On the recent school holidays, Carmel College was fortunate enough to participate in the Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Netball Tournament, also known as QISSN. The girls and boys teams both embarked on a weeklong journey to Bundaberg to compete in this event. This was the 25th annual QISSN carnival, and in keeping with tradition, the competition was hosted by Shalom College, who also hosted the very first QISSN carnival.

Carmel College’s boys team saw great success over the week, starting the carnival with a 9–0 win streak. Confidence was high heading into the final day of round games on day 5, but the team needed to win at least one of their two games that day to make the grand final. In a day of fierce competition and many highs and lows, the boys unfortunately lost both games and went on to compete for bronze the following day against Chanelle College. While third place wasn’t the result they had hoped for, it was inspiring to see all the boys show up and play hard to secure the third-place position. Well done to all the boys who were selected and represented Carmel with pride:

• Lincoln H
• Ewan M
• Jack W
• Jayden B
• Jayden B
• Kiama M
• Alex Y
• Will T
• Kade B
• Riley S

The boys team also celebrated individual achievements, with the following players recognised:

Rising Stars
Will T
Kade B
Riley S

All Stars
Lincoln H
Kiama M

Being selected in either of these teams reflects a high level of on-court performance and resilience. Each of these boys earned their recognition through hard work and dedication.

Lincoln H was also awarded Carmel College’s boys team MVP and, most impressively, was named Player of the Tournament for the boys QISSN Division. A fantastic achievement for Lincoln.

The Girls Open Netball team also excelled at the QISSN Carnival, showcasing talent, hard work and dedication. Having trained together for over six months—and with some players committing multiple years—the team was well prepared. During the carnival, they faced some of the toughest matches in the competition and fought valiantly throughout. Winning five of their round games earned them a place in the quarter finals. After one gruelling game and two overtimes, the girls secured 4th place in their division, placing 20th out of 64 teams overall. Congratulations to all the girls on this team:

• Mia S
• Izzy D
• Cara D
• Ruby B
• Isla H
• Shea H
• Olivia T
• Savannah H
• Issie R
• Kate B

Savannah H was awarded the team’s MVP for the tournament—a well-deserved recognition of her efforts.

From a personal standpoint, the memories I’ll take away from this tournament aren’t just about results, awards or performance. The week was a highlight of the year and well worth spending part of my holidays on. I highly recommend the experience to everyone. The laughs, bad jokes and friendships formed are all things I’ll cherish for a lifetime. Sharing these moments with such an incredible group of people made the carnival feel more like a holiday than a competition.

A huge thank you to all the teachers, parents and supporters who made this week possible. Mrs Brohman and Miss Morton dedicated two afternoons a week to train and coach the teams, and their efforts are deeply appreciated. Mr Hopkins, Mrs Smith and Mr Adair also played key roles in organising the event, managing the teams and helping wherever needed.

I wish the Carmel College teams of 2026 the very best and hope they enjoy the same amazing experience we did.

Jack Whitehouse

Year 12 Sport House Captain