Also sixth was Thomas Bernard in the Senior Long Jump. Matt Connolly has been achieving athletic success for several seasons and capped off another fine year with second in the Senior Boys 400m and was also part of the victorious Waikato-BoP 4 X 100m and 4 X 400m Senior Boys relays. He also qualified for the Senior Boys Triple Jump as did Madison McBride in the Intermediate Girls High Jump.
Golf Madison Gartner wrapped up her golf season by being part of the Tauranga Golf Club that won the Top of the Harbour junior golf interclub championships.
Te Puke High
Rugby Our school First XV rugby team played in the Western Bay of Plenty Co-ed Schools Tournament held at Otumoetai College on April 6 and 9.
Playing two games over the first day, they won the first game against Aquinas 17-0, and lost the second game to Otumoetai College First XV. Eight minutes of the second game was played with 13 men, so once the team was back to full strength they looked solid with a lot of positives for a pre-season performance.
The tournament playoffs were held on Tuesday where we faced Otumoetai 2nd XV, beating them convincingly to place 3rd overall and claim the first piece of silverware for the winter sports cabinet.
Water PoloThe water polo team has had a very successful season, and are so far unbeaten in their competition. Their next game is at the BOP polytechnic pool against Hamilton Boys' High School B who are also unbeaten in pool play, followed by Rotorua Lakes High School. Finals day will be held next Thursday 18th April.
Football The First XI football boys are travelling to Western Heights High School this weekend in Rotorua to compete against schools from all over the central North Island. Good luck boys.
All winter sports teams are training hard, with our hockey, netball and football squads all being finalised through trial matches over the past few weeks. We still need coaches for netball and girls hockey - please contact the school if you can help.
Tauranga Boys'
Rugby The 1st XV played Whangarei Boys' High School in a pre-season game. Whangarei turned on excellent conditions for running rugby with a hard and fast track. Tauranga started with a controlled scrum and well worked set move from the inside backs sending Burton McAdam through a huge hole in the defence to run a further 40 metres and score under the sticks.
From there on Tauranga Boys' dominated possession and played with pace and width that Whangarei Boys' struggled to compete with. The score at halftime was 55-6 in favour of Tauranga Boys'.
The second half saw more of the same from the visitors as they continued to make metres past the advantage line and improved their support for each other at the breakdown. The final score was 99-6 with Tauranga proving themselves far too strong for the opposition.
Sonny Anderson went on to be named player of the day.
Many players contributed to the high score with Wemin Kapia picking up a hat trick of tries and a handful of players scored two each. Special mention goes to the new back up kicker George Honey who had an 80 per cent success rate after the first half of play.
Football Tauranga Boys' First XI beat Papamoa 9-1 in the Federation Men's League on Saturday at Southey Field. The boys were all keen for a solid start to the season and we had never played Papamoa before so didn't quite know what to expect from them. The match started with a nice section of quick play from our kick-off, which resulted in a goal in the first three minutes through a solid finish by Dylan Bull.
The game was a hard-fought battle in the attacking third, midfield and even in defence. We started to dominate play, and the goals started coming. Debut goals came for Scott Croasdale, Eason Huang and Dylan Morris, plus great goals from Tom Taylor, Dylan Bull, Jared Bailey and a penalty scored by Taylor Hough resulted in us winning 9-1.
Basketball The 2013 season is under way with the completion of both Junior and Senior trials. We will have six teams in the TCBA Secondary school league on Wednesday nights at the ASB Arena and seven teams in the Senior and Junior Social leagues.
The Senior A team has been selected and began the season with a trip up to Auckland on Sunday. A game was arranged against Avondale College, who are a top eight school in the strong Auckland schools competition.
This was an opportunity to try new combinations against quality opposition and coach Murray Clarke was impressed with the players' performances.
The team, captained by star player Ashton McQueen, had a comfortable 91-72 win.
However, there are a number of areas that need work but the prospects are looking good for the 2013 season.
Later, the team travelled to the Vector Arena to catch game one of the 2013 ANBL finals between the Breakers and the Perth Wildcats.
Otumoetai Intermediate
Softball Due to the weather the knockout game on Saturday was cancelled. It is now the end for this term but all our students have had a great time. Thank you again to Craig and Harriett for their time, skills and patience.
Waterpolo Over the past three weeks the trials have been taking place for the waterpolo rep teams. After all her hard work and determination Lucy Street has been selected for the reps A team. The tournament will be in a few week time at Baywave Tect Aquatic and Leisure Centre, Mount Maunganui.
Athletics Our congratulations go to Nick Freeman who recently entered an off road 5K run at The Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest in Rotorua and finished third.
Karate A tournament was held at the Te Rapa Sports Drome in Hamilton, which was a full day of different levels and participation. Year 7 student Eden Holley took part in the day's events. In one of her events she had a one-on-one fight and won within 28 seconds - for this she came away with a gold medal.
General Everything is underway with trials for Year 7 and Year 8 netball, hockey and basketball. The trials have been held during lunchtimes, at the weekends and after school. It is great to see such a huge number of students trialling for sports.
In netball we have over 130 students making up teams between Year 7 and Year 8 students. The teams will be announced in week 10 on Thursday 11th April at school in a meeting for parents, caregivers and students to attend. This meeting will take place in the Performing Arts Centre and will start at 6pm.
More than 75 students have been pre-trialling and are still having coaching at the moment for basketball. This will result in there being four teams this year. We will have five hockey teams with more than 70 students.
Last weekend we were invited to play in an invitational Girls A team on the new turf at Blake Park. Otumoetai Intermediate played against Aquinas and we had a win 5-0.
Aquinas College
Athletics Runner Anneke Grogan took out top placing in the open girls' 2km steeplechase at the North Island Secondary Schools' athletics competition. She also finished third in the senior girls' 3000m at the event, which was held in Masterton over the weekend. Aquinas students also clocked up a number of other good placings - many of them in the top five.
Dana Welten finished fifth in the junior girls' 800 metre event and fourth in the triple jump. Isaac Amaru scored a fourth placing in the junior boys' 100 metre sprint and third in the relay. Happy with his results is Spencer Kirk who was first in the mixed AWD relay, third in the U16 boys' AWD discus, and also third in the U16 AWD shot put. Also competing were Cameron Street and Ethan Black - both at intermediate level and both in discus. Cameron finished 14th and Ethan eighth.
Three Aquinas students, Petra Gough, Dana Welten and Isaac Amaru, represented Bay of Plenty in the Waikato/BOP Athletics Interprovincial Team in Timaru over Easter. The team of 44 (which the children had to be selected for) came third overall. This is the first time in a number of years that a Waik/BOP team came in the top three.
Girls' College
Whitewater Raft Racing On Saturday and Sunday selections and nationals for whitewater raft racing were held on the Tarawera River in Kawerau. There were four categories - sprint, head to head, slalom and a 10km endurance race on the Rangitaiki River near Murupara.
Congratulations to Suzy Cumming, Chelsi Williams, Paris Taniwha, Haylee Dangen and Courtney Williams who have been selected in the New Zealand Under-19 Women's team. They are now training hard for the World Championships to be held in Kawerau in November where an estimated 20-plus countries will be competing for the title of world champions.
The team is coached by Paul Roozendaal who is in the New Zealand Men's team.
Rock Climbing Congratulations to Lakyn Wingfield who competed in a Bay of Plenty Regional Rock Climbing Competitive at the Rockhouse in Tauranga over the weekend and won the Youth A Female category against a strong field.
Athletics The North Island Secondary Schools' Athletics Championships were held at Masterton over the weekend. Several of our students competed with distinction. Lauren Henry won the Junior Girls long jump, was 2nd in the 100m and high jump and was a member of the 4 x 100m winning relay team. Brooke Somerfield was 2nd in the Intermediate Girls 100m, 3rd in the long jump and was a member of the winning 4 x 100m relay team.
Samantha Bitcheno was also a member of the winning Intermediate Girls 4 x 100m relay team. Jessica Bitcheno was 3rd in the Intermediate Girls 400m and was also a member of the 4 x 400m relay team which came 2nd.
At senior level Abby Goldie was in the winning 4 x 100m relay team as was Amy Robinson. Amy also won the long jump and 300m hurdles events and was 2nd in the 100m hurdles. Abby and Amy also ran the 100m and were placed 1st equal.
Sportsgirls of the Month Congratulations to Shania Rawson who won the Tauranga Girls' College Junior Sportsgirl of the Month award for winning the National Under-14 years BMX Championships and qualifying to represent New Zealand at the upcoming World Championships in Auckland.
Congratulations also to Haylee Dangen who won the Tauranga Girls' College Senior Sportsgirl of the Month award for her achievements in whitewater slalom.
At the New Zealand Secondary Schools' Championships she won three gold medals and a silver and also the trophy for the Best Overall Under-18 kayaker and the Combined KI and Downriver Trophy.
At the Open Nationals she won another gold. Haylee has been selected in the New Zealand Junior team for the World Championships in Slovakia and the New Zealand Senior team for the World Championships in Prague later in the year.
Tauranga Intermediate
Surfing On Thursday March 28 the Tauranga Intermediate School surfers competed in the WBOP regional surfing contest at Tay St, Mount Maunganui. Congratulations to Caitlin Fletcher who was a finalist in the Under-13 girls.
Her final result was fourth but she also took out the gutsiest surfer of the contest award for paddling her foam board out the back in a four foot groundswell and her great competitive attitude when surfing against the top three girls in the country.
Open Water Swim The PB/BOP Intermediate 2km open water swim held in Lake Rotoma on Thursday 4th April. It was a bit cold in the water and the weather wasn't the best, but we were eager to get in and do our best.
Congratulations to Emily Kneale who was third in Year 8 Girls and Liam Moffatt was third in Year 8 Boys.
Kayaking Maddy Wilson was part of the Tauranga Girls' College Kayaking team that competed at the NZ Secondary Schools Nationals last week on the Tawera River in Kawerau.
Maddy competed in the Under-14 Girls Division and won three medals. She won a silver in the C1 slalom section, bronze for C2 slalom section and and bronze for C2 team section.
Mount College
Rugby Winter sport pre-season kicked off last weekend with the WBOP Co-ed Rugby Tournament hosted by Otumoetai College.
MMC First XV were drawn with Katikati and Otumoetai College silver. In our first game we struggled to find our form against a spirited Katikati side but came out winners 17-5 in the end after two superb tries to second-five Leini Hakaumotu and one try to captain and No.8 Bill Carter. In our second clash we put together a much better performance to finally put OTC silver away 37-0 and earn a place in the final with the other Division 1 team in the tournament OTC black.
This second win however came after we wore OTC silver down in the first half and then put in an excellent display of running rugby to score a flurry of tries late in the match. Tries went to Luke Horne, Paora Tipene, Kruzzyn Herniman, Jaelan Gear, Te Kani Walker, Bill Carter and Logan Stewart-Hobbs.
Players that stood out were first five Leighton Fowler who cleverly steered the backline, half back Daniel Puschart who was full of running throughout both games, and forwards Paora Tipene and Bill Carter who had powerhouse games in the loose forwards.
The final against Otumoetai College was held on Tuesday with Mount scoring three tries to Otumoetai's two but the tries were not converted with OTC scoring 19 points off the boot to win 29-15.
Volleyball Congratulations to Madison Riddall, Nate Moore, Jackson Ellis and Perry Preston who have made NZ Trial squads for the NZ Youth Men's Volleyball team.
They have a trail camp in Porirua in the holidays and a team will be announced to compete in the States. In the girls we have Emma Marumaru Flynn and Tyla Welsh.
Athletics MMC had four students who qualified from the Waikato Athletic Champs and represented the Waikato/BOP at the North Island Athletic champs.
The results were fantastic with two of our students finishing in the top 10 and the other two one place away.
Kaela Gudgeon finished 6th in the Senior Girls 3000m, in a blistering time of 11.02, Arepeta Ormsby was 7th in Junior long jump with a best jump of 5.23, Olivia Collier was 11th in Intermediate triple jump and Alisha Winstanley 11th in Intermediate javelin.
