College Sport: No holding Michaela back

Michaela Sokolich-Beatson was ordered off the court for 4 to 6 weeks but haggled for two. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Whangaparaoa College netballer star performer for NZ schools despite injury

It takes more than a bad back to keep a top netball defender down.

Michaela Sokolich-Beatson can attest to that. The 17-year-old Whangaparaoa College prefect was a star performer at last month's international schoolgirls' netball challenge in Adelaide, where she was voted the best player for the New Zealand Schools side.

She had to be nursed through the tournament, playing half games in some of the easier matches, and having regular physio on her back which had flared up after running into the goalposts at the Maori nationals. The goal defence was doubtful to even make the trip and was cleared to go just the day before the squad left.

Sokolich-Beatson is not from a netball powerhouse school such as MAGS, Westlake Girls' or Wellington East Girls', who provided half the players to the New Zealand side. But do not underestimate Whangaparaoa College, who punch above their weight in the North Harbour premier girls' competition. The young school is carving a niche for itself and is proud of Sokolich-Beatson's achievements in being the first to crack this national side.

She is eager to return to the court, but has to bide her time to guard against a stress fracture.

"The [NZ] coaches and physio supported me hard-out. As soon as I came off court, I'd sit down and they chucked me an ice-pack. The physio would tape me up around my stomach so I couldn't flex back fully. That reminded me I had a sore back. When it was bad, they gave me a Panadol or a massage," she says.

That pain did not stop her pulling down some crucial intercepts in the final, combining nicely with goal keep Holly Fowler (MAGS).

"I could focus on my job and she would tell me where to go and what to do. We helped each other a lot," says Sokolich-Beatson. She felt that the final was won when the Australian shooters started arguing among themselves at the end of the first quarter, when the lead was 10.

But that was the last time she played, a sports doctor prescribing a no-netball diet for 4-6 weeks.

"I nearly cried. I said two weeks and he said okay. We had a little argument and I go back [this week]."

Sokolich-Beatson is steeped in netball, and has been exposed to some top coaching, including from former Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering in the North Harbour high performance squad, and Marianne Delaney and Julie Seymour with NZ Schools.

On Tuesday nights you will normally find her playing premier club netball for Westlake. Just last year she had a steep learning curve marking Cathrine Latu.

"She's just so good. She knows how to move the ball without doing much work."

Sokolich-Beatson is not one to be awestruck - in fact, she comes across as very laid back outside of her netball - but she admires the Leana de Bruin-Casey Kopua defensive combination for the Magic.

"Every netballer's dream is to play for the Silver Ferns, but I'd rather aim for the ANZ [Championship]," she declares.

Summer is touch for the school and tag for the Hibiscus Coast Raiders. But first priority is to sort that niggly back. Don't be surprised to see the determined, or should that read stubborn, Sokolich-Beatson back on court for the June 28 Whangaparaoa-Long Bay clash.

Rugby
Auckland 1A (round five): Otahuhu 24 Kelston 8, St Peter's 37 Papatoetoe 22, MAGS 21 Tangaroa 13, Sacred Heart 36 De La Salle 16, St Kentigern 41 Onehunga 3
TV game: Auckland Grammar 27 (Matt McKenzie, Sam Ulufonua, Rieko Ioane tries; Wiseguy Faiane 3 cons, 2 pens) King's 15 (Nick Hern, Jonah Lowe tries; Ciarahn Matoe con, pen)

Standings P W D L F A BP Pts
St Kentigern 5 5 - - 226 44 5 25
Sacred Heart 5 5 - - 158 75 4 24
Auckland Grammar 5 4 - 1 160 46 4 20
St Peter's 5 4 - 1 130 80 3 19
Otahuhu 5 3 - 2 82 53 3 15
King's 5 3 - 2 133 127 3 15
MAGS 5 2 - 3 65 95 1 9
Tangaroa 5 1 - 4 65 150 3 7
De La Salle 5 1 - 4 69 106 2 6
Kelston 5 1 - 4 55 135 - 4
Papatoetoe 5 1 - 4 70 200 - 4
Onehunga 5 - - 5 50 152 - 1

North Harbour 1A (round six): Rosmini 87 Takapuna Grammar 0, Massey 19 Orewa 11, Westlake BHS 95 Birkenhead 0


Badminton

Counties Manukau A and B grade:
Alfriston Aces 1 Rosehill One 5, Strathallan Aces 4 Rosehill Two 2, James Cook 1 Manurewa One 5, Alfriston B2 8 Manurewa B8 0
Auckland premier: Auckland Grammar One 4 Pakuranga 2, Auckland Grammar Two 6 EGGS 0, Macleans One 6 Auckland Grammar Three 0, Macleans Two 4 King's 2


League

First XIII: St Paul's 24 MAGS 4, Kelston 26 Manurewa 22, Tangaroa 22 Westlake BHS 16, Aorere 22 Southern Cross 22, Papakura 16 Henderson 12, Massey 14 James Cook 12, Pakuranga 24 Mt Roskill Grammar 12, Lynfield 22 Papatoetoe 22, Sir Edmund Hillary 46 Auckland Seventh-day Adventist 8, Western Springs 27 Otahuhu 10


Football

Auckland boys' premier league: Auckland Grammar 1 MAGS 1, St Kentigern 3 Macleans 2, Westlake BHS 2 Sacred Heart 1, Glendowie 2 Kelston BHS 1

Standings P W D L F A Pts GD
Westlake BHS 6 5 1 0 16 6 16 +10
Sacred Heart 6 4 1 1 19 5 13 +14
St Kentigern 6 3 3 0 17 7 12 +10
Macleans 6 3 0 3 14 12 9 +2
Auckland Grammar 6 2 2 2 15 14 8 +1
MAGS 6 1 3 2 10 10 6 0
Glendowie 6 1 0 5 5 23 3 -18
Kelston BHS 6 0 0 6 4 23 0 -19

Senior A1: King's 7 Rangitoto 0, Rosmini 2 Liston 2, Kristin 3 Takapuna Grammar 0, Onehunga 5 St Peter's 1
Senior A2: Avondale 4 Northcote 1, Rutherford 3 Pakuranga 0, Mt Roskill Grammar 7 Papatoetoe 0, Western Springs 3 Long Bay 0
Senior A3: Botany Downs 1 One Tree Hill 0; Green Bay 2 Kingsway 1; Waitakere 2 Howick 0; Albany Senior High 3 Lynfield 2
Senior A4: Pinehurst 5 Whangaparaoa 2; Selwyn 4 Massey 1; Parnell 5 Sancta Maria 2; Glenfield 2 Marcellin 1; Dilworth 3 Orewa 1

Girls premier
Greater Auckland Premier 1 (U19): St Kentigern 3 Avondale 1; Onehunga 1 Takapuna 1; Massey 3 Botany Downs 0; EGGS 1 Diocesan 0; MAGS 7 Westlake GHS 0; Rangitoto 2 St Mary's 0
Greater Auckland Premier 2 (U19): St Cuthbert's 1 Baradene 1; Green Bay 3 Long Bay 0; Marist 4 Whangaparaoa 1; Rutherford 1 Northcote 0
Counties Manukau Premier: Pakuranga 3 Howick 0; Pukekohe 1 Rosehill 1; Macleans 3 Waiuku 1
Greater Auckland Premier Junior A (U15) Division 1: St Cuthbert's 4 Baradene 0; Rangitoto 3 EGGS A 0; MAGS A 4 Westlake GHS 1; Diocesan 1 St Kentigern 0

Netball

Auckland Netball Centre
Premier: Botany Downs 38 St Mary's 34, MAGS 41 AGGS 34, Baradene 23 Diocesan 18, St Kentigern 37 EGGS 28, Avondale 40 McAuley 19, Aorere 34 Massey 32
Senior A: Macleans 37 Baradene Senior A 23, AGGS Senior A 42 Waiuku Gold 33, Sancta Maria Senior 1 29 King's 17, St Kentigern Senior A 34 Marist 21, Howick 44 Onehunga 23, MAGS Senior 1 30 St Cuthbert's 28

Counties Manukau
Premier Pool 1: Alfriston 52 Papatoetoe 12; Strathallan Navy 32 Sir Edmund Hillary 23; Tuakau 36 Manurewa 24
Premier Pool 2: Pukekohe Gold 25 James Cook Puutake 20; Rosehill 38 Nga Tapuwae 14

North Harbour
Premier section 1: Westlake GHS Two 35 Long Bay 31, Rangitoto One 54 Takapuna Grammar 21, Whangaparaoa 22 Albany 21
Premier section 2: Kristin 32 Carmel 28, Westlake GHS One 37 Rangitoto Two 16, Orewa 33 Carmel Two 23


Squash

Premier boys' 1: Westlake BHS 9 Auckland Grammar 6; Massey 12 St Kentigern 2; Takapuna 9 EGGS 3; Sacred Heart 9 Pukekohe 5
Premier boys' 2: Auckland Grammar Two 9 Westlake BHS Two 4; MAGS 10 Rangitoto 4; Liston 12 St Peter's 2
Premier girls: St Cuthbert's 6 Westlake GHS 5


Basketball

Premier girls: Rangitoto 78 Henderson 49; Westlake GHS 82 AGGS 26; MAGS 69 Avondale 65
Premier boys: Rangitoto 122 Rosmini 56; Auckland Grammar 92 Onehunga 61; Liston 94 Rangitoto 80

Hockey

Open A boys' playoffs: Kings First XI 2 St Kentigern 1 (final); MAGS 1 Auckland Grammar 1; Mt Roskill Grammar 1 Pakuranga 0; Kings Second XI 2 Macleans 2; Sacred Heart 4 Avondale 1; St Peter's 3 Kelston 2

Open A girls' playoffs: St Cuthbert's First XI 0 EGGS 0 (final); Diocesan First XI 1 St Kentigern 0; Baradene 3 St Cuthbert's Second XI 1; King's 2 St Mary's 0; Botany Downs 2 Mt Roskill Grammar 1; Macleans 2 Avondale 0; Diocesan Second XI 2 MAGS 1; Marist 1 Pakuranga 0


Lacrosse

Auckland SS girls
Division 1: Avondale One 9 Whangaparaoa One 5
Division 2 Pool 1: AGGS 18 Whangaparaoa Two 11; St Cuthbert's One 8 Westlake GHS 7
Division 2 Pool 2: MAGS Yellow 5 Avondale Two 3; Avondale Three 9 MAGS Blue 1; Mt Roskill Grammar 24 St Cuthbert's Two 2


Table tennis

Auckland winter interschools
A premier grade:
Macleans A 6 Macleans B 1, Auckland Grammar A 7 Macleans C 0, Auckland Grammar B 4 Auckland International College A 3, St Kentigern A 4 Pakuranga A 3

Underwater hockey

Junior girls: EGGS A 6 Glendowie A 2, Mahurangi 4 MAGS B default, Glendowie B 9 Diocesan B 4, MAGS 7 Mahurangi 1, Diocesan A 8 Howick 4, EGGS 9 Northcote 1
Junior open: Glendowie A 9 Mahurangi 0, MAGS 15 Glendowie B 0, Avondale 7 Mahurangi 1, Northcote win Howick default
Senior girls: Diocesan 6 Howick 3, Glendowie win Epsom B default, MAGS A 5 MAGS B 1, Diocesan win EGGS default, EGGS A 8 Glendowie 1
Senior open: MAGS win Macleans default, Glendowie 4 Howick 1, Avondale 13 Northcote 0, Glendowie 5 MAGS 0, Howick win Macleans default