College sports: Games hopeful in fast lane to crack standard

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

Epsom Girls Grammar's Melissa Ingram must be getting a little tired of the question,"Have you qualified yet?"

She is asked constantly if she has made the grade for the Commonwealth Games as she walks around the school.

"Ever since the announcement at school last year that I had swum the [qualifying] time, people keep asking me if I have qualified yet," she said.

Ingram is hoping to represent New Zealand at the Manchester Games in her specialist 200m backstroke event.

She had a taste of what was needed for the most important part of the selection criteria. The 16-year-old swam under the standard at last year's Auckland winter championships, but it was outside the qualifying period.

Ingram hopes to secure her ticket to England at this month's New Zealand open championships. She has decided to forgo the Australian age group championships to rest up for the home meet, which runs from April 23-28.

Ingram started swimming out of necessity. Her family spent a lot of time on their yacht and it was crucial she knew how to swim. But swimming lessons soon took on a life of their own and she was soon training twice a day.

These days Ingram is consumed by the sport. Epsom Girls Grammar School has given the talented sixth former leeway with her timetable so that she can fit in her demanding training regime.

Most days, morning and night, she swims under the guidance of Jan Cameron at the new Millennium Centre on the North Shore. After a 6am-8am stint, she returns to the water after a day at school for another two hours of training.

But the hard work will be well worth it if she touches the wall in under 2min 15s.60s at the end of April.

SOCCER

The New Zealand secondary schoolboys team were unable to dish out their Irish Republic rivals' second loss in five years, going down 2-0 in the first international match of their European tour.

New Zealand coach Jacques Vercauteren was rueing missed chances, but was not too disappointed with his young charges' efforts. Ireland sealed the match with goals in the 60th and 70th minutes after New Zealand carved out the best two scoring opportunities of the first half.

Palmerston North's Steven Old was unable to capitalise on an open goal, and Tauranga's Nathan Fry also failed to score after excellent flank play from Ross McKenzie, of Auckland. Substitute Steven Holloway, of Hamilton, could not squeeze home a near-post chance late in the second half.

By contrast, Ireland were much more clinical when New Zealand twice failed to clear the ball from their area. New Zealand play Northern Ireland tomorrow.

MOUNTAIN BIKING

Daredevils will descend on Levin for some rough and tumble at the New Zealand secondary school championships.

Saturday will begin with the gruelling cross-country leg in the Waitarere Forest, where competitors will race up to 40km, and continue with a downhill on a forestry road in Kohitere Forest. On Sunday the riders will compete in a 1500m climb.

Riders from the Hutt Valley and Horowhenua are expected to be tough to beat. Aucklanders Jenna Makgill (Epsom Girls Grammar) and Michael Shewan (Westlake Boys High School) are tipped as possible top three finishers in the intermediate girls and boys sections.

This week:

* Today:

New Zealand secondary schools surfing championships, Dunedin, until Saturday.

* Saturday-Sunday:

New Zealand secondary schools mountain biking championships, Levin.

* Sunday:

New Zealand secondary school teams yachting championships, Whangarei, to April 12.