Sports Report: 17 Aug 2022

Snowsports: Radford athletes excel at Straight Line Sports ACT Schools Cup 2022

Perisher Valley proved very accurately named last Sunday 14 August. The original name reportedly came from an early 19th-century stockman retreating downhill from an intense blizzard raging in the valley, telling his drover mates ‘It’s a perisher up there!’ Unlike the stockman, our athletes were much better prepared, and instead of retreating, they braved the extreme snow, ice and wind conditions, that no other Radford sporting team has ever operated in, to proudly represent the College against the best talent from over 23 ACT-based schools.

In the 9th running of the Straight Line Sports ACT Schools Cup since its founding by Radford Snowsports and (then) Snowsports ACT in 2010, proudly sponsored by Andy Nicholls at Straight Line Sports in Pirie St Fyshwick, there were two Cups to defend from 2019 – the last time contested.

COVID-19 cancellations in 2020 and 2021 meant there was much pent-up enthusiasm for the 2022 event, kindly coordinated for everyone’s enjoyment by our 2001 Radford Snowsports Girls’ Team Captain, Wendy Olsen, from Snow Australia Interschools.

Our team was out to defend the 2019 Secondary Boys and Primary Girls Cups, which Mr Timms reluctantly released from the Radford Sports Department trophy cabinet, keeping their resting places clear, with hopes for a safe return on Monday. The battle for the two Secondary and two Primary Cups was fierce, but as always conducted in good sportsmanship – may the best teams win!

Following our successes on the podium at the Subaru ACT & Regional NSW Championships last month, our boys’ team did not ease up in a devastating power-play to secure the 2022 Secondary Boys’ Cup. This event is all about teams, with Cups won on consistently strong team performances across all alpine ski and snowboard events. The rewards are won by the schools that field teams in all events across all Divisions, which has historically been our strength, winning multiple Cups each year.

This year we had a secret weapon extending our boys’ team to partner with Bailey Purvis-Smith to make a valid Division 2 snowboard team within race rules. Charlie Lee was our weapon of choice to secure a team 2nd place in that event, earning valuable points to tip the scales against our good friends at Marist College, and retain the hotly contested Secondary Boys Cup!

Charlie showed everyone she’s a 100% true team player for Radford College, forsaking her chances for an individual medallion in her ‘home’ Division 3 girls’ snowboard event, where she would have placed 1st outright on the day. The times don’t lie, and Charlie was the fastest Division 3 female competitor, which deservedly won great respect and admiration from the team at the Presentation ceremony – even more so when we realised she was a whisker off the podium in the Division 2 boys event!

A very special commendation to our first-time representatives in competition for Radford College:

  • Mia Kluth
  • Charlie Seddon
  • Sophie Wilson
  • Elijah Porfirio
  • Taylor Barton
  • Rajeev Tamhane
  • Ava Rath
  • Amelia Grant
  • Mikayla Huang
  • Jacinta Huang
  • Zachary Zhao
  • Alexander Li

Thank you to all our volunteer course officials who braved the conditions so that our athletes could compete safely and fairly: Charles Rath, Geoff Purvis-Smith, Sam Smith and Lexie Barlow.

Exceptional individual achievements that shone through the flat light of the unending blizzard that day, include:

  • 1st – Division 1F Alpine GS – Katherine Hinchcliffe (Girls’ Team Captain 2022) (35.94)
  • 1st – Division 2M Alpine GS – Darcy Barlow (30.85)
  • 2nd – Division 2F Snowboard GS – Taylor Barton (51.21)
  • 2nd – Division 1M Alpine GS – Jake Smith (31.61)
  • 3rd – Division 2F Alpine GS – Amber Smith 33.51
  • 3rd – Division 1M Alpine GS – Alex Schofield (32.12)
  • 4th – Division 1M Alpine GS – Finlay Barlow (32.50)
  • 4th – Division 2M Alpine GS – Sunny Smith (35.41)
  • 5th – Division 1M Alpine GS – Campbell Kruger (32.53)
  • 5th – Division 2M Alpine GS – Euan Greig (36.18)
  • 5th – Division 4F Alpine GS – Amelie Smith (39.74).


Radford Rugby First XV vs Marist – match report,
13 August 2022

The business end of the season finally arrived for the mighty u18s in the form of old foe Marist (never mind that the middle part of the season never actually did arrive – what with duck-weather, term break and all).

The Radford Rugby reputation is growing, crowds are swelling, and expectation mounting, to the extent that winter snow-trips have been moved to a far more sensible October.

A week of rain presented each team – yes, both of them – with unusually heavy, boggy conditions on an otherwise beautifully prepared home surface. A confident Marist boasted much muscle from Numbers 1 to 8, skilled hands, and speed to burn out wide (though none that would hold a candle to national U20 400m hurdles medallist, Alex Gordon – a coiled spring capable of embarrassing any defence from anywhere on the paddock, without notice). But today was wet, so back to the trenches it was.

Tactical Supremo Thiessen opted for a tight pick-and-drive strategy, led by a courageous forward pack, to carve out valuable inches either side of half-way. Marist matched the effort in the same way to bring the crowd along for an exhilarating thrill-a-minute ride. Half time 0-0.

More of the same until well into the second stanza, when Marist popped over a gentle 3-pointer for an untidy ruck infringement.

Then, the game ignited from the 58th until the 70th and final minute. Spoiler alert: this one does not go to script.

For the next 15 minutes, Radford dominated possession and territory, rewarded by a magnificent team try inside the left-hand corner post to invitational winger Jayden Kay, following a quite spectacular hand-off from work-horse Harry Ward. This was nicely converted by Oli Fox, who then slotted a handy penalty goal to take the boys to a 10-3 lead. This rounded out an excellent outing for the classy No 13.

From here, Radford held tight as the minutes ticked by. Where team spirit and sheer will is concerned, the Radford lads produced their best performance of the year. The leadership displayed by Captain Baird on (and especially off) the field this week was exceptional. The 70-minute total-effort from Aaren Nikolovski and, especially, Chris Bush lifted everybody as one, and particularly Hamish Roberts, who produced a remarkable mistake-free afternoon (a feat all the more impressive given he is not in the team or the squad, nor does he actually play rugby).

Anyway, a couple of tries to Marist in the final two minutes and … never mind.

More armchair rumblings next week.

Vale Mr Crawford, one of the good guys…


Student achievement
Congratulations to ice skater Charlie Lumb (Year 9).

In recent competition in Melbourne, Charlie scored a new Personal Best and enough points to qualify for nationals. Her performance included landing her first competition double Axel jump (2.5 rotations in the air, with a forward take-off). See Charlie execute the double Axel.

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