From the Head of Sport

AIC Track and Field

At the end of Week 1, our Track and Field team brought the curtain down on the 2026 AIC sporting season as the annual AIC Track and Field Championships drew the competition calendar to a close.

In one of the standout performances of 2026, St Patrick’s College achieved Second Place Overall, our best result in more than 20 years and equal to the College’s previous best finish, achieved in 2005.

This remarkable achievement was built not only on outstanding individual performances but also on the collective effort of every athlete in the squad. While podium finishes were important, equally significant were the students who fought hard for every point available to the team. The difference between a fifth place and fourth-place finish often proved critical, and our athletes embraced every challenge throughout the competition.

The Open age group finished second overall, led proudly by Co-Captains Lucas Mancini and Cael Armitage. Both athletes led from the front, with Lucas running a personal best to claim a gutsy second-place finish in the 800 metres. Cael was in outstanding form, securing two first-place finishes in the discus and shot put, while also setting two new College records.

Our 14 Years team also placed second overall, with Travis O’Connor producing an outstanding sprint double by winning both the Division 1 100 and 200 metre events.

To finish second overall in one of the strongest and largest school Track and Field competitions in Australia is an extraordinary achievement and one that every athlete and coach should be immensely proud of.

Congratulations to all athletes on their outstanding effort and dedication at the AIC Track and Field Championships. A special mention also goes to the following athletes who achieved first place in their events:

• Cael Armitage: Opens Division 1 Discus distance of 49.51metres and Opens Division 1 Shotput distance of 15.87metres (with both performances setting two new St Patrick’s College Records).
• Archie McIver: Year 5 Division 1 800 metres time of 2.26.64 (a new AIC Record and St Patrick’s College Record), Year 5 Division 1 200 metres time of 29.19 seconds, Year 5 Division 3 100 metres time of 14.07 seconds.
• Mitchell Wallis: Opens Division 2 Shotput distance of 12.85 metres.
• Bailey Brandon, Cory Bugler, Aden McClure, Robert Simpson: U13 Division 1 4x100 metre Relay time of 50.88 seconds.
• Enrique Cifuentes: Year 6 Long Jump Division 1 distance of 4.70 metres.
• Harry Cooper: Year 6 High Jump Division height of 1 1.43 metres.
• Levi McGoldrick: U14 Division 2 100 metres time of 11.83 seconds.
• Travis O’Connor: U14 Div 1 100 metres time of 11.45 seconds and U14 Division 1 200 metres time of 23.56 seconds.
• Jenson Russo: Year 5 Division 1 High Jump height of 1.34 metres.
• Oliver Shepherd: Year 5 Division 1 Shotput distance of 10.31 metres.
• Tau Tamaariki: U16 Division 1 Shotput distance of 13.20 metres.

Sports Awards Evening

Last Monday evening, the St Patrick’s College community gathered to celebrate the outstanding sporting achievements of our students at our annual Sports Awards Evening.

The 2026 sporting year was another memorable one for the College, with success enjoyed across a wide range of sports and age groups. Throughout the evening, we recognised and celebrated the dedication, commitment and achievements of our student-athletes from Year 5 through to our graduating Year 12 students.

We were also privileged to welcome Australian sprinter Monique Hanlon as our guest speaker. Monique shared valuable insights into balancing the demands of study with high-performance sport, inspiring students with her experiences and advice on pursuing excellence both on and off the track.

A sincere thank you to our 2026 SPC Sport sponsors, Pipe Tek, The Full Moon Hotel, and Aspley Mazda, whose continued support plays a vital role in the success of our sporting programs.

Congratulations to all award recipients and student-athletes on another exceptional year of Co-Curricular Sport. We look forward to building on these achievements in 2027.