These articles are compiled by the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association (OSSSA) which is proudly sponsored by Perpetual Guardian.
Tokomairiro High School
Several students have made representative honours from Tokomairiro High School recently. Selected for South Otago representative netball teams are Jorjah Mason-Waru in the under-17 team, Tayla Frost and Jade Findlay in the under-15 side and Emma Paul in the under-14 team.
Selected in rugby weight grade South West Otago teams are Jake McClean (under 38kg), Jimmy Flannery, Kaleb Hill and Josh Sanders (under 48kg) and Keegan Ferguson, Ben Lister, JD McLeod and Myra Matthews (under 65kg).
South Otago High School
Winter has not meant that sport has stopped at SOHS. The traditional sports are all under way with their weekly competitions, and all teams are holding their own with their competitors.
The school has had a small team at the various cross-country meets, and is particularly proud of Frank Hill's second at the Logan Park race.
In May, the annual swimming sports was held. Twenty-two records were broken, 19 of them by three students. Congratulations to Ella-Rose Lawrence, Brooke Anderson and Trent Dickie, and the other record breakers - Delaney McKenzie, Harri Deacon and Nadia Lyders.
Interchanges are rapidly approaching against both Taieri College and Gore High School. Most winter codes are being contested, and clay bird shooting will feature for the Gore exchange on June 21.
The netballers enjoyed their trip to the Gold Coast in the April holidays. Many months of fundraising resulted in a fun-filled, non-stop week with some shopping thrown in.
Last Friday, four teams were involved in country coaching visits. The Otago rugby, hockey, netball and basketball organisations provided coaches who were dynamic, fun, and talented and all the students got something out of the visits.
Road racing and cross-country have been a major part of this term.
Otago Boys' High School
All the boys ran very well at the recent Otago secondary schools cross-country series but, in particular, the senior A team. Nathan Hill and Matthew Ogle, along with team-mates Liam Turner, Cameron Miller and Nick Pryde, dominated the team races.
On June 2, the Otago secondary schools cross-country was held at the Kaikorai Valley course. The under 14s finished third, the under-15 boys were second, and the under-16 team of Nathan Hill, Flynn Steel and Cameron Miller won.
The closest race was the final for the day and went down to the wire with Nick Pryde, Matthew Ogle and Jacob Beal-Harris claiming first. Special mention to Jacob who had all the work to do on the last lap and passed four boys to secure the win.
The school also had had two interschools for a close win over King's and a close loss to Southland Boys'. The next interschool will be against Christ's College in Dunedin on June 14.
Columba College
Stephanie Jasperse has gained selection in the New Zealand equestrian team to compete in Ireland.
The sports council held a successful golf tournament at the Balmacewen course to raise funds to help foster sport within the school. There was an excellent turnout and all had a great day.
Columba featured highly at the recent Otago rowing awards with the crew of the year title going to the Columba lightweight four of Sara Griffin, Heidi Wright, Sophie Anderson, Millie Wright and cox Margot Darling.
Margot Darling claimed coxswain of the year and Heidi Wright was the female school rower of the year.
Columba has a strong representation in the recently named Southern under-18 hockey team with Grace Brosnahan, Ellie Duncan, Holly Haig, Mia Nevill, Jaime Preston, Isabelle Becconsall-Ryan and Lydia Shirley all selected.
In netball, Lily Cunningham has been selected in the Dunedin under-19 team. Shannon Inch, McKayler Moore, Chenoa Metua and Milly Nesbit have been selected in the Dunedin under-17 B team.
Macee Cuthbertson, Erin Dailey and Kate Turnbull are representing Otago in the under-17 basketball team.
Columba runners performed strongly to gain two second placings in the recent 2km Caversham relay event. The junior A team runners were Meg Sycamore, Zoe McCane, Audrey Hayes and Kana Aoshima and the senior team runners were Caitlin Deans, Gabrielle Trotter, Teigan Tarapi and Lilli Renner.
The senior girls team was third in the Otago-Southland relay in a smart time of 29min 48sec.
Lilli also had the third-fastest individual time overall in the senior grade of 7min 8sec.
The two junior teams ran strongly to finish second and fourth. The A team's time was 29min 48sec and Zoe McCane recorded the third-fastest junior time overall of 7min 11sec.
Kavanagh College
Year 13 student Tom Henderson has carried on his dominance of age-group table tennis winning gold in the under-21 men's singles, and doubles, and the under-18 singles and mixed doubles at the recent South Island championships.
The school also continued its dominance of futsal at secondary school level winning three of the four grades entered at the recent secondary schools tournament at the Edgar Centre. The senior boys team beat Logan Park 6-0 in the final, and the year 10 boys and girls also won their finals.
Kavanagh held its annual swimming sports day on May 20. The college has some excellent swimmers, especially in the junior school, and the competition was fierce. The Fairweather sisters, Jade and Erika, were dominant, as was Meg Christophers and Holly Uluakiola in their respective age groups. Will Christophers was the senior boys champion and Jessie Lou the senior girls champion.
The school's badminton teams continue to produce consistent performances as do the girl and boys hockey teams.
The Kavanagh college under-14 and under-15 rugby teams remain unbeaten this season.
A big thanks to all our volunteer coaches and managers who do a fantastic job to make sure our students get the opportunity to enjoy and participate in the sports they love.
Mount Aspiring College
Winter team sports are well under way for Mount Aspiring College students, and snow sports will not be far away as the recent weather promises a good start to the season. Years 7 and 8 students have had a busy start to the term, with Central Otago orienteering, rippa rugby and the forthcoming Top Bike event.
Five teams from MAC competed at the Otago SS futsal tournament. All teams finished in the top four, including a win by the senior B boys team - an impressive results considering it was the first time any of them had played together as teams.
Wanaka recently hosted the second round of the NZ Climbing Cup, and three students made the podium. Zelda Boyd came second in under-14, Leo Luthje won lead climbing and finished second in bouldering, and Jessa Bennett won the under-16 bouldering.
Inspired by their involvement in the Get 2 Go challenge last year, Bella Fraser, Sam Coupland and Wilfred Spearing have been making their mark in the sports of orienteering and rogaining. At the South Island schools orienteering festival, all three teams made the top three in both the sprint and long distance races, Bella winning both of hers. The team then went on to win the mixed senior team event at the NZSS rogaine champs in Christchurch.
On the international front, Hamish McLean is the first Mount Aspiring College student to be selected for the New Zealand Paralympic swimming team to compete in Rio de Janiero. Hamish (16) will be training with the team in Germany and the United States leading up to the Paralympics on 7 September.
Queen's High School
Interhouse Wednesdays continue at lunchtimes and this term so far the girls have had a chance to enjoy dodgeball, basketball played with a Swiss ball and multisport. The winter sports team captains had a lunchtime workshop on the role of a captain.
An initiative of the school sports council was to give the girls the opportunity to learn more about nutrition and sport. They were lucky enough to have ex-Queen's student Nicola Wood address the senior sportswomen.
For a player to develop their game in any sport, it is beneficial to be well-informed about the rules. To assist them, this week the basketballers have all had a lunchtime session with Melony Wealleans, the Basketball NZ referees manager. The senior A & B and 10A netball players have been through the Game in Action netball umpiring course.
The Queen's senior team of Molly Stephenson, Ella Scott, Judah Kelly and Hayley Kettings narrowly missed second place in the recent Caversham relays at King's.
Girls competed in Cromwell in the first gymsports aerobics qualifying competition. To attend nationals in September, the competitors have to qualify in at least two events. Abby McMullan achieved first place in aeroskools level 4 Individual and in a team for 12-14 years. Leah Anderson and Lucy Elliott, both in year 12 and competing in open level 4 15+, also achieved the first qualifying mark.
Riley Haugh coaches aerobics at Dunedin Gymnastics Academy. Her athletes achieved two first places and one sixth place and also achieved the qualifying mark.
