Player named top in A grade
Liza Ball shines in tournament
Te Awamutu’s Liza Ball was named A grade’s Most Valuable Player for the final at the Upper North Island Secondary Schools (UNISS) tournament, held at Auckland’s Howick Pakuranga Netball Centre from August 29 to September 2.
Representing Hamilton Girls’ High School, Liza and her team became the first Hamilton school side to win the UNISS tournament in 19 years.
Hillcrest High School was the last Hamilton victor in 2003, boasting Te Pahu¯ local and now Silver Fern legend, Laura Langman.
Liza has since been named in the Netball New Zealand 2022 New Zealand Secondary School squad, who will come together for a trial camp in October.
The 24-strong squad will take part in a four-day camp later this year, which will also act as a trial from which an NZSS team and NZSS A Selection side will be named.
Hamilton Girls’ High School teammate Kaiya Kepa has also been selected for the squad and Marewa Samson as a reserve.
The UNISS tournament saw 113 teams enter from schools across the North Island.
The teams were ranked into four grades: A, B, C and D grade, based on 2019 results, as the tournament wasn’t held in 2020-2021 due to Covid.
The bottom five placed teams post-tournament were relegated from A, B and C grades, and the top five placings from B, C and D grades were promoted for 2023.
There were three teams from Trust Waikato Hamilton City Netball Centre’s Thursday night Kirk Roberts Consulting premier indoor netball competition competing — Hamilton Girls High School, St Peter’s School, and Waikato Diocesan School for Girls.
HGHS had wins over Pukekohe, Rotorua Girls, Baradene and Rangitoto during pool play, and continued to win on days three and four, including a close game with St Peter’s.
HGHS went on to defeat Avondale 42-27 in the semifinal to remain unbeaten,
which they backed up in the final beating of Howick, 26-16; a great achievement, as this was only the third time in the school’s history that they attended the event, most recently in 2018.
St Peter’s School placed fifth, while Waikato Diocesan for Girls was placed 15th in A-grade. Hamilton Girls’ High School and St Peter’s School will attend the 2022 NZ Secondary School Championships
from October 11-14 in Porirua, Wellington.
2022 UNISS A-grade tournament team:
Sera Taei, Shaqualyah Mahakitau-Monschau, Anne Falelogi-Kirikiri, Savannah Samson-Tuinukuafe, Taiana Day (St Peter’s School) and Arikinoa Shortland, Kaiya Kepa, Amarnee Shepherd and Mila Graham (Hamilton Girls’ High School).