The list of the young sportsmen and women who have been honoured since the inception of the College awards in 1991 reads like a who's who of Auckland and New Zealand sport.
Among those selected as the ASB Bank's Young Sportsman and Sportswoman are 2004 Olympians Beatrice Faumuina (who won
in 1991), Sarah Ulmer (1993), Nathan Richmond (1996), Sarah Macky (1997), Scott Talbot-Cameron (1998), Valerie Vili (nee Adams, 2001) and Corney Swanepoel (2004).
Others, including Jonah Lomu (1993), Emily Drumm (1992), Daniel Slater (1994), Ryan Archibald (1998), Simon Rea (2000), Terenzo Bozzone and Melissa Ingram (2002) and Frances Kreft (2003), have represented New Zealand in a variety of sports.
This year's winners will be announced at a dinner on November 25 featuring league legend Tawera Nikau as guest speaker.
Finalists have been found in more than 30 sports, with a male and female winner to be named in each.
The nine-strong judging panel have already named six winners.
Fa'anati Aniseka (Auckland Girls Grammar), Chante Botica (Kristin School), William Curtayne (St Kentigern) and Ryan Sissons (Macleans College) excelled in three sports and have been named as all-rounders of the year.
Also recognised at this early stage are Kelly Dobbyn-Dodunski (Papatoetoe HS) and Joshua Woollen (Manurewa HS) as athletes with a disability.
The remaining awards will be announced at the dinner, at which about 600 people are expected to attend.
The overall winners can come from the all-rounders category or one of the individual sports.
Last year's young sportswoman of the year was Phillis Meti (Epsom Girls Grammar), who also won an all-rounders award.
Athletics
Auckland Grammar just failed to claim a one-two finish in the senior boys' race at the Auckland secondary schools road race championships on the Pukekohe motor-racing track, but the two intermediate races produced noteworthy quinellas.
Pakuranga College sisters Kelsi and Alex Patterson succeeded in the girls' race over 4km, with Kelsi finishing more than a minute clear of her sibling, who just held off Anna Fischer (Epsom Girls).
Mt Roskill Grammar's well-performed Fetalow Zomo and Biruk Belachew went head-to-head over 5km.
Zomo headed his schoolmate by 17s, with Kings College's Alex Parlane 25s back in claiming bronze.
Big fields lined up in most races, although only eight faced the starter in the senior girls' race over 5km.
Rangitoto's Kate Mitchell won by more than a minute over multi-talented Gracie Keown (Auckland Girls), who was also a minute clear of Renee Kraakman.
The senior boys' race over 6km attracted 28 starters, with Mathew Mildenhall (Auckland Grammar School) recording a smart 18m 16s to head Lewis Jenkins (Birkenhead College) by 14s, with Auckland Grammar's James Fisher a minute back in third.
Ester Keown continued her amazing year by taking the junior girls' race over 3km, holding off Casey Mitchell (Pukekohe HS) by a mere 2s. Hannah Morgan (Diocesan) was half a minute away in third.
Ben Barry and Michael Poole continued the year-long rivalry between Kings College and Auckland Grammar in the junior boys 4km, with Barry (Kings) getting home by 24s.
Cycling
Local knowledge played a big part in deciding the BBQ Factory-sponsored national secondary schools mountainbike relay championships at Rotorua's Whakarewarewa Forest.
Rotorua Lakes High were clear winners in the under-19 race.
Their four-man team completed 13 laps to win by more than a lap.
Rotorua Boys High took the under-15 race in a much closer affair.
They were one of four schools to complete 12 laps of the testing circuit starting their last laps inside the three-hour time limit, and got home by just 1m 04s from Taupo Nui-a-Tia College. Avondale College flew the Auckland flag by taking third.
Taupo Nui-a-Tia won the girls' under-15 race after completing seven laps - one of three teams to manage that after starting their last lap inside the two-hour time limit.
The combined Heretaunga/Upper Hutt College team were first home in the under-19 girls' (three-person) race after completing seven laps to head Epsom Girls in the seven-team contest.
A total of 76 teams took part in the event, which has been held for a decade on some of the world's best tracks.
Soccer
An increase of 17 teams this year underlined the popularity soccer enjoys on the secondary schools sporting programme.
The recent annual meeting of the Auckland Secondary Schools Football Association learned 254 teams played in 33 league competitions over the winter, with 21 schools figuring among the winners.
Auckland schools again made their mark at national level, with Mt Albert Grammar winning the Lotto Sports premier tournament in Napier and St Peters College the Rex Dawkins [second tier] Cup in Auckland.
But these successes, and that enjoyed by Westlake Boys High, who dashed Mt Albert Grammar's hopes of a treble with their victory in the Knockout Cup, were tempered somewhat by the sending-off of 12 players for violent conduct.
The annual meeting also heard of on-going problems with sideline abuse from adult spectators.
The 2006 season will start on May 6 with the play-off games.
The season proper begins a week later, with the 14th round of matches in the senior A championship scheduled for September 9.
First-round matches in the Knockout Cup will be played between May 15-25, with the final on September 13.
The winter tournament week is scheduled for August 14-18.
Touch
The junior touch modules are up and running at grounds across the Greater Auckland region.
Nearly 150 teams are entered in the various zones that cover schools from North Harbour in the north to Counties Manukau in the south.
The weekly Tuesday competition continues until zone finals on November 22 and 29, with the top two teams from each zone scheduled to play off in the championship round at Dunkirk Park, the home of the Tamaki Rugby Club, on December 1.
The senior competition was held in the first term but those teams still have their national championships in Napier on December 9-11 to look forward to.
* Results
ATHLETICS
AUCKLAND SS ROAD RACES
(Pukekohe)
Junior girls (3km): E. Keown (AGGS) 10m 21 s 1, C. Mitchell (Pukekohe HS) 10m 23s 2, H. Morgan (Diocesan) 10m 53s 3. 3-person teams, Pukekohe HS 1, St Kentigern 2, Westlake GHS 3. 6-person teams, Pukekohe HS 1.
Junior boys (4km): B. Barry (Kings) 13m 50s 1, M. Poole (AGS) 14m 14s 2, J. Lee (Pakuranga College) 14m 19s 3. 3-person teams, AGS 1, WBHS 2, Pukekohe HS 3. 6-person teams, WBHS 1, AGS 2, Pukekohe HS 3.
Intermediate girls (4km): Kelsi Patterson (Pakuranga) 14m 47s 1, Alex Patterson (Pakuranga) 15m 55s 2, A. Fischer (EGGS) 16m 08s 3. 3-person teams, Pukekohe HS 1, Baradene College 2, Mt Roskill GS 3. 6-person teams, Pukekohe HS 1, MRGS 2.
Intermediate boys (5km): F. Zomo (MRGS) 15m 37s 1, B. Belachew (MRGS) 15m 54s 2, A. Parlane (Kings) 16m 19s 3. 3-person teams, MRGS 1, AGS 2, WBHS 3. 6-person teams, AGS 1, WBHS 2.
Senior girls (5km): K. Mitchell (Rangitoto College) 18m 29s 1, G. Keown (AGGS) 19m 46s 2, R. Kraakman (St Kentigern) 20m 52s 3. 3-person teams, Pukekohe HS 1.
Senior boys (6km): M. Mildenhall (AGS) 18m 16s 1, L. Jenkins (Birkenhead College) 18m 30s 2, J. Fisher (AGS) 19m 30s 3. 3-person teams, AGS 1, Kings 2, Pukekohe HS 3. 6-person teams, AGS 1.
* * *
CYCLING
NATIONAL SS MOUNTAIN BIKE RELAYS
(Rotorua)
Boys (four-person teams, three-hour time limit).-
Under-15: Rotorua BHS, 12 laps, 3h 09m 07s 1, Taupo Nui-a-Tia College, 12 laps, 3h 10m 11s 2, Avondale College, 12 laps, 3h 12m 13s 3, Rotorua Lakes HS, 12 laps, 3h 13m 50s 4, Tauranga BC, 11 laps, 3h 09m 41s 5.
Under-19: Rotorua Lakes HS, 13 laps, 2h 08m 13s 1, Waiopehu/Scots College, 12 laps, 3h 13m 02s 2, Mahurangi College, 11 laps, 3h 02m 51s 3, Hutt International Boys School, 11 laps, 3h 04m 26s 4, Raphael House, 11 laps, 3h 05m 16s 5.
Girls (three-person teams, two-hour time limit).-
Under-15: Taupo Nui-a-Tia College, 7 laps, 2h 15m 45s 1, Epsom GGS, 7 laps, 2h 20m 17s 2, Heretaunga/Upper Hutt Colleges, 7 laps, time n/a 3, Rotorua Lakes HS, 6 laps 2h 02m 30s 4, Rotorua GHS, 6 laps, 2h 07m 10s 5.
Under-19: Heretaunga/Upper Hutt Colleges, 7 laps, 2h 12m 21s 1, EGGS, 7 laps, 2h 20m 17s 2, Rotorua Lakes HS, 6 laps, 2h 02m 30s 3, Rotorua GHS, 6 laps, 2h 07m 10s 4, Western Heights HS, 5 laps, 2h 03m 43s 5.
* * *
ROWING
NATIONAL SS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Boys.-
2000m: Under-15, M. Graham (St Peters) 6m 42.5s 1, L. Roache (Horowhenua) 6m 48.9s 2, S. Hyde (Rotorua BHS) 7m 11.3s 3. Under-17, J. Acton (Rotorua BHS) 6m 18.7s 1, M. Cullum (Tauranga BC) 6m 26.4s 2, J. Blacklaws (Katikati) 6m 33.8s 3. Under-19, G. Hill (Hamilton BHS) 6m 04.9s 1, C. Finley (Hamilton BHS) 6m 05.8s 2, R. Finlayson (Bethlehem College) 6m 39.4s 3. Under-19 lightweight, A. Fergus (Hawera HS) 6m 45.4s 1, B. Johnston (Bethlehem) 6m 49.9s 2, A. Crowley (Bethlehem) 6m 59.2s 3.
500m: Under-15, Graham 1m 28.1s 1, Roache 1m 31.7s 2, Hyde 1m 36.5s 3. Under-17, Acton 1m 24.7s 1, H. Simperingham (Rotorua BHS) 1m 26.9s 2, Blacklaws 1m 27.2s 3. Hill 1m 21.5s 1, Finlay 1m 22.6s 2, J. Leigh (St Peters) 1m 27.8s 3. Under-19 lightweight, Fergus 1m 27.8s 1, Johnston 1m 31.7s 2, Crowley 1m 32.5s 3.
Teams 2000m: Under-15, Tauranga BC 6m 55.3s 1, Rotorua BHS 7m 15.2s 2, Bethlehem 7m 34.7s 3. Under-17, Tauranga BC 5m 48.3s 1, St Peters School 6m 10.7 2, Rotorua BHS 6m 14.2s 3. Under-19, Hamilton BHS 5m 43.9s 1, Rotorua BHS 5m 44.1s 2, Tauranga BC 5m 56.8s 3.
Girls.-
2000m: Under-15, H. Johnstone (Bethlehem) 7m 43.3s 1, S. Dawe (Bethlehem) 7m 53.3s 1, T. Roberts (Tauranga GC) 7m 56.5s 3. Under-17, P. Summerville (Waik Diocesan) 7m 24.2s 1, J. Goldsbury (Horowhenua) 7m 29.4s 2, H. Hennessy (St Peters) 7m 41.7s 3. Under-19, L. Clayton-Greene (Tauranga GC) 7m 33.4s 1, K. Phillips (Tauranga GC) 7m 46.9s 2, N. Goss (Palmerston North GHS) 7m 47.8s 3. Under-19 lightweight, A. Durbin (Bethlehem) 7m 36.0s 1, A. Finlay (Sacred Heart Girls) 7m 40.0s 2, S. Atkinson (St Peters) 8m 00.2s 3.
500m: Under-15, Johnstone 1m 44.5s 1, Dawe 1m 45.6s 2, I. Dingwall (Waik Diocesan) 1m 46.7s 3. Under-17, Goldsbury 1m 38.9s 1, Summerville 1m 41.5s 2, S. Keene (Waik Diocesan) and A. Drummond (Tauranga GC) 1m 43.6s equal 3. Under-19, Goldsbury 1m 39.9s 1, S. De Jong (St Peters) 1m 41.5s 2, Goss 1m 47.9s 3.
Teams 2000m: Under-15, Bethlehem 7m 19.8s 1, Tauranga GC 7m 30.0s 2, Waikato Diocesan 7m 37.8s 3. Under-17, Tauranga GC 7m 06.1s 1, Sacred Heart Girls 7m 08.2s 2, Bethlehem College 7m 08.5s 3. Under-19, Bethlehem College 7m 10.9s 1, St Peters 7m 13.6s 2, Sacred Heart Girls 7m 38.5s 3.
Mixed teams.-
2000m: under-19, Otumoetai College 6m 52.2s 1, Hawera HS 6m 58.6s 2.
* Coming up
TODAY
Cricket: Senior girls (all start 4pm), Diocesan v Baradene, Diocesan; EGGS v Avondale, Melville 4a; Macleans v Mt Roskill GS, Macleans.
SATURDAY
Cricket: Boys A1 (12.30pm, home school first), pool one, MAGS v Kelston BHS, AGS v Westlake BHS, Rosmini v Takapuna GS. Pool two, St Kentigern v Avondale, Sacred Heart v Kings, WBHS 2 v Macleans.
Tennis: A1 finals (all 8.15am, Vodafone Park, Glen Innes). Boys, Westlake BHS v St Kentigern; 3rd/4th: AGS v Kings. Girls, St Cuthberts v St Kentigern; 3rd/4th: Diocesan v Kings.
Alex Phillips, of Westlake, evades Kaipara's Casey Nio-Aporo during a North Harbour touch tournament. Picture / Paul Estcourt
The list of the young sportsmen and women who have been honoured since the inception of the College awards in 1991 reads like a who's who of Auckland and New Zealand sport.
Among those selected as the ASB Bank's Young Sportsman and Sportswoman are 2004 Olympians Beatrice Faumuina (who won
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