Sport
16 March, 2026
Swimming success for Deacon
WAR cries and good, old-fashioned competition made St Stephen’s Catholic College’s swimming carnival a lively one this year, but by the end of the day it was Deacon who cheered the loudest after claiming top honours.
The Mareeba swimming pool was full of life recently when St Stephen’s students filled the venue preparing to vie it out for the title of 2026 swimming carnival champions.
Students across the school’s four pastoral houses – Deacon, Augustine, McAuley, and Muluridji – competed in a range of events, with some swimming competitively and others swimming just to earn points for their house.
Each house echoed their war cries at each other and cheered on their fellow students throughout the day, but it was Deacon who finished on top and claimed the carnival trophy for the second consecutive year.
It was a tight battle for second spot, but Augustine just managed to nudge out Muluridji, while McAuley finished fourth.
School staff said it was inspiring to see the students really supporting each other, with enthusiastic cheering and clapping throughout the events.
The students also made a huge effort to showcase their house pride by decorating their team areas with a variety of themes, including lifeguards for Augustine, Allen’s lollies for Deacon, Avatar for McAuley, and Tinkerbell for Muluridji.
Age Champions:
12 yrs – Mateo Tatti (Augustine) and Lainey Hudson (Muluridji)
13 yrs – Daniel Ruppin (Deacon) and Azahlia Sweeper (Deacon)
14 yrs – Rocco Carusi (Deacon) and Jana Bordeos (Muluridji)
15 yrs – Ulrich Wilson (McAuley) and a tie between Alexa Menniti (Deacon) and Katalina Adams (Deacon)
16 yrs – Oliver Sayed (Augustine) and Jada Bordeos (Muluridji)
17 yrs – Matthew Byrne (Deacon) and Tanasyn Hunter (McAuley)
18 yrs – Austin Strickland (Deacon) and Julia Bannik (McAuley)
