These articles are compiled by the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association (OSSSA) which is proudly sponsored by Perpetual Guardian
Bayfield High School
Bayfield is coming to the end of a very busy sporting term. Alongside all the winter sports teams, which are finishing their 10th week of competition and progressing well, they have had four interschool exchanges and tournaments in the last three weeks.
The first was a trip to Mountainview High School, in Timaru.
Ninety-six pupils bussed up for a day of sporting fun. Bayfield had some excellent results, including two large wins in both netball divisions, and came away with the trophy, nine wins to four.
We had 125 pupils attend the annual Co-Educational Cup sports tournament in Dunedin. This tournament was founded by Bayfield's own deputy principal Mike Beagley. Teams were involved in all of the sports offered and gained many great wins over the course of the day.
Two table tennis players, Ruby Anderson and Isaac Hobbs, entered the Otago Secondary Schools Table Tennis Competition, held at Bayfield on Friday, June 28. They put out a great performance and finished second overall.
The last exchange of the term was an overnight, two-day event, with Cromwell College. The two schools have begun to develop a great relationship and some wonderful friendships have formed over the two years this has been running. Bayfield was too strong this time around, winning the exchange eight wins to five and returning the cup to Dunedin.
Columba College
Columba College would like to congratulate Year 13 pupil Hannah Cross for winning a silver medal with the New Zealand Ice Ferns at the 2019 International Ice Hockey World Championships, in Romania. Hannah is one of five Dunedin pupils in the Ice Fernz team and is in her final year of study at Columba. The school is extremely proud of Hannah's achievement and wishes her all the very best for her future study and sporting goals.
Columba College held its annual swimming sports day at Moana Pool on Friday 21 June. The day began with a fantastic diving display, led by New Zealand diving representative, Sophie Derbyshire (year eight) and a champion team of divers. This was followed by the traditional house chant off, which set the scene for a morning of high energy competition and fun. From synchronised swimming to jump jam dancing, there was something for everyone.
Overall Swimming Sports Champions for 2019 were:
Junior: Emma Morton
Intermediate: Ashlea Law
Senior: Jordan Summers (who also set a new 50m breaststroke record)
Five Columba College touch players are heading away to take part in New Zealand age group trials over the holidays. Olivia Fowler, Maia Joseph, Brylee More, and Liv Preston will attend the under-18 NZ trials, while Meg Sycamore will take part in the under-20 trials. Congratulations to director of sport, Dayna Turnbull, who has recently been appointed as coach of the New Zealand under-20 team.
Columba would also like to wish the junior netball teams taking part in the South Island secondary schools netball tournament in Christchurch next week the best of luck.
Kavanagh College
The Dunedin Co-ed Sports Tournament was held recently in Dunedin and football, curling, hockey, netball, badminton, and basketball were played on a beautiful Dunedin day.
The tournament is a great celebration of co-educational sport and is always played in good spirit by all the pupils.
Kavanagh College was very pleased to win the tournament for the eighth year in a row. Thanks to OSSSA for organising another successful tournament.
During the term two break the year 9-10 netball team heads to Christchurch for the SISS junior netball tournament, where it will play in the mixed grade.
The curlers are also off to Naseby for a tournament and the school wishes them all the best.
Kavanagh College has also had some recent success in swimming at the Otago Secondary Championships, where Emma Christophers, Meg Christophers, and Holly Uluakiola all performed well. The champion swimmer Erika Fairweather has also been super busy and just continues to take the country and the world by storm with her achievements.
The school would like to take this opportunity to thank all the winter sports coaches and managers for their support. Without their involvement, opportunities for the pupils would not exist.
Mount Aspiring College
MAC students Ruth Bennie and Jacob Curtis competed in the intercollegiate trap shooting competition in Dunedin, and again, dominated the Otago-Southland shooting.
Jake Curtis won the high gun with skeet, high gun without skeet, high over all skeet and single rise. He placed second in senior single barrel and first senior points score.
Ruth Bennie placed first in senior skeet, first in ladies skeet, first in senior single rise, second in ladies single rise, first in ladies point score, first in ladies single barrel and achieved the highest ladies overall score. Ruth and Jacob won the two-man skeet team by seven targets. Excellent results for both Ruth and Jacob.
Gymnast Bella Soper began her competition season with an amazing first outing at Step 7 in Christchurch. She earned a third placing on floor and was awarded second place on beam, and finished up with a final placing of second overall. Bella is the first gymnast from Wanaka to perform at Step 7, earning herself a qualifying mark of over 44. This gained her selection for the Otago team and she will compete at the New Zealand Gymnastic Championships in October. Congratulations, Bella.
The Central Otago basketball tournament for year nine and 10 was held last week at the Wanaka Recreation Centre. Three teams represented Mount Aspiring College. The MAC boys A team and the MAC girls team both won the tournament, and the MAC boys B team came second in B grade.
The A team won all of their three games including a close final, beating Dunstan 25-24.
The girls team won two of their three pool games and lost one game to the Cromwell Year 11 girls. The MAC girls then came back to beat Cromwell in the final 15-12. Well done to all the pupils involved.
Queen's High School
The inaugural school interchange with Waitaki Girls' High school was held on Tuesday, June 25. It has been five years since Queen's High School has had an Interchange. Queen's hosted Waitaki and they were welcomed with a mihi whakatau before playing basketball, netball, rugby 10s and hockey. Waitaki won the interchange 19-9. All games were played in good spirit and were well supported by staff and pupils. Next year, football, badminton and debating will be added to the programme when Waitaki hosts.
Netball players participated in a training sessions run by Gwenda Harrop, the NetballSmart development officer for the South Zone. These sessions helped develop the players' skills and fitness.
The badminton season concludes this term. Queen's had six teams in this competition. Many of the pupils were playing for the first time and several international students took up the opportunity to play a sport. Thanks to Sonya Finnie, who runs the badminton programme and competition at Queen's High School and Lynda Rendall and Jo Bishop-Cherry for their support.
Paige Symister and Asia Tapealava competed in the Otago Figure and Synchronised Skating Championships on June 22 and 23. Asia had just returned from competing in Sydney. Paige placed first in the solo figure skating competition and first in the mixed team synchronised events.
