College sport: Student champs foot it with the world's best

JENNI RUTHERFORD looks back on the year's secondary school sporting highlights.

This year's class graduated with more than its share of honours after extraordinary sporting success.

It was not just on the New Zealand stage that the students stood out - they also impressed against the rest of the world.

At a time when New Zealand's world champion stocks are depressingly depleted, the country's college students provided a big slice of the national sporting pride, and their future looks promising.

There were many memorable achievements, but 10 college sporting highlights - in no particular order - were especially worth recalling from the year:

Whitewash

Anyone else would have been satisfied with fourth at a world youth yachting regatta, especially on the first time at the competition, but not Westlake Boys High School's Michael Bullot.

He was gutted that he finished out of the medals at the International Sailing Federation's youth championships in France, but more than made up for that disappointment in Barcelona. Bullot became the first person to win the open and youth world laser radial championships.

Special mention: Kate O'Brien was the first girl to cross the finish line at the world youth laser radial championships, and was a member of the winning New Zealand team.

Hot shot

Valerie Adams catapulted herself on to the world stage, winning the world youth shotput title in Hungary. The Southern Cross Campus 17-year-old has a busy year ahead of her - competing in the world junior (under-20) world track and field championships in Jamaica, then the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

Multisport maestro

There seems to be no stopping Rangitoto College's Terenzo Bozzone. He needed special dispensation to compete in the world junior duathlon and triathlon championships because he was only 16.

That hurdle cleared, Bozzone won the duathlon title in Italy and finished 13th in the junior elite men's triathlon in Edmonton.

Multi-titled

Julia Scopes scooped her fair share of titles, winning the Auckland secondary schools senior girls multisport, triathlon and duathlon championships, and the New Zealand secondary schools duathlon title.

She was named NZ secondary schools female triathlete of the year.

On the prowl

Rotorua Boys High School pupil Sam Hunt picked up where he left off last year and retained his world secondary schools golf title, and helped his college team hold on to their world teams trophy.

Hunt, also the New Zealand under-19 champion, demonstrated his prowess by becoming the youngest player, at 17, to win the New Zealand amateur strokeplay title.

He also won the foursomes with Matthew Holten.

Double tops

Wesley College was the toast of secondary school rugby, winning the New Zealand schoolboys title in the XV and sevens games.

Special mention (1): St Kentigern College broke their finals jinx, winning the Auckland 1A first XV competition for the first time.

Special mention (2): The Moascar Cup changed hands three times this year, but De La Salle, after winning the historic trophy off St Paul's College, retained it for the year.

MAG-nificent

Mt Albert Grammar restored two of the three premium soccer trophies to their cabinet, winning the New Zealand and Auckland premier titles.

The first XI also made it to the last 16 in club soccer's Chatham Cup.

Making waves

Westlake Boys High School dominated in water polo this year, winning the North Island and New Zealand senior boys titles.

Special mention: Avondale College were crowned New Zealand senior girls champions for the first time.

Grand slam

St Kentigern College made a clean sweep of the Auckland secondary schoolboys tennis championships, winning the junior, intermediate and senior titles.

Their triple victory was made sweeter because it was the first time the school had won the senior title.

Bowled'em

Kelston Boys High School emerged from cricketing obscurity to win the R. H. Marryatt Cup at the start of the year.

They topped off a successful season by finishing runners-up in the Gillette Cup final, their first time qualifying as zone champions.

Special mention: Epsom Girls Grammar triumphed in trying conditions to win the Yoplait Cup.