Rare selection for Dunstan volleyball star
These articles are compiled by the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association, which is proudly sponsored by Perpetual Guardian.
Dunstan High School
The focus now extends towards the summer codes.
Registrations and training have taken place for cricket, volleyball and rowing squads and many more sports swing into action at the start of next term.
Jackson Banks has been offered a place on the New Zealand league junior men’s development volleyball team. Jackson joins players from across New Zealand training for a week in Canberra in October.
The clay target shooting team of five is away to Hamilton in the first weekend of the holidays to compete in the North Island and NZSS championships.
Isabella Tierney was second in the junior secondary open category at the recent NZCAF aerobics championships.
Felix Schaap and Josh Booth were crowned champions at the OSS petanque tournament in Dunedin. Dunstan High School was the second school overall.
Brooke Wiliams, Hanna Scarlett, Mackenzie Ealson, Malia Banks, Paige Furrie, Phoebe Wellstead, Sophie Smith, Deandie de Beer and Erica Morris have been selected in the Otago rowing team to compete in the interprovincial championships in early October.
East Otago High School
Under trying conditions, the girls quick rip rugby team competed in the Highlanders region under16 tournament on September 6. The team of nine made it to the final, coming second. Outstanding was Amy Turner, named one of the two MVPs.
The Wildcats attended the Koru Games in Christchurch on September 1719, playing 10 games of netball in a very tough competition. They came 14th of 32 teams.
The school and the wider East Otago community celebrated expupil and 2019 WMX world champion Courtney Duncan with a civic reception on September 27. Led by Scottish pipers and drummers, the procession of Courtney and family, Waitaki District mayor Gary Kircher, pupils, staff and community members made their way to the DG Murray Hall where Steve Larkins welcomed them with a resounding rendition of We are the
Champions. Mr Kircher addressed the crowd before Courtney talked to the community about her story of perseverance and overcoming obstacles in becoming world champion. To finish, year 78 teacher Kelvin Cummings joined Steve in entertaining the huge crowd with a Freddy Mercury classic.
John McGlashan College
Three basketball teams competed over tournament week. The senior Bs were in Christchurch, senior As in Nelson and junior boys, who had a topsix finish, at the Edgar Centre.
The footballers also competed locally and finished midtable.
The under16 rugby side was second in the quadrangular rugby tournament in Christchurch. The under15 team came seventh in the Hurricanes tournament in Wellington.
The second XI hockey team played its tournament in Oamaru. The first XI played in the Rankin Cup in Christchurch and narrowly missed out on going into the top pool on countback. It eventually made the final of the India Shield and, after a drawn match, lost a penalty shootout. This was the best result for a senior hockey team from the school. In Hamilton, the under15 team went through the tournament unbeaten before eventually losing 42 to Westlake Boys’ High School from North Harbour in the final. George Bell and Leroy Ferguson have been selected for the NZSS Barbarians rugby team.
Riley Hall and Keegan Hall have just returned from representing New Zealand at karate in Malaysia. They won silver medals in the team event.
King’s High School
The school has had one of its most successful winter sports tournaments.
The junior first basketball team made the South Island final and finished runnerup to a very strong Christ’s College team.
The junior first XI footballers finished eighth in the national tournament in Tauranga. The senior first XI produced its best national placing in the national premier tournament in Rotorua.
King’s was the only nonAuckland based school to make the national semifinals and placed fourth in New Zealand, consequently breaking new ground for King’s football.
The most notable accomplishment in tournament week came via the first XI hockey team which can hold its head very high as national champion and Rankin Cup winner for 2019. This feat is a first for a school south of the Waitaki. Special mention must go to head of hockey and first XI coach Dave Ross, who has contributed more than 30 years’ work.
The King’s ice hockey side finished second at its South Island tournament.
The second XI was fifth in the South Island football tournament.
The senior first basketball team finished eighth at its South Island tournament, and the under15 Panthers were seventh in the South Island tournament in Christchurch.
Otago Girls’ High School
The senior A netball and basketball teams attended tournament week in Nelson.
The basketball team qualified as second seed in the South Island and will attend the NZSS national championships in Palmerston North during the first week of the October school holidays.
The hockey side competed in the Audrey Timlin Cup, and the football team competed in Christchurch.
There is one curling team that will be competing in the NZSS nationals in Naseby, also during the school holidays.
A group of swimmers took part in the national meet, gaining outstanding results.
The annual sports awards were held on September 17. The school recognises juniors in a senior A team, five years’ participation, pupil coaches, pupil umpires/referees, outstanding achievement, prestige prizes, blues and New Zealand blues. The guest speaker for the evening was Black Fern Kilisitina Moata’ane, who spoke about her journey to make selection to the national rugby team.
Roxburgh Area School
Jessamy Wales has been selected for the New Zealand pony club team for the China exchange. Jessamy is one of four young riders selected to travel to Guilin City in late October.
There were two teams competing in the Central Otago volleyball tournament. The senior and junior teams each placed third.
Ethan Kitto and Caitlyn Johnston are the senior crosscountry champions and Kieran Marsh and Sarah Gunn the year 9 and 10 champions.
Ethan Kitto and Brayden Whyte have been in Palmerston North at the national rugby academy as part of the New Zealand Area Schools team. They had the honour of having their jerseys presented by Jamie Joseph and played against Manawatu under16, winning 2521.
Caleb Kitto was part of the Dunstan High School team which placed second in the South Island under15 rugby tournament in Christchurch recently.
A year 10 team competed in the Get 2 Go challenge in Queenstown.
The senior A netball team had a challenging SISS tournament in Nelson due to several injuries and came 25th in B grade.
Haidyn Pringle, Holly Pringle, Beth Kirkpatrick and Molly Kirkpatrick performed successfully at the recent Queenstown swim meet.
St Hilda’s Collegiate
The school’s best result during tournament week was the senior A netball team finishing second in A grade. The final against Christchurch Girls’ High School went into extra time for the first time in SISS history.
The hockey and football teams had great campaigns in Timaru and Christchurch.
The junior basketball team finished runnerup at the junior SISS in Dunedin and the under15 rugby 10 team had a muddy 170 win against Central Otago.
St Hilda’s also had four swimmers compete at the NZSS championships which attracted more than 780 swimmers. Andie Grouther was ninth in 50m breaststroke and 100m breaststroke, Meg McLaughlan fourth in the 200m breaststroke and 10th in 100m breaststroke, Natalie Hutchens fourth in the 50m free, fifth in 100m free, eighth in 100m backstroke, ninth in the 50m fly and ninth in 200m backstroke.
Aerobics nationals in Queenstown have just finished.
Trinity Maydon finished first in secondary senior open individual and was awarded the Houpt Trophy for technical excellence for the highest scoring in technical throughout the whole competition. The school group also won best overall school.
Taieri College
The first XI finished its season on a high, winning division three in a tense battle against South Otago.
Many teams travelled throughout the South Island for tournament week.
The football side played well in Blenheim, holding eventual winner Shirley Boys’ High School to a 00 draw.
The netball team’s tournament in Nelson was dominated by rain.
The under15 rugby side won all its games in Christchurch leading up to the coed tournament before narrowly losing to Cashmere High School.
The boys hockey side played in Ashburton and the girls hockey team in Cromwell.
The junior basketball girls played in Dunedin. Javier Langley has bewen named in the Southern United football team.
At the recent netball awards, Danni Thompson, Shyah Beattie and Neve Beattie were named MVPs for their respective representative sides. The 10A netball team also won an award in a very successful season.
Logan Park High School
During winter tournament week, the girls first XI football team competed in Invercargill against 16 other teams from around New Zealand. The last game went to a shootout.
The boys football first XI competed in Dunedin and the boys hockey 1st XI travelled to Ashburton.
Badminton player Luke Brinsdon was runnerup in the boys singles in the Canterbury under15 tournament in August. During these school holidays, he is competing with the Otago U15 team at the South Island teams championships in Invercargill and will also play in the New Zealand under15 individual championships in Christchurch.
Several Logan Park teams recently attended the OSS petanque championships, one of them winning the top school award, and six teams finishing in the top 10. Jasper Seddon and Linus Molteno were third overall.
Two teams competed in the Get 2 Go Challenge, a day of adventure racing. There were 20 teams from around OtagoSouthland competing in wet muddy conditions. Students enjoyed the combination of problem solving, kayaking, mountain biking and orienteering.
The lunchtime interhouse sports events continue to be popular and successful. There was a nailbiting futsal final between Toroa and Omimi, Toroa winning thanks to some fancy footwork from the Yeardley siblings. The sporting event for youth week in the last week of term was interhouse multisport. Students played basketball, hockey, netball and futsal.