Massey High's junior girls sprang perhaps the biggest surprise at the national schools championships in September. Riding in the under-16 grade, the girls were seeded 24th of the 26 teams based on last year's placings.
The third team to start, they quickly turned heads. They posted the fastest time before
some teams had even started and then watched as team after team failed to better their time.
Eventually only third-seeded Waikato Diocesan managed to head them. In claiming silver, Massey, 27secs behind the powerful winning team, beat all other Auckland schools with WGHS fifth, Diocesan sixth, St Cuthberts eighth, TGS ninth and Baradene 10th.
The senior boys' team finished seventh - less than a minute behind the strong AGS team who beat WBHS by 20secs to claim the title. The only other Massey team to contest the national championships were the under-16 boys, who finished 13th.
Smith, second in the hillclimb at the national individual championship at Mt Wellington, third in the time trial and fourth overall in the under-20 grade and later second in the points race and third in the individual race in Feilding, was named the school's male cyclist of the year.
Lydia Rippon, silver medallist in the individual road race and points race in Feilding (and a member of the time trial team) was the female cyclist of the year and the school's Year 9 sportswoman of the year.
AWARDS
Auckland's top sporting talent will not be the only winners at the ASB Young Sportsperson of the Year awards at Eden Park tomorrow night.
After some soul-searching and much deliberation, Auckland's ASB College Sport yesterday announced the three finalists for Sports Educator of the Year honours.
The finalists are Daniel Mathie (ACG Parnell College), Sharon Davis (TGS) and Theuns Strydom (WBHS).
Mathie is an active PE teacher taking classes across all levels from Year 7 to Year 13 including courses on leadership. He is a coach for both boys' and girls' junior and senior volleyball teams and is also the teacher in charge of water polo as well as helping with and overseeing several other sports at the school.
Davis is director of sport at Takapuna Grammar. She not only oversees the entire programme but is the teacher in charge of netball, cycling and tennis as well as co-ordinating with her staff on all other sports.
She is also actively involved in netball coaching one team and managing two others, including taking an under-16 team to Australia.
Strydom is a busy individual with his teaching timetable seeing him teaching not only PE but also maths.
He is teacher in charge of athletics and cross country at Westlake BHS, overseeing, coaching or managing all competitions for these groups as well working with individual athletes.
He is also involved with basketball, ensuring all 31 teams have a coach or manager.
CRICKET
AUCKLAND
A first innings win over closest rivals St Kentigern has AGS in the driving seat with one round of the two-day championship to play.
Resuming at 35/0 in pursuit of the 255 posted by AGS on day one, St Kentigern had worthy contributions from Richard Sillars (87) and Matthew Ansell (73) to get them within sight of the target. However, consistent bowling from spinner Jacob Reilly was the key in getting AGS home. Reilly finished with figures of 4-99 from 27 overs as St Kentigern came up 23 runs short.
WBHS won the battle of the Shore with a convincing outright win over Rangitoto.
After declaring at their overnight 224/4. WBHS sent Rangitoto into bat for a second time 127 runs in arrears.
Again the Westlake bowlers dominated. Ashley Martinus (3-16) was the most successful of their attack and was well supported by Jordan Sussex, Manaia Harris and Wesley Jarman with two wickets each.
The only bright spot in the Rangitoto innings of 161 was the unbeaten 33 scored by Blair Smith in batting at 10.
Needing just 35 runs to win, WBHS needed just five overs to reach their target with Simon Middleton scoring 32 not out.
Resuming at 155/2 in their chase for the 277 scored on the first day by St Peters, Kings survived a first-ball scare before settling in and reaching their target as Simon Hickey added 20 runs to his overnight 50 not out.
It was not all plain sailing, however, as the St Peters bowlers claimed a couple of quick wickets after 83 runs had been added for the third wicket. But any hope of going on with it disappeared when Fa'asiu Fuata'I unleashed a flurry of fours to race to 50 ensuring first-innings points for Kings along the way. They declared just before lunch leaving St Peters the rest of the day to bat out time.
St Peters opening pair of Henry Hanham (75) and Sean Solia (78) batted maturely to put on 153 before both fell in quick succession. The third wicket pair continued the sensible approach adding 82 runs with skipper Matt Considine reaching his 50 with a massive six, which brought the game to a close. Despite just failing to claim outright points from KBHS, MAGS wrapped up the plate competition from KBHS in a low-scoring affair notable for a 100 overs from the MAGS bowlers, which conceded just 102 runs.
All three plate matches were decided on the first innings.
WAIKATO
Cambridge High School's hold on the Dave Hoskin Trophy was short-lived but they refused to give up the coveted trophy without a real fight.
At home to St John's College, Cambridge fell five runs short in an epic run chase.
The visitors won the toss and elected to bat but were quickly in trouble losing opener Hamish Whyte to the first ball of the match - bowled by Ross Laidlaw.
Jude Cooper and Brett Kennedy then set about building a second wicket partnership of 84 which lasted until the 16th over.
The next partnership was to prove decisive. Sam Cooper joined his older brother Jude and upped the tempo by attacking the Cambridge bowlers. In the space of 15 overs the score rocketed to 196 as Jude Cooper blazed his way to 113 off 85 balls before falling to Mitch Kirkbride's leg-spin.
Sam Cooper then took charge and soon reached his half-century before falling for 67.
At this point it seemed St John's were in position to easily make their way past 300 with 256 on the board and eight overs remaining. Laidlaw was brought back for a second spell of four overs in which he claimed three wickets for two runs as the middle and lower order collapsed in quick succession.
Sam Watson and Brendon O'Neill provided some important runs as they put together a stand of 13 for the 10th wicket, leaving Cambridge a run chase of 274. The home team began cautiously with the first wicket falling at 21 after seven overs.
Pat Tomsett and Hugo Bothma then put together a stand of 81, continuing to keep the run rate at a steady level. Bothma was caught behind just after reaching his 50. At this point the required rate was a run a ball with 25 overs to bat. Nik Boyle entertained the crowd with some delightful strokeplay as he raced to 65 off 48 balls.
He was eventually undone by Sam Pritchard, bowled in the 38th over leaving the home team at 197 for three.
The required rate remained at a run a ball and victory seemed likely as opener Tomsett reached a hard-fought 50. Tomsett departed soon after, bowled by Pritchard. Jono Feast and Ross Laidlaw had started to build a good partnership but Laidlaw was run out for 21 and panic set in.
Seven runs were needed off the last over with two wickets in hand. A single was taken off the first ball of the over, which left Nick Bateman to try to get Feast back on strike. Bateman was then run out on a quick single, leaving Feast with three deliveries to score six runs. On the fifth ball of the over Feast drove down the ground but was caught at deep mid off with Pritchard taking the catch to secure victory for St John's.
St Peter's made a strong start against St Paul's Collegiate with an opening partnership of 46 by openers Mike Young (14) and Doug Bradley (35), with the bulk of the runs coming from another fine knock by captain Jarrod Mongston - 75 runs from 57 balls.
St Peter's were eventually dismissed for 250 in the 50th over.
St Paul's made a very strong reply based around a measured knock of 54 in 115 balls from Josh Fawcett, ably supported by Lochie Cooper (24) and James Chennery with 15 runs.
Best partnership of the match was 61 runs between Josh Fawcett and Lochie Cooper.
The medium-pace bowling of Jarrod Mongston (seven overs for nine runs) and Sam Pulis (one for 16 from eight) slowed the run rate and put St Paul's well behind the required rate by the 20th over and they eventually fell 54 runs short in being dismissed for 196 in the 49th over.
Playing the Hamilton BHS Development X1, Matamata got off to a great start with openers Ryan Wilson (43) and Lance Knyvett (26) putting on 66 for the first wicket. However, the introduction of spin twins Elliott Santner and Kyle Ross saw wickets fall regularly and runs dry up. Leg-spinner Santner bowled beautifully and took four for 19 from his 10 overs.
At 101/6, Matamata struggled and found runs hard to come by before wicketkeeper Kieran O'Malley played aggressively to swing the advantage their way with his unbeaten 55 helping them reach 176.
The HBHS innings never gained any momentum, with the run rate being less than two runs an over for the first 35 overs.
Led by captain Mitchell Green (3-16 off 10 overs), Matamata gave HBHS little respite. He was well supported by his brother Taylor (2-21) and spin twins Brad McKenzie and Hayden Waugh, who finished off the HBHS innings at 101 in the 42nd over.
WAKA AMA
A quick-fire programme will pit 65 teams from 16 schools against each other in the 13th annual junior regatta at the Orakei Basin on Saturday.
Racing will start at 9am with the last race scheduled for 1pm.
ON THE WEB www.asbcollegesport.co.nz
College Sport: Massey's young riders put best wheels forward
Laura Newman-Watt, Lydia Rippon, Sammy Croft and Selena van Vugt of Massey High School. Photo / Sarah Ivey
Massey High's junior girls sprang perhaps the biggest surprise at the national schools championships in September. Riding in the under-16 grade, the girls were seeded 24th of the 26 teams based on last year's placings.
The third team to start, they quickly turned heads. They posted the fastest time before
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