Wanganui a handful for Kapiti

Wanganui High School proved too strong for Kapiti College yesterday to become the only River City-based team to go through to the National Secondary Schools Tennis Championship in Auckland later this month.

The winners at yesterday's Hurricanes Regional Secondary Schools final gained a ticket to the nationals on March 18-22.

Playing on the Wanganui Tennis Club courts, Wanganui High whipped Kapiti 5-1 in the mixed teams competition dropping only one singles match in the process.

The influence of the Butters family players aided by other promising schoolmates proved the undoing of Kapiti College.

Wanganui High School had the luxury of fielding Kyle Butters who last week was ranked by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) as the 10th top 16-year-old player in the world.

Butters was originally down to play Angus Daly from Kapiti in the singles, but was replaced by promising Wanganui High contender Dylan Rowe who won 6-3 6-1.

Butters made his mark in the doubles with Rowe, easily downing Daly and Finnian Galbraith 6-0 6-0.

Paris Butters also dominated in her singles match beating Marie Reid in straight sets 6-3 6-1. Sam Russell from WHS damaged Kapiti further by winning his singles against Galbraith 6-0 6-1.

In the girls' doubles Paris Butters combined with the talented Gabrielle Hiri to beat Reid and Georgia Kingi 6-4 6-1.

The only WHS loss was Rebekah Butters-Chamberlain, who is talented but has not had the experience of her relatives, going down 6-0 6-3 to Amelia Lawson from Kapiti.

Wanganui Collegiate was pushed out of national contention by a strong Scots College team 6-0 and then bettered by Queen Margaret College from Wellington central 5-1.

WHS career development and Gateway administrator Peter Reid said the school went into yesterday's regional final expecting to win.

"We expected to win against Kapiti, particularly with the players we had this year. This will be the third year in a row we have made the nationals and I'm hoping for a podium finish this season," Reid said yesterday.

"We haven't got a great record at national level finishing seventh out of eight both years, which is an achievement in itself at that level. But this year with Kyle in the team and a much stronger Paris Butters and Gabi Hiri playing we expect to finish in the top three. Paris and Gabi went as 13-year-olds last year, but they are 14 now and much stronger.

"If we happened to win the nationals we would be the first team from Wanganui to do it."