College sport: National hockey team callup for King's College student

King's College student Simon Child has representative hockey running through his veins.

Child, 16, has been selected for the New Zealand senior hockey team to play Malaysia starting next week in Albany.

His whole family are involved in the sport. Mother Sheryl Law played for New Zealand in the 1980s. Father Rick was a New Zealand under-21 rep, older brother Jeremy is an Auckland under-19 team member and younger brother Marcus is an Auckland under-15 rep.

Simon Child's international debut will come before he takes the field for his first national league match. He did not win selection for the strong Auckland team last year.

"I didn't make the Auckland team. I guess I wasn't good enough. Different coaches want different things," he said.

Child will be one of three school students - and the second youngest overall - to have played for New Zealand. The youngest was Alan McIntyre in the 1960s at age 15. He went on to be part of the 1976 Olympic gold medal side. The third student was Ryan Archibald.

Child has been told he's likely to take the field for the third and fourth tests against Malaysia on Easter Saturday and Sunday.

He has belonged to the Southern Districts club in Papatoetoe since childhood and would one day like to make a living from the sport, but says he may be looking a little too far ahead.

"I'd like to think that by taking my hockey overseas I could earn a living. But I'm not sure if I will become a professional that quickly."

Child is also an accomplished cricketer, playing the role of pinch-hitter for the King's 1st XI, which is first equal in the 1A competition after scoring a first-innings win over Westlake last weekend.

Waterpolo

Rangitoto College scored their first win at the North Island championships for eight years, beating Diocesan 4-3.

Wellington College, silver medallists last year, captured the boys title, their first North Island win since 1999. They defeated Auckland Grammar 4-1 in the final with two goals apiece to Jono Ross and Sefa Tuiasau.

Tennis

St Kentigern won the boys section of the champion of champions tournament.

The champions were Andrew Allan from St Peter's College in the senior boys', Marcus Daniel from St Kentigern's won the intermediate title and teamed up with Victor Klincharov to take the doubles title. Somang Park from King's College won the junior boys event and also took the doubles with Stuart Robertson.

Varoma Vano from St Kentigern won the senior girls title and the doubles with Melissa O'Keeffe, and her little sister Kairangi Vano, also from St Kentigern, won the intermediate singles and the doubles with Brittany Teei and Marcella Jones from Kristin School won the junior girls title.

Athletics

Four records fell at the Auckland champion of champions athletics.

Terina Keenan from Mt Albert Grammar threw 43.05m in the intermediate girls discus; Briony Fisher from Green Bay High threw 30.02 in the junior girls javelin; Rachael Peeters, also from Mt Albert Grammar, recorded 5.13m in the junior girls long jump. Simon Heeney from Auckland Grammar broke his own record in the shot with 16.66m in the senior boys event.

* Results

TENNIS

AUCKLAND

Champion of Champions. -

Senior boys singles, semifinals: A. Allan (St Peter's) bt A. McDougall (Rangitoto) 6-0 7-6, L. Wedlik (St Kentigern) bt W. Ravlich (AGS) 6-1 6-3. Final: Allan bt Wendlik 6-1 6-2.

Senior boys doubles, final: K. August/B. Mustard (Westlake) bt M. Lyon/Ravlich (AGS) 6-0 6-0.

Intermediate boys singles, semifinals: D. Moser (Kristin) bt V. Klintcharov (St Kentigern) 6-0 6-1, M. Daniel (St Kentigern) bt S. Winnard (Glendowie) 7-5 6-4. Final: Daniel bt Moser 6-3, 6-3.

Intermediate boys doubles, final: Daniel/Klintcharov (St Kentigern) bt B. Alai/Moser (Kristin) 6-2 1-6 6-1.

Junior boys singles, semifinals: S. Park (King's) bt R. Sokcevic (Massey) 7-6 3-2 (default), T. O'Keeffe (St Kentigern) bt S. Robertson (King's) 6-4 6-1. Final: Park bt O'Keeffe 6-3 7-5.

Junior boys doubles, final: Park/Robertson (King's) bt Davis/O'Keeffe (St Kentigern) 6-0 6-4.

Senior girls singles, semifinals: V. Vano (St Kentigern) bt M. White (Orewa) 6-1 6-0, L. Cole (St Cuthbert's) bt M. O'Keeffe (St Kentigern) 6-2 6-1. Final: Vano bt Cole 6-2 6-1.

Senior girls doubles, final: O'Keeffe/Vano (St Kentigern) bt Cole/F. Johnston (St Cuthbert's) 6-2 7-5.

Intermediate girls singles, semifinals: K. Vano (St Kentigern) bt S. McDermott (St Cuthbert's) 6-3, 6-3, A. Guthrie (St Cuthbert's) bt B. Teei (St Kentigern) 7-5, 6-1. Final: Vano bt Guthrie 7-6 7-5.

Intermediate girls doubles, final: Teei/Vano (St Kentigern) bt Guthrie/McDermott (St Cuthbert's) 2-6 6-1 6-1.

Junior girls singles, semifinals: M. Jones (Kristin) bt K. Hunia (St Cuthbert's) 6-1 6-1, S. Henderson (St Cuthbert's) bt I. Golder (Baradene) 6-2 6-4. Final: Jones bt Henderson 6-3 6-2.

Junior girls doubles, final: Henderson/Hunia (St Cuthbert's) bt V. Chen/Golder (Baradene) 6-1 7-6.

Points for James Aitkenhead Shields: Boys, St Kents 13, Kings 9, Auckland Grammar 5, Kristin 4, St Peters 4. Girls, St Cuths 15, St Kents 15, Baradene 4, Kristin 4.

Auckland A1 teams competition, fourth round, senior boys: St Kentigern (1) bt King's 5-4, Auckland Grammar bt St Kentigern (2) 6-3, Westlake bt Mount Albert 9-0.

Points: Westlake 35, St Kents (1) 31, Kings 29, Auckland Grammar 22, St Kents (2) 13, Mt Albert 2.

Intermediate A1: St Kentigern (1) bt Westlake 9-0, King's (1) bt King's (2) 7-2, Auckland Grammar bt St Kentigern (2) 9-0.

Points: St Kents (1) 40, Auckland Grammar 35, Kings (1) 28, Westlake 13, St Kents (2) 11, Kings (2) 5.

Junior A1: Auckland Grammar bt St Kentigern (1) 6-3, Westlake bt St Kentigern (2) 7-2.

Points: Auckland Gramamr 34, Kings (1) 33, St Kents (1) 28, Westlake 18, St Kents(2) 2, Kings 2.

Girls, senior A1: St Kentigern bt Diocesan 9-0, St Cuthbert's bt Epsom 9-0, King's bt Baradene 5-4.

Points: St Cuths 44, St Kents 41, Dio 16, King 13, Epsom 10, Baradene 8.

Intermediate A1: St Cuthbert's bt Epsom 6-3, Diocesan b. Macleans 7-2, Rangitoto bt Baradene 6-3.

Points: Rangitoto 36, St Cuths 26, Dio 25, Baradene 19, Epsom 17, Macleans 9.

Junior A1: Baradene (1) bt St Cuthbert's 8-1, Diocesan (1) bt Diocesan (2) 9-0, Baradene (2) bt Epsom 7-2.

Points: Baradene(1) 43, Dio (1) 33, St Cuths 27, Baradene (2) 20, Dio (2) 7, Epsom 2.

* * *

TOUCH

WAIKATO
(Hamilton)

Mixed grade: Forest View High 1, Ngaruawahia HS 2, Putaruru College 3.

Boys: Hamilton Boys 1, Te Wharekura O Rakaumangamanga 2, St Peters School 3.

Girls: Paeroa College 1, Fraser HS 2, Tokoroa HS 3.

This week:

Today: Softball, national secondary schools championships, Hataitai Park, Wellington until Friday.

Tomorrow: Triathlon, Auckland schools championships, Maraetai Beach; orienteering, Park series, One Tree Hill.

Saturday: cricket, 1A, 12.30pm various venues; tennis, final round, various venues.

Sunday: Touch, Waikato/BoP regional finals; orienteering, Woodhill Forest.