2016 Primary School Challenge

Unfortunately, due to the ill health of our Administrator, the Primary Schools Challenge scheduled for Term 3 had to be cancelled. However, there was still much enthusiasm for the Challenge in Term 4 which also determined our Champion School for the Year.

Fourteen schools did battle at Talus Street to ascertain who was the champion team for 2016. Those schools were: Artarmon, Cammeray, Gordon West, Lane Cove, Mosman Prep, Newington, Northbridge, Online Tennis, Queenwood, Riverview, Shore, St Ives North. Wahroonga and West Pymble.

As well as those 14 schools, a further 17 schools took part competing within numerous divisions at various venues.

There was some very competitive and keen matches in all eight divisions at Talus Street, as the teams vied for the championship. There was great excitement and anticipation as the players gathered for the presentation and to learn which was the winning team. Riverview’s top pair, Sam Hynes and Xavier Masztak, did extremely well to take out Division 1, which propelled their team into 4th place.

Mosman Prep, Jackson Steil, Claude Lieutenant, Oscar Perez, RJ Clinton, Will Rohrsheim and Sam Jones, Annabel Fenwick, Emily Tran, Isabella Lonie, Emily Bannister, Abby Latimer and Tara Astle, were just edged into 2nd place by the winning school, Wahroonga with their team of Nicholas Bigeni, James Champion, Hugh Haynes, Henry Yin, Georgia Bigeni and Jessica Jeong.

Congratulations to all teams involved and particularly Wahroonga as they have been very competitive and loyal supporters of the Primary Schools Challenge for many years.

Our sincere thanks and appreciation are extended to those volunteers who manned centres for us on the night, Rhonda Purvis, Alex Byrne, John O’Leary, Kim Butler, Troy Delmege and Garry Delmege.  We are extremely grateful to those people, as well as other regular helpers throughout the year, in particular, Sandy and Terry Davoren, and Elizabeth and Ian Chappel.  Without the help of these capable and experienced people, the Challenges would not be the success that they are.

Also grateful thanks are extended to all those parents, teachers and coaches who have submitted teams throughout the year. It’s not an easy job tracking down interested players, gathering completed Permission Notes, advising players of their venues and start times, and ensuring all players turn up at the right time in the right place. We are most grateful to all parents, teachers and coaches for their support.  This year over the 3 Challenges held, Northbridge submitted an incredible 110 players, St Ives North 76 players and Gordon West 74, which is an amazing effort.

Our thanks are also extended to centres which made their venues available: Kooroora Tennis Club, Tennis Valley Tennis Club, Tim Bigg from Forestville and Rod Fahey from Abuklea Road. Thanks are also extended to Love ‘n Deuce for staffing the cafes at Tennis Valley and Talus Street.