Snow Australia publishes Interschools Snowsport Honour Roll for 2021

Snow Australia today published the Year 12 2021 Interschools Snowsport Honour Roll to acknowledge 274 Year 12 students from 76 schools across Australia who missed the opportunity to compete in the 2021 Interschools Snowsport Championships due to COVID-related event cancellations. 

National Interschools Chair Steve Cooper said that the Honour Roll is a significant record of our schools commitment to snowsports.

“The cancellation of the 2021 Interschools Championships was very disappointing for everyone involved in the snow sports industry. 

“Even more so for these students who were hoping to compete on the snow with their friends for one last time before finishing their final year at school. Many of them had competed since kindergarten and for the last 10-12 years,” he said.

Many students are introduced to competitive skiing and snowboarding through the Interschools Snowsport Championships. They can go on to represent Australia internationally or become coaches and instructors.

Year 12 student Brady McNeill, from St Bede’s College in Victoria, first competed in skiing events at Interschools when he was in grade two, before switching over to snowboarding the following year and finishing fourth in the Snowboard Cross and sixth in the Snowboard GS.

“I continued to compete every year but unfortunately not in 2020 or 2021 due to COVID-19. Division 1 [Year 11-12] is the only division I was unable to compete in.

“I loved competing at Interschools and have met lots of people through these events. I got to travel to NSW a few times when the Australian Interschools were held up there and having time off school was a bonus,” he said. 

Snow Australia Interschools had planned to invite Year 12 students from 2020 to compete in this year's Victorian and NSW State Championships, before the events were cancelled. Year 12 students from both 2020 and 2021 will be invited to the State events next year to give them an opportunity to properly wrap up their Interschools Snowsport experience. 

McNeill said he would be grateful for another opportunity to compete again next year. 

 “I am really disappointed that the event didn’t happen this year and would definitely love to be invited to race next year,” he said. 

Snow Australia issued participation certificates in order to acknowledge and award Year 12 students long-term Interschools Snowsport participation. As in 2020, a Year 12 Interschools Snowsports Honour Roll was also created to recognise the students who could not take part in their last Interschools competition before finishing school.

The names of all Year 12 students due to compete are included in an image that Interschools Merchandise provider, The Regatta Shop, will print on the back of celebratory hoodies and t-shirt available for purchase. 

To view the Year 12 Honour Roll Merchandise range, click here.

Snow Australia wishes all Honour Roll students the best for 2021 and beyond.

 
Year 12 student Brady McNeill (St Bede’s College, Victoria)