College Sport: Bethlehem boys' big win

Bethlehem College
All Bethlehem College winter sports are now in full swing. Our first XV rugby boys travelled to Whakatane on Saturday to play against Whakatane High School. Luke Gurran, Michael Booth, Corey Seator and Tim Richards all scored excellent tries that helped the team pull away with a good win 29-19.
The college senior A netball girls played against Aquinas and convincingly beat them with the team's four youngest players, Tamsyn du Toit, Molly Anning, Stephanie Davies and Laura Clarke, all taking the court and stepping up to the challenge.
The boys' Xl hockey team played Otumoetai first Xl and drew 1-1 in the Wednesday night first division draw.
Western Bay of Plenty's secondary schools swimming championships were recently held at BayWave. We took a small team of swimmers to the competition and gained three firsts, two seconds and six thirds.
Finally, congratulations to Cole Rippey (Year 7) who was part of the team that won the national team title for Optimist racing. He was the first placed under-12 student and individually came 15th out of over 200 sailors. He will be going to Portugal later in the year to represent New Zealand at the European Optimist championships. - Mat Smalberger and Hannah Marshall, sports captains.
Te Puke High
Last week's girls 2nd XI hockey match saw the team draw 0-0 with the Aquinas College second XI. Player of the match was Holly Wardell.
The Fusion girls 1st XI started their match tentatively against Otumoetai College's 2nd XI and were down 1-0 within 10 minutes. After conceding a further goal before a quarter of the match had passed, the team started to put together some strong passing movements.
The result was a great field goal to reduce the deficit. The final result was a 4-2 win to Te Puke, with Lauren Boyd the coach's player of the match.
Our first XI football team hosted competition heavyweights Trident High School in Saturday's second round of the Baywide youth premier league. The playing surface at Litt Park was in immaculate condition but the hosts couldn't take advantage of the Whakatane side's weather-disrupted preparations and looked short of pace and energy through the first half.
The loss of star centre-back Brendon Taylor to a freak injury 15 minutes into the game led to a reshuffle in the home defence, with Keegan Wilson thriving on the additional responsibility forced his way, but generally the dynamic passing game the team is known for was not in evidence. An inspired halftime talk from coach Matt Park and the return to the field of their key defender saw the team re-invigorated and back to their best passing game for the next 30 minutes, leading to a classy Richard Ireland goal. However, a few lapses in the last 10 minutes saw Trident decisively taking the points, leaving the Te Puke team to work on factors that will have them performing with more consistency.
Tauranga Boys'
Our first XV travelled to Gisborne to play Gisborne Boys' High first XV. Unfortunately we lost 53-20.
Our under-15 elites had a convincing win over Otumoetai second XV 64-0.
Tauranga Boys' College was well represented in the Kaimai Classic over the weekend. Hayden Moorehouse won the individual secondary school division, and our school team consisting of Michael Sutton, Daniel Finucane, Sam Shergold, Lucas Finucane and Patrick Burrows were the second team overall and the first secondary school team.
Our first XI football team travelled to Auckland for the Chatham Cup, going down in a close match 1-0 to Lynn Avon. Also, our 2nd XI had a solid win over Bethlehem College 6-1 thanks to four goals from Henry Conway.
Tauranga Girls'

Friday night netball saw junior A taking the win over Aquinas junior A 31-21. Our League Two team faced off with Otumoetai Premier team, unfortunately not coming away with the win but playing an awesome game.
On the court next door, the League One netball team played against Te Puke High, coming out with a convincing win 44-21. The Junior A team also played in the Baywide competition in the weekend and finished 2nd to Trident.
Our football first XI played Bethlehem College, having an awesome game and coming away with the win 16-0. Brittany Marshall had a fantastic game, keeping the team together and scoring many goals. The Academy team played Aquinas 1st X1 and drew 1-1, whilst junior A, playing in the senior reserve division, won 2-0 over Rotorua United.
Last week we held our annual crosscountry event at school. The Year 9 winner was Jessica Bitcheno, with Kirsty Burrows second and Tayla Forward third. At Year 10 level the winner was Isabella Kirk, with Emily Mc Carthy second and Stella Marshall third. Senior winner was Casey Blackwell with Shelby Goddard second and Amy Robinson third.
Aquinas College
There are some kids you just don't mess with, and Riley Maguire is proving to be one of them.
At just 12, Riley is already making a name for himself in the martial arts world. He competed in Auckland in an International Judo Open last week where he gained a silver medal.
Riley was competing in the senior boys under-45kg category and had some outstanding fights - with all bar the final by ippon - which means full point, an instant win.
Riley's success comes hot on the heels of an East Coast tournament held in Gisborne recently where he finished third.
Riley has been doing judo for three years now with the Greerton-based Tauranga Judo Club and has an orange belt with two green tabs.
Mount College
The long wait is over for Liam Whareatiu and Claudia Colenso-Neenee, named this week in the New Zealand under-17 boys' and girls' indoor volleyball teams. The girls have a tournament in Christchurch at Queens Birthday weekend where the team will again be fine-tuned for the playing 12 against Australia. Liam was also selected in the North Island under-17 team.
This month the International Judo Competition was held in Auckland with, Monique Dekkers winning gold in the 57kg junior women and bronze in the under-57kg senior women, and Chanel Kavanagh taking gold in the under-48kg cadet women and silver in the 48kg junior women.
Mount was well represented in the Kaimai Classic last weekend. Sam Durrant had an amazing first outing, finishing second secondary schoolboy in a time of 3:54.28. He was 15th overall. Callum Knox was third in the secondary schoolboys, 49th overall.
The senior boys five-man team finished second secondary school, eighth overall, and the intermediate boys were third for 14th overall.
Our junior boys' team finished first in the four-man team category for secondary schools, 24th overall. Tori Abraham-Townsend and Ashley Cochrane competed in the open womans division and their team finished first in the five-person division and second overall.
Winter sport is underway. Results are promising with both senior hockey teams posting great wins, as well as the boys' and girls' first XI soccer teams.
The boys under-15 rugby won 39-0 against Te Puke and the under-14 boys in their first game for the season posted nine tries against Tauranga Boys Blue to win 53-5.
At Friday night netball MMC 1 beat Katikati 41-21 and the Tuis won 25-13 against Aquinas Prem 2 team.
The school's annual crosscountry champs were held this week in blustery conditions.
Snr boys: 1st Joel Widmer, 2nd Torben Laubscher, 3rd Tim Neate. Snr girls: 1st Cara Ryan, 2nd Ashley Cochrane, 3rd Rebekah Millar. Int boys: 1st Ben Cochrane, 2nd Michael Bryant, 3rd Jackson Edwards. Int girls: 1st Sophia Millar, 2nd Kaela Gudgeon, 3rd Tori Abrahams-Townsend. Jnr boys: 1st Grayson Straker, 2nd Nathan Walker, 3rd Blake Dolphin-Moore.
Otumoetai College
Great news for our girls first XI footballers who faced a playoff game against Trident High School to qualify for the premier tournament this year. Having to travel to Trident and play on their home pitch was their first challenge, but a solid 2-1 victory secures them a spot in the elite tournament.
Our boys' first XI football team, led by captain Matt Hunter, notched up a 6-2 win against Rotorua following on from last week's 9-3 win against Tauranga Boys' 2nd XI. A good defensive effort by Matt Hunter and Harry Lytten kept the visitors well in check while our attack kept applying pressure, resulting in goals for Luke Wakley (2), Nick Schmits (2), Rodrigo Mariante and Charlie Clague.
The New Zealand volleyball junior women's team has been announced, with four of our players selected - Alyse Barclay, Aneta Buckley, Melissa Cairns and Amy Hunter - who, along with coach Stu Henderson, will be touring to Tuscon, Arizona for the US high performance championships in the July break.
Holly Boyle and Amy Hunter have also been selected for the North Island team who compete in Sydney in the transtasman quadrangular tournament against Queensland, New South Wales and the South Island in June.
Under-17 players continue their trial towards the final cut with Abbie Meredith, Te Pae Aporo and Katie Wood playing in the Queen's Birthday tournament in Christchurch. This final team will tour to Adelaide in July.
Charlie Clague, Andrew Bray, James Gilling and Liam Matheson will be representing New Zealand in a beach volleyball tournament in Singapore in the July break.
Griffin Muller will team up with a Westlake partner to compete at the world under-19 beach tournament in Croatia in June. This trip will also see this pair training in Rome for a week.
The rugby first XV have had a good start to the season with two wins, 27-20 over Katikati and 30-15 over Reporoa. Neal Redward's fitness has shown through and he has a high work rate on the field. Jay Michalik is consistently finding the try-line and the team is led by Zeppelin Kissling. Thanks to Cherrrywood Butchery and Caltex Otumoetai for their sponsorship.
The under-15 rugby team also had two wins over Katikati and Tauranga Boys. Tawera Rangi and Devon Church have stood out with strong performances. The under-14s have had one win over Bethlehem College and a bye.
The second XV had a loss but will build to be a stronger team in their second game.
Stephen Nicholls has been competing with success in kiteboarding. At the recent Bay champs he won the under-18 grade and was third in the men's open grade. Stephen is working towards the nationals at Ferguson Park later in the year.
The growing popularity of motocross continues with students competing in the Hauraki Plains College motocross in wet and muddy conditions. Scott Slegh, racing in the novice 125/250cc class, was first.
Younger students Jack May, Daniel Cowper and Jack Mills competed as a team in the Kaimai Classic multisport event, with Jack May doing the 5k, mountain run, Jack Mills 17km mountainbike, Daniel Cowper the 11km kayak, Jack May 26km road bike and Daniel Cowper 11km run.
At the recent Bay of Plenty swimming champs Taylor Armstrong continued her strong performances in the pool with senior girls' first placings in 50m backstroke, 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle. Brittany Goodrick also swum well with first in the intermediate girls 50m butterfly and 100m individual medley and second in the 50m freestyle.
Claudia Capp won the under-13 girls' 50m butterfly and Kecly Ballantyne (under-13) won three events - 50m backstroke, 50m breaststroke and 50m freestyle. Jack Neale won the junior boys 50m freestyle, Holly Boyle was second in the senior girls 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle and Maddie Ragg was second in under-13 girls' 100m individual medley.
Schoolboy Rugby
Western Heights have surged to the top of the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic secondary schools first XV division one competition with a 33-5 win over John Paul College.
The Western Heights forwards produced another strong performance, with first-five Brooke Amon controlling the game with accurate kicking and staunch defence.
Rotorua Boys' High made their season entrance into the division one competition with a decisive victory and a narrow loss. The first XV had a good hitout against Te Puke High, with Joeli Nagera, Richie Megaw, Shaquille Stone, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Isaac Te Aute, Teimana Harrison, Timoti Marr and Ryubyn Vaipo scoring tries. Tatsuya Fukuzaki added six conversions in the 67-7 win.
Opotiki College posted their second victory (from two games) when they pipped Rotorua Boys' second XV 10-7.
Otumoetai College, Trident High School and Bethlehem College all sit atop division two. Otumoetai prevailed against Reporoa College 30-15 and Trident defeated Katikati College 57-27. Bethlehem had a good battle with Whakatane High, emerging with a 29-19 victory, with Taupo's Tauhara College defeating Mount Maunganui College 28-12.
Plenty Polytechnic first XV results:
Division one: Western Heights HS 33 John Paul College 5, Rotorua BHS1 67 Te Puke HS 7. Opotiki 10 Rotorua BHS2 7. Division two: Trident HS 57 Katikati 27, Bethlehem College 29 Whakatane HS 19, Otumoetai College 30 Reporoa 15, Tauhara College 28 Mount Maunganui College 12. Division three: Aquinas College 22 Rotorua Lakes 19, Rotorua BHS3 30 Tauranga BC3 5, Taupo Nui A Tia 36 Edgecumbe 12.