College sport: Space tight in waterfront time trials

Westlake senior boys time trial team sets off from Mechanics Bay. Picture / Kenny Rodger.

There was as much action off the bikes as on when 102 teams took to the waterfront for the second of the winter's time trials on Sunday.

The record entry for the Avanti Plus 16km out-and-back races - the first time more than 100 teams lined up - brought added pressure. Pre-race cycle checks revealed some shortcomings while on the road, the competitors had to contend with a stretch of roadworks at Kohimarama.

Organisers did well to get through the four divisions even if they had to juggle the start order to comply with a council-enforced deadline for a 7.45am finish for the five-person senior teams.

The gaps between the top teams were closer than in the opening round of the series a fortnight earlier, with St Kentigern edging Macleans by less than 14 seconds in winning the senior boys' event. The winning margin in race one was over a minute. Auckland Grammar were only 3s back in third.

Diocesan again took senior girls' honours but had only 21s in hand from St Cuthberts at the finish. Their winning margin in the first race was also over a minute. The roadworks played their part in slowing winning times.

Westlake BHS, third in race one, surprised in not only winning the junior boys' race from round one winner AGS, but they did it in the same time despite the impediment. Macleans dropped back one place to third.

The top three finished in the same order in the junior girls' race with Diocesan forced to ride 16s faster to beat Epsom GGS.

The winning margin was cut from 55s to 23s with Westlake GHS again third.

Netball

Long Bay College have hardly figured as a powerhouse in the Collegiate 1 championship so there was genuine satisfaction in upsetting Carmel College to claim their first win of the season at Onewa courts on Saturday.

Making the most of their advantage against an injury-hit Carmel, who were also without star player Emma Iversen, who is on duty with the NZSS team, Long Bay hit the court running, took an early lead and never gave up as they went on to win 28-20. Enthusiastic coach Evan Charlton was overjoyed, saying "this win is testimony to the team's courage and to our process-based system".

Last year's runners-up Westlake GHS were pressed all the way before getting home by two goals from Rangitoto's second team while, in another close one, Northcote just held out neighbours and cellar-dwellers Birkenhead College 24-23.

At the top of the table, Rangitoto 1, Westlake GHS and Mahurangi College continue to set the pace with their four-from-four records.

Orienteering

An outstanding effort from Thomas Reynolds in the senior event and a back-up victory by Tyler Elliott in taking the intermediate title paved the way for Westlake Boys' overall triumph in the Auckland SS championships in the Woodhill Forest.

Reynolds stunned officials with his winning 38m 12s for the 6.3km (16 controls) race. He was pushed all the way by Mt Roskill Grammar's Simon Jager who was within 2min at the finish with Jourdan Harvey (King's) more than 7min back.

A massive 14min blow-out at control 10, of 12, cost North Island champion Nicola Peat (St Cuthberts) her chance of adding the Auckland title to her collection. Greta Knarston (Epsom GS) seized the chance to take the honours by more than 3min from Birkenhead College's Alisha Henderson who pushed Peat back to third.

EGGS, with a second win when Kate Smirnova won the junior girls' event over 2.6km, took overall honours for the girls.

Massey's Matthew Ogden outclassed the field to take junior honours in winning by nearly 10min from Jericho Malabonga. Pukekohe's Kaito Walley grabbed third place.

Rugby

Tangaroa College and Auckland Grammar continue to set the pace as the only unbeaten teams in the first XV 1A championship.

Five tries - four scored by their outside backs - justly rewarded AGS with a 29-0 win over Otahuhu College in difficult conditions. Dave Thomas (2), Matt Henry, Sam Hitchcock and, in his first start, Sabir Slaimankhel scored the tries.

Ash Moeke and Winston Stanley booted the ball out of the mud for two conversions.

Tangaroa kept pace at the top of the table with their 21-16 win over Otahuhu College.

An early and well-constructed Randall Kamea try gave King's the first points against St Peters, who hit back to level at 5-5 when Dilip Pifileti dotted down. Nick Currie sealed it for King's with his try.

In between times, Adam Siddall kicked three penalties.

After conceding an early converted try to MAGS, Tamaki made it hard for themselves by missing two handy penalty attempts to trail 7-0 at the break.

They hit back when Kaniata Halanukonuka scored and converted but a couple of kicks got MAGS home 13-7.

De La Salle, led by hard-working James Milipola and Sunia Lusa up front and Leon Tufuga in the backs, beat Kelston BHS 13-11 in a bruising encounter to take their winning streak to three.

In a titanic struggle between two very good teams at Wesley College, the home side, as Counties Manukau champions, were held to a 13-13 draw by Bay of Plenty champions Rotorua BHS.

The last team to beat Wesley at Wesley were Rotorua BHS in 1997.

Soccer

In the citywide girls' championship (in three regions), Macleans are dominating the Counties Manukau competition with three convincing wins in as many outings. Howick are in second place with two wins and a draw.

In Central Zone East, Epsom GGS and Diocesan are setting the pace with two wins and a draw with EGGS ahead on goal difference.

Avondale lead MAGS on goal difference in Central West with both teams having won twice.

Takapuna Grammar, three-from-three, are on top in North Harbour from Westlake GHS junior premiers (two wins).

Squash

Auckland Grammar are setting the pace after four rounds in the premier boys' competition. With some convincing wins, they lead St Kentigern by two points with MAGS third.

Westlake GHS are leading the premier girls' race, claiming the top spot with EGGS, St Kentigern and St Cuthberts scrambling for the other top four spots.

Synchronised swimming

New Zealand teammates turned rivals in the inaugural North Island secondary/intermediate championships at the West Wave Aquatic Centre.

Rangitoto College representatives Kate Lill and Fendi Thien finished one-two in the college event ahead of Leslie Hansen (Western Springs College).

The trio are members of the national combination who will compete in the Oceania Championships in Brisbane in July. Lill and Thien will also contest the solo championship while Hansen and Thien will swim duet.

In the intermediate schools section, year seven student Abby Hustler (Takapuna Normal), performing a solo routine for the first time, took gold by 2.4 points from Sian Emery, a year eight pupil from Birkdale Intermediate.

The championships rekindled interest in the sport following the demise of the Auckland championships some years ago.

Organisers hope the small fields for this year's competition will grow sufficiently to allow duet events in future.

* Bad weather has hit the girls' lacrosse league with the first round being abandoned.

Avondale lead with eight points (after three weeks) from WGHS and Auckland GGS (four points).

St Marys are leading division two from EGGS and MAGS.

The rain also forced a rare cancellation of the Auckland SS cross country championships. They have been rescheduled for a week today at St Kentigern College.