A talented scientist, a long distance runner, a mountain bike rider and a singer have been awarded The Armidale School’s highest award, Honours, for academic and co-curricular achievement.
Ali Ahsan was one of only 25 students nationally invited to attend the Australian Science Olympiad Summer School in Physics at Australian National University last January, having earned a Gold Medal in last year’s Australian Science Olympiad examinations in Physics, and also Chemistry. The exams contained university-level questions that would challenge most undergraduates.
Joe Makeham was recognised for a stellar athletics career, including four first placings and two thirds over six years running the 1500m at the AAGPS athletics championships in Sydney. The record holder of most long distant events at TAS, he also has the records for the 5km Armidale Campus to City Canter which he has won for the past six years, and the Armidale Fun Run.
In cross country mountain biking, Michael Harris placed sixth in the under 19 men’s division of the Australian Mountain Biking Championships as a 16 year old earlier this year, and just missed national representation by on place. At international level, he competed in the Oceania Mountain Bike Championships and placed ninth in the under 19 male cross country Olympic discipline (XCO) and fourth in the elite men’s division of the XCE (cross country eliminator) race behind two former world champions.
Meanwhile Andrew Knight was a soloist in Gondwana Singers, a national choir of the most accomplished 14-18 year old vocalists from around Australia, who performed a broad repertoire at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music earlier this year. Andrew’s solo was in Paul Jamin’s Towards Infinity. His singing teacher, former Opera Australia professional Stephen Tall as a “once in a career student”.
Ali Ahsan, Joe Makeham, Michael Harris and Andrew Knight have been awarded the Armidale School’s top co-curricular award, Honours, for achievements in their fields.
