Gisborne Intermediate win Super 11 ultimate frisbee tournament

ULTIMATE FRISBEE CHAMPIONS: Astros, the top-ranked of the four teams entered by hosts Gisborne Intermediate in the Super 11 Bay of Plenty/Poverty Bay Intermediate Schools ultimate frisbee tournament, beat a Mount Maunganui team 4-1 in the tournament final in Gisborne on Friday. They are, back (from left): Amber Church (teacher and coach), Liam Beattie, Api Kirkpatrick, Dante Hihi, Timuaki Stewart and Quaydon Chaffey-Kora. Front: Manaia Mill, Mary-Ann Keiaho, Peyton Wainohu, Rubi Hart and Keeley Smiler. Gisborne Intermediate had four teams — Astros, Raptors, Choppers and Raiders. Picture by Liam Clayton

OVER 100 students from Bay of Plenty and Poverty Bay intermediate schools took part in the Super 11 ultimate frisbee tournament at Gisborne Intermediate School on Friday.

Astros, the top-ranked of the four teams entered by the hosts, beat a Mount Maunganui Intermediate team 4-1 in the final.

Gisborne Intermediate deputy principal Brendon Hart said this was the 11th year that ultimate frisbee had been part of the Super 11 competition, which has been going 25 years.

Astros was one of the hardest teams to get into, because ultimate frisbee was so popular.

“We had 80 people trying out for the four 10-person squads,” Hart said.

“We had seven or eight weeks of trials, a couple of times a week. Teams have eight on the field — four boys and four girls — and two subs.”

Gisborne Intermediate had won the competition twice before, the last time being two years ago, he said.

Te Puke Intermediate, who had two teams in the competition, were traditionally strong, and Mount Maunganui had been prominent lately, too, having won last year. They also had two teams at the tournament on Friday.

Other teams entered were from Rotorua, Tauranga and Taupo.