Cromwell College
Cromwell College has been growing its sports participation numbers over the past four years to reach 76% for the 2011 school year.
In 2008 the school formed a sports council under the leadership of the sports co-ordinator Tania Murray, head of physical education Mike Waterworth and principal Mason Stretch. At that stage the recorded participation rate in sport for the college was 22%.
During the past four years this has risen steadily 49% in 2008, 65% in 2009, 68% in 2010 to the high this year.
A key to this success is the support of the community and local sports clubs. The school offers 28 different sports. Cromwell is a town with a huge range of sporting opportunities.
There has been excellent community input to the sports council and this has enabled the school to greatly improve communication with the community sports groups, and the range of opportunities for pupils. The college is lucky to receive significant financial support from a community business sponsorship scheme.
Some money from this has been used to support sport for such things as travel costs for teams and individuals, and new uniforms.
South Otago awards
South Otago High School was well represented at this year's Clutha District Sports Awards held recently.
Glen Ward was recognised for his contribution to sport by winning the service to sport category for his involvement in Special Olympics. Glen was also nominated for the Coach of the Year award.
The South Otago HS Alpha Netball Team was nominated for the team award following outstanding 2010 and 2011 seasons.
In the junior sportswoman's section, South Otago High School was well represented with Sam Hollows, Greer Muir, Mikayla Latta and Alanna Preddy all being nominated. With top performances in her chosen sports of touch, athletics, netball and cross-country Sam Hollows was the worthy winner of the category.
Andrew Whyte (athletics) won the junior sportsman section. Andrew's outstanding achievements have culminated in his inclusion in the New Zealand Athletics Training Squad for the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. Andrew recently ran in a men's 4 x 400m relay team representing New Zealand at the Sydney Track Classic and taking first place.
Brayden Wilson was also nominated in the junior sportsman section.
Columba College awards
Athletes, coaches and referees were all celebrated at the recent Columba College Sports Awards Evening.
The evening began with a "sporting review" read by sports prefects Sophie Napper and Renaye Flockton. They reflected on all of the wonderful sporting achievements by Columba College pupils.
Girls who have coached or refereed for Columba numbered 38 and 11 respectively this year. Many of these pupils coached more than one sport and seven of the girls have coached for three years. It is wonderful to see such a large number of girls giving up their time to assist the college.
Pupils who have represented Columba in sport over their years at the school were acknowledged by receiving Y13 Contribution certificates.
Forty-six pupils received badges for being in an Otago A representative team.
This is a record for Columba and it demonstrates the increase in the quality of sporting achievement at the school.
A large number of pupils received sports blues. This is the highest honour the school can bestow on the sporting pupils.
Twenty-nine received a blue in one sport, six received a blue in two sports and two - Laura Carruthers and Sian English - received sports blues in three sports.
Team of the year was won jointly by the senior girls 4x100m relay team, which won bronze at the NZSS Athletic Championships in December and the senior girls triathlon team which won bronze at the NZSS Championships earlier this year.
Personality of the year was voted to be Sophie Napper who was also awarded the Shona Harvey Cup (Inspire and Excel). Mr Kelvin Carruthers, chairperson of the Columba College Sports Council, presented a new award for the evening. It was a scholarship which was to go to a senior Columba student, who was not already receiving a sports scholarship, who has shown excellence on and off the field. The prize was awarded to Sophie Napper.
Otago Boys' curling
The Otago Boys' High School curling club continues a strong presence on the local and national school curling scene.
The senior team is nationally ranked as the NZSS champion, after defeating a strong Maniototo team for the 2010 title.
With extensive fundraising, parental and school support, the team was on a mission to defend its title at the NZSS Championships in Auckland at the beginning of the recent holidays.
The team consisted of Byron Dodge (skip), Sam Blakely (3rd), Joe Anderson (2nd), and Josh Wyber (lead). As Auckland has only two smaller ice rinks, catering for a curling tournament was not easy. Although well organised, tournament games were played at the inhospitable times of 6am, with second matches beginning at 8pm.
OBHS won all their pool matches convincingly, beating Avondale College, Kelston Boys High and Long Bay College despite the lack of familiarity with the slower ice conditions. As the top qualifier, the team entered the semifinal against Avondale College to record a 7-4 win. The final was played against Long Bay College, who were smarting from a narrow loss to OBHS early in the tournament.
The match was a fine example of a complete team effort. Josh Wyber (OBHS) was a key player, showing mental toughness when it came to the final ends and was ably backed by the rest of the team. OBHS is the first school to hold the trophy twice in consecutive years.
Roxburgh sport
Thirteen Roxburgh Area School recently competed in the Central Otago cross-country event run in Queenstown with five pupils qualifying for Otago championships. Kia Wales did exceptionally well defending the title she won last year.
The year 9 and 10 pupils are busy practising volleyball, cricket and touch, as they will be attending tournament week in Dunedin this month and also competing in the 6-a-side cricket tournament.
This will be an exciting time for these pupils as the emphasis switches from senior to junior sport.
Queen's sports awards
Queen's High School held its sport and cultural prizegiving recently.
The Cameron Cup for outstanding individual sporting achievement went to National U-18 singles, pairs and mixed pairs darts champion Ripeka Te Moananui. This was ahead of finalists Christina Ashton for athletics and aerobics, and Samantha McAuley for athletics.
Amanda Mackay received the services to sport award, while Maxine Shanks and Serena Mather shared the best all-round sports woman award. Long-time coaches Kay Shanks (netball and basketball), Paul Cameron (volleyball), Rachel Batchelor (soccer and rowing) and Annelise Lowther (aerobics) were thanked and farewelled after their years of service.
Bayfield awards
The Bayfield High School sports awards were held recently in the Herron Hall. Guest speaker, Otago NPC netball coach Deb Tasi-Cordtz, began her coaching as a pupil at the school.
Deb spoke of being the best that you can and to try the many sporting opportunities offered at school. The key sporting awards went to Shannon Hope, Jeremy Hadfield, Samuel Arnold and Danielle Galdeman. The Leighton Cup for best individual sporting performance went to Blake Porter.
Blake is the NZ under-18 kite board champion. He competed recently and beat more than 30 competitors to claim the title in Tauranga, as well as finishing fifth equal in the open men's division in a field of 50.
Samantha and Shannon Hope along with Raphael Kammlein-Cutler competed in the SISS Mountain Bike Championships, held in Bluff in early October. Samantha won the Girls under-16 being placed first in the hill-climb, third in the downhill, and second in the cross-country. Shannon won the girls under-14, being placed first in the hill-climb, second in the downhill, and first in the cross-country. Raphael was sixth in the under-16 Boys downhill.
Otago Girls' achievers
Otago Girls High School has a proud tradition with a number of athletes in many codes in Otago, South Island, or New Zealand representative teams.
A wide range of sporting teams have made finals with a number winning local or South Island titles. Standout achievers this year have been sports prefects Dayna Turnbull and Kate Godfrey, who have achieved outstanding results in their chosen sports.
Dayna was selected in the New Zealand under-18 basketball squad, the under-21 touch team and was named New Zealand Maori junior woman of the year. Kate was selected in the New Zealand junior swimming team and competed in the Junior Commonwealth Games, returning home with a bronze medal.
Just recently Sophie Askin, a year 11 pupil, was named in the New Zealand junior squash team while Mary Gray (year 12) won the SISS under-19 mountain bike event, adding to her New Zealand under-19 title.
Calendar
• November 13: Port Chalmers Junior Golf Open, Port Chalmers
• November 17: Special Olympics Equestrian, Dunedin
• November 21-25: Junior Summer Tournament Week, Dunedin
These articles are compiled by the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association Inc (OSSSA) which is proudly sponsored by Perpetual.
Contacts: Des Smith, Otago Regional Sports Director, PO Box 6303, Dunedin.
Ph 470-1337
Email: des@osssa.org.nz
Website: www.osssa.org.nz
