 2-2 record across their 4 matches of 30 minutes, but could have easily went 3-1,ifnot4-0.Hadwebeenatfullstrength(atleast half a dozen of our strong Year 8s chose not to play),wecouldhavebeen UpperHume Champions
With the temperature outside almost freezing at 9:00am, the girls warmed up in the heated and luckily-vacant C.L.C Building which allowed us to delay our departure into the cold until absolutely necessary.
A YouTube highlight reel of former student and current Carlton AFLW player Darcy Vescio, a look at the team photos of our two State Championship Girls Footy teams of 1996 and 1998, discussion about the significance of School Football to the W.H.S culture over the last 100+ years, the Rocky theme song "Eye Of The Tiger" blasting on speakers during a handball warm-up, and then the announcement of the prestigious leadership group — all this on the back of a Lunchtime Practise Match the day before — had the team primed by 9:30.
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Itwasstillonly2degreesbythetimetheir10:00am opener against local foe Cathedral College began, and although we dominated possession, we couldn't capitalise on the scoreboard other than Full Forward Bella White kicking a sneaky one on the goal line, going down by 7 points (1.1.7 to 2.2.14) inagametheycouldhavewon.
The2ndmatchwaswherewegotonaroll.Upby2 points at half time against Victory Lutheran College Wodonga, our girls then came out and blitzkriegedthemwith4goalsinthe15minutehalf to win by 17 points (4.1.25 def 1.2.8), thanks to two Year 7 dynamos Mia Simpson and Bella Boulton kickingtwogoalseach.
After a well-earned bye and rest, Game 3 was against the much-hyped Catholic College Wodonga, who had apparently been smashing everyone to that point. Our girls were gallant and matched them for most of the match, but Captain Inanay Gilson was the only one who managed to goal, and we were eventually outclassed by 14 points(1.1.7to3.2.21).
A dominant victory against local rivals Galen College was a superb way to finish the day. The girlskept Galen completelyscorelessinthematch, winningby15points(2.3.15to0),with Simpson and Gilson goaling. The girls became our 2nd Footy teamtobeat Galen thisterm,alongwiththe Year7 Boys - something not achieved for a number of years if not a decade or more. It’s a significant feat considering they have twice our enrolments. It signifies the quality of young people enrolling at W.H.Sinourjunioryearlevels.
Final standings were tight, but this result pushed us into 2nd place thanks to our percentage being stronger than Cathedral and Victory, who also finishedon2wins.
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There were numerous outstanding individual performances worthy of describing. All six players mentioned below would comfortably slot into either of those State Champion teams from26and28yearsago.
Captain Kaity Ford of Year 8 was the cornerstone of the team. Dominating at Centre Half Back, the Murray Felines player and Victorian Junior Basketball League Baketballer continually stopped the opposition entering their forward 50. She was able to read the play and cut off the ball all day, taking intercept marks, charging forward and gathering loose balls. She barnstormed through packs, breaking numerous tackles, before kicking forward into attack. When she didn't have the ball, she laid massive hits and tackles. An inspirational leader andpuregun.
Wareena House Captain Bella Boulton was exceptional in the midfield as a Year 7. The Wangaratta Rover roved brilliantly at ruck contests, and then used explosive pace to burst out of the contest and complete multiple clearances. When the ball hit the ground, she was always the first to it, anticipating it before others and moving like lightening with her first few steps. She would then either burn opponents off with speed, or dodge around them with cat-like lateral movement, and often take a running bounce as she left them in the dust,movingwithbalanceandkickingwithskill. Despite her light frame, she was also also extremelycourageous,layingtackleaftertackle, oftenbeingrewardedwithfreekicks.Sheranall day on the ball, and even got forward to kick 2 goals in the space of a few minutes. Absolute stonecoldjet.
Mia Simpson was our most brilliant X-factorcreative, exciting, and virtually every play leaving Football Enthusiasts grunting and sometimes laughing at her talent. Playing Centre Half Forward, the Year 7 Wangaratta Rover and Junior Tiger (Boys League) player marked pretty much anything that went in her area, and if she didn't mark it, was usually the first to hit the ground and gather it, moving like acatwithagilityandbalance.
Reminding me of a young Stevie Johnson (3x Geelong Premiership player and Norm Smith Medalist) when he played for W.H.S and, like Mia the Tigers, you could see she was always a step ahead mentally, knowing what she was going to do before the ball arrived, continually turningheropponentsinsideoutwithspinsand turns, and creating scoring opportunities out of nothing. She kicked 3 for the day to be our leading goal kicker, and could have easily had more. The Rolls Royce of the side, her kicking skillswereexquisite-Ican'trecalleverseeinga morefluentandbalancedkickof,orgathererof, theballinGirlsFootball.
Paige-Lee Dummet was another standout Year 7, the 3rd of a Tremendous Trio. Like Mia, Paige-Lee plays in both the Wangaratta Rovers Girls team on Sundays, and the Tigers Boys team on Saturdays, and it shows. She racked up a mountain of possessions in the midfield, and could be relied upon to win the ball whenever it went near her. The King House Captain took many a mark on the lead, and won the ball on the ground as well, often being the link player between defence and attack. She ran all day, was clean both on the inside and outside, and extremelytoughanddetermined.
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Captain Inanay Gilson was an integral player, despite being ill and not at full fitness. The multi-talented Wangaratta Rover who remarkably plays both Football and Soccer each weekend — not to mention winning the Victorian Gravity Enduro Mountain Bike Title earlier this year — playedthroughthemidfieldmostoftheday, and was clean, effective, strong and reliable in any contest she was involved in. She took timely marks, hit bodies with tackles when needed, used good kicking skills, ran all day, and was always a threat when moved forward for a rest, kicking 2 goals including one huge set shot from outside 30m, and one after a big fall involving a whiplashed head on the ground. Another super competitorandrippingleaderfromourYear 8cohort.
Vice Captain Ruby O'Kane was the other Year 8 to be absolutely pivotal. She handled the crucial Ruck role all day, without rest andwithoutwavering.TheSoccerplayerhas never played competiton Footy, but would blitz most in the league if she joined. She directed hit outs to her midfielders all day, took clean overhead marks, gathered loose balls without fumbling, won clearances from her own ruck taps, tackled, put her head over ground balls will unwavering courage, andranallday.Alongwith Kaity and Inanay, the 3rd piece of one of the best Leadership GroupsyouwillseeinaJuniorsportteam.
Tellingly, 5 of the above 6 girls will race in Benalla in 2 days time, at the Hume Region 3km CrossCountry run.AllfinishedTop7at the UpperHume racein Dederang.
GOAL KICKERS: Mia Simpson 3, Isabella Boulton 2, InanayGilson2,BellaWhite1.
BEST PLAYERS: Kaity Ford, Isabella Boulton, Mia Simpson, Paige-Lee Dummett, Inanay Gilson, Ruby O'Kane.
HOWTHEYLINEDUP-
B:ClaireShilcock,AmelieBooth,ZyaDaSilva
HB:LeilaHyland,KaityFord(C),KatePreston
C:RubyBarnard,InanayGilson(C),WillowNorris
HF:EllouiseJones,MiaSimpson,ScarletAdamo
F:BiancaHagl,BellaWhite,PaigeTanner
RUCK: Ruby O'Kane (VC), Paige-Lee Dummett, Bella Boulton
INT:MahaliaMowday,EllieHutchinson,GeorgiaKelly
Thanks to all our girls for competing. To the many with no Footy experience who played an unfamiliar contact sportonanicecolddaylikethis,youwerebrave.You'll be even better in July when you give yourselves the chancetobeour1stW.H.SFootballteamtomakeittoa StateFinals tournamentsinceour SeniorGirls of2017.
Thanks also to our many helpers, especially Central Umpires Clarence Lampa and Will Sayers, Boundary Umpire Jeremy Bagley, Year 7 Young Guns Will Bouton, Nick Jones and Austin Whitehead and Year 7 Annabelle Wills who was a great help. Thanks too to P.Eteachers MorganClark and AlexJohnson,whogave up their Lunch break to come and support the team, many of whom are in their classes, and provide expertise.
Photos courtesy again of Kev McGennan, current parent and former W.H.S teacher. Thanks again Kev, a greatW.H.Sman.
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CROSS COUNTRY
HUME REGION - BENALLA
We had another big and successful day of Interschool Sport on Friday 21st June on an icy cold day in Benalla, with 16 runners racing at the Hume Region Cross Country against 40 schools fromourpartofVictoria.
4 runners finished Top 10, and 8 went Top 12 to qualifyforthe StateChampionships inMelbourne onJuly18th.
Our standout individual runner was once again Year10 MerlinTzaros,whowontheSilverMedal in his 5km race. The Upper Hume Champion finishedin2ndplacewithatimeof15:23minutes, just 5 seconds behind his rival Eric from Mount Beauty, State Champion the past two years. Amazingly, the two North East country boys and mates finished 1st and 2nd at the State Cross Country last year (Merlin was also 3rd in 2022). Well done again Merlin. It's a pleasure to watch you run and a thrill to see you proudly wear our vintage Gold & Blue Athletics singlet, and fly the flagforWangarattaHighSchool.
We proudly announce that one of our teams, the 17-20 Girls (Phoebe Bosley, Clare Collins and Isabelle Hooper) won their age group and can now call themselves Hume Region Champions. Individually the three outstanding Year 11 allroundersfinished9th(Collins),11th(Hooper)and 14th(Bosley)tobeeasilythebesttrio.
Their prestigious Hume Region pennant will proudly hang in the Sport Centre, and they become our 1st Cross Country team to win at Hume Region since our 16 Girls of 2019 (who also won in 2018 as 15yo). This also gives us our 2nd Hume Region win already this year in a team sport, the 1st time we've had multiple since 2018. We had 4 that year (Senior Girls Badminton, Intermediate Girls Football, 15 Girls Cross Countryand8BoysTableTennis),4in2017,10in 2016,and4in2015.
Individually, our next best behind Merlin was Year 7 Bella Boulton, 7th in a time of 12:58, finishing just ahead of fellow Year 7 Paige-Lee Dummett who was 12th (13:09). Both House Captains were key players at, and still sore from, School Footy just two days prior, and are stampingthemselvesastwoofthebestall-round sporting talents and competitors we have seen comeintoYear7inrecentyears.
The fourth of our runners to finish Top 10 was Year 8 Jed Murray, who powered home in the final straight to clinch 10th (11:21), sneaking past his mate ClarenceLampa (12th, 11:24) undetected to get him by 3 seconds. These boys would have likelywontheTeamTitle,had HughSpring,who finished in front of Murray in Dederang, been abletoattend.
The multi-talented Lampa has now qualified for State Championships in two Sports this year (Lawn Bowls and Cross Country), and will in August have the chance to make it 3 when he competes at the Hume Region Badminton (with Spring).
Our second strongest team were our Year 8 Girls, who like Bella and Paige-Lee, were sore from Wednesday's 4 matches of School Football. KaityFord (14th), InanayGilson (20th) and Ruby O'Kane (22nd) as a team finished 3rd in their age group, and add another achievement to their already-significant and growing School Sport Resumes.
Big thank you to all of our 16 runners for competing in such a gruelling event, and on an extremelycoldday.Youreffortsagainhavemade an impact and have been noticed by many in the community.
Thanks to staff member Ash Clayton for coming along, and to the many parents who were there supporting their children, especially Chris Tzaros for the terrific pictures of Merlin in action.
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LUKE MACKLAN
WINS 3RD BOXING BOUT
THE CHRISTISONS
PROVINCIAL SOCCER CHAMPIONS - CANADA
Two of our top girls, sisters Claire and Isabelle Christison, have achieved something remarkableontheothersideoftheworld.
Living in Canada with their family since late 2023, they joined their local Soccer team, the Nelson Selects, based in the town of Nelson, which is in the province (State) of British Columbia
Playing for the local team, the Nelson Selects, both girls won Provincial Championships (the equivalent of a “State” Championship in Australia) held in the city of Kamloops. Their small town had only ever achieved a Provincial Championship once before in history, and the sistershelpedthemto2intheoneday.
Claire won hers in a dominant Under 17 Girls teamwhichscored56goalsfortheseason(and conceding just 6). In the Provincial Final, they beatthe GorgePurves 2-0.
Isabelle wonwiththe Under15Girls team,with a 3-2 victory against the Kamloops home team KYSABlaze.
Readthearticleinthelocalnewspaper, TheNelson Star here:
https://www.nelsonstar.com/home/championsof-bc-nelson-soccer-teams-win-2-gold-atprovincials-7433144
We’ve heard of a special moment too involving Isabelle. At another tournament in Revelstoke, her teamwasinagamefor3rdplace,andafteradraw and then a tense penalty shootout, Isabelle stepped up to the spot as the 8th player to take a shot. With her last ever kick in Canada, she put it intogiveherteamthewin.Legendary.
A wonderful experience for the family, but we certainly look forward to getting these girls back. They are two of our very best Sports girls (both were2023 AgeGroupChampions in Athletics,with Claire having won it 3 of the last 4 years) and will bolster our ranks in many Interschool Sport teams in 2025. But they are also two of our very best characters, and will have a lot of our younger girls lookinguptothem.
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STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
The school had a big week of Cross Country runninglastweek.
7 runners raced in the SSV State Championships on Thursday 18th July at the Yarra Valley Racing Club in Melbourne.
It was a Character Building day for them, on an extremely cold day, and with a muddy track so slippery that many runners were slipping over and landing flush on their backs. Thanks to the runners for being brave enough to compete, despite knowing the conditions were going to be poor, not to mention spending 5 hours on a bus ontopofthat.
With each race fielding 100 runners, all of our kids finished in the middle of the field - overall, a very solid achievement considering they were competingagainst298schoolsVictoria-wide.
WHERETHEYFINISHED -
ClareCollins (Year11)-48th
Paige-LeeDummett (Year7)-49th
IsabelleHooper (Year11)-51st
BellaBoulton (Year7)-63rd
ClarenceLampa (Year8)-63rd
JedMurray (Year8)-64th
PhoebeBosley (Year11) -67th
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SKELLY MANNING
3RD IN STATE - CROSS COUNTRY SKIING
Congratulations to Year 10 Skelly Manning, who finished 3rd in in the State, at the VictorianCross Country Skiing Championships at Falls Creek, on Saturday20thJuly.
In the 1km Sprint race under tough conditions includingheavysnowfallandlimitedvisibility,the 15-year old competed up an Age Group in the Under 18 making his achievement all the more impressive.Healsosetapersonalbesttime.
Anotefrom NathanManning -Skelly’sfather:
“Cross Country Skiing has been an immensely rewardingactivityforourfamily.Ithasnotonly provided us with countless memorable experiences, but also helped us stay active and connected with nature. If any other students from Wangaratta High School are interested in giving it a try, they should feel free to reach out formoreinformation.”
SKELLY MANNING
3RD IN STATE - CROSS COUNTRY SKIING
SKELLY MANNING
3RD IN STATE - CROSS COUNTRY SKIING
MERLIN TZAROS
CROSS COUNTRY STATE TEAM
Congratulations again to Year 10 Merlin Tzaros who after a Sunday 21st July trial race in Bundoora, was selected to his 2nd School Sport Victoria (SSV) State Teamfor2024-thistime,for CrossCountry.
Having been selected to the SSV Triathlon team over summer, he becomes one of the extreme few in our school’s history to make State teams in two seperate sports in the same year, or at all. We believe the last was Angus McLean in 2015 (Triathlon and Cycling), brother of our 2017 Dux Sam (now a Doctor), and son of long-time teachers Lisa and Andy McLean - Andy himself was a champion Triathlete who almost made anAustralian CommonwealthGames team.
Priorto Angus, theonlyothertwowehaveonrecord are Gary Arnold in 1999 (Triathlon and Cycling), and then Rowan Barrow (Triathlon and Swimming) in multiple years in the 19990s. Talk about elite company.
On top of that, this makes it 5 years in succession that Merlin has made the SSV Cross Country team. He first made the team in the very first year thathewaseligible.Thatwas2018asa 10 year old in Grade 4. He has made theteameverysingleyearsince.Note, the cruel Lockdowns robbed him of 2 extrayears.
Combined with his 3 years of SSV Triathlon team selections, that makes it 6 SSV Team Vic state teams during his High School years (and 8 total). A remarkable effort, which equals the most all time in our school’s history, alongsidethelegendary Barrow.
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JUNIOR GIRLS @ HUME REGION
Our Junior Girls Football team made history on Tuesday 23rd July, finishing Runner-Up at the HumeRegion carnivalattheBarrReserve,placing them 2nd of 40 secondary schools in our area, falling1gameshortofa State QuarterFinal.
Despite fielding a team with more Year 7s than 8s, and missing our best player and Co-Captain (Kaity Ford) to a family holiday in Cairns, they stormed out of the blocks in their opening game, blitzing the Ovens & Mitta region champion Tallangatta Secondary College by 14 points (3.4.22def1.2.8)inadominantperformance.
They then stuck within range of the alwaysstrong Catholic College Wodonga until half time of the Final, before being overpowered by the much bigger, stronger and faster Border outfit, who draw from a pool of twice our enrolment numbers.
Overall, a wonderful effort. Co-Captains Inanay Gilson and Ruby O'Kane were presented with our Runner-Up pennant flag which is now hanging proudly in the Sport Centre on our Wall Of Champions. It's our 4th pennant already this year,andour1st Football pennantsinceour Inter Girls wonin2018atMooroopna.
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Year 7 Mia Simpson was named our Best Player. StartingatCentreHalfForward,theViceCaptain and Wangaratta Rover and Tiger dominated the 1st match, taking numerous marks in the air, gathering the ball at ground level, weaving aroundopponents,drivingitforwardandscoring herself. She kicked our 1st goal, snapping brilliantly on the turn, and could have easily had 3inthe1st10minutesifnotfornarrowlymissing 2others.Shewassodangerousthatcallsof"Kick it to Mia" rained out whenever we got possession.Anextremelytalentedfootballerwith a genuine X-factor who reminds staff of formerW.H.S student and current Carlton AFLW legend DarcyVescio.
Bella Boulton, another Year 7 promoted to Vice Captain, starred again to be named our 2nd best player - just as she did at the Upper Hume carnival in June. The Wangaratta Rover patrolled themidfieldallday,andwasconsistentlythefirst player to the fall of the ball at stoppages, gathered with clean hands, exploded from congestion with pace, had good skills on the outsideandkickedalonggoal.Despitebeingone of the lightest-framed in the team, her courage stood out, laying strong tackles and putting her bodyonthelineinpacks-allofthisaweekafter running at the StateCrossCountry in Melbourne. Another all-round talent and footballer to seriouslywatch.
Ruby O'Kane of Year 8 was "The General". Promoted to Co-Captain in the absence of Ford, the Wangaratta Devils and rep Soccer player led from the front with outstanding commitment, toughness and skill. Playing the hardest position ontheground(Ruck),shedominatedthehit-outs in the 1st game to give her mids 1st use, but also mopped up ground balls herself, put her head over the ball with courage, took timely marks, and could pretty much do everything despite neverhavingplayedcompetitionFootball
Inanay Gilson was our other Year 8 Co-Captain and was just as inspirational. Playing midfield all day, the Wangaratta Rovers footballer and Wangaratta Devils Soccer player, was in and under,winningtheballconsistently,usingitwith skill, and extremely tough, battling her heart out all day, often getting back to save goals on the last line of defence. Another all-round talent and tremendous leader who we're lucky to have in ourranks.
Paige-Lee Dummett, the 3rd of our prominent Year 7s to be promoted to Vice Captain this round after a sterling Upper Hume carnival, demonstrated her leadership by not only playing, despite being still ill from a heavy knock on the weekend, but also putting her hand up to play the integral Centre Half Back position, covering the gaping hole left by Ford. The light but brave Wangaratta Rover and Tiger youngster held the positiondown,andwasakeyplayeragain.
Rounding out the Top 6, Year 8 Liv Day came in to the team after being unavailable last round, and made immediate impact on the Wing and through the Midfield. The Wangaratta Devils Soccer player, who kicked 3 goals in a School Soccer match in Term 2, was remarkably clean withherhandsandskillsforaSoccerplayer,and used her considerable endurance (State Cross Country entrant last year) to feature strongly all day.
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GOAL KICKERS: Bella Boulton 1, Georgia Kelly 1, MiaSimpson1.
BEST PLAYERS: Mia Simpson, Bella Boulton, Ruby O'Kane, Inanay Gilson, Paige-Lee Dummett, Liv Day.
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B:JaydaMassey-Chase,BellaWhite,RubyBurns
HB: Kate Preston, Piage-Lee Dummett (VC), Leila Hyland
C:LivDay,RubyBarnard,WillowNorris
HF:PaigeTanner,MiaSimpson(VC),PollyOats
F:EllouiseJones,AmelieBooth,BiancaHagl
FOLL: Ruby O'Kane (C), Inanay Gilson (C), Bella Boulton(VC).
INTER: Arwen Castens-Hall, Ellie Hutchenson, GeorgiaKelly,ClaireShilcock,LacySolimo.
Thanks to all the girls for playing and representing our school in a sterling manner. Thanks to the many helpers and large Cheer Squad, and the many parents, family members and staff members there to support. Special thanks to a great bunch of Junior Boys who were solid umpires - Clarence Lampa and Will Sayers (Central), Jeremy Bagley and River Mackinnon-Burman (Boundary) and WillBoulton (GoalUmpire).
Big thank you also to Sandy"Newmo"Newman for coaching, and parent and former-W.H.S teacher Kev McGennan for again volunteering his time to takethegreatphotos
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TABLE TENNIS
YEAR 7-10
It was a monster of a day of Interschool Table Tennis on Thursday 25th July, with 32 players across 6 teams competing at the Upper Hume tournament at the Wangaratta Showgrounds, and 2 ofourteamsfinishingRunner-Up.
Our Intermediate Girls (Year 10s Hannah Dods, Amarina Huggins, Naomi Roberts and Bethany Tanner)ledtheway,blitzingtheirfirst4opponents and looking potential Champions. They first defeated local rivals Cathedral College (4-2), with #1Seed Tanner (13-11,11-7)and#2 Dods (11-7,6-11, 11-9) victorious in their Singles rubbers. They then snuck by Victory Lutheran College Wodonga (3-3, 8-6), with Dods (11-6, 11-5) and Huggins (11-1, 11-7) executing Singles sweeps. Their next scalp was Catholic College Wodonga (4-1), with all 4 girls clinching their Singles - Huggins with a 2-0 sweep (11-8,11-5),andtheothersall2-1.
That sent them to the Grand Final against Grace ChristianCollegeWodonga, alsoundefeatedwitha record of 3-0 to that stage. There, Tanner got them off to a killer start (11-6, 12-10), and then Hugginsequalised(11-6,9-11,11-5)tokeepherteam alive with it all coming down to the Doubles. With Tanner & Roberts defeated (8-11, 8-11) it was up to the pair of Dods & Huggins. Sadly, they lost both sets narrowly (9-11 and 10-12), to leave the team going down 2-4 rubbers, with the Championship handedto Grace.
The Year 7 Girls (Millie Bosley, Bella Boulton, Issy Burke, Paige-Lee Dummett. Mia Simpson and Paige Tanner) were the next best outfit, also finishing Runner-Up with a 1-1 record. They were stitched up by a strong CathedralCollege team (06), but bounced back with a 4-2 victory against Grace Christian College. In that win, #1 Seed Mia Simpson (7-11, 11-9, 11-9), #3 Bella Boulton (12-10, 6-11,11-9)and#4 Paige-LeeDummett (11-7,11-4)all triumphedintheirSinglesrubbers,andthethepair of Simpson and # 2 Seed Millie Bosley won their Doublesrubber(11-5,11-5)
TABLE TENNIS
YEAR 7-10
The Year 7 Boys (Noah Anderson, Will Boulton, Angus Fraser, Lane Sloan and Zak Winn) almost replicated the Girls, going down to Cathedral College and then ending up level with Grace Christian College on 3 rubbers and 7 games each, with Grace getting the nod onoverallpoints(129-112).Inthatnarrowloss,#2Seed ZakWinn (11-7,11-7)and#3 DodgeLawrey (12-10,11-9) won their Singles rubbers, and then #1 Seed Angus Fraser & Winn wontheirDoubles(7-11,11-6,11-4).
Elsewhere, the Year 8 Boys and Intermediate Boys both finished 3rd with win/loss records of 1-2. The 8 Boys grabbed their win in a thriller against Grace Christian College, getting it on overall points (98-96). Number 1 Seed Hugh Spring dominated his Singles rubber (11-3 and 11-7), as did #2 Zeke Hogan (11-2 and 11-8), and then Spring & Hogan lowered their Doubles opponentsintocasketsaswell(11-7and11-3).
The Inter Boys got their win against crosstown rivals Cathedral College, coming back from a 0-2 rubber deficit to storm back to win it 4-2 thanks to Singles wins from #3 Seed Harry Hyland (11-4 and 11-6), #4 SkellyManning (11-3and11-0),andbothDoubleteams also saluting - Armstrong & Bode Crawford (11-4 and 11-3),thenlifelongbuddies Hyland & Manning (11-6,116).
The Year 8 Girls didn't manage a win but picked up a couple of rubbers against Grace Christian College in their2-4lossonadayofCharacterBuilding.Number1 Seed Ruby DeFazio clinched her Singles rubber (11-4, 11-9), and so too #2 Seed Tirandi Abeyawardana (11-9, 11-7).
Withbothour SeniorGirls and Boys teamsinAprilalso coming 2nd, that means that 4 of our 6 Table Tennis teamsthisyearwere UpperHume Runner-Up.
Thanks to all 32 players for representing the school today. Again, other much larger schools didn't enter anyteams,butourkidsweretherehavingaredhotgo in a Sport most had never played before in competition.
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NETBALL BOYS
We had 28 boys across 3 teams compete at the Upper Hume BoysNetball carnival on Thursday 25th JulyattheWangarattaBarrReserve.
Our Senior Boys were our best group this year, the majorityofthemYear11sthatdominatedthecarnival last year as the Champion Intermediate team which later went within a whisker of winning Hume Region and making it to State. This year they were agonisingly close to winning it again, even without gun TomFord whowasinCairnsonafamilyholiday. Hereisablurbfromcoach SheriParkhouse:
"We had five games against some tough competition. The day began with Victory Lutheran College Wodonga. After a couple of nervous misses for goal we got on track and had a great win 18-7. This was a great confidence builder. We then moved into some close matches that challenged the mindset of the lads – winning against Cathedral College 15-12, then a draw with GalenCollege 11-11 The team was a little deflated by the draw but with a break in between matchesweresetforabigchallengeagainst Catholic College Wodonga. This was a tough match - our shooting confidence and passes were inconsistent leaving us with a loss 13-15. Reaching the next round then became a game of numbers. With one match to go against Wodonga Senior Secondary College, we couldnotlose,butwithatoughgameandsometired bodies we came out in front 13-9, missing the next stage by a whisker. A great day out. Best On Court were Year 11s LachlanSuffield, NedO’Kane and Jye Laxton and Year 12 Lachlan Barbour, but it was a supereffortbyalltheboys."
The IntermediateBoys hadareasonableday,finishing 4thoverallof8schoolswitharecordof1-2.Coached by Multiple A-Grade Premiership Netballer for Wangaratta Rovers Michelle Wilson, They defeated Catholic College Wodonga 9-7, always a good scalp considering Catholic College draw from over 1200 students-doubleournumber.
They however lost to Wodonga Middle Years (Huon Campus) and Wodonga Senior Secondary College. Year 10 Oscar Benson was named the standout, playing mostly in defence, gaining many intercepts and providing drive through the centre into attack. Lachlan Pensak was another consistent contributor who ran hard all day in the Centre position. Like the Seniors, they were sorelymissingtheirstar Ford brother, Jack
The Junior team, coached by former Australian Under21Netballer ZeldaYeates likewisefinished 4th, with a 2-1-3 record. The had great wins against Catholic College Wodonga 13-4, Wodonga Middle Years (Huon) 9-8 and local rivals Galen College 10-9, plus a draw with WodongaMiddleYears (Felltimber)9-9.
Interestinglytheoverallwinnersonthedaywere Catholic College Wodonga, who the boys thrashed 13-4, and their wins against both them and Galen are significant as both school have twiceournumberofkids.Bestplayerswere Isaac Robinson,DarcyWaide and ClarenceLampa the Captain.
Thanks boys for representing us so well again. Thanks to our many helpers, and our coaches Parkhouse, Wilson and Yeates who also spent manyLunchtimestriallingandtrainingtheboysespecially Yeatesy.
Massive to thank you to Newmo for conveying the day, as well as Cindy Chalmers and Leah Anderson, and Year 9 student Tilly Gibson, for umpiring.
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NETBALL
MILLY O’KANE
STATE NETBALL SQUAD
Congratulations to Year 9 Milly O’Kane who has just been selected to the Netball Victoria State Netball Squadat Under17 level.
This places the Wangaratta Magpies talent currently in the Top 50 Netballers in Victoria. The gravity of this achievement can be appreciated once you realise the amount of girls that would have been vying for this squad (Netball is the 3rd most played Sport in Australia, with over 800,000 womenandgirlsplaying).
On top of that, we believe the last time a Wangaratta High School girl made a State Netball Squad, was 29 years ago (Kim Welch, who made the Under19 teamin1995).
Milly has a number of Squad Training sessions in Melbourne before the Final Team is selected in December. If picked, she will then play for Victoria in the Netball Australia National Championships, againstteamsfromtheotherstates.
A wonderful achievement Milly. We are proud of youandwishyouluckmakingtheFullTeam.
It's worth noting too, the list of Sporting Accomplishments Milly hasachievedinjustthelast 12 orsomonthsalone.
Thoseinclude:
-2024NetballVictoriaTalentAcademy
-2024NorthEastNetballStateTitleTeam
- 2024 Wangaratta Netball Association U17 Rep Team
-2024SchoolAgeGroupChampion-Swimming
-2023SchoolAgeGroupChampion-Athletics
- 2023 School Winner of Hazel June Woodward (Sisley)MemorialSportAward
-2023Ovens&KingFootballNetballLeagueUnder 15LeagueBest&Fairest
-2023Ovens&KingFootballNetballLeagueUnder 15LeagueMVP
- 2023 Corowa Rutherglen Football Netball Club Under17TeamBest&Fairest
- 2023 Nominee (1 of 3) in Bendigo Academy of SportNetballAthleteOfYear.
- 2023 5th @ School Sport Victoria State Track & FieldChampionships-Javelin
- 2023 (and 2022) SSV State ChampionshipsBadminton
Thank you for being a tremendous ambassador for our school Milly, and for being a wonderful allroundcharacteraswell.
Wonderful to see her carry on her family’s strong Wangaratta High School legacy, with her mum Kaye one of the many talented Hildebrands to
BASKETBALL
YEAR 7
19 Year 7s played in their 1st ever Upper Hume Basketball tournament in Wodonga on Friday 9th August.
The Girls wereourstandoutteam,gettingabigwin against Wodonga Middle Years College (Huon Campus) 22-8, with Mia Simpson and Willow Norris scoring 8 points each. They finished 2nd in their pool after a nasty loss (2-69) to dominant overallwinners CatholicCollegeWodonga.
Standout players were named as Mia Simpson, Willow Norris, Paige-Lee Dummett and Bella Boulton.
The Boys finishedwitha0-3recordinatoughpool. The got closest to Wodonga Middle Years College Huon (25-35), with Mason Skermer top scoring (11 points) and Huntah Voss (6), Jayden Butterworth (4) and Dylan Meloury (2) chiming in. They however fell well short of both Catholic College Wodonga (8-35) and eventual champs Cathedral College (6-51).
Best players were listed as Skermer, Meloury, Butterworth,Fraser and Voss.
Big thank you to all players, JessLangdon and Lisa Norris for staffing, and a bunch of terrific Year 8s who helped and coached - Kaity Ford, Leila Hyland, Clarence Lampa, Lachlan Downing, JeremyBagley and ZachWills
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ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
MERRIWA WINS, RECORDS TUMBLE
Merriwa house were triumphant at our Athletics Carnival on Tuesday 13th August, winning the Bruce Revell Shield and making it Back-to-Back wins for the 1st time since 1995, 29 years ago. It's their4thwininthelast40years.
Merriwa won by by 165 points from King, Wareena and Ovens at the Bill Eaton Athletics Complex in Appin Street, where a total of 263 students competed.
Senior House Captains Cope Swinburne and Sienna Box-Corsini, flanked by their younger Captains, were presented the prestigious Shield by Principal Dave Armstrong at the track, lifting it high as their house members roared in their yellow attire.
They were carried to victory on the backs of their prodigious Year 8 group, who scored 614 points themselves, making them by far the most productive cohort. Next best were the Wareena Year 7s (394), Ovens Year 11s (361) and King Year 7s (294).
Breaking it down further, it was the Merriwa Year 8girlswhowerethemostPowerfulForce,rakingin a staggering 353 points alone. Those girls filled the top 6 spots in the Age Group Champion award for that age group - likely unheard of before. They are one of the most impressive groups of girls we have everseen.
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Three records were broken, and another equalled, at this historic Carnival. The 1st fell in the very 1st raceoftheday.ThatwasYear7 BellaBoulton,who ran the 100m in 13.52, shattering the 25-year old record set by Melissa Ashton in 1999, by .43 of a second-ahugetimefractioninsuchashortrace.
Boulton then shortly afterward broke the 200m record which had stood for 32 years, sInce Bree Spasojevic set it in 1992. Newmo alerted Bree who was delighted for Bella and sent her congratulations. Spasojevic still holds 9 recordsourmostalltime.
Staggeringly, Boulton then secured her 3rd track recordfortheday.Inthe400m,hertimeof1:08.30 equalled NicoleTurnbull'ssetin1983,41yearsago.
Remarkably, Bella confirms that she ran all 3 races with no idea of what the record times were, and could have pushed harder in both the 100m and 400mifshehadhavebeengunningforrecords.
Boulton had the History Book Editors scrambling all day. We believe she is the 1st person to get the record in the 100-200-400 "Triple Crown" on the same day, in 36 years. That was Gayle Parrot, who did in in 1988 at Year 9. All 3 of those Parrot records still stand 36 years later. Shawn Dennis (whowouldgoontoplay197gamesinthe National BasketballLeague)alsodidit3yearspriorin1985as a Year 12, and for good measure also broke the Triple & High Jump records that carnival. Dennis' 200m and 400m records stood for 37 years until Jack Boulton (Bella's older brother) came along in 2022.
Boulton also becomes the 1st person to get 3 records in the one day since 2005, when Year 7 man mountain Luke Brabazon broke the Discus, Shot Put and Javelin records. Before that, it was Daniel Boyle at Year 7 in 2002, breaking the 100m, 200m and Javelin. He went on to break the 100m and 200m every year for 4 years in a row. Michael Bertalli also did it in 2000, breaking the 800m 1500mand3000mwheninYear12.
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Later in the day, it was MerlinTzaros who blasted into the history books. He took almost 3 seconds off the 16 Boys 1500m record of Jasper Danielson set in 2018. His time of 4:21.75 is the fastest 1500m on our books of any age group, meaning we will likely be writing Merlin's name into the books at leasttwicemoreoverthenext2years.
The Team Vic Triathlon team member last year also broke the 1500m record at Upper Hume level in Albury, and also holds the 13 Boys Upper Hume 3000m Cross Country record too (plus one at Primary level for good measure). How many more would he have if not for the cruel Lockdowns in his earlySecondarySchoolingyears?
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AGE GROUP CHAMPIONS
Twelve AgeGroupChampion medalswereawarded, calculated from points from each athlete's Top 9 events.
History was made everywhere we looked, and it continued during the Age Group Champion award ceremony. TomFord completedahattrick,making it4total. Ford isthe1stboytowin3inarowsince NathanBoyd in2019(whocapturedhis5thstraight wheninYear11),andisoneofjust4boystodoitin thelast15years.
Ford, who also has 3 Swimming AgeGroup awards, has a total of 7, and according to our records, that sits him equal 1st all-time in our school’s history. Brianna Archer, Xanthea Dewez and Rowan Barrow are the only others to boast as many. And he has one more year in 2025 to claim the outright lead. He’s one of only 3 ever, to win both in the sameyear,twice.Someathlete.
Leo Woodburne, Inanay Gilson and Milly O'Kane claimed back-to-back wins and became Multiple Winners. Like Ford, Milly has won in the Pool too (nowboasting2xAthletics,2xSwimming),andshe's only in Year 9, giving her 3 more years (6 Carnivals) to come. She was the only one this year to win the Swimming-Athletics AgeGroupDouble.
Clove Boonzayer (1 Athletics, 4 Swimming), Stevie Driscoll (2-2) and Jye Laxton (1-1) are the other 3 current students to have won both across their schooling. Only 25 (at least since 1980) have ever achievedthefeat.
Woodburne and Gilson are both “undefeated” in their 2 years. If they continue on and win it every year, they will join an elite group. Only 4 have ever made the Clean Sweep of 6 - Alice Townsend, Xanthe Dewez, Bree Spasojevic and Debbie McLaughlin. If Woodburne achieves it, he would becomethefirstboyonrecord.
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Leo Woodburne created history himself by becoming the 1st to ever win back-to-back 13 Year Age Group Champion awards. Leo won it last year as a Year 7 despite being a further year younger thanhisfellowYear7s,andthenagainthisyearasa Year 8 competing against the Year 7s who are his age.
Among the 6 first-time winners, Pieper Gottschling joined her older brother Tyler (who won back-to-back in 2016-17), and they become just our 25th set of siblings to have won Age Group Champion.
Some Age Group battles went down to the wire, and the number of events athletes entered was significant (AgeGroup award points are taken from your "Best 9" events). The closest was the 16 Boys, where Cooper Hardman won it by a solitary point from his mate Luke Macklan. Hardman entering one more event than Macklan may have been the difference.Onepointisjustone8thplace.
In the 20 Boys, Clove Boonzayer (62.5), who like Hardman, entered 1 more event than his Runner Up,heldoff LachlanBarbour (61points)byjustjust oneandahalfpoints.That'sjustone7thplace. Ned O'Kane wasalsounluckyon58.
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The next closest was the 14 Boys category, where Clarence Lampa secured his medal by a mere 3 points from Noah Williams. Again, Lampa had one more event under this belt. In the 15 Girls, Jada Ryan won by just 4 points from Lillian Hooper (9 events each), and in the 17 Boys, Tom Ford pipped JyeLaxton by 5, with Ford having one more event. The two gun Year 11 boys finished 1-2 in the Upper Hume AgeGrouplastyearinAlbury.
Year 7 Paige-Lee Dummett's 79 points would have won it most years. She fell 24 short of the 3x Record Breaker Bella Boulton, however 25 of Boulton's 98 points were extra points awarded for breaking or equalling a record (long-standing tradition). Without the records, Paige-Lee, who entered 1 more event than Bella, would have saluted by 1 point and joined her mum Nicky who wonitin1990asaYear9.Nextyearthatbattlewill bethrilling.
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Milly also achieved what may be the greatest Athletics Carnival performance in our history, winning 8 individual events - something we're notsurehaseverbeenachievedbefore.
And she was home ill the day prior. Due to missing Monday's Javelin and High Jump to illness, we submitted her scores from P.E class in March for those events. Her High Jump was 9cm shy of winner AbbeyWaide, meaning that wastheonlyoneofher9eventsshedidn'twin.
HoweverifshehadbeentheretheMondaypriorto the Carnival, being 6 months older and taller, and fitter from a full Netball season, and motivated by the competition, could she have made it a Clean Sweep of 9 events? Maybe next year it could happen.
The next closest to her 8 event wins were Bella Boulton and JamesChisholm,whobothwon6.
We do have record Gary Voss winning 7 events in 1974. He made an Australian team in Baseball, was recruitedtoAFLteamNorthMelbourneinFootball, andinBasketball,wonanNBLChampionship.
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Some athletes dominated in the Field events. Other than Milly, Year 9 James Chisholm was the other Field Prodigy, matching her in winning 5 of the 6 possible Field events - Triple Jump, High Jump, Shot Put, Discus andJavelin(plus3rdinLongJump).
Year 12 CloveBoonzayer & BellaBoulton were the only athletes to win all 3 Jump events, and Year 12 Lachlan Barbour matched Milly & Chisholm in claiming all 3 throwingevents.
Others picked up 2 Field events - River MackinnonBurman, Katy Ford, Jansen Robles, Jada Ryan, Lillian Hooper, Cooper Hardman, Jack Ford, Tom Ford, Jye Laxton, Imogen Robinson, Ivy O'Connor and Hannah Lockhart
There were some seriously eye-raising all-round Track performances. Year 12 Reuben Smith picked up 4 wins from his 5 events, winning the 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, and finishing 2nd in the 100m by one onehundredth of a second. Impressive versatility from the 2ndfastestUnder19 SprintTrackCyclist inAustralia.
Year 8 Liv Day was the other overall Track Gun. She wonthe100m,400m,800mand1500m,togowitha3rd in the 200m. She was the only runner to win both the 100m and 1500m - an impressive show of overall runningpower.
Year 12 Jemma Steinlauf was the 3rd runner to win 4 track events - 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m.
Others were dominant in the Middle-Distance events, but not the Sprints. Other than Smith and Day, Year 9 Ryan Winter was the only runner to claim 3 of those - 400m, 800m and 1500m. Others claimed two - Year 7 Paige-Lee Dummett (800m,1500m),Year8 LeoWoodburne (800m, 1500m), Year 8 Jed Murray (800m, 1500), Year 10 Luke Macklan (400m, 800m), Year 11 Wirra Gilson (800mm, 1500m), and Year 11 PhoebeBosley (800m,1500m),
Some were Sprint Specialists, winning the Glamour Events, the 100m-200 double, but no other track races. Those were Year 7 Teo Valle, Year 8 Noah Williams, Year 9 Casey Sheppard, and Year 10s Cam Sgarioto and Pieper Gottschling.
One step up from that, were the two girls that clinched the rare 100m-200m-400m "Dream Triple". They were Year 9 Milly O'Kane and of course,Year7 BellaBoulton.
ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
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More on Boulton's records. She becomes just the 26th student in the history of the school to hold multiple Athletics records, and the 20th to hold 3 or more. How highcansheclimboverthenext6years?
Boulton also stamped her name on to our various Family Honour Boards. She and her older brother Jack are now the only pair of siblings ever, to each hold an Athletics record at the school. Jack has the 200m and 400m records for the 20 Boys, which he set in 2022 when winning Gold in both events at the State Championships. It was poetic that Jack was our guest officialontheStarterGuntoday.
In further Family History, Bella pushes the Boulton name to the top of our board honouring Parent-Child Winnersofour AgeGroupChampion award.
Withherdad Jason winningitin1984asaYear7, and Jack claimingitinYear1228yearslater,they are now one of just 2 families in our history to haveaparentand"two"childrenwintheaward.
The other is the Patrick family - Craig Patrick (later drafted to AFL club North Melbourne) who won twice (1986, 1987) followed by his sons Toby (2006, 2010) and Liam (2011, 2012, 2013). Liam happenstohold5records,whichisequal4thalltime. Liam ironically had gone the closest to the 100m-200m-400m Triple since Parrot. He broke the 100m and 200m in 2010 at Year 7, but missed the 400m. He however broke the 400m the next twoyears,bothofwhichstillstand14yearslater. HewassoonafterrecruitedtoWesleyCollegeon an Athletics Scholarship. He was also for a time an Underwear Model for clothing stories such as CottonOn.
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MERRIWA WINS, RECORDS TUMBLE
The Carnival was a roaring success and will continue annually. Thank you to the 270+ competitors, and every studentwhocameandgotinvolved.
Thank you to our staff who all executed various roles. Especially to those running the events, who were marshalling, timing, measuring, recording and raking sandetc,andontheirfeetwithoutaLunchbreak.
We had a number of significant non-staff helpers. Thank to parent Gemma Kay in particular, who spent most of the day timing the track events. Thanks by the waytothemanyparentsandfamilymemberswhocame to support. Once again, we thank parent and formerteacher Kev McGennan for coming and taking the splendidphotographsyouseehere.
ThankyoutoourPrefectteamforrunningtheBBQ,our InclusionHubstudentsforrunningtheirFoodStall,and the students helping with Cory Stewart's School Spirit stall. No to mention all student who helped setting up andpackingdownequipmentandgazebosetc.
Particularthankyoutothekidshelpingattheevents.In particularYear8s LachlanDowning and JeremyBagley, who were seen chopping out staff by volunteering to rakethejumppitsforwelloveranhour.
Special thank you to the Wangaratta Little Athletics club and especially their Secretary AliciaCanning,aformerstudent,whoallowedus theuseofthefacilityandalloftheirequipment.
Big thank you to ex-student Jack Boulton as our Starterforalltrackevents.Itwasathrillforallto seethe20-yearold,cunninglyrecruitedtooneof the Staff Relay Teams, blazing around the first bend. I'm not sure those in the neighbouring lanes knew they were racing against a junior National Gold Medalist in the 100m, 200m and 400m, Australian all-time Record Holder in the 400m, and still holder of 7 junior all-time Victorian Records (2x 100m, 2x 200m, 2x 400m, 1x Long Jump) - probably the greatest junior athlete in Victorian school history. Thanks Champ.
Biggest thank you of all goes to Sandy "Newmo" Newman. Our recently-retired SportCoordinator of 25 years was the one who organised most of this day behind the scenes and the reason for it running Silk Smooth. Today, while handling the high-pressure job of inputting and collating the results, she went over and above to squeeze in the many last-minute entries in order to give absolutely everybody a chance to compete. Thankyoufromallofus.
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FEATURE IN THE CHRONICLE
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HONOUR BOARD
AGEGROUPCHAMPIONS ATHLETICS
Clove
Ford
Pieper Gottschling
Tom Boonzayer
Jemma Steinlauf
James Chisholm
Jada Ryan
Cooper Hardman Milly O’Kane
Leo Woodburne
Bella Boulton
Clarence Lampa Inanay Gilson
WAREENA
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GREATEST EVER
MOST AGE GROUP CHAMPIONSHIPS
BADMINTON
HUME REGION CHAMPIONS
Our Year 8 Boys are Hume Region Champions, after dominating the Badminton tournament at the Shepparton Sports Stadium, to be crowned the best of 40 schools in our region on Tuesday 20thAugust.
The boys (#1 Seed Clarence Lampa, #2 Hugh Spring,#3 JeremyBagley,#4 LachlanDowning and # 5 Zach Wills) won 17 of their 18 games, blitzing Cobram Anglican Grammar 5-1 (122-85), Myrtleford P-12 College 6-0 (126-35) and last year’s Champions Alexandra Secondary College 6-0 (126-76), to book a spot at the State Championships in Melbourne on September 13th, asoneoftheTop8teamsinVictoria.
Notbadforagroupofboysthathadneverplayed the sport until this year. A great story of natural sporting talent mixed with committment to regular self-driven training in our Sport Centre. Theyhavetrained,almosteverysingleLunchtime (and sometimes "both" breaks) since they won theUpperHumetitleon3rdJune.
They are our 3rd Badminton team to make the State Finals in 3 years. Last year our Year 8 Girls (Isabelle Christison, Alanna Hepburn, Lillian Hooper,AngelaKeenan, MillyO’Kane and Casey Sheppard) made it for their 2nd year in a row, aftermakingitinYear7aswell.
The 2024 Hume Champion pennant is hanging up on our Wall Of Champions in the Sport Centre. It's our 3rd Hume pennant overall for 2024, to go alongwithtwoRunner-Ups.
For Lampa, Bagley & Wills, it's their 2nd Hume title and trip to Melbourne for State this year, afteralsoclaimingthe LawnBowls title.
For Lampa who also made the State Cross Country, it's actually his 3rd trip to Melbourne for State this year. Just last week he won Age Group Champion at our Athletics Day. Quite the yearfortheall-rounddynamo.
Special thanks to Sandy "Newmo" Newman for driving the boys yesterday, and Michelle Wilson for the use of her 7-seater car to get them there atalowcost.
Big thanks also to P.E teacher Alex Johnson who spent considerable time during Lunchtime's giving the boys tips. Alex was a State Finals Badminton representative himself when a studenthere.
We have had one Badminton team ever win the StateTitle.Thatwas1988,26yearsago,whenthe Senior Boys featuring current parent Glenn O'Connell
CantheboyscreatehistoryinSeptember?
BADMINTON
HUME REGION CHAMPIONS
BADMINTON
HUME REGION CHAMPIONS
BADMINTON
HUME REGION CHAMPIONS
BASKETBALL
INTERMEDIATE
Our Intermediate Basketballers hit the courts on Monday 26th August at the Wodonga Sports & LeisureCentre,withbothteamswinningmatches in the Upper Hume tournament despite missing keyplayerstoinjury.
The Girls, missing two of their prime players in Victorian Talent Academy Squad Netballers Milly O'Kane and Matilda Taylor, picked up a thrilling win against Wodonga Senior Secondary College (13-9), but were outgunned by the alwayspowerful Catholic College Wodonga (10-57) who went on to win the Final by 19 points. They then dropped their Pool match 16-30 to finish with a 1-2recordfortheday.
Top scorers were Pieper Gottschling and Georgia Meggs, with Jada Ryan said to be the star defender along with the talented Driscoll sisters(Stevie and Jedda).
The Boys,missingtheirstar WangarattaWarriors Basketballer JackFord,werecompetitiveintheir Pool matches against Catholic College Wodonga and Grace Christian College, but went down in each against the much larger opposition. They however got a win in their playoff match against theFelltimbercampusof WodongaMiddleYears College.
Year 10s Oscar Benson, Lachie Pensak and Roy Dunstan, and Year 9s Kayden Vozlic and Lionel Huggins all scored 10+ points across the carnival inanevenscoringperformance. Huggins hittwo long-range 3 pointers, while Benson and Pensak were said to be outstanding defenders as well, hustlingandcomingupwithsomebigblocks.
Thanks to our players for again representing the school in a terrific manner, our staff Alex Johnson and Christine Watson for coaching the teams, and the many student helpers for contributing to another great day of Interschool Sport.
BASKETBALL
INTERMEDIATE GIRLS
BASKETBALL
INTERMEDIATE BOYS
MERLIN TZAROS
AUSTRALIAN CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Congratulations to our champion Year 10 Merlin Tzaros who picked up a Silver Medal at the Australian Cross Country Championships in Tasmania onSaturday31stAugust.
The 15 year old won the medal as part of the Under17 Victorian team in horrendous conditions over 6km in Launceston.
The youngest in the field of 100+ runners, he finished 13th individually, which means he this year has gone Top 13 in Australia in both Cross Country (13th) and Triathlon (10th).
It will be another big day for the Team Vic Triathlon State Team member next Thursday at the Upper Hume Track & Field meet in Albury, where last year he broke the all time U15 1500m record, the 3rd Upper Hume all-timerecordinhiscollection.
He has also just recently came off a big Triathlon seasonincluding:
- 1st place @ LukeHarropMemorial Triathlon @ Gold Coast,Queensland.
-Top10at SchoolSportAustralia Triathlon National Championships @Rockingham,WesternAustralia
- Australian Triathlon National Junior Sprint Championships @ Wollongong, New South Wales20thof52in Under19 JuniorElites
Well done Merlin. Your commitment to both training and your schooling, not to mention being one of the most impressive and well mannered characters our school has ever seen, is remarkable. Thanks for inspiring so many of us with the way you compete, train,andconductyourself.We’reallproudofyou
MERLIN TZAROS
AUSTRALIAN CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
MERLIN TZAROS
AUSTRALIAN CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
VOLLEYBALL
YEAR 7
Our talented crop of Year 7s thrived at their 1st ever Upper Hume Volleyball tournament in WodongalastFriday30thAugust.
The Girls team finished Runner-Up with a 3-1 record, competing at the Wodonga Leisure Centre. They swept crosstown rivals Cathedral College 2-0 (20-18, 20-16), Wodonga Middle Years College 2-0 (20-11, 20-16) and last year’s winners Victory Lutheran College Wodonga 2-0 (20-12, 20-17), but went down to eventual champion and school with twice our enrolments, CatholicCollegeWodonga 0-2(9-20,10-20).
Mia Simpson was named Best Player by Coach Sandy “Newmo” Newman, with a great overhand serve, smart ball placement, and showing no fear ofdivingforballs.
BellaBoulton wasnamedthenextbest,alsowith greatconsistentserving,excellentshotselection, and grit and determination. Amelie Booth, selectedbytheteamtobetheirCaptain,wasalso consistent with her serves, displayed great play a thenet,andwasaterrificleaderforthegroup.
VOLLEYBALL
YEAR 7
The Boys also finished 3-1, equal 1st in terms of win/loss,butgiven3rdplaceoncountbackofset percentage. Playing at the Wodonga Senior Secondary College courts, they swept both Wodonga Middle Years 3-0 (60-28) and last year’s champs Victory Lutheran College Wodonga 3-0 (60-44), then defeated Cathedral College 3-1(73-60).Theonlyteamthatbeatthem were the overall winners Catholic College Wodonga 0-3 (52-61), in three very close sets, and some big points lost to foot faulting due to inexperience.
Bestperformersinaveryeventeamaccordingto Coach Nathan Manning were Nick Jones, who was said to be deadly with his serving, Mason Skermer who was dominant at the net, and Teo Valle who was a solid all round player. The video (seeFacebook)of Valle pouncingonareturnofa strong Jones serve, to set up a Skermer spike, is a taste of how smooth and dangerous this group will be on the Volleyball court in the coming years.
VOLLEYBALL
YEAR 7
With the talent of our current Year 8s, who in 2023finished3rd(Boys)and4th(Girls),andthese Year 7s (2nd and 3rd), as well as the likely return of Competition Volleyball at the new WSAC courts,ofwhichI’dexpecttoseeanumberofour kids sign up to, we have the potential for a New Erain Volleyball.
Thanks to our coaches Sandy “Newmo” Newman and Mr Manning for taking the group, and the manyP.Estaffhelpingcoachtheminthelead-up.
It should be noted that these players were learning the skills of Volleyball for the very 1st time in P.E classes just a week prior to this tournament.
After 3 days of hot Tryouts to be selected in the Best 8, many were still unable to even serve over thenet.
HowevertheytrainedinourSportCentreforfive days solid, often during both break times, to get themselves Game Ready. Both teams went within awhiskerofbecoming UpperHume Champions.
Thank you to this remarkable and seriously talented group of Year 7s, who are the ultimate ambassadors for our school at these Sport tournaments, and who are driving our school cultureoncampusaswell.
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YEAR 7 GIRLS
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YEAR 7 GIRLS
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YEAR 7 BOYS
BASKETBALL
YEAR 8 GIRLS
Our Year 8s hit the border on Wednesday 4th September, taking their turn to compete in an Upper Hume Basketball tournament at the WodongaLeisureCentre.
The Girls collected two wins, to finish with a 2-2 record. They dismantled Victory Lutheran College Wodonga (16-6), and lowered into a coffin Wodonga Middle Years College (31-10). They however went down to two schools with double the number of our students - Galen College (7-26) and overall champions Catholic CollegeWodonga(3-45)
Coach Jaime Ryan named inspirational Captain Kaity Ford the Best Player. The Wangaratta Warriors and former VJBL (Victorian Junior Basketball League) Basketballer was said to be all over the court, setting up shots, taking the rebound, driving it down the court and scoring. Shealsotookonthe“playingCoach”roleandgot herteamorganised.
Inanay Gilson was named 2nd best - feisty, hungry for the ball and great in defence. Taylah Wyatt, who originally went along as a helper, came on and ended up the 2nd top scorer and proving a newfound talent. Ruby O’Kane, Ruby Burns, Liv Day and Bella White were said to all playextremelywellandnevergaveup.
One opposition coach was apparently surprised only 1 of our girls plays Basketball. We are becomingaccustomedtothisgroupofgirlsbeing skilledineverythingtheydo.Allofthem Merriwa girls, they are the same crew that in August led their house to the Bruce Revell Shield at our Athletics Carnival, scoring almost twice as many pointsasthenextbestcohort.
The Girls were said to be great sports who all shook hands, and were described by their coach withthephrase-“Whatagreatbunchofgirls!”
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YEAR 8 BOYS
The Boys also won 2 matches, fininshing 2-4 for the tournament. They beat Grace Christian College Wodonga (20-17) and Wodonga Middle Years Huon (19-11), but dropped their other 4 against Victory Lutheran College (16-47), Wodonga Middle Years Felltimber (21-30), Catholic College Wodonga (12-42) and winners GalenCollege (26-56).
Coach MorganClark describesindetail:
“The boys competition was a strong field, made up of 7 teams from within the Upper Hume region. Our ‘bye’ wasn’t scheduled until the final fixture, so the team had to play 6 matches with virtually no break: A great test of endurance and perseverancefromthewholesquad!
We started against Victory Lutheran College, arguablythestrongestteamontheday.Theboys were fighting hard to keep up with Victory’s fast start. NickDarkJr and ThomasFieldew werethe chief scorers in this game, with 6 and 4 points respectively. Captain Clarence Lampa was ‘fouled out’ in the second half, but the team finished well to limit the damage on the scoreboard.
Our next 2 matches were against Wodonga Middle Years College. After being even at half time, we went down to Felltimber Campus, who made the most of their chances in the second half. Evergreen captain Clarence Lampa had the ballonastring,draining13points.
he boys broke through for a win against Huon Campus. ThomasFieldew beingthematchwinner with13pointsofhisown. IsaacRobinson and Jed Murray chimed in with a couple of goals and plentyofassists.
Wekeptupwith Galen (theeventualwinners)for almost the entire first half, matching them goal for goal in a fast-paced scoring frenzy from both teams. Jeremy Bagley, who had been frenetic in defence all day, found himself in scoring positionsandfinishedwith5points.
The team fought gallantly against Catholic College Wodonga, who seemed to have an incredible height advantage, not too dissimilar to the Monstars in the 1996 family movie ‘Space Jam’. ChaddWilliams was solid in defence, while Lachie Downing was providing scoring avenues to his teammates, being involved in almost every play.
We finished on a high with a nailbiter against Grace Christian College. Clarence Lampa again proved the game-winner with 12 points, before being fouled out for a second time. We took the win by 3 points, after Grace closed to within 1 pointwith90secondsremaining.
Overall it was a great day out, with plenty of support shown by all students. I was impressed by everyone’s behaviour and the way that they representedWangarattaHighSchool.”
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YEAR 8 BOYS
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YEAR 8 GIRLS
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SOCCER
FOUR YEAR 8 GIRLS PLAY IN GRAND FINAL
We are proud of four of our very best Year 8 girls who played off in an Albury-Wodonga Football Association Soccer Grand Final on Saturday 7th Septemberupontheborder.
Ruby Burns, Liv Day, Inanay Gilson and Ruby O'Kane, playing for the Wangaratta City FC Under 14s, along with their coach, our Year 12 Head Prefect Kalika MiliankosKing, unfortunately went down 0-3 to the Albury Hotspurs in Lavington. However, a significant effort to maketheGrandFinal
FOOTY PREMIERS
GRIFFITHS + YOUNG WIN JUNIOR LEAGUE FLAG
Congratulationstoourboys LukeGriffiths and Cooper Young who on Sunday 8th September won a Premiership with a thrilling 5 point win for the Imperials against Mansfield in the Wangaratta & District Junior Football League Under 17 Grand Final at the Showgrounds - their 1st flag since 2013, 9 years ago.
Specialmentionto Luke wholiftedthecupastheir Premiership Captain - a very special moment for an excellentleader.
The boys continue the school's strong history with the Imperials. Most recently, current Wangaratta Rovers star and Captain Alex Marklew, Under 14 League B&F whenanImperialandoneofthemosttalented Ovens& Murray playersofthelastdecade.
Further back, other W.H.S Imperials players included future AFL players Paul Bryce (NorthMelbourne,Melbourneand Sydney) and Shane Crothers (Geelong), as well as Scott Williamson (drafted to West Coast and Melbourne) and Joe Wilson (draftedtoBrisbane).
Well done also to our 3 boys playing in the Under 14 Grand Final - Lachlan Downing, River Mackinnon-Burman and Mason Skermer. Their Kangaroos side were beaten by a very hot Bright side, but they should be proud of their season.
TRACK & FIELD
UPPER HUME CHAMPIONSHIPS
59 of our athletes put on our best performance in recent memory at the School Sport Victoria Upper Hume Track & Field championships on Thursday 12th September at the Les O'BrienAthleticsComplexinAlbury.
Competing against Galen, Cathedral and the 5 Wodonga schools, our team set our highest benchmarks this decade in all categories - 59 competitors, 2 All-Time Records, 2 Age Group Champions, 14 Upper Hume Champions (1st place) winning 17 events, 18 Runner-ups, 25 3rd place getters, and 25 athletes,havingfinishedTop2,qualifyingforthe HumeRegion stageonThursdayOctober10th.
For comparison, our 2023 results were: 57 competitors, 1 record, 1 Age Group Champion, 15 winners, 7 Runner-ups, 18 3rd Places, and 20 Hume Region qualifiers. In 2022, it was: 41 competitors, 1 record, no AgeGroupChampions, and 16 Hume Region qualifiers.
In overall standings, we were 4th of 8 schools. Our tally of 672 points was justshyof CathedralCollege (709)and Galen College (734), with the juggernaut Catholic College Wodonga (867) the champions. Our best finish this decade. And that was without heaps of our strong Seniors, who chose not to compete due to academics.
No Year 12s competed at all, only 1 Year 11 girl and 1 Year 10 girl – all of which are strong cohorts talent-wise. On top of this, multiple other key juniors were missing . We will be a good chance to win next year if everyonecompetes.
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Individually, Year 10 Merlin Tzaros was the star of the day. In the 1st event of the day, the Team Vic TriathleStateTeammembersmashedthealltimerecordfortheOpenAge3000m.Heranitin 9:11.11, more than 3 seconds faster than the previous record, which had stood since 1996, 28 years ago. Remarkably, he is still eligible for that recordfor2moreyears.
Later in the day, Merlin crushed his 2nd record of the day – the 16 Boys 1500m. This time, the record had stood for 26 years, set in 1998 by one of our own, Year 12 Michael Bertalli. Merlin’s time of 4:22.53 took almost 4 seconds off Bertalli’s run. It’s a big effort for the 15 year old, whowouldbeintheagegroupbelow,ifbornjust 10dayslater.
Merlin now holds 4 of the 32 Upper Hume records our students hold, which is more than any other Wangaratta High School student in history.
He has leapfrogged heroes Luke Brabazon, Xanthea Dewez and Bree Spasojevic, who all hold 3 each. And he still has 2 more years to come.
Tzaros is also 6th on the overall All-Time Upper Hume Record list. On that list, Jack Boulton is the greatest ever (10 records), followed by Galen College runners Bella Pasquali and Brittany Nash (8 each), and two other Wodonga athletes from the late 1990s - Scott Martin (6) and Tabitha Dudley. Martin competed in 2 Olympic Games - Beijing 2008 (Shot Put, 21st place) and London2012 (Discus,19thplace).
Don’t forget to that Tzaros missed the chance to run in 2021 when the Lockdowns cruelly cancelled the event, so he would highly likely have more. Boulton and Pasquali were similarly robbed. However you could suggest Merlin would likely be sitting 4th all-time right now. He also missed the event, and the CrossCountry, in 2022duetoillness.
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Others to shine on the day were both Wangaratta Rovers footballers - Year 7 Bella Boulton and Year 11 Tom Ford, who both won prestigious AgeGroupChampion medals.That’s2 yearsinarowfor Ford,andalmostaHat-Trick–he won 4 events in 2022 on an injured leg, but was narrowly pipped. This year, he narrowly pippedhismate WirraGilson.
For Boulton, it’s becoming a big year already, having set 3 all-time records (100m, 200m and 400m)atour AthleticsCarnivalinAugust.
Multiple others impressed in their wins, including 6 juniors. Year 7 girls Boulton (400m by 4.19 seconds) and Paige-LeeDummett (800m by almost 7 seconds) never looked threatened. Year 8 Jeremy Bagley, who ended up 5th in Victoria last year in the Javelin, obliterated his nearest rival by 8.15m. Fellow Year 8 Leo Woodburne got his Triple Jump by 39cm. Woodburne’s 8E classmate Kaity Ford won her Discus by 2.48m. Another 8E student in Taylah Wyatt, made it a Year 8 sweep in the Javelin, winning hers by 4.27m. She had done some Lunchtime training with Woodwork teacher Matt Martine, a State-level thrower in his day, whichmayhavepushedhertovictory.
Therewere3Intermediatewinners.Year9 Milly O’Kane, last year 5th in at the State Championships, won her Javelin by 2m, despite her back leg still being swollen and not fully recovered from a fractured fibula. Year10boxer LukeMacklan wonhis800m by more than 3 seconds. And the 3rd Intermediate winner was James Chisholm, who won his Discus by 6.50m, and Shot Putby77cm.
Of the 4 Senior winners, all were boys. Year 11 Wirra Gilson, a late entrant to the Long Jump as the Runner-up at our Carnival, turned the tables on Jye Laxton to get him by 27cm. Anthony Chisholm blitzed his Discus by 4.89m. And both of Tom Ford’s wins were comfortable –Javelinby1.21m,TripleJumpby34cm).
Other than Tom and Merlin, the other multiple event winner was James Chisholm (Discus, Shot Put). Kaity Ford however was just a whisker away from being our 4th, missing out on the Shot Put crownbyamere3cm.
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Others to shine on the day were both Wangaratta Rovers footballers - Year 7 BellaBoulton and Year 11 TomFord, who both won prestigious Age Group Champion medals.That’s2yearsinarowfor Ford, and almost a Hat-Trick – he won 4 events in 2022 on an injured leg, but was narrowly pipped. This year,henarrowlypippedhismate WirraGilson.
For Boulton, it’s becoming a big year already, having set 3 all-time records (100m, 200m and 400m)atour AthleticsCarnivalinAugust.
Multiple others impressed in their wins, including 6 juniors. Year 7 girls Boulton (400m by 4.19 seconds) and Paige-Lee Dummett (800m by almost 7 seconds) never looked threatened. Year 8 Jeremy Bagley, who ended up 5th in Victoria last year in the Javelin, obliterated his nearest rival by 8.15m.FellowYear8 LeoWoodburne gothisTriple Jump by 39cm. Woodburne’s 8E classmate Kaity Ford wonherDiscusby2.48m.Another8Estudent in Taylah Wyatt, made it a Year 8 sweep in the Javelin,winninghersby4.27m.Shehaddonesome Lunchtime training with Woodwork teacher Matt Martine, a State-level thrower in his day, which mayhavepushedhertovictory.
There were 3 Intermediate winners. Year 9 Milly O’Kane, last year 5th in at the State Championships,wonherJavelinby2m,despiteher backlegstillbeingswollenandnotfullyrecovered from a fractured fibula. Year 10 boxer Luke Macklan won his 800m by more than 3 seconds. And the 3rd Intermediate winner was James Chisholm,whowonhisDiscusby6.50m,andShot Putby77cm.
Of the 4 Senior winners, all were boys. Year 11 Wirra Gilson, a late entrant to the Long Jump as the Runner-up at our Carnival, turned the tables on JyeLaxton togethimby27cm.
Anthony Chisholm blitzed his Discus by 4.89m. And both of Tom Ford’s wins were comfortable –Javelinby1.21m,TripleJumpby34cm).
Other than Tom and Merlin, the other multiple event winner was James Chisholm (Discus, Shot Put). Kaity Ford however was just a whisker away from being our 4th, missing out on the Shot Put crownbyamere3cm.
There were some tremendous Family Achievements. The Ford siblings managed to all become Champions, with Year 10 Jack (Shot Put) and Year 8 Kaity (Discus) following the lead of theirolderbrother Tom (JavelinandTripleJump).
Our other set of Sibling Winners were Year 9 James Chisholm (Discus, Shot Put) and older brother Anthony (Discus) of Year 11. The Gilsons were not far away either, collecting 2 runner-up and63rdplacingsbetweenthem.
Thanks to all 59 athletes that competed. The way you competed and conducted yourself was flawless, and our vintage Gold & Blue singlets looked sensational – your display has lifted our school’sreputationaroundtheregiononceagain.
Thanks to parent and renowned ecologist & wildlife photographer Chris Tzaros for many of the photos shown here. Thank you to the other parentstheresupportingaswell.
Big thank you to staff members Sandy “Newmo” Newman and Jodie Bell, as well as trainee P.E teacher LukeSheppard,forcomingalong.
We look forward to reporting on the Hume Region event early in October, which involves 40 schools from this 8th of the State. We had 7 qualify for StateChampionships in2023.Canwebeatthatthis year?
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CHAMPIONSHIPS
OLLIE CHAMBERS
LEAGUE BEST & FAIREST - HOCKEY
Congratulationsto OllieChambers ofYear12,whotookout the League Best & Fairest in the Hockey Albury Wodonga Division3Men’scompetitiononFriday13thSeptember.
The Wangaratta Dragons Hockey Club star won the award with 23 votes in the 20 match season, 7 votes clear in a dominanttriumphdespitehavingonlyjustturned17.
To illustrate the gravity of the achievement, he is the 1st Wangarattaplayertohavehisnameetchedontotheshield in31years.
The versatile talent also becomes one of the extreme few W.H.SstudentstohavewonbothaLeagueBest&Fairestin Sport, and an award at the prestigious Kool Skools Awards, a Victoria-wide songwriting competition ran byStudio 52 / Empire Music Studios, which we have been part of for 28 years.
As lead singer, guitarist & songwriter of the band The Dunners, he last year won “Best Indie Rock Track” presented at the Kool Skools Awards CeremonyinMelbourne.
Theyarealsomultiplewinnersof our Talent Quest OverallWinner award, multiple winners of The Solimo Award, and have won the McKeanAwardForComposition
The Dunners have just released their debut EP “Pack Your Bags” onSpotify.
OLLIE CHAMBERS
LEAGUE BEST & FAIREST - HOCKEY
NETBALL PREMIERS
JONES + WYATT WIN FLAGS
Congratulations to two of our girls who won Premiership Medals in their Netball leagues. Year 12 Tahlia Jones triumphedinher Ovens&KingFNLBReserve GrandFinal, whenherMilawateambeatBonnieDoonby3goals.
Year 8 Taylah Wyatt, playing for the Wangaratta Rovers Development Team, won her Grand Final in Section A of the he Wangaratta Netball Association Saturday morning PremierLeague.
MERLIN TZAROS
TARGET TALENT ATHLETE 2024-25
Year 10 Merlin Tzaros has been named as a 20242025 AusTriathlon Talent Target Athlete, and beenselectedtothe VICTriathlon StateTeamfor the3rdyearinarow.
The 15-year old bottom ager is one of 21 boys in the Junior Men (15-19yo) Victorian team, but only 3 who made the elite Target Talent Program, which provides world class development for athletes earmarked for international competition and long-term elite success. Just 25 athletes were selectedintheTTPAustralia-wide.
Having also made the School Sport Victoria Triathlon teamthisyear(3rdyearinarow),hehas now made 6 State Triathlon teams in the 3 years
Merlin isoneoftheextremefewW.HSstudents to ever make a State team in 2 sports in the same year, or at all. We believe the last was Angus McLean (Cycling and Triathlon) in 2015, and prior to that, Gary Arnold (Cycling and Triathlon, 1999) and Rowan Barrow (Swimming and Triathlon), multiple years 1990s). Records show that Tzaros and Barrow are vying for the most State team selections in the history of our school.
In one of the most physically demanding and gruelling sports of all, with the levels of training requiredtocompeteatthiselitelevel,wearein awe of Merlin’s continued commitment and successinmakingtheseteams.
MERLIN TZAROS
MILLY O’KANE
LEAGE BEST 7 FAIREST - NETBALL
Congratulations to Year 9 Milly O’Kane who won the League Netball Best & Fairest in the eliteOvens &MurrayUnder17comp,atthe SS&AClub inAlbury onMonday16thSeptember.
It's a wonderful achievement for the Wangaratta Magpies bottom ager, who at just 15 years old is eligibleagainnextyear.
That’s 2 League Best & Fairests in 2 years for Milly, after last year winning the Ovens & King Under 15 League B&F (and League MVP) playing for King Valley.
The Year 9 is now only the 2nd Netballer ever to win a League O&K trophy, and then a League O&M trophytheverynextyear.
The only other, is one of our school’s all-time greatest sports people - Carlton Football Club AFLW star Darcy Vescio, who did it in 2009 (Whorouly Under 17s in Year 10) and 2010 (Wangaratta C Grade in Year 11). Talk about elite company.
Like Milly is, Darcy wasafreakishall-rounderwhen with us - winning 3 Age Group Champion awards at our AthleticsCarnivals,starringineverySportteam, andwinningtheUnder14LeagueGoalkickinginthe JuniorLeague playingagainstboys.
Milly & Darcy are 2 of just 3 people to ever win a LeagueB&Finbothleagues.The3rdis LetitiaBell(1997 C Grade for Wangaratta, and 2013 B Res for NorthWangaratta).
The Whitfield Primary School product has had a big year, having also been selected in the Netball VictoriaUnder17StateSquadof25.
The all-round talent also won 8 events at our Athletics Carnival in August, which we believe is an alltimeschoolrecord.
Well done Milly, and thanks for being a great ambassadorforourschool.
LACY SOLIMO
AUSTRALIAN EQUESTRIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Congratulations to Year 8 horse rider Lacy Solimo, who competed across 5 days between the 19th and 23rd of September, in the 2024 Marcus Oldham Australian Interschool Championship at the Australian Equine and LivestockEventsCentreinTamworthNSW.
Lacy qualified for Team Victoria after a Top 4 performance in her event at the Interschool Victoria State Championships at the Werribee ParkNationalEquestrianCentreinApril.
In Tamworth, the 14-year old and her horse Park Avenue William, competed in the “Working Hunter” show jumping category, and finished 9th in Australia. A wonderful achievement.
What an experience for Lacy. There were 420 horse riders and 490 horses competing at the premier equestrian venue in Australia. The photos and online media show the scope of the massiveevent.
LACY SOLIMO
AUSTRALIAN EQUESTRIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
LACY SOLIMO
AUSTRALIAN EQUESTRIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
BADMINTON
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Our Year 8 Badminton Boys can call themselves the best Country team in Victoria, after finishing 5th at the School Sport Victoria State Championships at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centrein Albert Park on Friday13thSeptember.
They swept Gippsland Region champions Sale College 6-0 (126-67), finished 1-2 overall, and were the only Country school to win a match on the day againsttheMetropowerhouses.
We commend our boys who, completely new to the sport this year, committed many Lunchtimes to training in our Sport Stadium over a period of months. Their commitment to training was something that even veteran P.E staff had never seen before.
Special mention to Clarence Lampa who has now been to State Championships this year in 3 different sports- LawnBowls, CrossCountry and Badminton.
ZachWills and JeremyBagley havebeentwice-also being in the LawnBowls team. Jeremy went to State in 2023 for Javelin, and may well have again this year too- he was favourite to win again at this Thursday's HumeRegionAthletics,butisholidayingoverseas.
It’snow3yearsinarowwe’vehada Badminton team make it to State. In 2023 it was our Year 8 girls (Isabelle Christison, Alanna Hepburn, Lillian Hooper, Angela Keenan, Milly O'Kane, and Casey Sheppard), and the year prior, those same girls made itasYear7s.
Big thank you to Alex Johnson for driving the boys down, and for spending significant time coaching the boys at Lunchtimes. Alex himself was a whisker away from making it to State for Badminton when a studenthereinthe2000s.
Huge thank you also to Michelle Wilson for lending her car to bring costs down for the players - the 2nd timeshehasdonethisforusinrecentmonths.
A rundown of the day from Coach Alex Johnson:
"Thealarmsweresetfor5ambutsomewereup at 4:30. The excitement of travelling down the Hume to a Badminton State Final too much for some. We managed to get away on time, althoughstillalittleblearyeyed.Acoupleofthe dads thought that was comical, 4:30am starts beingthenormintheirrespectivelinesofwork. Thanks to Michelle Wilson, we were travelling in style with heated seats, individual phone chargers and even a sunroof! Lachie sat up front and oversaw the tunes (all thanks to his dad’s premium Spotify account). The great tunes only interrupted by his mum taking over the playlist to wake up Lachie’s brothers, which is standard practice in the Downing household apparently! We had a clear run down the Hume and got to MSAC with plenty of time for the boys to warm up and prepare for their first match.
MATCH1-WHSvEASTDONCASTERSC
The previous State Champions, East Doncaster SC werefartoostrongforourWangHighboys, eventually winning 6 games to 0. I’d like to say our boys put up a great fight but unfortunately East Doncaster SC were a class above and it was no surprise to find out that they were the eventual 2024 Year 8 Boys Badminton State Champions.
MATCH2-WHSvSALECOLLEGE
By the time our second match was ready to begin, our number 2 seed Hugh Spring was battling a serious head cold and was ‘touch and go’ whether he would even play. Hugh showed greatresilienceandperseveranceandendedup beating his opponent 21-9. In what was touted as the ‘battle of the country’, our boys ‘swept’ Sale College, winning the match 6 games to 0 and setting up a ‘win and you’re in’ (semi-finals) scenarioagainst AlamandaK-9College
BADMINTON STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
MATCH3-WHSvALAMANDAK-9COLLEGE
Followinghisheroicsagainst Sale, Hugh decidedit besttositoutourfinalmatchandendeduphaving a sleep in the medical room! This allowed Zach Wills, our designated doubles player to step up and take Hugh’s place. Unlike our first match, this was a great contest with the final score not reflecting the quality and competitiveness of the games. Alamanda were too polished and end up winning6gamesto0.
Therewasacleardividebetweenschoolsfrom the wider Melbourne metro area and the regional schools. The Wangaratta High School would however go on to be the ‘best of the country’, producing the best win/loss record of the regional schools in attendance. This is an amazing effort and a testament to the level of preparation and enthusiasm that the boys showed in the weeks and months leading up tothis."
O&M PREMIERS
TOM FORD + MILLY O’KANE MAKE HISTORY
Congratulations to Year 11 Tom Ford, and Year 9 Milly O’Kane, who won Premiership medals on Sunday 22nd September, at the Ovens & Murray Football Netball League Grand Final at the LavingtonSportsGround.
Ford, playing for the Wangaratta Rovers 3rds (Under18s)andfellowYear11 NedO’Kane, playing forthe WangarattaMagpies, aimedtobecomeour 145th boy to ever win an O&M 3rd flag - Ford our 91st Rover, and O’Kane our 55th Magpie to do so. It was Ford’s Rovers who triumphed by 14 points, putting him and teammates NoahScholte and Jed Marek (both former W.H.S students) into the Record Books. They were our first to do it since Jayden Adamo (Magpies 2022), and now sit on list of147ofourmosticonicboys.
It was the first 3rds Grand Final to be played between the two Wangaratta clubs since 2011, and just the 2nd ever (since the 3rd grade was introducedin1973,51yearsago).Inthat2011game, 15 of the 22 premierships players in the Wangaratta Magpies side, were our boysincluding Josh Porter, who was a couple of years later a whisker away from being drafted to the AFL.
Up on the Netball courts, Milly, the Under 17 League Beast & Fairest, stepped up into the C Grade line-up in a 29-20 win against Wodonga Raiders. She is the first W.H.S girl to become an O&M Netball Premiership player since Lara Corsini (our 2022 Dux) in 2019 (Rovers Under 17s), and is one of just 33 ever - 16 of them Rovers, and 17Magpies.
4 of her teammates were former W.H.S studentsRuby Croucher, Brooke Heywood, Jessie Knights and TaylaMadden.
History was made in the Seniors Football too. The Wangaratta Rovers won their first Senior flag in 30 years, and a significant 5 of their team were W.H.S alumni. Captain AlexMarklew led the crew including Stuart Booth, Will Christie, Shane GastonandDylanStone.Theyarenowamongjust 42 W.H.S boys to have won an O&M Senior Premiership-21Rovers,21Magpies.
They became the 1st to do so since 2022 when we had 7 boys in the Wangaratta Magpies teamMichael Newton (Captain), Fraser Ellis, Hunter Gottschling, DainePorter, LukeSaunders, Dainel Sharrock and JessieSmith. With that Premiership stripped on a Salary Cap breach, some contend the last legitimate Premiership was 2017, when we had a whopping 10 of the 22 - Newton (Captain), Ben Douthie (Vice Captain), Daniel Boyle, Brad Melville, Daine Porter, Josh Porter, Judd Porter, WillReilly, Sharrock and Smith.
Significant family history was made in the case of Marklew. With his father Rick in the last Rovers flag 30 years ago, one of his three (1988, 1993, 1994), and his grandfather Roly winning 2 (1971, 1972), they are our only Grandfather-Father-Son combinationinhistory.
Thereareonly3other Father-Sons tohavedoneit. Those are JoshPorter (Magpies - 2017) and father Chris (Rovers - 1977,1978,1979), Judd Porter (Magpies2007,2008,2017),brother Daine (Magpies 2007, 2008, 2017, 2022*) and their father Noel (Rovers 1978, 1979), and Jon McCormick (Magpies 2007,2008)andfather Ian (Magpies1976).
Therewasheartbreakwhen KyWilliamson missed selection for the match, as he and his dad Scott (Rovers 1988, 1993) would have joined that illustriousgroupofmen.
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TOM FORD + MILLY O’KANE MAKE HISTORY
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TOM FORD MAKES HISTORY
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ALL OF OUR 3RDS PREMIERSHIP PLAYERS
MILLY O’KANE MAKESHISTORY
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NETBALL HONOUR BOARDS
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6 ALUMNI WIN SENIOR FLAG
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5 ALUMNI WIN SENIOR FLAG
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SENIOR FOOTBALL HISTORY
CRICKET
INTERMEDIATE BOYS
Was a big day of Cricket on Wednesday 9th October for our Intermediate Boys team, who finishedRunner-Upatthe UpperHume carnival.
It's our best Cricket result since 2018, when Intermediate Boys blitzed Galen in the Semi-Final and then dominated CatholicCollegeWodonga in theFinaltobecome UpperHume Champions.
The same year, our Senior Boys did the same, led by FraserEllis who two years prior had played for the Australian Under 16 Cricket Team against Pakistan (and by the way played football for the Murray Bushrangers, and for a time held our 13 Boys 1500m AthleticsCarnival record).
Special thanks to Morgan Clark for coaching the team, Alex Johnson for stepping in to cover Morgan for one session, and Zelda Yeates for supporting as well. Morgan's terrific round-up of thedayisonthefollowingpage:
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‘A Glorious Day for Cricket’ CRICKET
Sport Coordinator JudMullins was about to dash the hopesoftheWangHighfaithfulandforfeitourmatch against WodongaSenior. It was already 9 o’clock and only half the team had fronted up to the bus interchange, leaving many scratching their heads and wondering ‘where to from here?’ Thankfully, with the late inclusions of a handful of year 8 and 9 students, we had a squad of 12 to take to the NorthWangaratta Rec Reserve for a tantalising fixture against our public-schoolcounterpartsfromtheborderregion.
In a fitting analogy for the cashless nature of today’s world, no one could find any physical currency to lend for the official coin toss. Captain Emilio Milankos-King instead won the ‘bat toss’ and instantly began rolling his arm over, indicating that he wanted to bowl first under clear skies. He took up position at first slip and threw the new ball to Jim Shepherd, hoping for an early breakthrough. Jim was miserly in his opening spell, emulating Aussie opener MitchStarc with his whipping left-arm action, giving the Wodonga batters very little to work with in both line and length. AarnavKalia bowled a tidy few overs also,unluckytonotsnareawicket.
LukaHildebrand struck in the fifth over, with a great in-swinger trapping the Wodonga opener stone cold Leg Before Wicket. Skelly Manning asked questions of the batters, forcing one to ‘chop on’ to his own stumps. A second wicket down and the excitement among the group was building. Bode Crawford was impressing many with his pace, and Jack Ford snagged himself a wicket, caught at mid-on by CooperLack.
Captain Emilio brought himself on to bowl right beforethedrinksbreak,channellingthespiritofculthero 90’s cricketer Colin ‘Funky’ Miller by switching betweenbowlingpaceandspinduringthesameover. He struck twice in his only over, including a brilliant caught-and-bowled. The boys had taken six wickets andwererightontop.
Year8student AndrewFraser bowled2oversof some of the nicest looking left-arm wrist spin I’ve ever seen on the field, netting himself a wicket. Some of his deliveries were nigh unplayable, leaving the opposition batters with littlechoiceotherthantohangthebatoutthere and hope for the best. After the final batter retired hurt, the innings was over and the challengeset:66runsrequiredforvictory.
Andrew Fraser and Jim Shepherd opened the batting together. The two left-handers rotated the strike early, getting their eye in. In typical left-hander fashion, both boys were unafraid of playingthehookshot,withmanyballsendingup near the deep fine-leg boundary. Wodonga even tried to put 3 fielders behind square on the legside, which is illegal in competitive cricket. With fewerthan10runstoget,Jimwascaughtbehind on 13, leaving Andrew and Thomas Fieldew to steer the ship home. We passed their score in thethirteenthover,with Andrew on30not-out.
The final was played against Cathedral College: An obviously well-drilled cricket team who pummelled their way to roughly 240 on a field with incredibly short boundaries. Our boys managed a team score of 52 in reply, with Oscar Benson finishingon20not-out.
The boys conducted themselves in outstanding fashion and should be proud of their efforts. Special thanks to Zelda Yeates for supporting and photographing, and Alex Johnson for substitutinginforme.
- MorganClark,Coach
TRACK & FIELD
HUME REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS
Proud of our 20 athletes who competed at theSchoolSportVictoria HumeRegion Track & Field Championships in Albury on Thursday 10th October, with 37 schools in attendance.
Our athletes won 22 medals in total - 5 Gold, 11 Silver and 6 Bronze. This haul is 8 more than our haul of 14 medals in 2023. A total of 6 athletes now progress to the State Track & Field Championships at Lakeside Stadium in MelbourneonMondayOctober21st.
Year 10 Merlin Tzaros clinched the 1500m and 3000m titles to make it 2 Gold on the day, joining other Gold Medalists in Year 7 Bella Boulton (400m), Year 9 James Chisholm (Discus) and Year 8 Leo Woodburne (Triple Jump). They, plus Year 7 Paige-Lee Dummett (2nd in 1500m) have all qualified for the State Championships. Boulton & Tzaros alsoplaced3rdintheir Age GroupChampion awards.
Boulton won her 400m 2.14 seconds clear of her Mansfield Secondary College rival, and ran .03 faster than her Upper Hume time a month ago. She also improved her times in the 100m (0.18 faster) and 200m (0.28 faster). She went home with 4 medals – the most of anyoneinourteam.
Woodburne won his Triple Jump by 26cm to his AlexandraSecondaryCollege runner-up, and jumped 15cm further than at Upper Hume. Chisholm wonhisDiscusby5.67from his Cobram Secondary College nemesis, and went79cmfurtherthan UpperHume.
Merlin, despite running slower than Upper Hume due to a knee complaint and not gunning for records at all, broke another alltime track record, this time the 3000m. Again,hehasanother2yearsinthateventas it’sOpenAge.
It’s the 4th record in 2 months for the 15 year old Team Vic State Triathlon Team Member & Australian Top 13 Triathlete, after breaking 2 at Upper Hume level in September (1500m, 3000m), and our school’s 1500m markinAugust.
Merlin isnowoneof7studentsinourschool’shistoryto hold a Hume Region Track & Field record. The most recentother,is NickMacGibbon whose200mrecordset in 2010 still stands. The only other from this century, is Keiran Boal’s 800m record from 2006. Michelle Kneebone (1995, Triple Jump), Bree Spasojevic (1994, 400m), DebbieMcLaughlin (LongJumpin1991and1992), and Gayle Parrott (1988 200m, 1989 100m) are the others.
Interestingly, McLaughlin lost one her records on the day – Galen’s BellaPasquali broke her 32 year old 200m record from 1992, by .71 of a second. MacGibbon was lucky to hold on to his too – Galen’s Callum Bott went within.30ofasecondofsnatchingit.
Tom Ford collected two Silver Medals, but we believe washarddonebyinhisTripleTripleJump,wherealikely recording error shocked all competitors (including the announced winner) when another boy was given the Gold by 8cm. Ford had jumped 25cm further than his jump at Upper Hume. Despite Newmo lodging an extended protest on Tom’s behalf, it couldn’t be overturned. These things can happen in Sport and life unfortunately, and Tom, to no surprise to anyone who knows him, handled the situation in an incredibly mature,humblemanner.
The Ford family by the way had a massive day out, claiming5medalsandverylikelybeingthebestgroupof siblings at the event. Tom won two Silvers, Jack one Silver,and Kaity aSilverandBronze.
Thanks to all students who represented us on a terrific day.Youagainwereultimateambassadorsforourschool andmakingapositiveimpressiononeveryonethere.
Thanks to Sandy “Newmo” Newman for accompanying usonthedayaswell.
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Wangaratta High School
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VOLLEYBALL
YEAR 8
Was another big day of Interschool Sport on Monday 14th October, with 18 of our highly talented Year 8s competing in the Upper Hume Volleyball tournament attheWodongaSports&LeisureCentre.
Our Boys finished top of their pool, beating the usual Sport juggernaut Catholic College Wodonga (3 sets to 1), and Wodonga Middle Years College (3-0) to make the Final against Victory Lutheran College, who were Top8inthe State in2023.
IntheFinal,the1sttwosetswentdowntothewire(1820, 18-20) before Victory closed it out in the 3rd set, leaving our boys Upper Hume Runners-Up but, it's reasonable to say, just a matter of points aways from being StateFinals standard.
A number of staff from other schools complimented our boys on their skills and game play - and this after justjustaweekoftrainingatbreaks.Webelievethatin future, especially once the Wangaratta WSAC Courts are completed and the local Volleyball league is brought back giving our kids more experience (like the Wodonga kids have access to), we could have some State-levelVolleyballteamsinourmidstagain.
Wehad16boystryoutfortheteamover2 days in our Sport Centre, and such as is our depth at that age group, we could have fielded a 2nd team that would have beencompetitiveaswell.
BESTBOYS -ClarenceLampa,ZachWills, LeoWoodburne,HughSpring.
The Girls played well also, winning two of their 8 sets across the day, with many of thelosingsetscloseencounters.
BESTGIRLS -KaityFord,TaylahWyatt.
Thanks to all of our players for another excellentdisplayintheSportingarena.
Special thank you to coaches Sandy "Newmo"Newman and AshClayton.
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CLAY SHOOTING
40TH ANNUAL BENALLA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Six of our shooters (Anthony Chisholm, James Chisholm, Ned James, Emma Jory and Leah Jory)onMonday14thOctobercompetedinthe 40thAnnualBenallaClayTargetChampionships inthe ReefHillsStatePark inBenalla,withover 100shootersfromacrossVictoria.
Congratulations especially to Year 10 Emma Jory who was our standout, winning the Runner-Up trophy in her division, and adding tothetrophieswewonatlastyear’sevent.
Thank you to our shooters, the organisers & volunteers at Benalla Field and Game for hosting the event, and our parents (Scott & Kirsty James, Darren Shepherd, and Brett & Nicki Jory) who were there to support our teamaswell.
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TRACK & FIELD
SSV STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Merlin Tzaros & James Chisholm won medals at yesterday’s School Sport Victoria State Track & Field Championships atLakesideStadium.
Year 10 Tzaros clinched Silver in the Open 3000m, running 9:10.64 to finish less than 2 seconds from Gold. It’s his 2nd State Silver Medal, to go along with his 3000m Cross Country effort in 2022. He’s only been able to compete at State twice out a possible 8 (duetoLockdowns,injury,illness)-andhe’s2for2.
The TeamVic Triathlon StateTeammemberandTop 13 in Australia Triathlete, is now 21st on our AllTime MedalTally -updatedlistspicturedhere.
Year9 JamesChisholm gotBronzeinhisDiscuswith a throw of 43.20m. Not bad for a kid who has never done Little Athletics and relies on raw power and naturaltalent.
Chisholm's medal was the 142nd State Medal won by a W.H.S student in history, and he became our 75th medalistever.
Chisholm's addition to the Bronze Medal list puts him in elite company. Our last State Bronze medalist was Tristian Fletcher-Blake, who as a Year 7 won two in the one day in 2018 (Javelin and Triple Jump). Prior to that, it was Alice Townsend in the 2017 High Jump as a Year 10. One of the greatest all round talents our school has ever seen, she is one of only 4 ever to win Athletics Carnival Age Group Champion all 6 years of her schooling. She also sang at Talent Quests,andinYear12,wasDuxwithanATARof98.2. ShenowstudiesMedicine.
In other results, Bella Boulton got 4th in her 400m, LeoWoodburne 6thinhis TripleJump, Merlin 6thin the 1500m, and Paige-Lee Dummett 16th in her 1500m.
Boulton incredibly ran over 2 seconds faster than in AlburyachievingaPersonalBesttime,andwasfaster by .10 of a second than legendary 18-time State Medalist Bree Spasojevic at the same age and who won400mSilverthatyear(1992).
Boulton was a whisker away from a medal which wouldhavemadeherfamilytheonlyTripleThreat ever on our Medal Board. Her dad Jason won a Bronze in the 4x100m Relay as a Year 8, and her brother Jack 2x Gold (200m and 400m) in Year 12 in 2022. The only other family with 2 are the legendary Jenkin father-daughter combinationfather Paul (Shot Put 1985 Silver) and his daughter Kate (2x Shot Put 2009-2010 Silver). There is a solid chance Bella will make it the Triple Threat sometimeinthenext5years.
There is another great story of genetics here too. Paige-Lee Dummett's mum Nicky, ran in an Australian Relay team at the Pan Pacific Games as a 14 year old as one of the fastest 4 girls in Australia. One of the other girls in that Relay Team? Future Olympic 400m Gold Medalist and all-time Australian Sporting legend, Cathy Freeman.
Have also just come across information that tells us Shawn Dennis, 400m State Gold Medalist in 1983, went on to play a long career in the NBL (National Basketball League) for the Newcastle Falcons. He then was NBL Coach Of The Year in 2016 when coaching the Townsville Crocodiles. Before his NBL career, he'd also spent time at the North Melbourne Under 19s in the AFL. You might recall he is one of only 3 to ever set 3 records in the 100-200-400 "Triple Crown" on the same day at our Athletics Carnival (Gayle Parrot and Bella Boulton aretheonlyother2).Dennisdiditin1985 as a Year 12, and for good measure also broke the Triple & High Jump records that carnival. More on him another time. When we start creating soon our W.H.S Sport Hall Of Fame, Dennis will be one ofthe1stinducted.
Thank you to these 5 outstanding athletes and young people for competing, and their parents for taking them down on a huge day. It’s a monumental effort to make this event. With over 250,000 secondary students, and 300+ schools in Victoria.
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We love honouring our past Sporting legends, and herewepresentourAllTimeStateMedalishonour boards.
Wealsolookbackatthe1994team,which30years agotothisday,wontheprestigious"ColgateCup", asthe#1schoolinVictoriaattheevent.
Daniel Boyle sits atop our All Time Gold Medal tally as our greatest ever - 6 individual Gold in the 100m and 200m sprints, 3 Silver, plus 2 Relay Gold to make it 8 Gold total. He recalls his major rival each year who managed to pip him at the line a couple of times - future AFL star Patrick Dangerfield. "Boyley" himself was drafted to AFL clubPortAdelaide.
Bree Spasojevic and Debbie McLaughlin sit 2nd with 5 Gold each. McLaughlin's Long Jump of 5.96m in 1992 incredibly is “still” the all time State record, 32 years later. It’s our only State record stillstanding.
Spasojevic,stilla9-time(mostever)recordholder at our school AthleticsCarnival, has 9 Silver, and 2 Bronze in her collection - her 16 individual medals makeherclearlyourgreatesteverintermsoftotal medals- Boyle isnextwith9.
Gayle Parrott (3), Kieran Boal (2), Sherwin Sapiendente (2) and Michael Bertalli (2) are our otherswithmultipleStateindividualGold.
Jack Boulton of course won other Gold Medals prior to coming to us. He has an extraordinary 15 Gold - and that was despite missing his Year 10 and 11 years due to Lockdowns. He would otherwiselikelyhave20+.Hewon5GoodinYear7 (100m, 200m, 400m, Long & Triple). At Year 8, he not only won 4, but also set 4 records in the one day, which all still stand. His current tallies of 7 State records, and 15 State Gold Medals, are both themostofanyathleteinhistory,Victoria-wide.
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TENNIS
JUNIORS PLAY ON GRASS
19 of our best Year 7 and 8s performed well at the Upper Hume Tennis carnival last Friday 25th October, at Wangaratta's picturesque Merriwa ParkLawnTennisClub.
All 4 of our teams finished in an admirable 3rd place, on a day where Wodonga teams were championsinall4competitions.
Our Year 7 Girls (Amelia Booth, Paige-Lee Dummett, Willow Norris and Mia Simpson) clinched a big victory against crosstown rivals Galen Catholic College, while the Year 7 Boys (Noah Anderson, Bailey Bridgfoot, Henry Lloyd, Mason Skermer, Teo Valle, Jack Vincent and LoganWilson)drewwith Galen (2-2).
In the Year 8 category, our Girls (Kaity Ford, Inanay Gilson, Ruby O'Kane and Taylah Wyatt) had a dominant win over Victory Lutheran College Wodonga (3 sets to 1), and our Boys (Lachlan Downing, Andrew Fraser, Clarence Lampa and Hugh Spring) defeated the usual Powerhouse CatholicCollegeWodonga (also3-1).
Thankstoallplayersforrepresentingtheschoolin a terrific manner again. There were many days of Tryouts, with both inside and outside at Lunchtimes. Thanks to the many that assisted on the day as Ball Boys, Ball Girls, scorers and photographers (the action shots seen below are all student-snapped).
A great experience overall - a number of our players had never hit a Tennis ball on grass courts before.
Big thank you to coach Sheri Parkhouse, and Sandy"Newmo"Newman forconveningtheday.
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TEN PIN BOWLING
HUME REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS
Our Year 11 Boys Ten Pin Bowling team are the very 1st Hume Region Champions in history, after dominating opponents from Wangaratta and Shepparton on Friday 1st November at Wangaratta SupaBowl.
The foursome (Jye Laxton, Tom Ford, Jack Lockhart and Wirra Gilson) over the course of 2 games amassed 950 points, to win the title easily from one of our own Year 9 Boys teams (Brodie Walters, James Chisholm, Brady Fischer and Kayden Vozlic) whofinished61pointsback,with889.
Bothteamsnowprogresstothe StateChampionships on Friday 6th December in Melbourne, where they will aim to be our first State Champion team in any sport, in almost 2 decades (we believe that was our 2005 Year7Football team,19yearsago).
Inthevery1styear SchoolSportVictoria haseverran a Ten Pin Bowling competition, we had a staggering 9 teams entered, totalling 36 players across all year levels.
Individually, Jye Laxton was by far the Top Gun of our 36 bowlers. He scored 160 in his 1st game, then 167 in his second, totalling 327 - the only bowler to hit the 300 mark. His teammate Tom Ford was next best(133+135=268).ThetwoYear11all-roundguns carriedtheirteamtothevictory.
The3rdbestindividualwas BrodieWalters (123+112 = 235), whose Runner-Up team of Year 9 Boys were themostconstistent,boasting3oftheTop6players, and all four in the Top 10. James Chisholm (84 + 140 = 224) was ranked 7th, BradyFischer (120 + 99 = 219) was8th,and KaydenVozlic (106+105=219)10th.
There were many players outside the Top 2 teams with Top Notch scores. Year 10 Emilio MiliankosKing was 4th (104 + 128 = 232), but his team's total of 776 (our 3rd best team) was 103 points shy of the Year9Boys,and169shortoftheYear11s.
Generallyitwastheolder,strongerbowlersthat dominated, however some bucked that trend, including Year 7 Teo Valle who was our 5th best overall. The talented all-round Sportsman and Academic scored 228 (95 + 133). Year 8 Hugh Spring wasanother(110+104=214),ranking9th, whileYear9 NedJames (128+98=226)was6th.
Of those outside the Top 10, Sam Morey (107 + 102 = 209), Merlin Tzaros (116 + 86 = 202) and Zach Wills (58 + 144 = 202) were the others to break 200. Year 8 Wills’ score of 144 in his 2nd game, was the 3rd best game of the day, with only Laxton betteringit.
Of the girls, Year 8 Inanay Gilson was the best, and the only one to break 100 in a game. She scored 168 (63 + 105), while her Merriwa mates andfellowYear8s KaityFord (68+88=156)and RubyBurns (59+86=145)werethe2ndand3rd best.
Thanks to all bowlers for your participation, and thank you to Dale Unwin for coaching on the day.
To the 8 boys hitting the Hume Highway at 7:00am next Friday en route to WynCity Keon Park in Thomastown for the State Finals, good luckbringingushomesomesilverware.
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HUME REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS
TEN PIN BOWLING
HUME REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS
REP SOCCER
ISABELLE CHRISTISON MAKES UNDER 16 TEAM
Congratulations to Year 9 Isabelle Christison, who has been selected to the elite Albury-Wodonga Football Association Under16Girlsrepresentativeteamfor2025.
The 15-year old WangarattaCityFC player and our 2023 Athletics Age Group Champion, is one of 17 girls picked fromthe12teamsintheleague,whowillplayinthe 2025 CLFAVictorianCountryChampionships.
It’s an impressive achievement for Isabelle, as she missed the entire 2024 Soccer season due to living most of the year in Canada, where she and sister Claire both played in Provincial (State) Championships playing for the NelsonSelectsin BritishColumbia.
Isabelle will hope to follow the lead of our 3 Rep players of 2024, who won titles at the Country Championships in Mildura in JuneYear 8s Inanay Gilson and Ruby O’Kane (Under 14 Girls), and Year 10 Emilio Miliankos-King (Under 16 Boys).
There must be something in the water up in Whitfield. All of these kids went to Whitfield District PrimarySchooltogether!
MERLIN TZAROS
WINS JUNIOR PRO TRIATHLON IN CANBERRA
Congratulations to Year 10 Merlin Tzaros who on Sunday 17th November won the Super Sprint Junior Pro Triathlon, part of the Challenge Canberra nationaleventintheA.C.T.
The race consisted of a 750m swim in Lake Burley Griffin, a 20km bike leg, and a 5km run around CommonwealthPark
The Team Victoria State Team member in both Triathlon and Cross Country, had the fastest run leg in the race, and despite being bottom age as a 15-year old in the 16-19 age group, won in a field of 22 competitorsfromallaroundAustralia.
Well done again Merlin. We’re all proud of you and inspiredbyyou
MERLIN TZAROS
WINS JUNIOR PRO TRIATHLON IN CANBERRA
MERLIN TZAROS
MERLIN TZAROS
MERLIN TZAROS
WINS JUNIOR PRO TRIATHLON IN CANBERRA
MATILDA TAYLOR
STATE NETBALL TALENT ACADEMY, AGAIN
Congratulations to Year 10 Matilda Taylor who has been selected in the 2025 Netball Victoria Talent Academy.
The 15-year old Moyhu Football Netball Club player is one of 173 girls aged 14-16 across Victoria identified for the development program, among 31 girls from the North East region, and just 3 from Wangaratta.
This will actually be her 2nd year in the program, having been selected as a 14-year old bottom ager this time last year, along with Year 9 MillyO’Kane.
Milly went on to be selected in the Under 17 State Squad (currently a squad of 25 training for the 2025 National Championships), and we wish Matilda luck on that same pathway for the 2026 Stateteam.
TEN PIN BOWLING
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Our Year 11 Boys are the 2nd best Ten Pin Bowling team in Victoria, after clinching the Runners-Up trophy at the State Championships on Friday 6th December, at the WynCity Keon Park Bowling complexinThomastown.
In a field of 11 teams from places including Elwood, Frankston, Wyndham, Manor Lakes, Warragul, Traralgon and the Mornington Peninsula, the boys (Tom Ford, Wirra Gilson, Jye Laxton and Jack Lockhart) amassed 1,022 points across 2 games (72 more than their Hume Region score), to fall just 69 points short of the 1,099 scored by SEDa College (Traralgon campus)intheadjacentlane.
The lads were in the mix all day, and at the half way point with 1 game completed, they sat just 4 points off thelead. SEDa College ledon532,incrediblyjust one point ahead of Warragul Regional College (531), with uson528.
At this stage JyeLaxton (156) was the 2nd top scorer ofthe44bowlersinthecomp,while JamesChisholm (143), who crushed a strike with his very 1st bowl of the day and then carried on, had the 3rd top score. His Year9 teamsatin4thon445points.
Laxton had been the prime bowler for most of that 1st game, until one of the SEDa players for her eyein andovertookhimwitha DoubleStrike inherlastplay of the game. His teammates were all solid too - Ford (128), Lockhart (127) and Gilson (117) all comfortably breakingthe100.
With a thrilling finish still likely for most of the 2nd, things changed in the final few plays. Warragul RC faltered, going for just 429 - 102 fewer than their 1st game.Theirtotalof960gavethem3rdplace.
Our Year 9 team remained consistent, following up their 445 with 444, for a total of 889 to finish in 5th overall. The dominant Chisholm couldn’t match his Game 1 heroics, scoring 48 less for a score of 95. However Fischer (124) and Walters (130) lifted, improvingby16and27respectively.
Our Year 11 boys, with the State Title in their grasp and the pressure on, saw improvement from Ford (144 up from 128) and Lockhart (137 up from 127). However Laxton found his pins somehow not dropping as they had priorscoring 113 in Game 2 compared to his 156 in Game 1. With all 4 of them breaking the 100 again, they amassed a respectable 494, but that was34shyoftheirGame1tallyof528.
In contrast, there was SEDa College in the lane beside. All of a sudden, their Golgen Girl, Zoe, who we found out had grown up at a Bowling Alley (her mum managed one for years, and was actuallyrunningthisevent)andhadbeenbowling since she was 10 years old, started getting a flurryofstrikes.Herspinningtechnique,withher bowl curling viciously into the middle pin at the last minute like a Heatseaker, was something to behold, and everyone in the venue was drawn to watch her display. She scored 222 in Game 2 alone, and carried her team to a score of 559 (an improvement of 37 on their 532 of Game 1) and theTitle.
Our boys were thrilled to have draped over their necks a Silver Medal each by officials from both School Sport Victoria and Ten Pin Bowling Australia, aswellasatrophyfortheschool.
It must be said, that without that wonderfully talented girl from SEDa, our boys would have been State Champions, and our 1st in any tram sport since 2005, 19 years ago (when we had 5 teams win State - 7 Boys Football, 7 Girls Squash, 7 Boys Squash, Intermediate Boys Baseball, and SeniorGirls Squash).
They can proudly boast though of being just our 2nd team to achieve State Runner-Up in 10 years. The last was our 16 Girls Cross Country team in 2019, and prior, our 2014 Senior Girls Netball team, led by the likes of dual A Grade O&M Premiership players for Wangaratta Magpies, ChayeCrimmins and HannahGrady. In anyone’s language,thatissomeachievement.
TEN PIN BOWLING
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
TEN PIN BOWLING
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
TEN PIN BOWLING
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
TEN PIN BOWLING
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
TEN PIN BOWLING
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
TEN PIN BOWLING
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
TEN PIN BOWLING
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
