Mia Simpson, Shylee Donaldson, Miley Morris and Penny Mason won their division.
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There were split fortunes for the girls and mixed St Augustine’s College Kyabram tennis teams when they travelled to Mildura to participate in the School Sport Victoria Loddon Mallee Sports Regional Tennis Competition.
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The event was held at the recently reopened Mildura Lawn Tennis Club on Tuesday, May 2.
Two teams from St Aug’s battled it out with other school sides in the region, one was made up of a Year 10 girls squad which has been playing with each other since Year 7 and the other was a Year 12 contingent made up of girls and boys.
The Year 10 girls, Miley Morris, Shylee Donaldson, Mia Simpson and Penny Mason, played against three schools and beat all three to claim the championship.
Meanwhile, the Year 12 mixed team which featured Ben Dickens, Katerina Wearne, Gabe Wilson and brothers James and William Hipwell fought hard in a fierce division to place fourth after a countback.
The success of the Year 10 girls means they have qualified to progress into the Victorian School Sports Tennis State Final in Melbourne on Friday, May 16.
This won’t be the first time the same side has featured in the state final, progressing to the competition in 2023 while they were in Year 8.
The Year 12 team had also qualified for state competitions in lower year levels, despite missing the cut in 2025.
Penny Mason, Miley Morris and Shylee Donaldson with their flag.
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St Augustine’s College Kyabram sports co-ordinator Michael Hill expressed his joy in seeing his students achieve at a high level and his enjoyment in getting to know them through sport.
“It’s nice to be able to travel with them and see them succeed, tennis is a good sport to watch because it is pretty self-regulated, so you can just sit back and enjoy it,” he said.
“We spent nine and a half hours all together on a bus, so that always makes for a good bonding experience.”
Hill expanded on the Year 10 team’s history and his excitement about its second trip to the state finals as a unit.
Ben Dickens, Gabe Wilson, William Hipwell, Katerina Wearne and James Hipwell placed fourth in their division.
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“Ever since Year 7, these four girls have all played together, so that is their third trip to Mildura and now second time at state level,” he said.
“They’re a good group of girls and quite enjoy each other’s company, so they’re really excited.
“I think the first time they went to the state finals it was all pretty new for them, so they’re looking forward to competing against high-quality opposition again.
“They’ll enjoy the challenge and like playing each other, they’re very competitive when they step onto the court, I’m sure they’ll give it their best.”
