Three in for Makea family

Shane Hurndell
CAMPBELL MAKEA hit a history-making triple when the Junior Black Sox softball side for the July World Series in Canada was named last night.
The Hastings Boys' High School year 13 student, who joins fellow Bay player Jovaan Hanley in the squad, became the third member of his family to be selected for the side at World Series level. No other family has had three brothers selected for this team.
Thomas Makea, a three-time world champion, was in the 1993 side which finished second to Canada in Auckland. Another brother, Fabian, who has also played for the world champion Black Sox, was in the 1997 side which finished second to Australia in Canada.
Naturally, Makea wants to improve on his older brothers' silver medals.
"Making this team has been my goal since 2006. Now it's all about bringing home gold and I'm 100 per cent confident we've got the team to do it," he said.
Makea, 17, secured the No 1 catcher's berth in the side this summer and hopes to retain it in Canada. A rugby loose forward in his school's 1st XV last year, Makea will give the oval ball code a miss this winter.
"It's a small sacrifice to make in our quest to bring home gold," he added.
Hanley had arrived in Waitangi with his family when he got the call from Junior Black Sox manager and Softball Hawke's Bay executive officer Mark Carter last night.
"It's my first time up here so it was a case of celebrations all round," said the Tamatea club player, who works as a builder for Scarfe Builders.
An infielder and power batter, Hanley, 17, is one of eight players in the side who can pitch if required.
Like Makea, Hanley is in his third year as a Junior Black Sox player.
"Making this team has been my goal for a while now. I'm sure we can bring home gold if we all do the hard work," he said.
A promising shot putter, Hanley sacrificed athletics to concentrate on softball and he will also avoid rugby again this year so he will be in top shape come July.
While Makea has been picked up by the Porirua side which includes his older brothers for the March national interclubs in Hutt Valley, Hanley hopes to play at the same tournament so he can get as much game time as possible before July.
Carter has managed the Junior Black Sox since 1997. He has yet to bring home a medal from a Junior World Series.
His 2005 team, which included the Bay pair of Mario Herbert and Rongo Rapaea, finished fourth in Canada and and his 2001 team was fourth in Australia.
* Junior Black Sox team: David MacKenzie, Thomas Enoka, Kallan Compain, Dylan Tomlin, Joshua Cooke, Rakawhati Repia, Jamie Love, Ben Enoka (all Auckland); Sam Bishop (Wellington), Nik Hayes (Marlborough), Thomas Tulkens (Canterbury), Campbell Makea, Jovaan Hanley (both Hawke's Bay); Cory Timu, Joel Evans, Bronson Marino (all Hutt Valley), Jonathan Campbell (Southland).