Connections Archive

Jessica Ward
Editorial intern

Chants of "Let's go Avondale, let's go!" filled the Chan Shun Auditorium during Avondale Basketball Association's bi-annual All-Star Weekend on Saturday and Sunday (September 20 and 21).

On Saturday evening, Avondale's best men and women competed against teams from Newcastle. On Sunday evening, male and female teams from the Lake Macquarie campus competed against those from the Sydney campus. Spectators, including high school students from visiting Gilson and Carmel Adventist Colleges, arrived in Avondale's blue and gold colours. Many heeded the call to wear their new Avondale T-shirts in support of the college and their campus.

The games on Saturday were close, but both Avondale teams lost--the women 54-53 and the men 92-86 in overtime. Amelia Bottrel, the basketball association women's president, enjoyed her game. "We all played our best, and the crowd was awesome," she said. "It was great to hear them cheering for us."

The spectator's infectious cheers also impressed the men's team from Newcastle. "At first, we didn't know what to expect, but you guys are a great team and the atmosphere was fantastic," said one of the Newcastle players to the crowd at the end of the evening.

Sunday's games saw the women's team from the Sydney campus beat the women's team from the Lake Macquarie campus 39-34. In the men's, Lake Macquarie reversed the result, beating Sydney 46-29.

"It was great to see so many students here supporting their peers and their school," said sport and recreation coordinator Harry Neale. "Last weekend was by far the best All-Star Weekend we've had. The games, the entertainment and the crowd were fantastic."

Caption: Students cheer on their campus and college during the All-Star Weekend.
Credit: Jared Martin