Kaikorai Valley College pupil Jessica Wilson has capped a brilliant summer touch season with an invitation to the New Zealand elite players academy in September.
Jessica (year 11) has had a remarkable summer.
She began the season playing for the Otago under-17 team which made the final of the South Island tournament.
She received the team's most improved player award, and her prowess was acknowledged with selection in the South Island team.
She also played a key role for Otago under-21, competing in the national tournament against players up to five years her senior.
Her form had many high-ranking officials predicting a bright representative future.
While representing the South Island in Palmerston North, Jessica's play as a winger was noted as some of the finest in the tournament.
Her communication, speed and motivation made her a crucial contributor to her team's success.
At school level, she helped her Kaikorai Valley College senior mixed team to fifth at the South Island secondary schools tournament.
Following the team's wild-card entry to the national tournament, she will again travel to Palmerston North in December.
Jessica shared MVP honours for her school team.
At the Kaikorai Valley College prizegiving in December, Jessica received trophies for her performance and contribution to girls sport and for sporting leadership, and was honoured as the top overall junior sporting performer.
She also won several prizes at the school's sports awards evening.
Netball Otago development camp
For the third consecutive year, Netball Otago ran a development camp in Alexandra during the April school holidays.
The camp is open to players of all abilities, aged between 13 and 18 years old.
This year, 40 players attended from throughout Otago.
Based at the Dunstan High School hostel, the players got a taste of a variety of netball activities over three days.
Netball Otago development officer Jo Morrison was able to call upon top coaches to take some of the sessions.
Former Otago players Nicola Jones, Nicki Paterson, Trudie Marsh, Camille O'Connor and Bronwyn Coers were on the coaching staff, as were former Silver Ferns captain Belinda Colling and Netball NZ Coachforce coach Noeline Scott.
Players were put through different activities, from Pilates, umpiring, massage and pool sessions to a range of netball-specific coaching sessions and a tournament on the final morning of the camp.
Cromwell College
The under-16 boys rowing team represented Cromwell College in its first Maadi Cup at the end of the first term.
The boys excelled in making the B final in the quad and the A final in the coxed four.
Kate Guildford played in the Wanaka tennis championships and won the girls and boys division for her age.
At the Central Otago Golf Championships in Roxburgh recently, Josh Kahukura shot 72, 72 (par 68) to be second in his division, and Inia Logan shot 80 and 71 to win his division.
Slalom kayaking
The New Zealand secondary schools slalom and down-river championships were held recently on the Waipori River near Dunedin.
The event was hosted by Dunstan High School and featured slalom kayaking, down-river sprints and a 4km down-river race.
Schools travelled from all over New Zealand to compete, with the top secondary school athletes all in attendance.
Otago schools competing were Dunstan High School, Mt Aspiring College, St Kevin's College, Wakatipu High School and Bayfield High School.
Dunstan High School won the top co-ed school trophy, while Otago athletes claimed 50 medals from the three disciplines.
Jessica Bailey (Mt Aspiring College) won three individual golds and one silver, a gold in the C2 with sister Holly, and a gold in the girls team race.
Jessica was named the top under-16 girl.
Finn Butcher, from Dunstan High School, won an individual gold, silver and bronze, and three silvers in the team racing.
King's High School
In the second week of the school holidays, a rugby team from King's went on tour to Australia.
King's played two Queensland teams, beating Ipswich Grammar 42-12 and losing 22-10 to Downlands College in Toowomba.
Standout players for the team were Issac Cadogan, Paul Tupai, Max Aitkenhead, Ben Dolan and Dan Fowler.
Water polo ended the season last term with both senior and junior teams reaching the final in their respective grades.
The junior team finished as runner-up but the seniors managed to draw their game in the last 30 seconds.
King's was represented well in the Otago secondary swimming sports.
The four pupils competing were Kieran Applegarth, Warren van Stadem and Sam and Thomas Keane.
Kieran was first in the 50m freestyle and butterfly, third in the 50m breaststroke and fourth in the 50m backstroke.
Warren was first in the 50m backstroke, second in the 50m butterfly, third in the 50m freestyle and fifth in the 50m breaststroke.
Brothers Ali and Wali Aman were in the Otago under-14 futsal team which won the New Zealand provincial championships in Christchurch during the school holidays.
Kavanagh College rowing
Zoe McBride and Hannah Duggan represented Kavanagh College at the Maadi Cup rowing regatta on Lake Ruataniwha.
Their main event was the under-15 girls double sculls and, after winning their heat and semifinals comfortably, they won a bronze medal in the A final out of 55 other crews from around New Zealand.
This was an outstanding effort and follows a bronze medal at the South Island secondary schools championships three weeks earlier.
Zoe also made the A final in the under-17 girls single scull, which puts her among the top eight under-17 single scullers in the country.
Hannah and Zoe have made great progress since taking up rowing last year.
These articles are compiled by the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Assn Inc (OSSSA) which is proudly sponsored by the Perpetual Trust. Contacts: Des Smith, Otago regional sports director, PO Box 6303, Dunedin. Ph 470-1337 Fax 470-1786 Email: des@osssa.org.nz Website: www.osssa.org.nz
