Sport
As everyone knows the weather has had a major impact on sport in the Macleay Valley and surrounding areas over the past two weeks. Sport at St Paul’s has faced the same hurdles as the rest of the community with internal sport confined to the Hangar and the Mercy Centre. Soccer is the only sport that has been able to utilize artificial playing surfaces in Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour and our Bill Turner Cup and Trophy teams have made two trips to Port Macquarie with mixed results.
Let’s hope that the weather improves and many of the external sporting opportunities listed below can be completed throughout the coming fortnight.
NSWCCC Football (Soccer)
Congratulations to St Paul's students, Emma Dowdle, Tylah Rixon and Chelsea Stringer, who represented the Lismore Diocese at the NSWCCC Football (Soccer) Open Girls competition held in Sydney last week. We are very proud of your achievements in this high level of competition! Thank you to Ms Shannon Thomas (Team Manager) for her support of the team and accompanying the students.
Bill Turner Cup and Trophy
On Friday 30 May, St Paul's boys team played MacKillop College on the hockey field artificial surface at Port Macquarie. The goals were the small hockey goals, so goals were hard to come by. Added to this, MacKillop College are our traditional rivals and there’s nothing better than beating them. In the first half, MacKillop College dominated the game, as their number ten player was shredding our midfield. At half time we altered our formation and sat one of our players on him to not let him move. St Paul’s then dominated the second half. At the end of ordinary time the score was still locked at 0-0 despite both sides having chances on goal. In extra time the game was end to end. Unfortunately, a defensive mix up by us let in a soft goal that ended the game. Despite this, the boys can hold their heads up high as they did themselves proud and represented the College well. The referee commented that we were extremely unlucky not to progress. The boys can be commended for their excellent team spirit. We are now looking towards next year, when the boys will form the basis of the Year 7 -10 team, and hope to go at least one better.
Mr Conrad Tamblyn - Coach
Our Bill Turner Trophy (Girls) soccer team faced a tough challenge last Friday, suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to St Columba in a fiercely contested match. Despite a determined performance and showing great spirit on the field, our team was unable to find the back of the net. St Columba managed to secure the decisive goal, ultimately clinching the victory. The team displayed excellent teamwork and resilience throughout the game, and while the result was not what we hoped for, their effort and sportsmanship throughout the Bill Turner competition was commendable.
Lismore Diocese Junior Soccer Gala Day
Sixteen Year 7-10 boys travelled to Coffs Harbour on Wednesday 4 June for the Junior Soccer Gala Day. St Paul's competed against other teams from the region, to see who would progress to the next round. The team didn’t have much preparation due to the flood, however they played like legends, with resilience and determination. The first game against St Joseph's Regional College was very tight with St Joseph's taking the win at the end. The team then played St John Paul College, Coffs Harbour, who won 3-0. In the final game the team played MacKillop College in another tight game. Wolfe Hudson scored a cracker of a goal but we went down 2-1. MacKillop College were successful to progress to the next level. There is a great deal of football development taking place in the Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour regions, beyond the club level, relative to Kempsey, so it is a significant achievement for the St Paul's boys team to play so well. It was a pleasure to coach such a fine group of young men. We also congratulate the Year 7-9 girls team whom we supported. They played some great football and were fine ambassadors for the College.
Mr Conrad Tamblyn - Coach
Diocesan Cross Country
St Paul’s had a highly successful day at the Lismore Diocesan Cross Country Championships in Woolgoolga yesterday, where the College was represented by a team of 25 students. The weather was magnificent and so were our athletes, three of whom won their age division.
All the students listed above now have the opportunity to represent the Lismore Diocese at the NSW Combined Catholic Colleges Cross Country Championship. These championships will be held next Wednesday 11 June at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre. Good luck to all students who enter this event, you will be great ambassadors for St Paul’s College and the Lismore Diocese. A big thanks also to Mr Peter Hill and Ms Shannon Thomas who supervised the students for this excursion.
Upcoming Events:
- NRL Country Cup Boys Gala Day - Wednesday 11 June
- Lismore Diocese Senior Soccer Gala Day - Thursday 12 June
- AFL Junior (Years 7 - 9) Schools Cup - Friday 13 June
- NRL Country Cup Girls Gala Day - Rescheduled for Wednesday 18 June
- NRL Cochrane Cup Gala Day - Rescheduled for Tuesday 24 June
Mr Leon Robinson - Teacher and Sports Coordinator