Ben Aynsley
Ben Aynsley
A good hockey player plays where the ball is, but a great hockey player plays where the ball is going to be.
For 17-year-old Ben Aynsley, "the ball" is going to be somewhere in the middle of an international men’s hockey tournament, and he is already making his way there.
Over the past five years, the St Peter’s College deputy head boy has worked hard to make his way up the ranks, and will continue to work hard with the aim of being selected for the New Zealand Black Sticks.
"That would be cool, but it’s still a wee way off yet.
"At the moment, I’m working towards that by trialling for the Southland men’s team. My goal is to make that team."
Already, Ben has been a Southland hockey age-group representative in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, and is currently the Southland under-18 hockey vice-captain.
He has also been a member of the Eastern United division 1 hockey team since 2019, and has been a member of the teams which won the Southland hockey division 4, 3, 2, and 1 finals in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020 respectively.
Ben is also proving to be just as good at keeping an eye on the ball from the sidelines.
After gaining his New Zealand Hockey Junior Umpiring Badge in 2018, he was called upon to umpire games at the national under-13 hockey tournament in 2019.
Next year, Ben wants to study commerce and agriculture at Lincoln University.
After that, he hopes to travel through Europe (Covid permitting), working on different farming operations, while chipping away at his ultimate hockey goal by playing for European hockey clubs.
Achievements: Deputy head boy (2021); NCEA level 1 and 2 with merit (2019, 2020); school ball committee (2021); school 1st XI hockey team (2017-21), captain (2021), vice-captain (2020), MVP (2020); school best hockey player trophy (2020); school award for dedication to hockey (2019); winner of Southland hockey division 4 (2014), division 3 (2016), division 2 (2018), division 1 (2020); Southland hockey representative (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018); Southland U18 hockey vice-captain (2021); Eastern United division 1 hockey team (2019-21), most improved player (2020); National U13 hockey tournament umpire (2019); Eastern men’s hockey team (2021); NZ Hockey Junior Umpiring Badge (2018).
Role model: "My dad — he’s taught me a lot about hockey and how to live life."
Hopes for the future: To study for a bachelor of commerce and agriculture degree at Lincoln University and represent New Zealand in hockey.
Alice Napier
Alice Napier
There's a trick to rucking a rugby ball out of a busy maul — precision and perseverance.
St Peter’s College pupil and Eastern Southland girls 1st XV rugby captain Alice Napier says she uses the same trick to make achievements in other fields of her life — in particular, academia.
"It’s about precision and perseverance. Definitely, I think precision plays a very big part in it.
"I’m very specific and critical of the work I do. I like it to be very exact. I find that helps me to achieve a lot."
The 17-year-old has played hooker for the Eastern Southland girls 1st XV for the past two years, she was a Southland Country under-18 girls rugby representative last year, she was nominated for the Southland under-19 girls rugby team this year, and has been a Southland under-19 girls cricket representative since 2017.
Off the field, Alice is a high academic achiever, having completed several IGCSE exams in year 10, when most pupils sit them in year 11.
"They’re good to have under my belt because they’re more internationally recognised."
More recently, she has gained NCEA level 1 and 2 with excellence, she was first in year 11 English, first in year 12 biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and religious studies, and was named the best all-round year 12 scholar in last year’s St Peter’s College prizegiving.
She was also selected to attend the Rotary National Science and Technology Forum earlier this year.
Her bids for precision and perseverance have also helped her to win important roles as the school’s community leader, a student council member, and one of the lead thespians on stage in the college’s recent production of Grease.
Next year she plans to put her academic excellence to work by studying engineering at the University of Canterbury.
Achievements: A* grade for IGCSE global perspectives (2018); B grade for IGCSE science and English (2018); NCEA level 1 and 2 with excellence (2019, 2020); 1st in English (2019); 1st in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and religious studies (2020); best all-round year 12 scholar (2020); academic blue awards (2020, 2021); Rotary National Science and Technology Forum (2021); Eastern Southland girls 1st XV rugby (2020-21), captain (2021); Southland Country U18 girls rugby rep (2020); sports blue award (2020); Southland U19 girls cricket rep (2017-20); College Student Council (2020); College year 9/10 netball coach (2020); school community leader (2021); school production lead (2021).
Role model: "My teachers — they’re very supportive and they push me to go further than I ever thought I could."
Hopes for the future: To study engineering at the University of Canterbury.
