The players worked hard all season, with two or three weekly after-school training sessions led by their coaches Mahonri Sunnex and Sterling Te Huia – two Year 12 Te Awamutu College students.
Sunnex’s mum Kira Krieg was the team manager.
Sunnex said the team started off as a big “maybe”, as they were unsure if there would be enough numbers.
He and Te Huia hustled to get recruits from other junior teams to put the roster together.
“We had a strong team and remained undefeated the whole season, drawing with Fairfield and only losing two sets across the seven weeks [two games per week held on Thursdays at The Peak Rototuna or Fraser High School gym],” Sunnex said.
“The final was against Fraser, [in] which we won the first set, lost the second and won the third. A fantastic result.”
The team came across many complications with regard to transportation and gear throughout the season, but didn’t let that dampen their spirits.
“In the end, we made it work and won the division championship.”
TA College Junior Development team 2024
- Archer Cousins
- Christian Van Wout
- Elijah Johnston
- Geoff Bartolo
- Jaoquin Cacho
- Kelly Hohepa
- Jezzrel Alota
- Mac Dorado
Jesse Wood is a multimedia journalist based in Te Awamutu. He joined the Te Awamutu Courier and NZME in 2020.
