College Sport: Auckland rivals battle on national stage

Auckland Grammar's Ganech RatNasabapthay bowls at Rangitoto batsman Andrew Lane. Photo / Paul Estcourt

The outstanding year enjoyed by old rivals Auckland Grammar and Mt Albert Grammar in local sport continues to spill over to the national stage.

In recent times MAGS have added rugby, girls' soccer and netball to their haul, while AGS continued their domination in other sports in school holiday action. On the rugby field, MAGS capped their unbeaten year with the Top Four title in Rotorua, claiming the Moascar Cup. In the holidays their netball team added the national crown in New Plymouth to their haul of Auckland and Upper North Island titles.

They beat Columba College 35-30 and followed that with a 41-24 win over PNGHS before downing old rivals EGGS 39-20. They rounded out pool play with a 45-27 win over Craighead Diocesan.

Revenge for last year's semifinal loss came with their 47-31 win over Tu Toa to set up a final against season-long challengers AGGS. It was a noisy affair as MAGS ran out 39-35 winners. They were then the only school to have more than one player named in the NZSS tournament team, with Tera-Maria Amani, Erikana Pedersen and Rebekah Roache selected in the 10-strong team.

AGS continued to rule the roads with their successes in the AvantiPlus Auckland SS time-trials and the national individual championships, followed by their triumph in the annual national SS championships.

Out of the limelight for two years, AGS capped their year with overall success at the hotly-contested championships. They were given a flying start when their junior team beat Christchurch BHS by 23secs.

The senior team time trial for the Sir Bernard Fergusson Trophy is the coveted title on the school's cycling calendar. The AGS senior A team of Sam Morreau, Adam Smith, Daniel Poole, Daniel Gate and captain Hamish Elley-Brown got away to a perfect start, disappearing uphill into the wind before returning just over 20min later, eventually taking the title by 20secs from WBHS, to claim the trophy for the 20th time.

Their successes continued in the road and points race championships, with podium finishes in the road races at Feilding for Oliver Young (3rd under-14), Daniel Pavis (1st under-16), Sam Brothers (1st under-17) and Morreau (2nd under-20).

In the points races, Pavis won the under-16 title for the Ian McKinlay Cup (a trophy donated some years ago by Auckland Grammar). This meant he placed first in all the events he competed in as he was also part of the winning junior time trial team.

AGS capped the championships by taking overall honours over all events.

Further afield, AGS old boys made their mark at the Commonwealth Games. Sam Webster, the 2009 Auckland Grammar School Sportsman of the Year and triple world junior cycling champion won bronze in the sprint and silver medal in the team sprint despite a dramatic high-speed crash. Fellow cyclist Aaron Gate, a late inclusion, won silver in the 4000m team pursuit. Weightlifter Richard Patterson went close to gold in the under-85kg division while fellow Old Boy Stanislav Chalaev also won silver in the 105kg division. Gymnast Patrick Peng was a member of the New Zealand team who finished fourth.

The AGS chess team claimed the North Island and National SS chess titles with the championships held in Christchurch. It was the school's seventh victory since the events were first held in 2002. AGS finished with a perfect seven-from-seven record with wins over Onslow College (4-1), PNBHS (2.5-1.5), St Pauls Collegiate (3-1), Macleans (4-0), Christchurch BHS (3.5-0.5) and Ashburton College (4-0).

ATHLETICS

Takapuna Grammar 15-year-old Jacko Gill continues to set the shot put world alight. At an international meet in Noumea last weekend, Gill threw the senior men's shot (7.6kg) 18.57m for a world under-16 age-group record, bettering the previous mark of 17.26m.

It is also the best New Zealand junior performance by a metre and places Gill fifth on the New Zealand all-time list Les Mills' record of 19.80m. Gill also has the world's best throw this year in the under-18 age group and the third-best at under-20 level.

Gill's marks in Noumea were 17.80m, 18.48m, 18.15m and 18.57m. His final throw would have been good enough for sixth place at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

It is now back to the books and preparing for exams and then the New Zealand Secondary School Track and Field Championships in December.

CRICKET

Robbie O'Donnell smashed his way into the record books with a smart double-century as WBHS posted a massive 353-9 against St Peters when premier play resumed after the winter off.

It was the third double-century of the two-day championship this season but O'Donnell had the satisfaction of posting an unbeaten 201 to claim the Westlake record set at 163 not out by Brad Cachopa in 2005.

O'Donnell gave the St Peters bowlers little respite in his 220-minute stay. He faced only 148 deliveries and hit seven sixes and 31 fours after striding to the crease with his team teetering at 22-3. His second hundred runs came from just 49 deliveries.

Sean Solia was the pick of the St Peters attack claiming 4-95. In reply St Peters were 85-2 as WBHS, without any points after two rounds (played in term one), chase the outright points they need if they are to get back in contention as they seek to defend the title they won last year.

St Kentigern are well-placed after the first day of their top-of-the-table clash with Kings.

Batting first after winning the toss, Kings managed just 155 with captain Nathan Williamson (66) holding the innings together as James Falloon and Warren Barnes bagged four wickets each.

In reply the Kings attack suffered at the hands of Matt Ansell who helped himself to an unbeaten 93 as St Kentigern reached 134-2.

AGS face a nervous start to the second day of their match with Rangitoto.

Batting first, Rangitoto had a steady start but then lost their way to manage only 158 with Andrew Lane top-scoring with 39.

AGS began circumspectly in reply but a couple of late wickets for Blair Smith left AGS teetering at 100-5.

In plate matches Avondale's Sachin Variath was robbed of a century when dismissed for 97 as they reached 287-8 against Sacred Heart and Rosmini's Connor Ridge bagged 5-10 as MAGS were bundled out for 65.

VOLLEYBALL

The rivalry between MAGS and EGGS has spilled over to the volleyball court with the MAGS Blue junior girls team of new players starting the season with a 2-1 loss after a first-up 2-0 win over Onehunga High.

The sport remains one of the most popular for boys and girls with the term four junior grades attracting huge entries. The MAGS team, like many, has an abundance of players new to volleyball and showed it is a sport which players quickly learn and adapt to.

After their first-up win, they lacked confidence against a strong serving EGGS team, but soon settled down, won the second set before losing a tightly fought final set 15-13.

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