The Iona first XI, with captain Lucy Collin with flowers and holding trophy, celebrate their win. Photo / Dan Nancarrow
The Iona first XI, with captain Lucy Collin with flowers and holding trophy, celebrate their win. Photo / Dan Nancarrow
The Iona College first XI hockey side has had a season of unprecedented success.
The Havelock North school side went undefeated at the Hockey NZ Chica Gilmer national tournament in Pukekohe last week and will be promoted to the national first division. Hawke's Bay Festival of Hockey instigator Bruce Mactaggartwas amazed at the effort from the girls.
"For a small school with a roll of 300 to win this national event against much bigger schools is an outstanding effort - and to go through the whole week undefeated is almost unprecedented," he said.
Team captain and Year 13 student Lucy Collin has been part of the side since she was a Year 9. Her final year was by far her most successful. "This was the strongest side I've ever been a part of. The girls were absolutely stoked with how they performed. I couldn't have asked for more."
But it was a bittersweet end for Collin, having been a first XI member for the past five years she will now leave her school career behind. "It was a great way to finish but also a bit sad.
