College squad loom as big medal hopes

Canoe polo

Wairarapa College should be serious medal contenders at the national secondary schools canoe polo championships to be held at the Makino Aquatic Centre in Feilding from March 22-24.

They will be represented in four divisions - senior girls, senior boys, junior girls and junior mixed - and results at the recent central regional tournament would suggest that top three placings are well within their capabilities.

As it happened, the senior girls and junior girls combinations had to compete against boys teams at the nationals because they were the only entries in their respective grades and both of them acquitted themselves with credit.

In fact, the senior girls team - captained by Rachel Copps and including central under-18 reps Lara Pritchard and Samantha Meulenbroek - outplayed a number of their rivals, further boosting confidence in their chances at the nationals where they came fourth last year.

The Wairarapa College senior boys team won their division at the regionals and were also impressive enough to make them front-runners for the nationals as well.

They are a powerful unit, well equipped on defence and attack.

In the junior open (mixed) event, Wairarapa College were the beaten finalists at the regionals but they couldn't have come closer to winning the decider, losing through their opposition scoring the first goal in extra time.

Wairarapa College squads for the nationals:

Senior girls: Sian Douglas, Erin Copps, Rachel Copps, Lara Pritchard, Samantha Meulenbroek, Clare Rusling, Danielle Foote.

Senior boys: Connor O'Hagen, Hamish Jury, Luke Cassidy, Taylor Houston, Joseph Stevens.

Junior girls: Emily Hodgkinson, Zara Fletcher, Holly Houliston, Jessie Forbes, Nicole Baxter, Molly O'Hagen.

Junior open mixed: Alstair Thurston, Ryan Stevens, Zac Hooper, Roselyn Gray, Abbie Sawkins.