From the Head of PE and Sport 09.11.2019

Secondary Sports Day : Back-to-back titles for the Red Army of Gaya!!

Heavy rain the night before and a slightly cloudy overcast day may have deterred some lesser competitive athletes, but at Penampang Stadium last Friday students from Secondary turned out in force, all ready to line up on the running track and take their places in a range of field events to see which of the 3 Houses would emerge triumphant. 

Compared to previous Sports Days, the cloud cover and lower temperatures were a welcome relief for most; especially competitors in the middle distance events of the 1500m that started the day. The more favourable weather conditions must have assisted runners as four new records were set across the six age groups. 

The record breaking performances carried on all through the day with a tremendous number of new records being set, all of which provided valuable bonus points for the house totals. 

Gaya may have started the day narrowly in 3rd place based on the Javelin results from events before the holidays, but from the first points update in the morning they took the lead and never let it go. 

Sulug were putting the pressure on for most of the day and during the House Cheer Competition it certainly sounded like they wanted the win more than most, as Miss Colley put together an impressive arrangement that echoed around the stadium to earn 1st place!

Back by ‘popular’ demand, the staff obstacle course was a big crowd pleaser once again. This year, Heads of Houses Mrs Colbeck, Mr Baxter and Miss Colley were given the opportunity of returning to ‘Medieval’ times with the option of choosing a “House Champion” to represent their honour in the event. Mrs. Colbeck nominated Koenraad from Year 12 who had already set a couple of new records and so a worthy choice. Miss Colley put her faith in Pascal, knowing his speed, agility and strength as a climber would assist him in the challenges. Mr. Baxter, perhaps under a little bit of pressure, elected to take up the challenge personally against the two younger opponents. 

It was a fast and frantic race; balancing balls, deftly dealing with ladders and hurdles, carrying kettle-bells and finishing with a hula hoop challenge before a sprint to the finish line. It was a very close affair, but it was youth that prevailed, with Koenraad winning and Pascal also narrowly defeating Mr. Baxter. 

Despite having to improvise some changes on Long Jump and Triple Jump, there were plenty of close competitions and some impressive performances throughout the school. A standout of the day was certainly Kon Han who stepped in to assist the Sulug 11-13 Girls who were low on numbers in a couple of events and ended up breaking records! 

As mentioned there were too many records to mention individually, however, follow the link here to see a full list of all new records set throughout the competition. 

It was a truly exciting and brilliant day and I would again like to thank the many parents who took time out of their day to come and support all the students taking part. I was especially impressed by the athleticism of some of the parents, and we can clearly see where their children get their athletic talent from, with some of the parents being ‘great sports’ and lining up for the new event – Parents v Staff 60m Dash! 

In the men’s race, it was a very strong field to take the start, with all runners keen to claim bragging rights. In a flash of speed, it was Mr Watson who stole the show and the victory, with Mr. Baxter coming off second best once again and Mr. Kelly taking out 3rd place. There are rumours that some of the staff have already requested a rematch so we will have to wait and see what happens there. 

A final thank you to all who made the day such a success; including the parents from the PTA selling drinks and food as well as the Primary House Captains and the fantastic secondary staff for their enthusiasm and efficiency throughout the day.

A special mention must go to the House Captains and Vice Captains who did an incredible job both in the lead up to the event and on the day to lead their respective teams. All students in attendance worked brilliantly within their houses to ensure that they earned as many points as they could. Encouragement throughout the day around the stadium was wonderful to witness. 

With Gaya taking the top prize for the second year in a row we will have to see if their sporting dominance continues in other events like the Primary Sports day and Swimming Galas as the year continues. Or will Sapi or Sulug rise to the occasion to overthrow their supremacy? Watch this space! 

PE and Sport News

Secondary Offsite Lessons: Week beginning Monday 11th November 

U15 FOBISIA Games: Training and Fixtures

Monday 11.11.19 – Likas Swimming Pool (Students will need to be collected from Likas Pool at 4:15pm) **Please note this is a change from what was originally published. 

Wednesday 13.11.19 – Boys Football vs Jesselton @ Borneo Sports Arena

Students will need to be collected from Borneo Sports Arena at the end of the match at 5:10pm