Swimming carnival success: results and reflections

Peter Haynes and Belinda Reitstatter report on the Senior School and Junior School swimming carnivals held last week

PART 1: Secondary School Swimming Carnival

By Peter Haynes, Head of Sport

Despite a cool and overcast day the Radford Swimming Carnival at Macquarie Pool proved a huge success. With an emphasis on participation, and understated competition, students showed their House pride by swimming in an enormous number of 50m heats across the four strokes.

As always House themes were hotly contested with each House given the chance to belt out their chant across the pool to the remainder of the school.

Kayne Kurrajong, Jaws Jarrah and Aussie Acacia battled it out with Wandoo Witches and Wizards and Bathtime Boronia for Spirit Point supremacy.

The final House results for 2015 were:

• 1^st Karri
• 2^nd Acacia
• 3^rd Boronia
• 4^th Jarrah
• 4^th Wandoo
• 6th Huon
• 7^th Kurrajong
• 8^th Banksia

As is custom our eight best males and females fought it to win the Golden Flipper, the title given to the fastest swimmer in the school. Bonnie Zhang oozed talent as she raced to her fourth Flipper at Radford. In the Boys event the first time winner was Brady Nixon.

Age champions for 2015

Age	Boys	Girls
12	Charlie Bensom	Adele Beaumont
13	Oscar Johnston	Sophie Groves
14	Aaron Passioura	Anna Wilford
15	Stone Sima	Olivia Arnold
16	Barclay Zhang	Charlotte Ward
Senior	Sebastian Cushieri	Bonnie Zhang

The Radford ASC Swimming team will be selected over the next few days with competition at the AIS on Wednesday April 8. Details will be placed on Radford Online.

PART 2: Junior School swimming carnival

By Belinda Reitstatter, PYP Coordinator P?2

Last Thursday 26 February marked the 2015 Junior School Swimming Carnival. While our Pre-K and Kindergarten students enjoyed the freedom of Beach and Boardies Day slipping and sliding down the slopes of the ELC, our Year 1?6 students were lapping the pool at Big Splash.

There is nothing quite like swimming the length of an Olympic sized pool to witness a child?s physical and mental motivation. True to the spirit of Growth Mindset, we experienced great pride watching our students derive happiness from identifying a challenge and working hard to achieve their best.

I think it goes without saying that swimming is an incredible challenge for most children. Not only is it a life saving skill, it is also a great way to develop self-discipline, coordination and resilience. Just like learning to read, it requires technical skills and knowledge as well as practice and a positive mindset.

We congratulate and recognise every child for trying their hardest in the pool last Thursday. Standing at the end of the 50 metre pool for most of the day, I was astounded by the number of children who exhibited genuine satisfaction for receiving house points, despite their personal placing. A wonderful sign of the culture that exists within our student body.

A special mention goes to our Year 2 students who were great risk takers and competed in the 25 metre freestyle race. For many of them this was their first school race and we hope to see them lining up for the 50 metres next year.

The Golden Flipper, for those of you who are not familiar, is a traditional Radford race where the eight fastest 50 metre freestyle swimmers compete against one another. Congratulations to the following qualifiers: Maggie Potter, Sonia Vlatkovic, Sarah Wilford, Danielle Ewer, Issy Morrison, Phoebe Passioura, Minette Kirkegaard and Claudia Kendall. Also Harry Bellchambers, Christopher Bush, Tom Ewer, David Reitstatter, Jarrah Anderson, Sebastian Phommaseisy, Toby Lang and Jake Gibson-Smith. The winning time for the female race was 33.13 from Sarah Wilford and 37.26 from David Reitstatter.

In the teachers race we acknowledge the speedy Mr Heinrich for taking out first place with a time of 30.11 with Mr Craddock close behind him. Well done also to Mr Luhrs, Mr Ferrington, Miss Bowers, Ms Hayes and Mrs Potter.

A very big thank you to Bernadette Leger and Rachelle Hayward for the impeccable coordination of the entire carnival. Without their ?behind the scenes? work the day would not have been so enjoyable. Thank you also to the parents and grandparents who were able to volunteer and/or spectate on the day. We have much to be grateful for.

The Belconnen Zone PSSA will be held at the AIS on Friday 27 March 2015. The team will be announced along with carnival information in the coming weeks.

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