NSW Schools Challenge: Pymble Ladies and Trinity Grammar take the honours

19 October 2023

NSW Schools Challenge: Pymble Ladies and Trinity Grammar take the honours

The 2023 Schools Challenge, held at Homebush last evening, was another thrilling night of close school-teams competition with the result in four divisions going down to the wire, and only being decided on the result of the last event - the relay.

In the three boys divisions, Trinity Grammar and Knox Grammar were locked in see-sawing battles throughout the day. Trinity would win two divisions by a single point, but lose the third by three points to Knox.

Similarly in the girls divisions, Pymble Ladies College claimed two titles, but were challenged throughout by Meriden College, winners of the senior girls, and MLC Burwood and Endeavour Sports High.

First and second places in each division progress to the National Schools Knockout in Perth in December. Some third placed team will also be able to compete in the National final.

SENIOR GIRLS

Runners up last year, Meriden School went one better this year and were only outscored in one of the nine events. They were led by their nationally ranked star athletes Ada Rand, Ellen Murphy, Katrina Bell, Bronte Locane and Alexandra Richards. Bronte and Ellen led home a 1-2 in the 400m, while Ada won the 1500m and anchored the relay to gold. An allrounder like Karina Bell is very valuable in this competition and she delivered wins in the high jump (1.50m) and javelin (39.34m) and was third in the shot (11.71m).

In second, 15 points behind the winners, were Pymble Ladies College. Gabby Taylor claimed a sprint double in times of 12.20 and 24.66 ahead of running the 400m leg in the relay. The talented Rhedyn Wong was locked in a close battle in the javelin, finishing second with a throw of 39.02m.

SCORES: 1 Meriden School 106pts, 2 Pymble Ladies College 91, 3 Presbyterian Ladies College 80, 4 Ravenswood School For Girls 73

INTERMEDIATE GIRLS

The Intermediate Girls was a thrilling battle between Pymble Ladies College, the defending champions, Endeavour Sports High and Meriden School. Endeavour won the last two track events, 200m by 2 points and the relay by 1 point, but it would be insufficient to overhaul Pymble Ladies College. In the end Pymble won by 3.5 points with Meriden just 7 points behind in third.

Pymble were served well by leading NSW athletes Sami Bond, Grace Townsend, Sarah Baker and shot putter Grace Peters. While heptathlete Sarah Lovell won the javelin throw with 36.09m.

Endeavour’s team of just five included National champions Ivy Boothroyd and Tammin Lampret, national level hurdler Neve Jenkins and Paralympic Games prospect Telaya Blacksmith. Boothroyd clocked 56.98 and 2:12.54 for an impressive 400/800 double.

Running with her arm in a cast, National 1500m and 3000m champion Claudia Meaker, competed in the 400m and 800m (2:16.10), while the emerging Rekha Levine won the long jump with a leap of 5.31m. Caitlin Yeoh nailed a throw of 35.37m in the javelin for second place.

SCORES: 1 Pymble Ladies College 139.5, 2 Endeavour Sports High School 136, 3 Meriden School 129

JUNIOR GIRLS

Led by individual National champions, Eliza Lawton and Tilly Harrison, Pymble Ladies College were going to be tough to beat. But they had to overcome 14 other teams to win, which they did comfortably, defeating Meriden School 257 points to 229. Meriden were themselves locked in a battle for second, from a surprising performance from another Strathfield-based school, MLC. In fourth place were current Australian Schools Knockout junior champions, Stella Maris College.

Pymble’s Tilly Harrison clocked 12.53 and 25.57 to win the sprint double, while Eliza Lawton won the 800m by six seconds with a time of 2:15.11. Meriden’s standout performance was produced by Olivia Achike with a leap of 5.35m to win the long jump.

For MLC School, their NSW All Schools 12-years 800m champion, Ruth Costello, was just a second outside her State title winning time, clocking 2:23.64. But the key for the small six-person MLC School team was an all-round performance scoring well in all the events. Their lineup included two distance runners, twins Ruth and Darcey Costello (who both ran the 800m) and four other athletes who covered the 100m, 200m, long jump, shot, javelin and relay. It included Eve Ireland who competed in the throws and relay.

SCORES: 1 Pymble Ladies College A 257, 2 Meriden School A 229 3 MLC School 225, 4 Stella Marris College A 192

SENIOR BOYS

Trinity Grammar and Knox Grammar were equal going into the final event, the relay, which comprised two 200m legs, a 400m and 800m. Knox had an advantage winning all the sprints, led by National silver medallist Lachlan Herbert, but Trinity had taken the 1500m through Jack Waide and had Michael King as a special talent for the relay.

But Trinity would take the relay and win the division by just one point.

Defending champions, Trinity, were also boosted by some amazing shot putting. Ben Stevens reached 19.34m, to defeat Australian under-16 record holder Amosia Soatini who putt 18.34m.

SCORES: 1 Trinity Grammar School A 80, 2 Knox Grammar School 79, 3 Innaburra School 51, 4 Trinity Grammar School B 49

INTERMEDIATE BOYS

Another terrific battle in the Intermediate boys division again between Knox Grammar and Trinity Grammar from a strong field of 12 entries. Going into the last event, Knox led by 2 points, and secured the win, by just 3 points, by taking the relay ahead of Trinity. Notably the 3 point winning margin, was the same as last year, but on that occasion it was Trinity taking the honours.

Owning the track events and long jump were the key for Knox Grammar with an impressive all-round performance. There were some big competition programs from the athletes, including Reilly Caswell competing in the 200m, 400m, long jump and running the 400m leg on the relay.

Trinity were served well by two National level athletes, winning their events. Mason McGroder, who recent reached seven metres in the long jump, took the event by nearly a metre, with a comfortable leap of 6.62m. It was a busy program for Mason, also running on the relay and in the sprints. In the shot put, Trinity secured a 1-2 finish, with Jozef Cluff (16.74m) winning from Cameron van der Goot (15.32m).

SCORES: 1 Knox Grammar School A 253, 2 Trinity Grammar School A 250, 3 Barker College 226, 4 St Aloysius College A 204

JUNIOR BOYS

Unlike last year, when Trinity Grammar were comfortable winners, this year just one point separated Trinity Grammar and Knox Grammar. The lead see-sawed throughout the competition, but going into the last event, they were on equal points. In the last event, the relay, Trinity would defeat Knox and secure the title by one point 157 to 156.

Best of the meet for Trinity was Jonathan Karamanlidis, winning the 200m in 23.90 and also competing in the 100m and running a leg on the relay. Knox’s Darin Yap was in sparking form exceeding his NSW All Schools long jump winning distance of 5.71m, with his two valid leaps of 5.75m and 5.89m.

SCORES: 1 Trinity Grammar School A 157, 2 Knox Grammar School A 156, 3 Barker College 129, 4 Trinity Grammar School B 128

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Pymble Ladies College athletes (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)