College Sport: The wrap

Bryony Botha. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Cycling

Junior track world champion Bryony Botha claimed the road race honours at the New Zealand Schools championships in Manawatu. Botha, from Rangitoto, was among 599 riders who competed on a challenging new course near Ashhurst for the 47th national schools championship.

The 17-year-old took out the under-20 title in the 25km, two-lap race, winning in 1h 1min 14s, her second national success after winning the under-17 title two years ago.

Baradene dominated the under-16 girls' race with Jenna Merrick winning in a sprint finish of 1:08:35 from teammate Abigail Morton.

Takapuna Grammar enjoyed three wins. Nick Bowen won the under-14 boys in 34:41; Renee Young took out the under-15 girls in of 32:45 and Jack Featherstone won the under-15 B in 33:26.

Auckland Grammar took out the under-17 and under-14 boys' points races via Aaron Wyllie and Kiaan Oliver-Grace respectively. Their performances helped Auckland Grammar earn the boys' overall trophy. For the first time, there was a prize for the top junior schools with Baradene topping the girls.

Auckland Grammar took out the under-20 team time trial on day one.

Hamilton BHS took out the under-16 boys' team time trial in 23.19 ahead of Auckland Grammar in 23.43. St Peter's girls claimed the honours after an outstanding time of 25.58, to upset Palmerston North GHS.

Netball

MAGS have clinched their fourth straight national schools title.

They edged rivals St Kentigern 41-35 in a tight final in Ashburton to add to their spoils from 2015, which include the national televised competition, and the Auckland and Upper North Island titles.

No other school has won the national title more than twice in a row. Co-coach Te Aroha Keenan said the game was intense, with the team two goals down after the first quarter, and the score 16-16 at halftime.

MAGS went unbeaten through the four-day NZSS competition.

Named in the tournament team was the quartet of captain Holly Fowler, Maia Wilson, Caitlin Dowden and Elle Temu.

In the final placings, Auckland region schools featured prominently. St Mary's were fourth, beaten 33-20 by Wellington East in the bronze playoff, EGGS eighth, Westlake GHS 10th, Baradene 11th and Waikato Diocesan 14th.

St Kentigern shooters Amorangi Malesala and Sydney Fraser made the tournament team, as did Mererangi Paul, while the St Mary's trio of Jermaine Howard-Vallance, Colleen Faleafaga and Renee Savai'inaea were also included.

Volunteer of the month

Georgia Wharton-Benedict was the Sanitarium Student Sports Volunteer of the Month for August, in association with Sport Auckland.

A Year 13 student at Baradene, Wharton-Benedict umpires Years 7-8 netball on Tuesday nights at the AMI Netball Centre and is out there again on Saturday mornings umpiring the Year 9-13 teams. She has also signed up to coach one of the school's junior touch teams.

Director of sport at Baradene, Michelle McLean, has nothing but praise for her.

Sport Auckland representative Cory Hitchen presented Wharton-Benedict with a Sanitarium prize pack. She also won her school a $500 Lotto voucher to purchase equipment and apparel for their sports teams.

Surf lifesaving

Oscar Williams and three of his Auckland Grammar schoolmates cleaned up at the New Zealand surf lifesaving pool championships earlier this month.

At West Wave, competing for Whangamata SLSC, Williams, son of former All Blacks prop Ron Williams, along with Conor Bradding, Jack Dufaur and Trent Garret, won a gold and silver medal in the under-16 men's 4x50m medley relay and 4x50m obstacles relay. Williams and Bradding won another gold in the U16 men's line throw, setting a national record in the process. Williams went on to win three individual gold medals and a bronze medal in two other individual events. Williams was selected in the NZ development squad and was highlighted as one of the outstanding competitors at the championships.

Cricket

First XI resumed and MAGS immediately put the pressure on St Kentigern in racking up 306-9 off 75 overs in the Championship.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, MAGS appeared to be ruing their decision at 61-4. However, with Katene Clarke and Ariyan Hassan at the crease and runs in the air they need not have been concerned. Hassan was dismissed for 80 after a partnership of 160 and then Clarke for 91 not long afterwards. Both St Kentigern openers were dismissed just before stumps leaving them 52-2, needing a further 250 runs to take first innings honours.

Westlake won the toss and sent Rangitoto in to bat. Cooper Spiller was the pick of the bowlers with the impressive figures of 5-13 in 7.5 overs in helping to bowl Rangitoto out for 73. Westlake's batsmen had to endure a fine opening spell by the Rangitoto bowlers and earn every run in passing the total. Captain Will O'Donnell led from the front with a gutsy 56 and Ryan Schierhout was 39 not out overnight. Westlake finished the day on 144-6, giving them a handy first innings lead of 71.

In the Plate, Auckland Grammar scored 283 and had Sacred Heart 29-1 at stumps.

King's have almost passed Rosmini's 113, with Tristan Payle leading the way with 61 as King's went to stumps at 105-3.

In the Shield, Macleans were 59-4 in reply to Liston's first innings of 207.

Avondale made 138, and Takapuna Grammar have already claimed first innings points, finishing at 159-6.

Rosmini's first XI and under-15 teams had a very successful cricket tour of Sri Lanka during the school holidays. The first XI, captained by Kieran Seedall, played five games, winning three, losing one and having a no result due to rain. They played against top division one cricketing schools at some ICC first class and test venues.

Rosmini under-15s also played five games on tour winning two, losing two and one was a no result. The batting highlight on tour was Mitchel Bond's 111 not out against St Peter's College.

Rugby

The New Zealand Secondary Schools Rugby Union (NZSSRU) will make changes to its procedures relating to the eligibility of players in the wake of issues raised in a Top 4 playoff match in August.

In the match between New Plymouth BHS first XV and Rotorua BHS first XV, played on August 28, two players were included on a signed team sheet for Rotorua who were not eligible to play in the Top 4 competition. The breach was highlighted by the Herald last month.

An independent investigation by Peter Dale made a number of recommendations which have been adopted by NZSSRU for the 2016 season.

NZSSRU chairman Garry Chronican was swift to emphasise that the breach was not deliberate and there would be no sanction. Of more import was the fact that Rotorua, as the Top 4 national champions, was confirmed as New Zealand's representative to the Sanix world tournament in April 2016.

Wesley is basking in the glow of having no less than nine of its former first XV players involved in the Rugby World Cup across five countries. The internationals are: Malakai Fekitoa (All Blacks), Uini Atonio (France), Tevita Mailau, Hale T-Pole, Siale Piutau (Tonga), Nemia Soqeta, Viliami Veikoso, Netani Talei (Fiji) and Sekope Kepu (Australia). While the Wesley first XV did not have a vintage season, falling to rivals Manurewa in the final of the Counties Manukau premier competition, their propensity to produce first-class rugby talent is still palpable.

Westlake BHS have won the North Harbour Secondary Schools 7s tournament, defeating Massey 19-12 in the open boys' Cup final, and taking the under-15 boys' Cup final by the same score against the same school. Winning the competition ensures that the Westlake teams will be a part of the Condor 7s national tournament in early December.

Football

The proposed special general meeting of the Auckland Secondary Schools Football Association, slated for today at Bill McKinlay Park, is cancelled.

The executive had called the meeting after issues over the governance of secondary schools football in the Auckland region. It was the intention to vote on the possible dissolution of the association after more than 80 years.

A further update to members of ASSFA will be provided at the pre-season AGM in term one, 2016.

Several first XI players from the Auckland region are in the New Zealand under-17 squad playing in the Fifa U17 World Cup in Chile. Among them are Year 12 Westlake BHS players Sean Skeens and Luke Johnson, Sacred Heart forwards Connor Probert and Lucas Imrie, St Kentigern's Dane Schnell and Reuben Clark, Macleans goalkeeper Christian Woodbridge, MAGS defender Ben Mata, and Auckland Grammar's Jack Henry-Sinclair.