These articles are compiled by the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association, which is proudly sponsored by Perpetual Guardian.
Tokomairiro High School
Close to 140 pupils ranging from year 7 to year 13 from Tokomairiro and East Otago High Schools competed in an annual sports exchange at the Edgar Centre last month.
Ten pupils from each year - five girls and five boys - played netball, basketball, touch and volleyball. Toko played well across all sports with a final total of 19 wins and nine losses to claim the trophy again.
Of particular note were the year 10s who won all their games. The years 7, 8, 11 and 12 lost one match.
The school won all netball matches and all but one game of touch, which is very pleasing as these are the major sports at the school.
Recent selections in South Otago representative netball teams were: under-14, Meg Clark and Kyerah Smith; under-15, Clara Scoon; under-17, Mackenzie and Tayla Frost, Jorjah Mason-Waru and Nikki Hall.
Toko also had a large number of boys selected for South West representative rugby teams: under-38kg, Jackson Nicol, Lachie MacDonald; under-48kg, Lochie Still, Toby Greene, Quinn Johnston, Jimmy Flannery, Alex Burleigh; under-65kg, J.D. McLeod, Millar McElrea, Keegan Ferguson, Isaac Herbert, Tama Wawatai, Conner Phillips.
Catlins Area School
Catlins Area School recently hosted the Southern area schools tournament. This event is held annually and hosting is rotated among the six Southern area schools of Roxburgh, Maniototo, Lawrence, Twizel, Waiau and Catlins.
Each pupil was billeted in homes in the community.
Up to 30 pupils from each school competed against each other during the three-day event, activities consisting of badminton, orienteering, touch, indoor bowls, table tennis, basketball, netball, football, rugby, volleyball and ki-o-rahi. Pupils could be selected to join the Southern area schools team to compete at national area schools tournament in Whangarei in the first week of the July holidays.
Catlins pupils named in the Southern area team were: Naomi McLay (netball and basketball), Lauren Martin (netball and basketball), Matthew Michie (rugby and basketball), Connor Roughan (football and ki-o-rahi), Logan Bird (football and volleyball) and Josiah McLay (rugby and ki-o-rahi). Two pupils from each school are awarded a fair play award. The Catlins gave this award to Jarryd Osborne and Lauren Martin.
Queen's High School
The senior futsal team won its grade at the Otago championships in May. This was the second year in a row the team had been successful. It used all its skill and teamwork in a nail-biting final against a very competitive Wakatipu team. Chloe Scott (non-travelling squad) and Charlotte Williams were selected for the Otago under-15 team and Lara Wall and Zoe Thomas for the under-19 team to compete in the national age-group tournament in Palmerston North.
French teacher Noeline Burden is a great ambassador and role model for sport at Queen's. She competed at the World Masters Games in athletics in Auckland during the holidays and came home with silver medals in the triple jump and the 200m. She also placed fourth in the 100m.
Science teacher and teacher in charge of surfing Tash Civil recently competed at the South Island surfing championships in Dunedin. She won the 30+ women's title and was second in the open women's division.
Pupils Anika Ayson and Jaya Reardon were second and third respectively in the under-14 girls division.
The aerobics team had a successful start to the season at the New Zealand Gymnastics Otago qualifying competition in Balclutha. Scarlett Rogers, in her first year competing, was first in the level three individual and second in the pair, achieving the qualifying score for nationals in both events. Others to achieve the qualifying score were Sarah Williment, Amberly Orr and Olivia Burgess.
Iunisi Finau and Serena Evile travelled to Wellington with the Otago under-17 volleyball teams at Queen's Birthday weekend. Iunisi has also been selected in the Dunedin under-17-B netball team.
Mount Aspiring College
Five teams competed at the OS futsal champs in Dunedin, returning with four trophies. The junior boys and girls teams both won the first division and the senior girls came second in division two.
The strong senior boys team made it to the final of first division, but were beaten by one point on the day. Players are now taking part in trials for the first XI teams.
The girls rugby team has had a successful season, winning all games to date. They are thankful for the support they have received from spectators.
A team of eight pupils represented the school for the first time at the Hillary Challenge finals at Tongariro. The team of four boys and four girls competed against 12 schools, with two days of problem-solving activities, a two-day rogaine and an extremely wet and muddy multisport race.
Competition was tough, with many teams returning annually to this event. The team was happy with its seventh placing and many hope to take part in future adventure races.
Columba College
Three year 9 girls have made the Otago under-15 futsal team. Charlotte Hayes, Grace Macbeth and Camila Tawse-Smith will travel to Palmerston North next month to compete in the New Zealand Futsal Youth Nationals.
Three volleyball pupils have been named in their respective New Zealand training squads. Polly Marshall has been identified for the under-17 performance group and Anaya Cole and Isabelle Coe have been selected in the development group.
Winter sport is now in full swing, a few teams kicking the season off undefeated. The Columba senior A sevens team has won all six of its games by convincing margins to begin the season on a high. The first XI hockey team also tops the table for the Monday night competition. The senior A badminton girls have started term two with three weeks of wins and the newly established senior A curlers are yet to be defeated.
Senior A netball, basketball and football have also started strongly in their respective competitions and are looking to maintain this form in coming weeks. Columba College will host St Andrew's College from Christchurch in a winter sports exchange.
St Andrew's College will arrive on June 19, stay overnight and play basketball and football before returning home on June 20.
Following on from this tournament, the Columba College swimming sports will be held on June 27 at Moana Pool. Girls are excited to join in, gain house points and have a fun morning in the pool.
Otago Boys' High School
The first interschool of the winter season was played in perfect conditions at school against King's High School on May 16. King's had wins in junior debating, 1st XI hockey, small-bore, junior relay race and junior rugby.
Otago Boys' had wins in badminton, junior and senior basketball, chess, junior hockey, senior debating, senior relay race and 1st XV rugby. There were two draws in junior and senior football.
Congratulations to Thomas Grant, a year 12 pupil, who officiated at his first men's premier game. He was assistant referee in the match between Southern and Harbour at Bathgate Park.
Congratulations to table tennis players who represented Otago at the South Island teams event over Queen's Birthday weekend. Under-18 team members were: Max Mile, Rhys Dunbar, Joshua Marr while Zishen Fu played for the under-15 side.
At the Otago Secondary Schools Swimming Championships, Cameron Jefferies and Elliott Alloo competed in the 14 years and under. Jack McDowall, Jack Divers, Nick Pryde competed in the 15 years and over.
Overall, there were five first placings, three seconds, and six thirds.
In the relay 200m freestyle, the team finished second, and in the 200m Individual medley relay, the team finished third.
Last week, the second interschool was held against Southland Boys' High School in Invercargill.
Southland Boys' had wins in badminton, debating, small-bore, and 1st XV rugby. Otago Boys' had wins in football, 2nd XV rugby, basketball and hockey.
The interschool ended in a four-all draw.
Kavanagh College
Kavanagh College has had some really good success in netball, three players making Dunedin netball teams. Therese Makasini and MacKenzie Savill were selected in the Dunedin under-17 A team which will travel to Auckland in the July holidays to compete in the Netball NZ under-17 national championships. Ashlee Middleton was selected in the under-17 B team. Congratulations to all girls.
The junior mixed cross-country relay team won the junior mixed section of the Otago/Southland relays held in Milton recently. Holly Uluakiola, Madi Sutherland, Jordan King and Graysen Thomson comprised the team. The winning time was 29min, 8secs.
The Otago Swimming champs were also held recently and Kavanagh College swimmers were again at the fore with some excellent results.
The standout performance in the under-15 category was Erika Fairweather, who won five individual events, Holly Uluakiola and Meg Christophers also performed well.
Corentin Manti came away with three medals from the South Island trampoline and tumbling champs held recently with two golds and a bronze.
The first XI boys football team had a great 2-1 win over Kings' High School in the Otago secondary schools competition recently.
The girls first XI has also had some really good results and has made great improvement under the coaching of Richard Kerr-Bell.
