Little League Summer Sport Reports Round 4

It was another eventful week in Junior School Sport with the IPSHA Cross Country Team hitting the ground running this week, commencing their training sessions in preparation for the IPSHA Carnival at the end of the term. Meanwhile, our speed and agility sessions are in full swing, ensuring our athletes are primed and ready to excel in their respective endeavours.

I’m delighted to share that our IPSHA swimmers proudly represented the school on Tuesday at the IPSHA Swimming Carnival, showcasing their talent and steady improvement in the pool. In other sports news, round 4 of the summer season posed some formidable challenges for our teams. Our cricket teams demonstrated exceptional skill and determination, securing impressive victories, and reaffirming the depth of talent within our Junior School cricket program. However, it wasn’t smooth sailing for everyone, quite literally. Our sailors faced unpredictable wind conditions, ranging from light breezes to heavy gusts, presenting a test for even our most experienced sailors. Similarly, our basketball teams experienced mixed results, highlighting the competitive nature of the sport. While some matches ended in victory, others provided valuable learning opportunities for our players to grow and improve. As we approach the last two weekends of the first half of the summer season, I want to encourage our students to stay focused and persevere both in training and on the field, as we aim to finish the first part of the summer season in style.

Yours in Sport,

James Roughan
Head of Sport & PDHPE

IPSHA Swimming Carnival
We are thrilled to share the news of our Junior School Swimmers’ outstanding performance at the IPSHA Swimming Championship held on Tuesday, March 5th, at Sydney Olympic Park. This competition brought together over 50 private schools from across the state, providing a platform for our young athletes to exhibit their talent.

Despite the tough competition, the Junior Cranbrookians’ secured 11th place overall on the Males’ point score, 8 places higher than 2023 and only narrowly missing the top 10 by a mere 4 points. This is a statement that Cranbrook means business in the pool! Our team pushed themselves to achieve over 50% personal best times, marking significant improvements in their own performances and the school team as a whole.

Our relay teams started off the great day, demonstrating their skill and teamwork, with the Boys 11-13 years 4 x 50m Freestyle relay clinching 7th place in a tightly fought contest and the Boys 8-10 years 4 x 50m Freestyle relay performing admirably to secure 9th place. These teams were 12^th and 15^th respectively in 2023 showcasing the ever-improving depth of our Cranbrook Swim Team.

Among the standout individual performers was Marcus C, whose stellar performance earned him a Bronze medal in both the 50m Freestyle MC and 50m Backstroke MC events. Charlie R showed his speed, pushing his competitors right to the wall each time pushing his way into 7th place in the 50m Freestyle, 9th in the 50m Backstroke, and 8th in the 50m Butterfly, notably shaving off 2 seconds from his time in the final race of the day.

Ziggy D impressed with an 8th place finish in the 50m Backstroke, while Joshua L showed how much can be accomplished in 12 months, dropping a huge 19 seconds from his 50m Butterfly time compared to this event last year. On average; individuals in our 11-13yrs team improved by more than 7 places in each event across the day. On behalf of the Swim coaches, I would like to congratulate all our swimmers for their exceptional achievements at the IPSHA Swimming Championship, it is no mean feat to race against some of the best junior swimmers in the state. Your hard work and self belief have made us incredibly proud. Special thanks to our parents and supporters for their encouragement and all those early Wednesday morning trips to the Murray Rose Aquatic Centre. Let’s continue to set the bar high! Well done, Cranbrook Junior School Swimmers!

Sincerely,

Tom Sunter
IPSHA Swim Team Head Coach