Captain Tony Ghiselli
Athletics
It was a day of Athletics that no Scotch student at the WA Athletics Stadium that day will ever forget, athlete or spectator. The Scotch Athletics Team staged a remarkable comeback to take out our fourth successive Alcock Shield. Aquinas College was in first position for the majority of the day and, at the start of the four 100m relays, were 64 points clear of Scotch, then in second place. Under considerable pressure, the baton changes in all six relays could not have been better, resulting in four second places and two wins. Aided with an Aquinas disqualification, we gradually wore back the Aquinas lead. At the open relay, the last event, we were seven points behind Aquinas. At the last change, Hale School was in first position, Scotch second, Aquinas third and Christ Church Grammar School fourth. In the last 50 metres, Christ Church’s athlete passed Aquinas, resulting in Christ Church placing third and relegating Aquinas to fourth place. This saw us passing Aquinas in the overall lead by three points in a narrow, exhilarating Inter-School win,
made more remarkable by the fact that Aquinas had won the most points in the 100m and 200m sprints, with Scotch in fourth place. While winning an Athletics Inters is very much a team effort from all sectors of the team, the performance of our relay runners under the guidance of Mr Gale and his coaches was the key factor in our win. I doubt very much if such a comeback win has ever been achieved in the 116 years of PSA Athletics. It is the stuff legends are made of. It was a truly remarkable win that reflected the character and the determination of our Athletics Team. It was a proud day that will be etched in our memories for life. The mateship, euphoria and connection the team experienced after winning the Inters were very special. Led by myself as Captain and Vice-Captains Oscar Clements and James Shaw, leadership was once again a key factor in the win, as were the leadership and performances of our Year 12 athletes. Major point winners came from the discus and shot put throwers and, on the track, from the 400m and 800m runners. Having won seven of the past nine Athletics Alcock Shields, this generation of Scotch Athletics has forged a special legacy. The challenge now is to maintain this outstanding run of Athletics success.
Lewis Crump (Year 12), photograph: Thomas Campbell
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