2023 Intercollegiate Athletics Carnival: Wrap Up

By Pema Deane

The 2023 Intercollegiate Athletics Carnival was a success for Hilda’s, with a handful of talented Hildarians representing the college over two days of competition. The atmosphere was filled with Hilda’s spirit and adrenaline, as the green and blue crowd cheered on our athletes through the long jump, sprint, shot put, triple jump, and long distance events.

Adelle, Sharon, Charlie, and Eren kicked off the first morning by carving up sand in the long jump pit. On the blocks for the 200 metre sprint, Paddy, Will, Georgia, and Sharon whizzed past. When asked why she chose to compete, Sharon said she wanted to show some Communitas spirit and just give it a go. She enjoyed getting to know people from both the Hilda’s team and other colleges, as everyone ended up being really supportive, even as competitors.

Georgia also found the carnival a great way to meet people from other colleges she otherwise wouldn’t. Georgia has done athletics since she was 6, and specialises in hammer and javelin. Even though these events weren’t included in the program, she decided to put her hand up for the sprint trials, since she wanted to get back on the track after not having as much opportunity to run in Year 12. She said she had a blast, and is looking forward to future events!

Georgia also competed in the shot put event with Kate, with both girls throwing the weights with impressive ease, and Josh taking on the triple jump. On the track, our athletes smashed through the long distance events, with Tess, Alison, Rafi, and Asher braving the 800 metres.

As they rounded the track to begin the second lap, some of our athletes began to lose the pace, but a singular cheer of ‘HILDA’ led by the one and only Eren helped them regain some steam.

Shoutout to those who stepped up to fill in for events last minute, such as Max Ramsay, who gave an impressive effort in the 1500 metre event despite never having competed before.  Frances also competed in many events, admitting that although the 4×400 relay was ‘pure pain,’ the other events were fun, and she enjoyed a bit of the inter-college rivalry. She said her goal this year was to meet new people through participating in as many college sport events as possible. 

Many other athletes also put their hand up for multiple events on the day, and the 4×400 men’s and women’s relay teams made it to the final, with the women taking out a commendable second place.

In arguably the most anticipated event, we let Diego loose onto the track. While he gave a great effort, it seems like Diego’s head isn’t exactly built for running, and he narrowly lost the victory, with Trinity’s jester taking the lead. Rest assured, I’m sure he will do us proud in the upcoming Step Up dance off! Saxon, who was chosen for the all important role of being in Diego’s suit said he had heaps of energy after the race, and that this energy helped him cheer on the rest of Hilda’s in their final races. 

Thanks to the efforts of athletics captains Eren, Talya, and Rhiannon, who organised trainings, equipment, and many last-minute fill-ins, it was a fantastic two days of sportsmanship and community. Hilda’s took out a commendable fifth place, and we have no doubt that in the years to come, we will ‘explode and go well’ yet again.

Photos courtesy of Student Photographer, Luke Parolin.