Well, it is not often you soak up more water at an athletics event than the swimming carnival, but, this year we did. The only day it really rained in May was the day we decided to pack 700 students into Bannockburn Oval.

However, despite the unpredictable conditions, it was inspiring to see so many students run, jump, throw and dance their way through the carnival. House spirit and school spirit were definitely tested by the intermittent showers, however, thanks to the Fallon and Annabelle DJ duo, students were excited and motivated when enthusiasm could have waned.

A Carnivale theme was set by the House Captains and their combined skit didn’t disappoint. The student dancing was well-choreographed, which is more than can be said for the teachers who were roped in last minute to perform some sketchy moves. Nevertheless, students enjoyed the spectacle and were eager to warm up for the 100’s.

Over 250 students competed in the 100m sprint which signalled a solid start to earning points for their respective House team. Although the wet weather slowed the track times to some extent, field events were hotly contested. Sophie A was in great form throughout the day and successfully broke a 20 year old record in the 17+ Years Long jump. Some records were also set this year as new events and a few notable performances in the pre-carnival track races earned a few students a place in the record books.

The new Iron Woman event proved to be successful with many competitors completing the challenging circuit in less than 1 minute. However, it was Year 12 student Alyssa R who conquered the course in 48 seconds with some impressive bear crawling and ring toss capabilities to be crowned the 2021 Iron Woman of the year.

With Mercy on a winning streak with College carnivals, all other Colour House teams were keen to bring them back to reality. Stormanston was very well represented in the track events and just pipped Mercy for points in this area. The field events proved to be the deciding factor as Mercy easily outscored its nearest rival by over 100 points. This, together with a tight victory in the Participation points, gave Mercy the Carnival double for 2021.

A massive thank you to all students who attended, competed and endured the soggy day. Special thanks to all staff, especially the early risers who helped set up and to the dream team of officials who carried on with their duties amidst the cold and damp conditions.

Champion House – Mercy

Champion Athlete – Ella D (5 x First place, 3 x Second place, 1 x Third – over 100 individual points)

Age Champions