Held at the St Louis Sports Centre, the evening recognised students across a remarkable breadth of sporting opportunities, including NAS summer and winter competitions, SSWA and ACC events, Interhouse swimming, cross-country and athletics, rowing and netball. The evening also recognised students achieving ACC All Star selection and the prestigious ACC Letters.
Respected Australian sports broadcaster and mental health advocate Glenn Mitchell was compere for the evening. Across a 30-year broadcasting career, Glenn commentated more than 200 international cricket matches and 1,300 AFL and WAFL games and covered multiple Olympic and Commonwealth Games for the ABC.
The College was also delighted to welcome back alumna Lisa Webb (née Hughes, Class 2001), Senior Coach of the Fremantle Dockers AFLW team, as guest speaker.
Lisa's connection to sport began during her own years at John XXIII, where she competed in athletics, cross-country and soccer. After completing a Sports Science degree and Diploma of Education, she spent more than a decade teaching before being drafted by Fremantle in 2017 and playing AFLW in 2018. Following her playing career, Lisa moved into coaching and took on Fremantle's senior coaching role in 2023, leading the club back to the finals in 2024.
Her return to the College provided a fitting connection between generations and an example of the many places a passion for sport can lead.
A year of achievement
Throughout the evening, students were recognised for their performance and contributions across the College's extensive sporting program.
Awards included MVP recognition across NAS summer and winter competitions, SSWA and ACC events; age champions from the Sr Mary Murray Cup Interhouse Swimming Carnival, Fr Gaetan Pereira Cup Interhouse Cross-Country Carnival and Fr Kevin King Cup Interhouse Athletics Carnival; ACC All Star recognition; and awards presented by the John XXIII College Rowing and Netball Clubs.
While the awards celebrated individual achievement, they also reflected something larger about sport at John XXIII: the opportunity to participate, contribute, challenge yourself and pursue your personal best alongside others.
An exceptional ACC milestone
Among the evening's most significant honours were the ACC Letters, the highest individual sporting distinction presented by the Associated and Catholic Colleges of Western Australia. Students earn a Letter by being selected as an All Star in the same sport over several years.
Four John XXIII students earned ACC Letters in 2026: Grace in swimming, Ciana in athletics, Lyla in cross-country and athletics, and Sasha in swimming.
For Year 12 student Sasha, the presentation marked an extraordinary point in her College sporting journey. Her swimming Letter joins previous Letters in cross-country and athletics, making her only the second student in Western Australia to earn ACC Letters in all three individual sports since the honour was introduced in 2013.
Remarkably, the other athlete to achieve the feat is also a John XXIII College graduate, Sian Munks (Class 2017).
More than the result
That philosophy is perhaps the most important thing the Sport Awards celebrate.
Not every sporting experience ends with a medal, MVP award or championship. The value also lies in showing up for training, supporting teammates, learning from disappointment, taking on challenges, and discovering the satisfaction that comes from working towards something over time.
The 2026 Sport Awards provided an opportunity to recognise those qualities and to celebrate the many students who have represented John XXIII College throughout the year.
Congratulations to all our award recipients and to every student, coach and staff member who contributed to another memorable year of College sport.
-
Share this story:
-
-
-
