These articles are compiled by the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association, which is proudly sponsored by Perpetual Guardian.
Tokomairiro High School
This is the second year local coach Sarah Lloyd has inspired the Toko A netball team. Her hard work laying the foundations last year has come to fruition this season. The team won the B grade of the Otago secondary school championships and has only improved as the season has progressed. Moving up a grade in the South Otago competition mid-season, it was then fighting to win in the next grade only to lose on points deferential to Hillend Social. In the final game of the season, playing for the Challenge Shield, Toko took some revenge and beat Hillend Social. At the Tokomairiro High School prize giving, the A team also claimed the most consistent senior team trophy to secure three trophies for the season.
The Toko B netball team has also performed well in the South Otago competition, placing top in its grade and also winning the playoff game to secure 2 trophies for the season. The Toko junior 1 team almost won its grade, missing out by just one point in the final cup round points table. It did get victory on the last game of the season though with a win against Balclutha, which eventually won its grade.
Queen's High School
Queen's hosted teams from two visiting schools in the third week of term three. Craighead is one of the top-performing South Island schools and it proved tough competition for our basketball team with players from years 10-13. Next up were the two under-15 netball teams from St Philip's College, Alice Springs. Two well-matched games were played but of equal value was the social interaction over afternoon tea afterwards.
Louise Nicolson was named MVP for the under-18 Southern Hockey development team, of which she was the captain. This team is selected from players from Timaru to Bluff.
Netball finals day is on August 20. Queen's is pleased to have another umpire awarded her Dunedin Netball Centre badge. Grace Dickson joins Carina McLay and Louise with this qualification and three more are in training.
Judah Kelly has been running strongly as a member of the Caversham Harriers Club. She finished second in the under-18 Otago cross-country and won her junior club championships.
A combined King's and Queen's surfing team, including Shani Ayson, competed in Raglan last week and, against the country's best secondary school surfers, came home with a second place.
Aerobics and hip hop season is in full flight. Abby McMullan was second in the under-14 individual at the secondary school gymsports nationals in Auckland, and, this past weekend, Queen's Aerobics Club competitors placed first in every category they entered in the Otago regionals. Chloe Robertson, Sarah Williment, Abby McMullan, Olivia Burgess, Kristen Wingham, Ella Hjertquist Claudia Douglas, Judah Kelly, Riley Haugh and Lucy Elliott all qualified for nationals. Queen's won highest overall school. TDM2 won top secondary hip hop crew.
Otago Boys' High School
Building on the programme which has produced several Olympians including Hamish Bond, a parent group has met to plan the rowing season.
Consultant coach Royce Wilson introduced two new coaches for the 2016-17 season.
James McKenzie a Meridian scholarship coach, has been involved in coaching secondary school rowers for four years and is assisting the Otago Rowing Association with the winter development programme.
In July, the rowers took delivery of the latest model of a New Zealand-made rowing eight from SLR Racing. This project has taken several years of planning and fundraising by parents so the existing much used eight ``The Adamson'' can be gracefully relegated to training use.
Mount Aspiring College
Students enjoyed superb snow conditions and great weather at Cardrona for the MAC ski and snowboard champs earlier this month. The senior winners were:
Ski: Boys: Janus Staufenberg; Girls: Emily Scott; Snowboard: Boys: Josh O'Regan, Girls; Zoi Sadowski-Sinnott.
Several students went on to compete at the Otago Southland Secondary Schools champs, also held at Cardrona. The school won both the male and female ski team events, as well as the boys snowboard team event. Next up for the snow sports athletes is the South Island Secondary School champs on September 10.
Runner Sammy Burke has been selected to represent New Zealand at the Australian cross-country championships in Australia next month. This will be the second year that Sammy has run for NZ at this event.
The school farewelled Hamish McLean with a haka and farewell assembly last week. Hamish is to compete in swimming at the Paralympics in Rio de Janiero. At 16, Hamish is possibly one of the youngest competitors at this event.
Teams have been preparing for winter tournament week, with students competing in boys and girls football, hockey, netball, rugby, and ice hockey. Other upcoming events include the school cross-country, Get 2 Go challenge and the Central Otago volleyball tournament.
Columba College
Emma McCaughan won a gold medal at the New Zealand Aerobics championships.
Columba hosted the recent school exchange between Columba, Craighead, St Hilda's and St Margaret's. Overall, Columba, St Hilda's and St Margaret's shared first equal placing on 12 points. The Columba Fair Play Awards went to Rileigh Fields in badminton, Lydia Shirley in hockey, Lily Cunningham in netball and Selena Ballantyne was best debater.
Audrey Hayes, Ella Heffernan, Liv Preston, Stephanie Smith and Charlotte Wheeler made the Otago under-15A hockey team. Cara Busse, Lucy Duncan, Madison Flaws, Sophie Gaudin, Megan Maslin, Cierra Reid, Andrea Smith and Savanna Westgate made the under-15 development squad.
Abby Anderson, Kristin Dore, Meg Sycamore and Charlotte Wheeler made the under-15A Dunedin Netball Team and Meg Breen, Amber Cunningham, Isabella Geytenbeek, Charlotte Smith and Millie Wright were selected in the under-15B team.
Jess Cowie, Maia Joseph, Lily Smart and Madi Williams were selected in the under-14 A netball team and Jessica Ecroyd and Olivia Fowler in the under-14B team.
Congratulations to the year 9/10 netballers who won the South Island year 9/10 combined grade section at the recent tournament and Gabrielle Trotter who was selected as a talented netball umpire at the same tournament. Charlotte Calder, in year 13, has been selected in the Otago Sparks wider squad.
Cyclist Ella Harris, in year 13, won an individual gold and silver medal in the under-20 time trial and road race. Mila Rollo won an individual bronze in the under-14 time trial.
The under-16 time trial team of Mila Rollo, Thirza Smith, Lucy Sansom and Lily Smart won a silver medal.
Columba swimmers gained fantastic results at the recent South Island event.
Antonia Bachop 50m freestyle 3, 200m individual medley 3, 100m freestyle 2; Caitlin Deans, 100m butterfly 1, 200m individual medley 2, 100m freestyle 2, 200m butterfly 1, 200m freestyle 2, 400m freestyle 1, 400m individual medley 1; Devon Familton 100m breaststroke 2, 50m backstroke 2, 200m breaststroke 1, 400m individual medley 2; Zoe McCane 100m, breaststroke 2, 200m breaststroke 3; Meg Sycamore 50m breaststroke 3; Gabrielle Trotter 100m, butterfly 3. 400m freestyle 3.
Kavanagh College
The Kavanagh College year 9/10 Netball team attended the junior South Island secondary schools tournament in Christchurch recently. The side played brilliant netball, achieving excellent results and gained invaluable experience. The team had four wins and a loss in their pool, and were unlucky not to go through to the top eight, missing out on goal difference. Overall, they finished 12th.
The first XV has had a solid finish to the secondary school season, beating Mt Aspiring, Otago Boys 3rd XV and South Otago 2nd XV, with the game against Taieri College cancelled. The only loss was to St Kevin's in the bottom six.
Winter sports tournament week is fast approaching and Kavanagh College will be represented in many sports. The senior A netball team is off to Nelson to compete. The boys first XI football team will compete in the Jim Wishart Tournament in Timaru, the girls first XI will play in Dunedin at the Lotto Tournament. The mixed hockey team will travel to Gore to defend the title it won in 2015. Both boys and girls basketball teams will play in qualifying tournaments in Dunedin. Good luck to all teams.
South Otago High School
Tournament week is almost here. SOHS has teams heading away to Nelson (senior A netball), Westport (boys hockey), Mosgiel (under-15 rugby), Christchurch (girls football), and for the first time the school has a boys basketball team going to a tournament in Dunedin.
Two swimmers competed in the SISS Swimming championships in Invercargill last month. Trent Dickie and Brooke Anderson both obtained PBs. Ella-Rose Lawrence and Cassidy Robertson are heading to the NZSS Swimming in Wellington next month.
The annual South/West Otago Interschool Claybird Shoot was held in Roxburgh last week. SOHS took two teams. Out of 35 shooters, Josh Harrison (year 9) had the fourth best score and Michael Hayes was fifth equal.
Kayleigh Wright took to the slopes of Cardrona for the Otago Secondary Schools Skiing Champs. SOHS has not had a competitor for quite some time, so they were very proud of her efforts, and result.
Josh Hill was named recently in the NZ Secondary Schools wider training squad for rugby. His selection came after the Highlanders camp in the holidays. Jess Kendall has also just made the Otago Spirit woman's team, which is a massive achievement as a school pupil. SOHS is very proud that five members of the Otago Mitre 10 Cup team are previous players in the school first XV.
