Sport

We welcome all boys, returning and new, to Term 1 2025 GPS cocurricular activities. The holidays were filled with various cocurricular sporting programme activities, including local and international tours, volleyball and cricket weeks, and swimming and rowing camps and clinics. This week, we leap straight into GPS Round 1 competition at home, beginning with debating against The Southport School on Friday and cricket, volleyball and rowing on Saturday. We are anticipating a vigorous competition and encourage everyone to come with true Churchie spirit and show your support for our boys in blue and grey.

Chess

National Chess Championships

Churchie has once again demonstrated its dominance in Australian school chess, securing its sixth Australian Schools Teams Chess Championships title in five years. Mirroring its stellar 2022 performance, Churchie claimed victory in the primary and secondary boys divisions—a remarkable achievement highlighting our school’s support for our chess programme, the depth of talent, the dedication and hard work of our players, and the support they receive from their families.

Our two Queensland state representative chess teams showcased exceptional skill at the Australian Schools Teams Chess Championships at Duncraig Senior Secondary School in Perth.

Sravan Renjith (Year 12) and Jayden Ooi (Year 10) delivered standout performances in the secondary division, earning senior board prizes for their outstanding play. The primary division team excelled across the board, with Jayden Xing (Board 1), Owen Shen (Board 2), Yuwei Wang (Board 3) and Austin Li (Board 4) all securing individual board prizes. Special recognition goes to Azaan Bansal (Year 3), the primary reserve player, who rose to the occasion and won both of his games with remarkable poise.

The journey to the championships began on Monday 5 December as the teams travelled to Perth. They were led by Director of Chess Max Condon alongside Head Coach and 2001 Old Boy Dr David Smerdon (Grandmaster), and primary coaches Old Boy Henry-Slater Jones (2019) and Maximillian Windsor. The teams underwent intensive preparation at a chess camp under Dr Smerdon’s expert guidance, ensuring they were ready to compete at the highest level.

The competition, held over two days, required resilience and strategic acumen. The primary teams played an eight-round tournament, while the secondary division competed in six rounds. At this elite level, victories are often determined by the narrowest margins, including countbacks. This year, however, our teams led from the outset, clinching their national titles even before the final rounds. Unwavering in their commitment, they concluded the tournament on a high note with strong final-round performances.

Churchie’s extraordinary results are a testament to the dedication of our school chess families and their players, our coaching staff’s strategic brilliance and our community’s steadfast support. Congratulations to all who contributed to this incredible success. We are excited to continue building on this legacy of excellence in the years to come.

Max Condon
Director of Chess

Rowing

Churchie Rowing has been busy at work during the summer holidays. In the first week of the December holidays, we took all point-scoring boats to Maclean, New South Wales, for a camp on the Lower Clarence River. Crews worked hard to solidify improvements and fitness gained from Term 4. A highlight of the camp was the Open Squad being joined by Old Boy Gus John (2019) for several rows. Gus is a world champion in the Great Britain U23 8+ and won the Boat Race for Cambridge University earlier in 2024.

The Maclean camp was capped by a strong showing at the Rowing Queensland Grade Championship Regatta, where most crews made their respective A finals.

After the Christmas break, it was time for our full programme camp at Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast. We took over 180 boys for seven days, with great weather and rowing enjoyed by all. Highlights included the mini regattas we held for Year 9 and Year 10 crews, as well as the beach cricket between sessions that brought everyone together as a shed.

Excitement is building for GPS Regatta 1 as all school programmes get a glimpse of their crews’ standings at the start of the season.

Tyson Sholl
Director of Rowing

Swimming

Welcome back for the recommencement of our 2025 Churchie GPS Swimming programme. It has been great to see everyone back on the pool deck over the January holidays as we prepare for the season ahead and meet our new coaching staff. A warm welcome to Head Coach Zoe Baker and Assistant Coach Jake Buckley—brief coaching biographies are available on myChurchie – Swimming.

To get right back into the swing of things, training for both junior and senior squads recommenced on Tuesday 28 January. Please note there will be no pre-meet on Friday Week 1, and our first pre-meet will be the Churchie Invitational against TSS and BSHS on Friday 7 February for both the junior and senior squads.

Important information to action and review this week:

• Monday Breakfast Service payment is due
• Support Group Committee Meeting on Monday 10 February
• Term 1 training schedules for juniors and seniors squads
• Save the date for Churchie Invitational Pre-Meet v TSS and BSHS on Friday 7 February

Well done to all GPS Churchie boys who represented their relevant swim clubs at the 2024 Hancock Prospecting Queensland Championships during the school holidays.

We are very excited to see these performances flow into our GPS Swimming season and peak at the GPS Championships on Friday 7 March.

Senior Swim Camp and Junior Day Clinic

As Queensland suffered the extreme heatwave, the Churchie GPS swim team enjoyed endless time in the sparkling waters of the Gold Coast at the GC Aqua Park and the Gold Coast Performance Centre pool for some quality team building. The boys spent the time getting acquainted with our new coaching staff, catching up with Churchie Old Boy Zac Stubblety-Cook OAM (2017), and attending a workshop with Australian Paralympic Sports Psychologist Wendy Swift.

Thank you to our Captain of Swimming and his senior boys for leading the workshop conversations and rallying the boys together over the two days.

The Junior Day Clinic reported nothing but happy faces as the boys conquered the training, the infamous rock walls, dryland activation and an Amazing Race challenge in very hot weather. The junior boys spent quality time with senior boys Charlie Wehl and Spencer Kilimnik (aka Henry) as well as 2023 Captain of Swimming Tom Wehl. Thank you to Charlie, Spencer and Tom for volunteering your holiday hours to support the junior boys.

Congratulations to the winning and runner-up Amazing Race teams and the four boys who planked their way to winning a GPS cap.

Jaye Finocchiaro
Director of Swimming

Cricket

The commencement of 2025 has seen the Churchie Cricket programme back in action, with players, coaches and teams preparing for the upcoming GPS Cricket season, which begins this Saturday.

From 13 to 17 January, the First XI squad travelled to the Sunshine Coast for their annual training camp. Based out of Alexandra Headland and Maroochydore Cricket Club, the team engaged in a week of intensive training, team-building exercises—including the highly competitive ‘MasterChef Challenge’—and three matches against the Sunshine Coast Scorchers Under 19s team.

It was a fantastic week, with the boys in the squad using it as an opportunity to build stronger relationships, commit to key team values, and play high-quality cricket against an opposition featuring players with first and second-grade experience in Brisbane Premier Grade Cricket.

Last week saw the annual Churchie Cricket Week take place, with boys across the entire programme, particularly those in A and B teams, having the opportunity to participate in training sessions, trial matches, and a leadership seminar with Ian Greig. It was an excellent week of cricket, with matches against Brisbane Boys’ College, Nudgee College and Ipswich Grammar School helping the boys hone their skills and prepare for the season ahead.

The holiday period also saw 2025 Captain of Cricket Tighe Morris and 2024 Captain of Cricket Jayden Draper represent Queensland at the Under 19s National Championships in Adelaide. Both Tighe and Jayden performed strongly at the championships, with Tighe scoring two half-centuries, while Jayden scored two half-centuries and a century. His hundred in the third-place playoff secured Queensland a bronze medal. Jayden’s efforts saw him selected for the Team of the Tournament, an outstanding achievement.

This weekend marks the beginning of the GPS season, with a match against traditional cricket powerhouse The Southport School. The First XI team will take part in a historic day at home, with the first official GPS fixture featuring teams wearing coloured clothing and using white balls. It will also be Head Coach Alister McDermott’s first official GPS match in charge.

Best of luck to all boys in their season-opening fixtures. It promises to be a fantastic start to the cricket season.

James Patmore
Director of Cricket

Volleyball

Churchie Volleyball has been working diligently throughout the preseason, undertaking an intensive preparation period that included three preseason matches, January training camps and rigorous team trials. With a record-breaking 45 teams, along with more players and coaches than ever before, we are gearing up for what promises to be an exciting and competitive 2025 season.

One of the most exciting developments this season is the exceptional coaching staff we have assembled. We are thrilled to have Max Senica returning as our Coaching Coordinator and Emerging Talent Team Coach, bringing his expertise and leadership to our programme. Additionally, we welcome Alex Parisian, who will play a key role in mentoring our Year 11 cohort and coaching the 11C team, and Old Boy Ben Carleton (2017), who will be guiding our Year 9 players and coaching the 9C team. Both Alex and Ben boast impressive playing careers at both national and international levels; their experience will be invaluable to the development of our athletes. If you see them around, please take a moment to introduce yourself and extend a warm welcome.

Our final preseason round against Gregory Terrace was a tremendous success, demonstrating that all teams and players are well-prepared and eager to compete in the 2025 season. Round 1 marks the official start of the GPS season for Churchie Volleyball, with matches scheduled against Ambrose Treacy College, Nudgee College, Gregory Terrace and Brisbane Grammar School.

With the foundation set for an exceptional season ahead, we look forward to seeing our teams excel on the court and represent Churchie with pride.

Trial games

The 5Bs kicked off their 2025 season with a straight-sets win in their trial game against Terrace. Strong serving and excellent team spirit, with boys encouraging each other throughout, were key to their success.

The 5As also began their season with a commanding win over Terrace. Consistent serves and quick, effective movement highlighted their preparation, while positive communication helped the team settle quickly. Special thanks to Harris Shonhan (7A) for leading the warm-up and inspiring the boys with the first Churchie Roar of the season.

The 6Bs played beautifully, executing numerous three-shot points that contributed to a well-earned victory. Their strong teamwork and strategic gameplay were standout features in this performance.

The 6As came away with a convincing win and are proving to be a formidable team this season. With powerful serves and improved communication, the boys effectively coordinated their gameplay and read the opposition well, setting the tone for future matches.

The Year 7As did not disappoint, coming away with a clean 2–0 win over Gregory Terrace in their first game of the 2025 preseason. A close opening set, 26–24, saw the 7As needing to lock in and focus on their strengths heading into the next set. With an internal competitive incentive to win the most aces for the rest of the game, Churchie newcomer Freddie Cooper scored eight aces in a row, even with Gregory Terrace calling for a time-out after four. The 7As went on to win that set 25–7, dominating with consistent passing and immovable defence.

‘As their coach, I am very excited to be a part of the growth of such an already hardworking and talented squad.’ – Brenton Thiele

Carrie Mill
Director of Volleyball

Basketball

USA tour

The basketball year at Churchie culminated with the biannual 2024 USA Tour. This flagship event for the programme saw four teams depart on Friday 29 November for an almost three-week tour of educational, basketball and cultural experiences that created lifelong memories.

The first stop was Los Angeles, California, where the group took a long flight, arriving at LAX en route to their first hotel in Anaheim. After a few days, including Disneyland, a 3v3 tournament on the famous Venice Beach courts, and an unbelievable NBA game between the Denver Nuggets and the LA Clippers, the boys were primed for their first gameplay.

The group then split into two, with two teams heading to San Francisco to take in not only the sights but to form an important relationship with the Drew School. This included training sessions and a game against Fremont Christian School after visiting Alcatraz and riding the cable cars to Union Square. The NBA game between the Warriors and Rockets was a highlight, with some boys even meeting NBA superstar Anthony Edwards, four-time Olympian Joe Ingles, and the Minnesota team and staff at their shooting session at Chase Centre the next day. For many, the highlight of the San Francisco leg was being featured on a nationally televised game while attending an NCAA match in Moraga, home to St Mary’s University—a hub for Australian college basketball players over the years.

The two teams who remained in Los Angeles competed at Portola High School in a six-day tournament, which fostered a brilliant relationship between the two schools. The Los Angeles group also enjoyed NCAA basketball at the University of California, Irvine, sessions with NBA trainer Jordan Lawley, and another NBA game as part of the in-season tournament. Courtside, pre-game experiences left the boys awestruck. Visits to the Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood sign and Santa Monica Pier were memorable highlights.

All four teams then reunited in Dallas, Texas, home to St Mark’s School of Texas—a member of the International Boys’ School Coalition and the foundation school on which we base our tours. The Dallas leg did not disappoint. From meeting Dallas Mavericks owner and Shark Tank star Mark Cuban—whose son played in the school’s freshman team—to spending time with their host families, this part of the tour was filled with enriching experiences. The boys competed in four consecutive games against St Mark’s teams, with excellent sportsmanship on display. A standout moment was Caspar West’s a cappella solo performance of the Australian National Anthem before the game, captivating the crowd. Off the court, highlights included attending a Dallas Cowboys NFL game, a stadium tour, and educational visits to the Stockyards of Fort Worth and the JFK Museum in downtown Dallas.

The tour culminated in a tournament for all four teams in Krum, Texas, about an hour from Dallas. The boys showcased exceptional on-court performance and sportsmanship, representing Churchie with pride. Two of the four teams won their respective divisions, while the sophomore team, comprising Years 10 and 11 boys, secured third place. The community of Krum warmly embraced our boys for the third time as part of the tour, fostering relationships and life lessons that will be treasured for years to come.

Thanks to all the staff, families and boys for what was an amazing experience—one that photos and words cannot fully capture. We look forward to seeing the lessons from the trip translate into leadership and playing opportunities that will continue to grow the programme and enrich the experience of boys in the wider basketball community.

Aaron Harding
Director of Basketball

Athletic development

GPS Sport Triage Screening Service

This is a reminder about the great opportunity offered by the Churchie Strength and Conditioning and Integrative Physio Centre.

The primary aim of these sessions is to provide our student athletes with additional support through comprehensive physiotherapy assessments. Initial assessments will include injury evaluations, observations, referrals, modifications to the Churchie Strength and Conditioning programme (conducted by our expert staff) and adjusted field or court training. This process follows a systematic approach to facilitate a safe return to training and play, with the option for further in-depth assessments during on- and off-site clinic times.

This collaborative effort is designed to elevate the standard of care provided by the Churchie Sports Department. Our goal is to deliver prompt, direct and specific assessments, recommendations, and rehabilitation exercises, ensuring our student athletes can remain actively engaged in their sporting pursuits.

Key details about the Churchie GPS Sport triage screening:

• Who: Open to Senior School GPS sports students
• Where: Medical room of the Sir John Pidgeon Sports Complex (SJPSC) foyer
• When: Monday mornings from 6:30 to 8 am (starting Week 2)
• Arrival: Students seeking assessment must be in the SJPSC by 7 am to allow sufficient time for screening
• Supervision: Churchie S&C staff and physiotherapists from IPC

We are pleased to announce that the Monday morning assessment is free of charge to the community. However, follow-up appointments will need to be covered by private health insurance, with charges at a reduced rate compared to private clinic fees.

For those interested in learning more about the program, please feel free to reach out to Jarrad Boswell, Director of Athletic Development, at [email protected]. To explore further information about IPC, visit their website.

We are enthusiastic about the positive impact this service will have on the wellbeing and performance of our student athletes. Thank you for your support!

Strength and Conditioning programme

Please see here for a link to the Term 1 2025 Churchie gym schedule.

All Churchie gym sessions are coached and supervised by at least two coaches with Exercise Science degrees. The sessions are designed to cater to all age groups and abilities, and we encourage all students to try at least one session.

Jarrad Boswell
Director of Athletic Development

Sporting Achievements

Football

Lucas Herrington (Year 12) was named in the Australian Under 20 football team, which will compete in the Under 20 Asian Championship in February this year. Lucas has also started the last five games for the Brisbane Roar F.C. A-League team and scored against Sydney FC.

Read more here

Swimming

Lachy Evans (Year 11) delivered an impressive performance at the Open Water Nationals, securing fifth place in Australia and fourth in his age group—an achievement he should be incredibly proud of. Despite facing considerable adversity in the lead-up and during the race, Lachy showed remarkable resilience and determination.

Before travelling to Western Australia, Lachy was unlucky in contracting a chest infection just days before the competition. In true Churchie spirit, he set his sights on the Busselton Jetty. From the very first lap, Lachy faced several challenges, including being surrounded by stingers—a tricky and often frustrating aspect of open-water racing. As the race reached its final moments, Lachy found himself in a battle to maintain his position, with his legs being pulled back in the last 20 metres.

Had it not been for these disruptions, many believe Lachy would have secured a top-three finish. Regardless, his ability to stay composed and continue pushing forward speaks volumes about his character and determination.

Lachy’s performance in this high-stakes event is a testament to his growing skill in open-water racing. While the result reflects his grit, it is clear that Lachy is well-prepared for GPS Swimming and has the potential to finish strongly at Age Nationals in the coming months.

On behalf of all the boys and Churchie staff, congratulations, Lachy!

Congratulations to the following Churchie boys who competed at the Sprint Championship over the week:

• Kai Ju (Year 7) set five personal bests and made it to three finals.
• Nash Walker (Year 6) set two personal bests.
• Evan Zhao (Year 5) set multiple personal bests.
• Gabriel Faunt (Year 5) set multiple personal bests.
• Lucas Mason (Year 4) dropped two significant personal bests.
• Henry Zhao (Year 7) reached three finals and posted four personal bests.

What an unforgettable debut from Cameron Dula (Year 8), who qualified for the finals in all four of his events, set seven personal bests and clinched a well-deserved gold medal in the 50 m breaststroke final. A huge congratulations to all our swimmers for their outstanding performances throughout the weekend, and thank you to coach Jake for supporting the team across the two days.

Basketball

The end of 2024 and the start of 2025 saw several boys from within the basketball programme achieve state and national selections and awards. Congratulations to the following boys:

• Oliver Crum (Year 12) – Under 18 State Championship Winner
• Noah Kirk (Year 11) – Under 18 State Championship Winner, Under 18 State Championship Grand Final MVP, Under 18 Queensland State Team Selection, National Performance Player Selection
• Andrew Watene (Year 10) – Under 18 Queensland State Team Selection, National Performance Player Selection
• Ethan Hoy (Year 10) – Under 18 Queensland State Team Reserve Selection
• Asher Watene (Year 9) – Under 15 Queensland Selection (Southern Cross Challenge)
• Cash Glavish (Year 8) – Under 15 Queensland Selection (Southern Cross Challenge)
• Taylor Murray (Year 8) – Under 15 Queensland Selection (Southern Cross Challenge)
• JJ Cleland (Year 7) – Under 15 Queensland Selection (Southern Cross Challenge)

Trent Goodrick
Head of Cocurricular