For the first time in recent memory, potentially ever, Orange will have representatives in all three state teams contesting the NSW All Schools Championships this year – Combined Catholic Colleges, Combined High Schools and Combined Independent Colleges.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Canobolas High’s Mac Reith Snare has retained his spot in the NSWCHS side and his younger sister Eva, from Orange High, will make her NSWCHS debut. She has plenty of experience at the state level in hockey, she’s a relative veteran of NSW sides in that sport despite being just 15.
Jack Besgrove, schooling at Bathurst’s St Stanislaus College, made the cut for NSWCIS’ open side despite being just 13 and Claudia Frost, the same age, has done the same thing for NSWCCC.
“For Eva and I, we were selected from the CHS carnival where we were representing Western while Jack was named from a try-out for the [independent] school system,” Mac, 17 and also a member of Canobolas’ High Performance Athlete Program, explained.
“We finished third at CHS, winning six of eight games which was really good for us and the girls finished fourth.
“Being my last year, I was hopeful I could go out with a bang so it’s great.”
“I wasn’t expecting to make it at all,” Eva added.
Jack and I will play against each other, Eva and Claudia will do the same.
- Mac Reith-Snare
“It was a bit unexpected being in year seven, there was a lot of older guys (at the trial),” Besgrove said.
The trio will head to the NSW tri-series alongside Frost with spots in the All Schools sides for this year’s School Sport Australia Championship on the line.
“So Jack and I will play against each other, Eva and Claudia will do the same the day before,” Mac explained.
Mac Reith-Snare made that side last year, so he said he’s reasonably confident of what to expect.
The other two, not so much.
“I think I’ll be pretty confident but I still need to turn up on the day and play well, there’ll be a lot of quality players down there hunting for a spot in the side,” Mac said.
“No clue,” Eva smiled, when asked what she’ll be faced with.
“I just want to go away and play some good softball. I play with Claudia here so I’m looking forward to playing against her.”
“I just want to play my best and see how I go. It’ll be tough against the older guys,” Besgrove added, saying he’s not expecting to earn All Schools selection this year.
“It’s a way to get my name out there a bit hopefully for the next few years.”
Mac Reith-Snare is expected to play as catcher and first baseman, while Besgrove has been selected as a pitcher and second baseman.
“[Pitching is] a massive job for a 13-year-old,” Mac said.
“I’m not sure where I’ll play yet,” Eva added.
“We’ll all do our individual training leading in and making sure we’re ready for the [tri-series]. Jack’s got a lot of representative stuff coming up too, but if any or all of us make the NSW All Schools side we’ll be heading to camps and that sort of thing.”
The NSW All Schools Championships are at Sydney in May.
Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
