08.11.2007

It's a Knockout in Tassie

The 2007 Tasmanian Schools Knockout (SKO) Final will take place this evening at the St Leonard's Athletics Centre, Launceston.

The first event begins at 4pm, with 320 students from around Tasmania set to participate.

Following the regional rounds held a fortnight ago, the following school teams are entered for this evening;

• Junior girls - Mt Carmel, Friends, MacKillop, Ogilvie, Reece High, Launceston Church Grammar, Scotch Oakburn, St Patrick's
• Junior boys - Hutchins, St Virgil's, New Town, Dominic, Leighland Christian School, Scotch Oakburn, Launceston Church Grammar, Prospect High
• Senior girls - St Michael's Collegiate, Friends, Fahan, Reece High, Scotch Oakburn, Launceston College
• Senior boys - Guilford Young, Newtown, St Virgil's, Guilford Young, Reece High, Scotch Oakburn, Launceston College, Launceston Church Grammar
 
Tasmania has a strong tradition in this nation-wide event, setting an Australian record of 42 teams at the southern round last month and having more teams entered in 2006 than Queensland and New South Wales.

The first two teams in each division from tonight's competition will be invited to head to the national final in Sydney on December 10. There they will face up against the best schools from each State/Territory of Australia.

Competition will be at its fiercest tonight as public and private schools from around the State pit themselves against one another for the only time in the school athletics season.

Feature athletes will include Huw Peacock (Hutchins), Libby Clarke (Scotch Oakburn) plus a host of youngsters who qualified for the Australian All Schools and Youth Championships following the Tasmanian All Schools Track and Field Championships held last weekend in Hobart.

The beauty of the SKO is that the team aspect levels the playing field and tests the depth of a schools talent pool. Following results from the regional rounds, one would expect strong performances from Guilford Young (senior boys), Scotch Oakburn (senior girls), Hutchins v St Virgil's (junior boys) and Mt Carmel v Launceston Church Grammar (junior girls).

Courtesy Athletics Tasmania
Pictured: Nathan Morey, Guilford Young College