During the July holidays, 32 pupils and 14 parents headed to Cairns to take part in a 12-day sporting/cultural tour.
Two netball teams and a rugby team played against three schools in Cairns, Innisfail and Port Douglas. The rugby team was triumphant, winning all three games, while the netball girls won three out of six games.
The tour was a huge success and plans are well advanced for the 2015 tour.
The girls' team took part in the rugby festival at St Kevin's College, in Oamaru, coming seventh overall. Captain Sinead Cormack was selected in the tournament team.
In December, Gavin Stark was selected in the New Zealand under-17 regional development rugby squad, and in July, he took part in the Highlanders camp in Dunedin. Further success came at the recent Southern Region awards where he was named most promising player. Elliot Hancox was named under-17 colts player of the year for his outstanding rugby season.
Blue Mountain College has rugby players Daniel Batt, Zach McKenzie and Mathew Hoffman-White in the Otago Country under-14 team, while Garth Devereux and Gavin Stark are in the Otago Country under-18 team. Junior rugby is also thriving. Jimmy-Rae Ritchie and Tom Hancox are in the Country under-38kg team, and Ben Morris and Jacob Beal-Harris are in the Otago under-48kg team.
South Otago netball
South Otago High School finished the netball season on a high note, receiving several trophies in the South Otago competition.
The A team won: Petri Shield, (winner of the A grade challenge match), Alison Begg Trophy (runner-up in A grade Silver Jubilee Rose Bowl) Conduct Cup for attitude and behaviour on court, winner of senior 2 and senior 1 Dunedin competition.
The Bullets side won the Hallum Cup for winners of B grade; Atawhai Hotene: Wright Cup for most improved player; Sophie Erwood: Kylie Smith Memorial Trophy for most improved U17 player; Brittney Pyne: Pyne Family Trophy for most promising junior player.
Dunstan High School
Three pupils, Ally Nicholls, Sharon Ferreira and Giordyn Moss, represented Dunstan High School at the New Zealand secondary schools gymsport championships in Auckland early last month.
The girls competed individually and also as a team in aerobics, rhythmic, trampoline and tumbling.
Sharon won silver in trampoline, with Giordyn and Ally sixth and eighth respectively.
Sharon and Giordyn were second in the aerobics pairs, and all three girls were in the top 10 in tumbling.
The team placed first in the trampoline and third in the tumbling, and won gold for their overall team placing.
Despite being the smallest team, and having the longest distance to travel to compete, the Dunstan girls had some of the best results.
Eight Dunstan juniors battled 23 other school teams from Otago-Southland in the regional Get-2-Go Challenge, on a wet and cold day in Dunedin in August. It was the first time Dunstan had entered this event. The day included mountain biking, kayaking and orienteering, where points were gained for speed and skill.
Dunstan won the event and now has the opportunity to represent Otago-Southland at the grand final, on Great Barrier Island in December.Only 12 teams are invited to compete.
Dunstan had three ski teams, two mixed teams and a boys' team in the Otago-Southland secondary schools championships at Cardrona in August.
The "Pascoe Team" of Nick, Kate and Kit Pascoe was second in the mixed giant slalom event, and Nick Pascoe was the fastest New Zealander in the giant slalom. Six of the racers got through to the heats of the ski cross event
Calendar of events
Winter tournament week:
• Girls' football, Logan Park
• South Island netball, Edgar Centre
• South Island ice hockey, Dunedin Ice Stadium
• Boys' and girls' basketball, Edgar Centre
September 15-16:
•South Island ski and snowboard, Cardrona.
•These articles are compiled by the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association (OSSSA) which is proudly sponsored by Perpetual Trust. Contact Des Smith, Otago Regional Sports director, PO Box 6303, Dunedin.
Email: des@osssa.org.nz
