Please see the final standings below for the 2022/2023 PSA Summer Season including the Head of the River and PSA Swimming Interschool Carnival.

Congratulations to all boys who represented the College and displayed great sportsmanship and effort throughout their respective seasons.

BLACKWOOD TROPHY

Congratulations to Coach Alex Hayman and Captain Roman Lutton on winning the Blackwood Trophy. Aquinas basketball continues to produce competitive teams from Year 7-12 and that is demonstrated by the 1^st V securing the Blackwood for a 6^th time in nine years.

Finishing 2^nd to Hale in the 2021/22 season was enough to drive our boys to train harder, commit to the program and ultimately put everything into this season. I am so proud of how the young men handled themselves and to return the Blackwood to Aquinas College was outstanding.

A CLOSE 2^nd

Our Cricket, Water Polo, Volleyball and 1^st VIII Rowers all had amazing seasons and were so close to ultimate glory. Although they fell agonisingly short in 2^nd place, they must be proud of their efforts and the way they all represented the red and black. All four groups of athletes took on the challenge to improve from the 2021/22 season and that is exactly what they did.

Our 1^st XI Cricket were exceptional and fell short only to Christ Church, who they drew with in the head to head fixture in Term One. Congratulations to Coach Kristian Morisey and Captain Presley Campbell for the culture you have created and attitudes across all Aquinas Cricketers. Cricket at Aquinas is in a very good place and there is a genuine chance to celebrate Darlot Cup success in the very near future.

It was a similar story for 1^st Water Polo Coach Tom Hoad, Captain Aidan Harvey and the playing squad who finished 2^nd. With a draw in Term Four, the Round Nine match with Christ Church was going to be an early grand final. Unfortunately, the red and black were not at their best and with Aidan Harvey playing with a shoulder injury, the 2023 title would again be celebrated at Christ Church. With the majority of players returning and some talented young prospects coming through our Middle School, I am excited at what lies ahead for AC water polo.

Ethan Dodd and Captain Mitchell Barnett again took on the challenge to defeat Hale School in volleyball for the Br Carrigg Shield. The two schools have produced an exceptional standard of volleyball over the last two seasons and with the addition of Sam Hoskin as Assistant Coach, there was a feeling that this could be our year to return to the top of the table. The senior players took on extra sessions, adjusted the way they played and with the help of numerous games against former Aquinians, they were very well prepared for the top to the table clash late in Term One. Sadly, once again, Hale were too good and celebrated back-to-back Br Carrigg Shield success.

This year, the first VIII rowers was again led by old boy, Steve Saunders, having returned to the College last season. The boys challenged at the Head of the River in 2022 and with many Year 11’s returning in 2023, Aquinas’ Challenge Cup drought of 25 Years was potentially going to end. With numerous wins at lead up regattas, everyone knew the Head of the River was going to be a tightly contested event. Our boys put on a great display of teamwork, comradery and determination and were edged out of glory by a very efficient Trinity Crew. Although 2^nd place is not what the boys were aiming for, they should hold their heads high for what was a great season.

Credit to all crews and coaches for ensuring Aquinas remained on the podium in 3^rd position for overall points and congratulations to Trinity College who retain the Hamer Cup with a very dominate day on the water.

CELEBRATE THE SMALL WINS

Although tennis at Aquinas has not had the success of other sport recently doesn’t mean they aren’t making progress. With numerous Middle School players knocking on the door of the 1^st VI and the inclusion of international tennis player Jessica Moore to the coaching ranks, there was a vibe amongst the players that success was near.

With close losses throughout the season the momentum was building and the squad knew the Term One rematch with Hale was going to be our best chance for a win, and that’s exactly what they did. Aquinas 1^st VI tennis celebrated their first win in over 4 years. Credit to Coach Mike Gill, Manager Ben Puris, Assistant coaches Dwayne Augustin and Jessica Moore as well as the players for constantly striving for improvement even without the weekly success. Your efforts have been recognised and I hope to see all tennis players return stronger and hungrier for success and competitive tennis in Term Four.

THANK YOU

We extend a tremendous amount of gratitude to the coaches and managers for their exceptional coaching expertise and unwavering support of our sporting program. The enthusiastic staff have been instrumental in ensuring that our sporting program is the best it can possibly be, and we recognize that without their time, effort, and support, none of this would be possible.

Our heartfelt thanks go to Steve Burke, Shaun Williams, and the Ground Staff at Aquinas for their tireless efforts in maintaining and setting up the sporting facilities for us. The boys are fortunate to have such excellent facilities at their disposal, and we appreciate all of the hard work that goes into keeping them in top condition.

We would also like to express our appreciation to the medical staff and our outstanding admin team for their hard work and organization behind the scenes. Your contributions have not gone unnoticed and have been critical to the success of our program.

Lastly, we extend our sincere thanks to Tom Campbell from Total Sports Photography for capturing the incredible moments of our program on social media. To stay up-to-date with the Aquinas College Sports program, please follow our 'aquinascollegesports' Instagram account.