Scotch College

Scotch on the slopes!

When Year 10 student Patrick Sweeney was given the opportunity to attend an elite ski school at Thredbo during July and August his first concern was the amount of schooling he would miss. The programme involved an intensive five week training schedule together with competition events which would determine his national ranking and provide an entry point for international competition.

"I was really worried that I would fall behind and lose touch with my teachers", Patrick said. However thanks to the school's new Intranet facility the problem was solved. Patrick was able to access the Workbench to keep abreast of assignments and links to relevant websites. This facility has also been of great benefit to boys who are absent from school for extended periods through illness.

On the mountain slopes Patrick has had an excellent season. In the recent Australian National Championships at Mt Hotham he won the junior men's Slalom event and finished a creditable fifth in the senior competition. Another Scotch skiing identity Hannes Zirknitzer ('98) won the Senior Giant Slalom event.

Patrick was also a member of the Scotch team at the Victorian Interschools SnowSports Championships. He was a member of the successful team which won the Division 2 Victorian Boys Alpine Championship as well as finishing third in the individual event. Other team members were Jonathan Choiselat, Watkin McLennan and Charles Payne. The Division 1 team (Oscar McLennan, Luc Choiselat, Alex Hay and James Williams) were runners-up while the Division 3 team (James Cooper, Sam Henderson, Mark Gronow and Davis Yu) finished fourth. Oscar McLennan achieved an excellent second place in the Division 1 individual event.

Patrick appreciates the challenge of reaching an international standard. "Australian skiers are capable but really need tough international experience to reach the top", he added.

Bruce Brown (Staff)