More than 900 athletes converged on Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, including 169 from Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS), all vying for their place at the NSW Primary Schools Sport Association (NSW PSSA) Swimming Championships.
SCS dominated the 22 March day-long MacKillop Swimming Championships, collecting an incredible 70 medals – 28 of which were gold.
SCS’ medal tally far outweighed any other Diocese in MacKillop, a region made up of Catholic schools in the southern part of NSW.
“It was a tremendous event at a great facility,” observed event organiser and SCS Specialist in Pre-Post Sport, Troy Moran.
The day belonged to the magnificent 10-year-old Roman Szabo, from St Margaret Mary’s Catholic Primary School Randwick North, who took home three gold and two silver medals.
Roman dominated in the 8-10 year-old 50-metre Breastroke, 8-10 year-old 200-metre Individual Medley and 10-year-old 50-metre Freestyle, also clinching well-deserved silvers in the 8-10 year-old 50-metre Backstroke and 8-10 year-old 50-metre Butterfly.
“I’m pretty happy with how I did. It was a good day” – Roman Szabo
Mia Hoo, from St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School Botany, picked up four medals – three of the shiniest gold colour. She blitzed the field in the 8-10-year-old 50-metre Butterfly, 8-10-year-old 50-metres Breaststroke and 8-10-year-old 200-metre Individual Medley, and also picked up a silver medal in the 9-year-old 50-metre Freestyle.
The Freestyle King from Regina Coeli Catholic Primary School Beverly Hills, Samuel Skrabak, secured two gold medals in the All-Age 100-metre Freestyle and 12-year-old 50-metre Freestyle, which he won by just over half a second. He also collected silver in the 12-13-year-old Butterfly event.
Moran thanked his team for pulling together a successful event.
“There are plenty of great people that I work with, who ensure that if there are any issues we’re onto them very quickly,” he said.
He made special mention of the Trinity Catholic College Auburn students who helped with time keeping on the day.
By: NIKOLA POZDER
ABOUT SPORT
Swimming is one of 16 representative pathway sports offered to primary school students at Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS).
“Sydney Catholic Schools is proud to provide our students with the fundamental skills in a variety of sports and the opportunities to trial and represent at a state and national level,” Sydney Catholic Schools’ Executive Director, Tony Farley, said.
“This includes instilling core values of discipline, teamwork, respect, integrity and fair play in our young sporting stars.
“At Sydney Catholic Schools, we believe sport is for everybody, from our elite athletes to students who have a love of sport.
“Besides being fun, sport can help kids perform better in school, relax more and worry less.
“Sport also teaches students valuable lessons in working with others and how to be gracious in defeat.”
SCS offers students a pathway to higher representative sport, starting with school trials, moving through to zone, conference, and inter-Diocesan levels and, finally, progressing to state and national competitions.