2015 School Magazine

CROSS COUNTRY ISOBEL KELLY (12W) AND LUCY BARNES (12O), CAPTAINS On Saturday 16 May, the BGGS Cross Country team made the trek down to Yatala to compete against other QGSSSA schools running their way to the end of a three-kilometre course. This year, with the help of the School Sports Captains, the goal was to have a large number of supporters come out to support the girls; it is safe to say that Girls Grammar made their mark. Wherever there was a Grammar girl running, there was a supporter cheering for her. It was lovely to see all girls not only cheering on Grammar runners, but also other schools. It really shows the true spirit of a Grammar girl. On the day, Brisbane State High School came out as winners and we congratulate them on their achievements. Girls Grammar came second, closely followed by St Margaret’s. Although we may not have won back our title, as captains it was truly inspirational watching every girl put

in her biggest effort on the day. On behalf of every Girls Grammar runner, the support received from the coaches, parents, teachers and fellow runners made for a great atmosphere and helped all girls push that little bit harder. We could not have been happier with the 2015 season, not only for the day of QGSSSA, but every day that the girls were pushing themselves, climbing the hills and recovering from meets, which they did with even more determination and perseverance than before. Thank you to Ms Euler, Mrs Owen, Ms Gunn, Mrs Moore and the whole school community for their support throughout the entire cross country season. A massive thank you to the coaches: Head Coach Mr Pearce and assistant coaches Mrs Greenland, Ms Cameron, Ms Benita Willis and old girls Scout Cooke (2014) and Beccy Gardener (2014). Special mention goes to Mr McGarry for all the effort he put in throughout the season. For the first year of being coordinator, he did an amazing job in making sure every girl was enthusiastic and ready to run. Although 2015 was fun … Remember girls that a new era has already begun, so get ready to run for number one.

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FENCING BRONTE JACKSON (12H) AND SHANIA ROSSITER (12H), CAPTAINS

place overall, narrowly losing to BGS. It was our friendship and a drive to succeed for our School that led to this result, and it would not have been possible without over half of our teams placing in their divisions. We also had an unprecedented number of teams (seven) compete in the National School Teams Competition against schools from New South Wales and Victoria. Though every team worked hard and we are immensely proud of them, special mention should go to the Sabre team who were able to secure third place. We have no doubt that BGGS fencers will continue to strive for success in the years to come, and we wish the 2016 captains and teams all the best.

In 2015, fencing had another amazingly successful season. This year saw a remarkable increase in the number of participants, as we introduced two new teams to the Year 7 division. Whether a seasoned fencer with a national title to their name, a school champion or a new recruit from any year level, every single fencer enjoyed the taste of victory and was able to develop skills in their own unique way. As captains this year, it has been an honour to lead and mentor such an incredible group of devoted girls. We began with an overwhelming response from keen Year 7 and 8 students willing to try their luck with a sword. This influx, combined with the fencers who had recommitted, made our ‘squad’, which provided the fundamental inspiration for our year’s motto: ‘Fencing — when the whole squad is on point’. This motto was a crucial part of our training and competition days, as it was used for motivational purposes and brought unity to the group, even stronger than in previous years. The annual school fixtures in Term II were the main competition, and saw the combined Brisbane Girls Grammar School teams work tirelessly to earn second

SPORT