March, 2026

Trinity College Sports Assistant and Athletics Coach Malcom Bennett received his Australian Athletics International Representation Number and Commemorative Bib #227 during a special presentation at the Adelaide Invitational Meet last weekend.

A former track and field Australian Paralympian who represented Australia at Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004) Malcom has joined an esteemed group of Australian representatives to be honoured in this way. 

As part of Athletics Australia’s ongoing commitment to celebrating the history and tradition of Australian athletics, this program acknowledges every athlete who has competed for Australia at the Olympics, Paralympics Games, Commonwealth Games, World Athletics and World Para Athletics Championships as well as the World Indoor Championships and World Cross Country Championships at an Open Level. 

The award is also a symbol of Malcolm’s personal contribution to elevating athletics and the inspiration that he has provided to the athletes who have followed in his footsteps. Congratulations Malcolm!

Athletics South Australia reached out to Trinity College in the hope of securing student volunteers for the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Meet at South Australia Athletics Stadium last Saturday night. 

All students who volunteered were outstanding ambassadors for the College and their families. Congratulations and well done to Hudson Wheeler, Bailey Patterson, Louise Walkuski, Kelechi Ekwomadu, Lily Watts and Joel Collise (Year 12), Ethan Ellis (Year 10), Jack Wheeler and Arthur Noschka (Year 9), Hayden Ryswyk (Year 8) as well as Tegan Caire, Shyla Caire, Ivy Maskall, Carter Wellington, Anabel Cain and Hana Mesfin (Year 7). 

World Athletics International Technical Delegate and Australia’s most credentialled athletics official, Helen Roberts spent considerable time before the meet assigning students to events, as well as explaining the intricacies of assisting officials.

Helen has officiated at four Olympic Games, and numerous world athletics championships, most recently, the 2025 Tokyo World Outdoor Championships. 

At the conclusion of the event, after the students had ‘swept the sheds’ by pulling up tape off the track, Helen spoke to them about volunteering, how to move through the ranks as an official as well as the sense of community that exists amongst athletics officials. 

Helen was full of praise for the students for their positive manner, teamwork and willingness to show initiative and encouraged them to undertake the e-learning modules on the World Athletics web page, that are also accredited for SACE credits, to start their accreditation journey.

Special thanks to Trinity College Sports Assistant/Coach Mal Bennett, and captains Louise Walkuski and Bailey Patterson for their proactivity amongst the students organising teams as well as Trinity College Athletics Coordinator Jess Ryswyk for email and communications. 

World Athletics Technical Delegate official Helen Roberts sharing her wisdom with student volunteers prior to the event.

In a great evening of athletics Trinity College entered six teams in the Friday Night Lights Community Relays at SA Athletics Stadium last Friday night. 

The event proved to be a great celebration of the team aspect of athletics with the 4x100m male team winning their event convincingly and our other teams also finishing competitively.

Results

• 4x100m (male) 1st place Trinity College (46.38 sec)
• 4x100m (women senior) 3rd place Trinity College (54.12)
• 5x1000m (mixed senior male) 4th place Trinity College (15:21.25)
• 5x 1000m (mixed senior female) 9th place Trinity College (18:06.86)
• Medley Relay male (800m, 400m, 200m, 200m) 3rd Trinity College (3:57.09)
• Medley Reply female (800m, 400m, 200m, 200m) 4th Trinity College (4:56.20)

Students also had the opportunity to meet Australia’s second fastest 100m runner Lachie Kennedy (pictured third from left) who ran the first leg of the Australian men’s 4x100m relay on the night. 

Congratulations to all team members:

• Male 4x100m: Harry Foreman (Year 8), Harvey Wales (Year 10), Hudson Wheeler (Year 12), Leon Ajisafe* (BTC)
• Female 4x100m: Charlotte Maurits (Year 12), Lilly Watts (Year 12), Milly Foreman (Year 11) and Willow Morgan (Year 10)
• 5 x 1km (mixed male): Joel Collise (Year 12), Ian Kruger (Year 8), Lachie Tee (Year 12), Harry Foreman (Year 8) and Bailey Patterson (Year 12)
• 5 x 1km (mixed female): Charlotte Maurits (Year 12), Milly Foreman (Year 11), Riley Coulter (Year 8), Angeth Matiop (Year 8) and Louise Walkuski (Year 12)
• Medley - Male (800m, 400m, 200m, 200m): Bailey Patterson (Year 12), Hudson Wheeler (Year 12), Harvey Wales (Year 10) and Leon Ajisafe* (BTC)
• Medley - Female: Louise Walkuski (Year 12), Lilly Ward (Year 11), Milly Foreman (Year 11) and Willow Morgan (Year 10)

* Leon Ajisage is a member of the (Barossa Track Club) and was approved to join the Trinity College team at this community event with several other relay teams (club and squad groups) mixing runners to make up teams.

Marni Lloyd (Year 11) and Katelin Wilde (Year 12) were respectively named Trinity’s STEM and International Women’s Day Scholarship award recipients for 2026. 

Both girls share an enthusiasm for space science, with strong interests in physics, mathematics and engineering and received their awards at the annual Gawler International Women’s Day Breakfast held at the Nixon Function Centre last Friday.

The Zonta STEM Award ($500) won by Marni aims to help a female secondary school student going into Year 12 and who has a focus on STEM. 

The International Women’s Day Scholarship ($300) won by Katelin, seeks to provide assistance for a female secondary school student, whose academic achievement and self-esteem would benefit from financial assistance to further her studies. 

Among those in attendance were Town of Gawler Mayor, Mr Nathan Shanks, Candidate for Light Mr James Agness, Member for Spence Mr Matt Burnell MP, as well as members of the Town of Gawler Council, and many other community leaders and supporters.

The theme of International Women’s Day, Give to Gain resonated strongly with guests at the event. Keynote speaker Nicolle Dempster delivered a passionate and deeply personal address, sharing her experiences as a pioneering woman working within Major Crash Investigation and Domestic Violence Investigation in the South Australian Police Force, before transitioning into other roles beyond SAPOL. Her story of resilience, determination, service, and how she gained from giving in her roles provided powerful inspiration for everyone in attendance - particularly the young women at the Trinity College table.

It was an inspiring morning and a meaningful opportunity to celebrate the achievements, ambitions, and potential of young women in our community. Trinity College is proud to support students like Marni and Katelin as they pursue their passions and contribute to shaping the future of STEM.

The Trinity Open Girls Softball Team won the silver medal at this year's state knockout competition, after a well-played three-team round robin with Woodcroft College and arch nemesis Seaton High School.

Trinity College and Seaton have locked horns in the past five state finals, with Seaton taking all five and Trinity coming agonisingly close to the coveted title.

Coming into this year's championship with a number of state-level players, Trinity was again looking at a showdown with Seaton, the only school in the state with a baseball/softball program.

The first game against Seaton was a cracking event with Seaton narrowly prevailing again. Josephine Virgara, Zoe Marrich, Francesca Virgara and Sophie Holt all had safe hits in the game. The battery combination of Ashia Scott and Tanie Lapworth worked for three strike outs and they were well supported by the field.

Seaton drew level by the end of the second innings, and we headed to the third needing to break the deadlock. Batting in the lower half of the order Seaton held us, getting three outs before we could score. With time running out Trinity needed to hold on and hopefully force another innings. 

Seaton got their bats going and had scored four runs before Trinity could get three outs. We were able to start another innings and had scored a run and had runners on base when time was called with Seaton winning 8 to 4.

Keen to bounce back from the previous game the team focused on achieving a strong second finish against Woodcroft College.  Josephine, Zoe, Tanie, Francesca, Ashia, Sophie and Abbey Swan all had one or multiple safe hits. The battery of Zoe and Tanie worked well together to get seven strike outs and dominate their batters. Woodcroft were able to score one run but struggled to get runners on base throughout the game allowing Trinity to take the win 8 to 1.

At a brief presentation at the end of the day Zoe and Ashia received our silver medals and thanked the other teams and the organisers for a great day.

Congratulations and well done the whole team Sophie Holt, Ashia Scott and Zoe Marrich (Year 12), Josephine Virgara and Kirby Taylor (Year 11), Tanie Lapworth (Year 10), Abbey Swan and Francesca Virgara (Year 9), Nash Lapworth (Year 7) and assistant coach old scholar Caitlin Holt (2024).

Source: Sue Norris, Coach & Softball Co-Ordinator