St Joseph’s Nudgee College today won back the Junior GPS Track and Field Championship title
St Joseph’s Nudgee College today won back the Junior GPS Track and Field Championship title.
West
Don't miss out on the headlines from West . Followed categories will be added to My News.
St Joseph’s Nudgee College today won back the Junior GPS Track and Field Championship title held at the college.
Nudgee defeated the 2018 titleholders, Anglican Church Grammar School, after accumulating 678.50 points from Churchie’s 628.
The trailing schools were Ipswich Grammar School (588.50), The Southport School (519), Brisbane Grammar School (455.50), Brisbane Boys College (436.50), St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace (417), Toowoomba Grammar School (342) and Brisbane State High School. (127).
Nudgee College Director of Activities Anthony Connellan said: “At Nudgee we have spent a lot of time and effort encouraging boys to participate.
“We are very strong in track and field because of our numbers and depth.
“Our participation is a really big focus for us.
“But we like to think we have a high performance program that allows boys to perform at a higher level if they are prepared to put in the work and have a go.
$1 A WEEK FOR THE FIRST 8 WEEKS. Min. cost $4
“We had 40 boys who competed today, but another 40 who trained really hard and did the season going to all the Friday night meets.
“It is more than just winning and high performance, it is about everyone getting in and having a go.
“But we certainly want to provide that high performance avenue as well.’’
Connellan said the college was delighted to host the carnival for the first time.
“It has worked really well. The track is first class and it has been a real carnival event because the kids have been able to get a bit closer to the action.
“From our end we have been really happy.
“Whether it happens again next year, I am not sure, but it is a good back-up option.’’
When the action started, Churchie flew out block early to win seven of eight events and dominate the hurdles, with Liam Stieper, hurdles newcomer James Sterling, Oliver Cram and Hayden Smith leading the charge.
But amid the Nudgee-Churchie too and fro, Ipswich Grammar came through with the school’s surge spearheaded by James Grey.
After claiming a GPS field record in the 11 years shot put, Grey was unleashed on the track where he won the 60m hurdles, the 200m, the 100m and late in the day anchored IGS in the 4x100m relay.
It was a continuation of a rich vein of form by Grey who this month was second in the 100m and 200m events at the Queensland All Schools.
A representative league player from the Springfield Panthers, he burst onto the athletic stage last year when he was third in the 200m at the nationals and fifth in the 100m.
Records were also secured by Churchie’s Darcy Rees-Smith (Div 1, 100m and 200m, 10 years), Leo Llewellyn (11 years long jump, TSS), Alex Cameron (BBC, 200m 10 years Div 1) and Saxon Schaffer (Div 2, 200m 12 years).
Schaffer’s emergence was remarkable.
He is an outstanding swimmer with the Elements Swim Club at Coorparoo, and his swimming commitments restrict his athletic training.
But you would never have known that as Schaffer claimed the GPS 200m record from Div 2.
Schaffer, a 50m freestyle national champion in the pool, also won the Div 2 200m for Brisbane State High School.
Llewellyn was a two-time winner on the day, adding his record breaking long jump effort to his 800m run.
Cameron from BBC was magnificent in the 800m when he ran himself into the record books by a remarkable five seconds.
The youngster, who originated from the renowned running school of Lizel Moore in Brisbane’s western suburbs, was also a winner in the 200m and was third in the long jump.
Another BBC boy, Cooper Beachy-Head, won his 800m 12 years event despite straining his hamstring just seven days earlier while playing cricket.
Beachy-Head was fielding when he over stretched saving a boundary.
The cricket all-rounder with UQ and a Met West representative worked to recover in time to not only take his place at the GPS track and field meet, but win his race.
Last year he represented in track and field at the Pacific School Games.
Nudgee and Churchie went head to head in the early 100m races, before IGS surged again through the winning efforts of Grey again, Hemi Rakuita and Finn Kendall.
Findlay Jones then restored order for Nudgee with a win in the 100m Div 3 12 years while Gregory Terrace sprinter Sam Russell won the coveted 100m 12 years Div 1.
Like Schaffer, Russell is not a traditional sprinter.
He runs fast playing rugby at Terrace or touch football at Brothers Rugby, but the Ascot State School past student has not come through a sprinting background.
In the relays Nudgee finished second (10 years), then first (11 years Div 2) and third (11 years Div 1) to keep points ticking over for the college.
Brisbane Boys Grammar stormed to victory in the 12 Div 2 relay, but was Nudgee, who won Div 1 to close out competition.
Colts 1 club rugby: Easts, Souths snare crucial wins nearing finals
Colts 1 club rugby: Easts and Souths have snared crucial wins ahead of the finals while Wests warmed its engines with an eight-try barrage against GPS. More here on how round 16 unfolded.
GPS First XV rugby: Boilover on the Village Green; BBC win thriller
GPS First XV rugby featured a mid-winter boilover as TGS toppled TSS away from home, while IGS made it two wins in a row and BBC survived a gutsy Terrace revival in a bumper round 2 of action. More here.