The awards celebrate and recognise the best sporting achievements of Catholic secondary students throughout NSW.

Leroy Reid, a talented athlete from St Mary’s Catholic College Gateshead, received an award. He was the 2018 under-16 age champion at NSWCCC Athletics.

Jock Madden from All Saints College received his Blue for rugby league. Jock was selected in the Australian Schools Team that toured England in late 2018.

Connor Edwards, also from All Saints College, received a Blue for touch, having represented the Open NSWCCC team for the third consecutive year in 2018.

Basketballer Alexander Clinton from St Francis Xavier’s college Hamilton, who was an integral part of the NSWCCC team, won selection in the NSW All Schools team.

Corey Lamb from St Joseph’s College Lochinvar and Dakota Thomas from St Paul’s College Booragul both received a Bar award, which is awarded when a student has previously been awarded a Blue and has continued to excel in their sport. Corey is one of Australia’s best junior golfers. Dakota was named captain of the NSWCCC open netball team.

Meanwhile, the NSWCPS Polding summer sports trials were hosted by Lismore Diocese last Friday. Students travelled from country NSW, as well as Maitland-Newcastle students, to attend. Several students from the Diocese were successful in making a Polding team to compete at the NSW PSSA Championships later this year.

In the tennis, players were highly competitive amidst very hot conditions. In particular, Thomas McCulloch-Hendrikss from Swansea performed consistently well throughout the day to gain a place in the Polding Team as did Aydin Hope also from Swansea. For the girls Ella McLeod from Singleton dominated and finished in the top two easily securing a Polding team position.

A strong boys’ basketball team played hard and when the team was announced two boys had made it through. They were Jonah Quinn from New Lambton and Darcy Radburn from Taree. Jonah’s enthusiasm and ability to read the play was brilliant while Darcy drove the ball down the court with vigour and determination.

There was strength at the girl’s basketball with three girls being named in the NSW Polding side. They were Abbey McGregor from St Joseph’s East Maitland, Jomaree Munro & Emily McCarthur both from St John’s Lambton. The girls were very strong with great court vision and adapted to the humid conditions very well with their general fitness levels holding them in good stead.