College sport: Athlete goes for the double

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

Auckland Grammar student James Elvery will be clocking up frequent flyer points and warding off jet-lag this weekend when he competes for the senior boys duathlon title in Nelson before boarding a plane for Canada and the world triathlon championships.

Missing the national championships was not an option for Elvery, the 2000 intermediate boys champion. He was committed to both events as soon as he was selected for the junior elite team to compete in Edmonton.

"There was no talking him out of it," said his mother, Sue. "It is good it is the school holidays because he is training six to seven hours a day.

"He is totally focused. All he is doing is training, eating and sleeping."

With Rangitoto College's Terenzo Bozzone already in Canada preparing for the championships, the national event is Elvery's chance to shine, although he will be pushed by Nayland College's Chris Harte and Scott Little, from Rathkeale College.

Auckland Grammar will send a team of eight athletes while Rangitoto, whose Stuart Robinson is a favourite for the junior boys title, field the largest side of 11.

RUGBY

Auckland A emerged top at the Northern Region championships, but did not come away with the win easily.

The Grant Hansen-coached side were given a scare by Counties Manukau, a team dominated by Wesley College players, in the final match of section play. Auckland A won 23-16, but had to dig deep to contain their opposition.

Auckland region sides took out the top five placings, with Auckland A retaining their title in beating North Harbour 31-5 in the final.

Auckland B finished third after a closely fought battle with Bay of Plenty (24-20), and Counties Manukau thrashed Waikato A 61-0.

Tournament organiser Geoff Moon was impressed with the improvement of North Harbour. Captain and first five-eighth Luke McAlistar was named player of the tournament.

The Northern Region representative teams will be announced on August 5 for the New Zealand regional tournament in Taupo from August 23 to 25.

WORLD YOUTH ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

New Zealand under-18 athletes are on track for some promising results at the world youth championships that start in Hungary tomorrow.

The team warmed up for the event on the Gold Coast where Southern Cross College's Valerie Adams broke two New Zealand records. Adams, the team's highest-ranked competitor, added 18cm to her national under-18 hammer record with a throw of 52.38m, and in her specialist shot put event broke the under-18 and under-20 record by 10cm with her 16.21m put.

The 16-year-old is ranked No 1 in the shot put at the world championships and doing well at the event in Debrecen could stand her in good stead for next year's Commonwealth Games.

King's College's April Brough produced good times in the 100m and 200m.

She equalled her personal best 100m time of 11.94s in a slight head wind to beat Australia's finest in the age group, and then made it a double by outsprinting her competitors in the 200m in a time of 24.45s.

Dargaville College's Michael Stringer finished less than half a second outside his personal best, winning the 800m in 1m 53.62s.

BASKETBALL

Auckland schools finished down the ranks at the secondary schoolgirls basketball championships in Blenheim.

Westlake Girls High School was the best-placed team from Auckland, finishing fifth.

Christchurch GHS and Hamilton's Church College maintained their stranglehold on the championships, with Christchurch retaining their title for the second year, beating Church College 80-43 in the final. Church College held a nine-year mortgage on the trophy before 2000 and have won the tournament 19 times.

THIS WEEK

Friday

New Zealand secondary school orienteering championships, Waiterere, July 13-14.

Saturday

New Zealand secondary school duathlon championships, Nelson.

Monday

Term three begins. Auckland: squash, girls rugby.