Alistair McMurran

Shannon McIlroy (Nelson), the bright hope of New Zealand bowls, wants to win his third North East Valley Invitation singles title this weekend.

First five-eighth Dan Waenga will play a key role for North Otago in the Lochore Cup semifinal against King Country at Centennial Park on Saturday.

The Otago Special Olympics athletics squad has grown like Topsy with 25 athletes at yesterday's training session at the Caledonian Ground.

Doug Leckie was reluctant to tell the Otago Daily Times about his World Masters Games gold medal, but was pushed into telling his story by his daughter.

Rennie Soffe returned to his best form when he broke the New Zealand record at the national powerlifting bench press championships in Christchurch last weekend.

New Otago rowing manager Sonya Walker has developed a passion for the sport since testing the waters of Lake Wakatipu in 1998.

Imogen Coxhead led the charge by the Port Chalmers United masters women, the dominant force in masters rowing in Otago.

Rebekah Greene (Hill City) started the athletics season in style when she broke a hat trick of records in the 1500m at the Caledonian Ground on Saturday.

Lorraine Oliphant (94) no longer plays competitive bowls, but she still has the occasional roll-up at the St Clair Bowling Club.

Andrew Kelly (Canterbury) will lead the challenge of the young guns at the 19th annual Speight's North East Valley Invitation Singles at Labour Weekend.

New Delhi is the next target for Dunedin swimmer Katie Kenneally (Neptune), who won three gold medals at last month's New Zealand spring short course championships in Christchurch.

The support given to Liza Hunter-Galvan by New Zealand athletics greats Sir Peter Snell and Lorraine Moller has disappointed anti-drug campaigner Dr Dave Gerrard and World Cup marathon representative Shireen Crumpton.

The St Andrews College hockey team is using the "hot and cold" spa treatment to recover quickly from games at the Rankin Cup national secondary schools tournament in Dunedin this week.

Brydie Donald, who has represented New Zealand in curling and ice hockey, is the latest of a long line of internationals who have come from the Maniototo.

Christs College played with passion and finesse to beat Otago Boys 2-1 in the first round of the Rankin Cup national secondary schools tournament in Dunedin yesterday.