Bethlehem College student Claudia Paterson. Photo / Supplied
Bethlehem College student Claudia Paterson. Photo / Supplied
School sport: Bethlehem College
Claudia Paterson had outstanding results at the recent New Zealand National Canoe Slalom Championships, finishing third overall behind Olympic silver medallist Luuka Jones and NZ senior team member Jane Nicholas.
She also retained her title in the under-18 women's event. At the NZ Secondary Schools Competition,which was just days prior, she finished first in all three disciplines: K1, C1 and Down River, which is raced in a long, skinny boat and does not involve slalom gates.
Both the secondary schools and nationals competitions were held back-to-back at Kawerau on a swollen Tarawera River, in the same week as Cyclone Debbie arrived. The nationals placing came just 10 months after Claudia had a bad accident on the water in France last year, and subsequent shoulder reconstruction surgery in August.
She said she was lucky this year's nationals were held at Kawerau, and not on the bigger water at the whitewater centre in Auckland, as she has yet to regain full confidence on the larger courses. "But it was super encouraging to get my first open podium placing. I was pleased that I raced aggressively and with few errors".
Claudia has been selected in the NZ Junior Canoe Slalom Team and will head to Slovakia for the Junior World Championships in July. She won six trophies across the two competitions, including the Heather Jull Cup for best overall girl paddler at the schools competition, the Rasdex National Slalom Trophy and the Louise Jull Memorial Trophy for best under 18 C1 girl paddler.
Hockey
Our 1st XI Senior Girls hockey team was invited to play in the prestigious Anzac tournament hosted by St Cuthbert's in Auckland. It was a good pre-season test for our College side, playing against top teams throughout the country.
The tournament was played in very favourable weather. No scores are tabulated for this tournament due to the nature of what the organisers wanted to accomplish, and that was to showcase and scout skill and talent coming through for the 2017 season. Many coaches use this as a stepping stone to filter their players into representative and development programmes.
