Queen's High School year 13 pupil Sarah Morrison is celebrating winning the South Island level 9 rhythmic gymnastics title recently.
Twenty-two girls travelled to Alexandra for the Gymsport NZ Otago Regionals. Christina Ashton, year 10, and Emily White, year 11, won individual titles and Emily also won the medal for the highest score for level 7. Ten of these girls qualified to represent Otago at the Gymsport NZ Championships in Dunedin in October.
Twelve pupils travelled to Invercargill for the NZ Aerobics Federation (NZCAF) Otago-Southland regionals. Eleven individuals and one team qualified for finals. Christina and Emily again won their individual titles, with Christina receiving the trophy for most promising athlete across the whole competition. Nine individuals qualified for the Nationals in Wellington in September.
OBHS rugby
The OBHS 1st XV has made the record books by being only the fifth team in the history of the school to complete a clean sweep of all the traditional interschools in one season. What makes this even more remarkable is that the OBHS team had only one home interschool.
Not only did OBHS finish the interschool season with a 6-0 record but it also holds the Westpac Cup for South Island supremacy, after taking it off Christchurch Boys'. The team also won the Otago Daily Times Cup after completing the round robin play of the Highlanders Competition unbeaten in first place.
Kavanagh College Sport
The Kavanagh College junior hockey team has had a good season, moving up to A grade after being on top of the B grade mid-season. Play-offs start soon to decide their final position for the 2012 season. Nick Parata has been a standout performer for this team, setting up and scoring goals this season in his Kavanagh debut. In senior hockey both the boys' and girls' First Xls have had good seasons. The girls beat Bayfield and Columba, ensuring their place in the division 2 final. The boys played well enough throughout the year to move up a grade to 2A and have been unbeaten since.
The football boys' 1st Xl has had a very strong season placing third overall in the regular season. It played its semifinal on Wednesday against King's but was outclassed 3-0 in a tough match played in wet conditions.
Captain Joe Larson and John Madden both had strong seasons, as well as Ben O'Farell who made an age-group Otago team.
Finally to Plovdiv (Bulgaria), where Zoe McBride has competed for the New Zealand junior women's quad sculls at the junior world rowing championships. The team qualified for the semifinal with the second fastest heat time.
Cromwell College
The annual Cromwell College cross-country was held in early August.
Twenty pupils have been selected to compete in the Central Otago championships.
The school's skiers and snowboarders competed well in the Otago-Southland Secondary School Championships with Krystal Roberts winning the slopestyle event and the senior mixed team winning the slalom.
Congratulations to Kees Scott, Anaru Takimoana and Anton Schroder on their selection in the Otago under-65kg rugby team.
Bayfield Sport
At the Southland artistic gymnastic championships in Invercargill, Jade Fielding (Y9) won the Step 6 Division 1 and Shannon Hope (Y10) was third overall. Both have qualified to represent Otago at the national women's championships in Blenheim in October.
Y12 student Evan Amezcua has been selected as goalie in the Southern Ice Hockey League representative team. Y10 pupil Bradley Caffell won a silver medal in the National Powerlifting Championships last weekend, competing in the sub-junior U18 section.
Kieran Duncan, a year 12 pupil, claimed the Calder MacKay trophy in the Cycling Otago junior road race after charging away from the field. Kieran has also had success in multisport events already this year.
He was a member of the Bayfield team in the Otago Rail Trail Duathlon, winning the mixed teams section and finishing second among 22 secondary school teams.
Nine aerobics girls made it into the regional NZCAF aerobics competition finals and the following were placed: Junior Novice 6, Jade Fielding 1, Shannon Hope 2; Senior Novice 6, Gemma Still 1, Makayla Frost 2; Senior Open 6, Georgia Henderson 3; Open teams 6, Georgia Henderson and Danielle Galdeman 3. All medal winners have qualified for the Nationals in Wellington in September.
Columba College
The annual winter Quadrangular Tournament was hosted by Columba College recently. Sports played included 1st XI hockey, senior A netball, A badminton and debating. The tournament provided excellent competition with were several outstanding and talented individuals and teams on show including New Zealand, Canterbury, South Canterbury and Otago representatives. All teams were able to benefit from the tournament spirit of goodwill, friendship and fair play. St Margaret's College (Christchurch) won the tournament overall with Columba and St Hilda's Collegiate School tied for second and Craighead Diocesan (Timaru) fourth.
There are many senior girls coaching junior Columba teams, which is fantastic, rewarding and appreciated. The Sports Council-funded part-time coaching co-ordinator is running this programme with student coaches.
Three teams will head to South Island tournaments during tournament week. The Senior A netball will be in Dunedin, the 1st XI hockey will compete in the Jenny McDonald tournament in Invercargill, and the 1st XI soccer in Dunedin. All three teams have been performing well at local level and are looking forward to the challenges ahead.
Maddy Spence (Y10), a very talented all-round sportswoman, is the only Otago player named in the SISS year 10 netball tournament team. Congratulations to three girls who have been selected in Otago badminton teams this season: Amy Logie U17, Rileigh Fields and Maddy Foster, both U15. They performed well at regional and South Island tournaments.
Calendar of Events
Today: Boys' football finals, Bayfield Park
August 29: Ice hockey finals, Dunedin Ice Stadium, AWD 10-pin bowling: Bowl Line
September 3-7: Winter Tournament Week: SISS Netball, Edgar Centre; Girls' football tournament, Logan Park; SISS ice hockey, Dunedin Ice Stadium; NZ boys' and girls' basketball, Edgar Centre; SISS mixed hockey, Oamaru.
• 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
