The first week of the school holidays was busy for 13 of The Catlins Area School pupils, as they were a part of the team of 50 who made up the "South of the South" tournament team to compete in the New Zealand Area Schools tournament in Dunedin. Other regions were Top of the South, Central (North Island) and North (North Island).
The South of the South A netball team won its three group matches and the B team won two of three. In rugby, basketball, volleyball and futsal the South of the South teams struggled against their northern competitors, who had fewer athletes playing multiple sports.
On the last day of competition, the games were North Island v South Island and some Catlins players making these squads. The ultimate outcome for these players is then to be selected in the New Zealand Area Schools teams. Duncan Leslie was selected in the rugby team and will get an opportunity to tour with this team later in the year. Jessica Cairns was selected in the netball tournament team and Kaitlyn Roughan made the futsal team. Claudia Dodds was then selected in the NZ Area Schools netball team that will participate in a transTasman tournament in 2013.
The South of the South teams also presented most valuable player awards for each sport. The Catlins Area School featured, with Reuben McLay (rugby), Hayley Lister (netball B), Jessica Cairns (netball A) and Kaitlyn Roughan (girls futsal) receiving the accolades.
Next year's New Zealand Area Schools tournament is to be held in Whangarei, which will be a big trip for the local athletes.
Rugby league
The Otago U15 and U17 rugby league teams made it to the South Island Tournament held in early July. Day one entailed fitness testing. Some outstanding performances were recorded in the yoyo and speed test, particularly Thomas Johnson of Kaikorai Valley College.
The next three days were match days, with highlights being the U17's victory against Tasman, and close games against West Coast and Southland. The U15s finished the tournament with a well-earned victory over Southland. Three of the five games the U15s played were close and plenty was learnt from the other two games against Canterbury.
Representative achievements and awards from the four days went to Rewi Pomare (King's High) who was named the U15 sportsman of the tournament and also included in the U15 South Island Scorpions squad and Alex Faulkner (OBHS) and Thomas Johnson, who were selected in the U17 South Island Scorpions squad.
Columba College
Columba College had another excellent Otago Secondary School's Netball Championship. For the fourth consecutive year, the Senior A team won the tournament. They came up against a strong South Otago High School team, which led for most of the match. However, the Columba team pushed ahead with just minutes to spare. The Y10 team placed third this year, beaten out of the final by St Hilda's, but winning their last game convincingly. The Y9 team showed ability and strength to make it to the junior final. Unfortunately, it came up against a Dunstan High School which is at the peak in this age group. Second placing was a wonderful effort by the young Columba team.
The Columba College swimming sports were also held recently. New records were set by Ayaki Iwahashi (Y11) and Anna MacDonald (Y9). One of the highlights for the day was a diving demonstration by junior school student, Drew Schievink, who is representing New Zealand at diving in Australia later this year. Year level championship winners were Isabella Lau (Y8), Anna MacDonald (Y9), Nicole Ker (Y10) and the senior winner was Ayaki Iwahashi.
Sian English (Y12) has been selected to represent New Zealand Secondary Schools at the Australian secondary schools cross-country championships, in Adelaide during August. This is just reward for Sian who has had a strong cross-country season in 2012, at all levels. Samara Dalziel (Y13) has been selected in the New Zealand under-18 Tiger Turf hockey squad for 2012.
Samara has had an outstanding season at school, club and representative levels. She has been a member of the Southern U21 and U18 teams in 2012.
South Otago Netball
South Otago won the Netball Otago U17 Tournament which included teams from Canterbury and the lower South Island. The team was Sophie and Abby Erwood, Erin Pellett, Sam Hollows, Megan Morrison, Kobie Latta, Sonja Vreugdenhil, Rebecca Stark (all South Otago High School), Jess Cairns, (The Catlins Area School) and Lucy Pringle (Tokomairiro High School).
Sophie and Abby Erwood along with Sam Hollows were selected in a tournament team and a Netball Otago talent development squad, which is fantastic opportunity for these players.
The South Otago team also competed at the NZ U17 championships held over the last week of the school holidays in Christchurch, where the girls matched their skills against the best New Zealand has to offer. This was a great learning opportunity for all the players.
Kavanagh College
Sport at Kavanagh College is going well with all winter codes midway through their seasons. After an evenly contested Roncalli interschool and highly enjoyable Dunedin co-ed schools tournament, Kavanagh recently competed in the junior Catholic schools quadrangular tournament. This tournament is for pupils in years 7-10 and is based in Dunedin. There were 320 pupils competing, from Kavanagh College, St Peter's College (Gore), St Kevin's College (Oamaru) and Verdon College (Invercargill). Indoors was where all of the action took place with the 16 netball and basketball teams.
Unfortunately the forecast of wintry showers and snow to 500m meant that the eight rugby teams will have to wait until next year's tournament. Strong performances from both the boys' and girls' basketball teams meant that the Kavanagh teams were unbeaten, ensuring overall victory for the college.
The Rosmini College 1st XV from Auckland has been on a South Island tour. Its last stop was a game against the Kavanagh 1st XV. Rosmini proved to be too strong. Its big loose forwards gained plenty of yards with ball and its classy backline applied a lot of pressure on defence. Key players for Kavanagh were Joe Weatherall in the pick and go and Nathan O'Brien in cover defence.
This was a great experience for the team, to play against a team from Auckland, with a highlight being the new friendships that can be made through billeting.
The Kavanagh hockey teams have both had a successful return after the school break with the boys' team beating Bayfield High 5-1. Johnny Thorn was a handful for the Bayfield defence with Sam Lynch and Aaron Fahey backed him up with strong displays for Kavanagh. The girls' team played an OHA development side and won 5-0, the stand-out performer being Gemma O'Connell.
Queen's Sport
During the recent holidays the national youth and junior darts championships were held in Dunedin.
Queen's High pupils Ripeka and S'vania Te Moananui were part of the Otago Team competing. They won the youth pairs title and Ripeka defeated her sister to win the singles title. The sisters will travel to China this week as part of an Otago contingent, to take part in an international training camp and competition.
Twenty two pupils travelled to Alexandra recently to compete in the Gymsports Otago Championships.
Helen Lowther co-ordinates the aerobics programme at Queen's and is pleased with how the girls are progressing. These girls have been training for most of the year and have had wonderful support from current and past pupils and parents.
Cromwell College adventure
Cromwell College has 10 pupil who will experience one of life's big adventures next year, trekking in the Himalayas. Wanaka mountaineer and adventurer Guy Cotter will launch a fundraising venture next week for the pupils to visit Nepal and the Himalayas in 2013. The proposed route to Everest Base Camp up Gokyo Valley and via Chola Pass (5368m) is not one most trekkers take. The 21-day trek will be less congested and give the pupils an opportunity to build a relationship with Phortse School in the Solukhumbu District. Over the next nine months the 10 pupils will raise funds to help with education of the local school children, in conjunction with the Himalayan Trust founded by Sir Edmund Hillary. Other fundraising activities in the pipeline include an evening with Peter Hillary in September, a mountain bike challenge, and some sponsorship opportunities. In addition, the pupils will be working over the summer months.
Recently, the college played against Waimate High School in the annual winter exchange. This year the seniors travelled to Waimate and had varied success. They lost the girls' and boys' basketball and the A netball, but gained redemption in the mixed football and B netball. The juniors played at home and had great success, winning the A and B netball, both junior rugby matches, and the mixed basketball and mixed football. More than 130 pupils took part from Cromwell, and the chance to billet and be billeted and make new friendships is one the pupils look forward to.
The college also hosted Strathallan College, from Papakura, at the end of term two. In cold and snowy conditions that would have tested the visitors, the boys football team won 5-4 after extra time, while the girls' team lost by two goals. Players of the day were Liam Robertson and MacKenzie Hollebon.
Calendar
July 27: Term three squash start, Otago Squash Club
August 6: Ski and snowboard championships, Cardrona
• These articles are compiled by the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association (OSSSA) which is proudly sponsored by Perpetual. Contact Des Smith, Otago Regional Sports Director, PO Box 6303, Dunedin. Email: des@osssa.org.nz
