Secondary sport: Academy plan boost for players

Taieri College Academy

In June, Taieri College established a sports council, of community members and staff, to promote and support sport and wants to establish a senior sports academy in term three and four for year 11-13 pupils.

Its wider plan is to introduce a three-tiered college academy in two years.

The initial senior academy intake was of 24 pupils from sports including cricket, rugby, netball, equestrian, shooting, gymnastics, athletics and water polo.

They will benefit from a wide range of both practical and theoretical sessions across a variety of sports science to enhance their sporting performance from both New Zealand Sports Academy and Taieri College staff.

Otago Boys' football

Otago Boys' High School's unbeaten First XI retained the premier title and won the knockout cup with wins in finals over King's High School and John McGlashan College, respectively.

The team was well led by Matt Brook.

The Blue and White teams met in the final of the reserve grade with the Blues winning.

This team was also unbeaten this year.

The Y10 Blue team won section one in the junior grade with a 4-1 win over John McGlashan in the final.

The Y9 Blues worked really hard against older opposition and were never out of any games in the same grade.

This team had a good 7-1 win over King's Y9 in the annual interschool fixture.

The Y10 White team played well and lost in a penalty shootout to King's in the junior section two final.

This was its only loss during a successful season.

The school wishes Joel Stevens the best of luck in his attempt to make the New Zealand squad for the 2011 Under-17 World Cup.

Duathlon

Dunstan High School pupils Georgia Vessey and Robin Piper competed in the national secondary school championships in Christchurch recently.

This was also part of the Contact duathlon series and the Oceania Championships for the older grades.

The girls were in the under-14 grade and had a 2.7km run, an 8.6km bike then another 2.7km run.

Both girls had solid first runs (Georgia fourth and Robin sixth), and an excellent bike leg (Georgia second and Robin fourth).

This set them up for the final run, which ended up being a battle, with Georgia finishing third overall and Robin fifth.

Also, Emily McGimpsey (14) from Blue Mountain College was 12th in the under-16 age group.

Motocross

The South Island and secondary schools motocross championships were held recently in Tapanui.

Brittany White, a year 9 pupil at Queen's High School competed against boys.

She rides a 150cc Honda and won the 12-16yrs girls MX.

Elliot Hancox (Blue Mountain College) raced in the all-trail bike 14-16yrs class, scoring 72 points to win.

Mitchell Hancox and Garth Devereux joined forces with Elliot in the teams event, taking 18th of 42.

Campbell King (King's) continued his successes by winning the title of South Island 14-16yrs champion in the 250cc class.

King's ice hockey

King's High School's ice hockey team won the secondary schools A grade recently with a 4-3 win over Otago Boys'.

The scores were tied 1-1 at halftime.

King's scored three more, with goals to Josh McLaren and Joe Orr, who netted twice.

King's then weathered an all-out attack by Otago Boys, with King's at times reduced to five and, at one stage, four players, from penalties.

Otago Boys' scored a late goal with 1min 33sec left, but King's held on.

To top off a successful season for the team, Regan Wilson and Tristan Darling were members of the successful Southern Under-19 team that won a gold medal at the national championships recently.

The team beat Auckland 5-0 and 9-1 and Christchurch 3-0 and 8-2.

Girls football

The Blue Mountain College girls football team, coached by Kathryn Harvey, had an outstanding season in the Southland competition.

The team reached the final, where it was beaten by Southland Girls' High.

Outstanding were Rhiann Knowles and Gemma Townsend, acknowledged as the competition's best defender.

Netball starCromwell College has another senior player, Abby Holden, following on from last season's selection of Vanessa Noble into the New Zealand talent development programme.

Abby, a year 11 pupil who plays wing attack, was invited to a trial in Dunedin with 24 other under-17 players spotted by the Otago selectors.

Her first priority is with the Cromwell College team at the South Island secondary schools championships in Blenheim this week.