College sports: Schools lose points for breaching rules

Emma Wheeler of Onehunga High in the junior A event of the Auckland aerobics championships. Picture / Brett Phibbs

Three schools have lost valuable competition points after breaching the overseas and non-resident students rule.

Following complaints, the Auckland Secondary Schools Heads Association launched an investigation and has ruled against the Auckland Grammar and Tangaroa College first rugby XVs and the Rangitoto College girls hockey first XI.

Mike Thompson, chief executive of College Sport Auckland, confirmed the breaches yesterday and the subsequent forfeiture of points.

The action was taken when it was found the schools had broken the bylaw which states: "Schools are limited to two overseas or non-resident students competing in premier, open A or first grade sports teams".

The association's board found Auckland Grammar were one player over the eligible limit and Tangaroa, three. Auckland Grammar have been docked eight competition points in the 1A championship and Tangaroa College 20.

The loss of points has cost Grammar the lead in the championship. They have dropped to second, two points behind King's. Tangaroa have been hit even harder and now lie in ninth - a drop of six places and out of semifinal reckoning.

"The schools have appealed the decision and the matter will go to mediation as soon as possible," Thompson said.

"We are keen to get the matter resolved quickly hopefully by the end of the week as the last round-robin matches [which will find the semifinalists] are scheduled for Saturday.

Thompson said the bylaw had been in place for at least 11 years.

Rangitoto College have been docked the six points they won in the first two rounds of the intercity competition. In one game they had two players over the limit and one in the other. It is understood the complaint (from another school) relates to the number of German pupils in the team.

Aerobics


Honours were evenly spread in a busy day's competition at the Selwyn Theatre.

Led by individual winner Sarah Furley, St Kentigern College also took the level one team's title. They also dominated the level three competition, with Paige Ashby and Krissy Drake completing the quinella ahead of Papakura's Talia Rout.

Honor Lock (Avondale), with 17.4 points, took junior individual A honours from Michelle Barnett (MAGS) by 1.05pts, with Kasia Kolmas (Macleans) a close third with 16.30pts.

The introduction of Hip Hop into the programme was popular, with Mt Roskill making a clean sweep of the junior A category.

Badminton


Macleans College had a day to remember at the Auckland SS championships at the Badminton Hall.

Asunta Wong won the senior girls singles. They also won the senior girls doubles, and the junior boys singles and doubles.

Howick College's Brent Millar won the senior boys singles. Westlake BHS took the senior doubles with a convincing 15-10, 15-9 win over Auckland Grammar.

In a one-sided junior singles final, Jessica Jonggwisatro (WGHS) was too strong for Emily Ang (Massey HS), winning 11-1, 11-6. Westlake completed the double by beating St Dominics in the doubles final.

Basketball


The top teams continued their domination of the premier boys championship with three teams topping the century in one-sided games.

Samuel Matthews led Auckland Grammar's 113-64 romp against Takapuna Grammar with 26 points. He was well-supported by Vanya Babic and Craig Levinson, who both scored 21.

Latu Tuivailala fared even better in scoring 32 points for Avondale College in their comfortable 121-49 win over Mt Albert Grammar. After taking a 28-point first-quarter lead, Avondale were firmly in control.

Even without Thomas Abercrombie - on training duty with the national side - Westlake BHS ran up an amazing 131 points while restricting Dilworth to 50. Led by a strong game from Caleb Johns and with solid contributions from Cory Webster (29 points), Tony Wallbutton (21) and Matt Wells (21, nine assists), Westlake were always in control.

Kelston's one-point win, 84-83, over Rangitoto College got them to within one win of making the semifinals.

The Northcote College girls also topped the 100 in beating a disappointing Diocesan, 114-14.

In a major upset, Avondale College beat Manurewa High 61-50 after being five points down after the first quarter. Ede Te Rore led Avondale's scoring with 13.

A strong game from Kim Barnes (26 points, 15 rebounds) led Rosehill College to their 68-53 over Rangitoto College. She was well-supported by Kushla Dunning with 12 points and five rebounds while on defence Talya Makea turned in a solid game.

Kartsports


Auckland secondary schools took a backseat at the national championships in Waitara with their only success in the junior 100cc Yamaha class in which Macleans College's Michael Burdett edged Graeme Smyth (Rutherford College) and Rachel Thompson (Taieri College) to retain his title.

The teams title was won by Palmerston North BHS from Taieri College who were represented by Thompson and her brother Steven. It was the first time in the three years of the championships the title was won by a school from outside Auckland.

More than 140 students from 90 schools - from Whangarei to Mosgiel - contested the championships, held in often cold, wet conditions.

Auckland schools fared better in the intermediate and primary school racing.

Daniel Colville (Pukekohe Intermediate) headed Arie Hutton (Kings School) and Bradley Hicks (Mellons Bay Primary) to take the keenly contested cadets title.

Brothers Nick and Alex Cassidy won the teams title for Marina View Primary from Kings School (Hutton and Britton McCowan).

Rugby


The final round of the 1A championship on Saturday will serve only to sort out the positions of the top four teams for the semifinals.

Top-placed King's College meet fourth-placed St Pauls in one of two feature games with both teams assured of their place in the top four. Kings, capitalising on Auckland Grammar's loss of competition points and with a five-try 33-13 win over Mt Albert Grammar, go into their last round-robin game with a two-point lead over AGS who meet third-placed Kelston BHS in the other standout clash.

Andrew Barton, Dean Cummins, Callum Cook, Shane Tasi and Tim Southee scored tries for King's with Cummins adding four conversions as they ensured themselves of a home semifinal. Kelston will have to bounce back from their 12-7 loss to Tangaroa College in a tight game last Saturday if they are to have any chance against the fired-up AGS XV.

Neighbours Tamaki and Sacred Heart played out the fourth draw (7-7) in the competition this season in another tight game while St Peters, ahead 13-12 at halftime, ran away to beat Otahuhu College 26-12 with three tries to two.

After three rounds of the Counties Manukau championship, Wesley College have taken control with their teams filling the top two spots. The first XV were gifted the points on Saturday when Manurewa High defaulted. Their 2nd XV just got home 10-3 over Waiuku College.

Soccer


Mt Albert Grammar, with three, has the most players in the New Zealand Secondary School under-19 team to tour Canada and Australia at the end of the term.

Coach Jacques Vercauteran has included six players from Auckland schools in his 16-strong squad.

Goalkeeper Aaron Rowley and midfielders Josh Smith and Byron Paulus give MAGS a strong hand in the team, which also includes 15-year-old Westlake BHS defender Tom Smith, who opted out of last month's Nike Manchester United Premier Cup tournament in Hong Kong.

Smith is joined by fellow WBHS defender Cole Evans in the travelling party and Blair Konik from Liston College.

Hamilton Boys High have two in the squad, with Lance Louvie named as one of four strikers and Chris Musgrave among the midfielders. A number of players who did play in Hong Kong, including Afghanistan-born Mokhtar Mohammad, have been named in the under-15 team to accompany the older boys to Canada.

Today: Hockey, intercity, boys, pool A, Kings v WBHS, Lloyd Elsmore Park, 6pm; Rangitoto v MRGS, Mt Roskill, 5.30pm. Pool B, Massey v AGS, Crown Relocations Stadium, 6pm; Macleans v Waiuku, LEP, 6pm. Bye game, Pukekohe v Rosehill, Pukekohe, 6.15pm. Girls, pool A, WGHS v Pukekohe, Crown 1, 6pm; St Cuthberts v Carmel, Crown 3, 6pm. Pool B, Diocesan v Rangitoto, AGS, 5.30pm; Rosehill v EGGS, Pukekohe, 6.15pm. Bye game, Macleans v Kristin, LEP, 6pm. League, Auckland finals day, Ericsson Stadium 2.- Premier 1st XIII Cup, Avondale v Tangaroa 4pm. Under-15 9-a-side, St Pauls v Sir Edmund Hillary 5.15pm. College A, Aorere v Manurewa 6.15pm. Premier 1st XIII, St Pauls v Otahuhu 7.30pm. Soccer, girls Auckland Provincial Championship (all 4pm, home team first), TGS v MAGS, EGGS v WGHS, Avondale v Diocesan, Macleans v Pukekohe, AGGS v Waiuku, Coxs Bay, Carmel v Massey, Hato Petera.