After a picture-perfect week, Friday morning welcomed us to a forecast of showers. A few showers would be ok, surely. However, these were perhaps the most relentless showers in Sydney and by 8am we made the difficult decision to persevere whilst offering students the option of staying home if needed. To our surprise, over 40% of the student population not only attended, but also participated, cheered and embraced the terrible weather at Rotary Oval.

Freezing, damp and gloomy conditions greeted the students but there was no time for misery as the Tug of War competition kicked off with some serious strength. This new event ignited student spirit and foreshadowed a day of considerable positivity from both staff and students. McAuley and Stormanston battled it out in the final with the girls in green winning the first event of the day.

Thankfully the 3000m, 1500m, triple jump and discus had been held prior to the carnival as this allowed for some track events to proceed as the ground was still capable of light traffic in the wet. In the first event for the day, over 100 students lined up for the 100m sprint and incredibly, 4 records were broken/equaled. Maybe it was the freezing temperatures or the thought of finishing the carnival that fired girls up, but regardless, the 100m times were impressive.

With limited numbers, the field events were completed swiftly and students had the opportunity to participate in the Iron Woman Event, a combination of skill, fitness and silliness. Olivia Hester secured first place in this event which is a testament to her commitment to the College.

Speaking of commitment, I cannot thank all students and staff enough for their willingness to persist and make the most of a very tough day. I was inspired by the positivity that radiated from all members of the College community and I am truly grateful to all those who made the most of a challenging situation. As they say, you cannot have rainbows without the rain so thank you to all those who chose to make rainbows during our athletics carnival.

So, although only showers were predicted, there was certainly a Storm warning sent out from the competitors in red. Winning both the track and field events comfortably, Stormanston wrapped up the athletics and swimming carnival double for the first time in many years. Congratulations to all athletes and participants for a very memorable day.

Champion House: Stormanston

Champion Athlete: Ella Dunstan (99 points including 5 First places)

Records: Annalise Cottrell (12 years 100m), Ava Mitchell (equal 14 years 100m), Isabella Bonaccorso (equal 15 years 100m) + Sophie Ross (equal 17 years 100m)

Age Champions