College Sport: Big names pick up the major honours

Rob Loe made the Tall Blacks at 17. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Samantha Harrison and Rob Loe continued the trend of big names in New Zealand sport being recognised as the Auckland Young Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year.

The pair, who both played for New Zealand at senior international level this year, headed the lists of outstanding Auckland sportsmen and women to take the major honours at the ASB College Sport awards.

Harrison, who played six games for the Black Sticks - scoring three goals - including being a member of the successful Champions Challenge team in South Africa, played a key role in her Diocesan first XI as they won the inter-city competition and the Federation Cup.

The other finalists, Kerry Charlesworth (Rangitoto), Cecilia Cho (Pakuranga), Lana Harrison (St Cuthberts), Rosie White (Diocesan), Kahurangi Watene (St Kentigern) and Bianca Barbarich-Bacher (St Cuthberts) represented a wide variety of sports and all made their mark at the highest level.

White scored hat-tricks playing soccer for New Zealand at the Fifa Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups.

Loe, at 2.11m, is an imposing figure on and off the basketball court. His talent was recognised across the board with on-going selection in the Junior Tall Blacks - for the fourth straight year - and ultimately in the Tall Blacks at 17 years of age, the youngest to be selected to play for his country. He toured Europe and Australia with the national side.

Locally, Loe led his Westlake BHS to the premier title and at the New Zealand Secondary Schools tournament was voted the most valuable player.

The other finalists in the sportsman award were Frazer Wickes (WBHS), Thomas Kearns (Rangitoto), Kevin Wu (St Kentigern) and Johan Timmer (Rangitoto) in their respective sports of athletics, water polo, table tennis and volleyball.

Loe's selection capped a good night for WBHS.

He was joined as an individual winner in the sporting categories by Antony Zouch (rowing), Ben Stark (swimming), Locky McArthur (mountain biking), Craig Cachopa (cricket), John Schrueder (distance running), Fraser Wickes (athletics) and Josh McHugh (squash).

Auckland Grammar figured strongly among the all-rounders with Michael Poole and Daniel Smith among those winners. Poole also took the multisport award and Dwayne Rowsell's outstanding form for the AGS first hockey XI earned him that honour.

The great sporting year enjoyed at MAGS continued with Steven Luatua taking the rugby award and Jamie Eccleton the honours in boys' tennis. Ianeta Hutchinson took the girls' water polo award but there was no recognition for their all-conquering boys' soccer team and the girls' netball team.

Harrison was joined as a Diocesan winner by White and Amelia Watkinson, both as an all-rounder and in cycling winner. Jamie Rodriguez took the diving award.

St Cuthberts too had their share of success with Toesulu Tone-Fitzpatrick among the all-rounders to be recognised. She was joined as a category winner by Anna Gray (orienteering), Lana Harrison (squash) and Bianca Barbarich-Bacher (yachting).

CRICKET

Auckland: Two-day championship leaders WBHS are up against it in their top-of-the-table clash with old rivals AGS.

Led by an excellent 87 from Oliver Pringle and with good support from Lachie Fergusson (47) and Shikar Chaturvedi (43), AGS posted 301 with only Jordan Sussex (3-32) troubling the batsmen.

In reply it could not have been worse for WBHS. In their short period at the crease before stumps they lost four wickets in scoring just 11 runs. It promises to be a tough second day for Craig Cachopa and his team who face outright defeat which would cost them the title.

Batting first against MAGS, Kings posted a useful 252. Mark Chapman (85) and Fa'asiu Fuata'i (81) played their part well but lacked support as Darren Gray and Michael Ravalic picked up three wickets each to keep MAGS in it.

St Kentigern have already claimed a first innings lead over Rangitoto and are well-placed to kick on and take maximum points.

Led by a stellar effort from Jordan Drinkall who picked up 5-24, St Kentigern were always in control and dismissed Rangitoto for just 127.

In reply St Kentigern raced to 157/7 with Vedant Zaveri leading the way with 43.

Sacred Heart secured a first innings lead over St Peters in their 1A plate match with a confident run chase late in the day's play.

Led by Sean Solia's 40, St Peters posted 178 with Freddy Klaassen (3-32) and JJ Mills (3-36) leading the Sacred Heart attack.

In reply Sacred Heart batted out the rest of the day to score 225 and take a handy first innings lead despite an impressive six-wicket bag from Matt Newman. Jarred Payne (62) and Alex Wiltshire (40) led the charge for Sacred Heart who have their hands on the plate championship unless Rosmini can win outright to share the honours.

Rosmini dominated their match with Avondale. Shane McCann's 59 was supported by useful knocks from Gareth Anscombe (47) and Justin Vellery (41) as they posted an impressive 272.

Anscombe then backed up his batting with an impressive 4-11 as Avondale were left reeling at 42/7 by stumps. Rosmini will be hoping for more of the same on the second day as they push for outright points and a share of the plate. Avondale are fighting for survival in the 1A grade.

Cameron Fletcher (36) and Dep Gajjar (32 not out) were the only scores of note as KBHS worked hard to reach 166 against Macleans.

Scott Yeoman continued his good term-four form with a three-wicket bag for Macleans.

In reply Macleans reached 48/2, leaving the match evenly poised heading into the last day of the season with both teams keen to push clear of the relegation zone.

Waikato: St Pauls managed to repel the Matamata onslaught to retain the Dave Hoskins Trophy and their lead at the top of the 1A Championship.

Batting first on what appeared a good batting strip after winning the toss, Matamata were soon in trouble, losing two wickets to successive deliveries in the second over.

Their troubles further compounded to leave them at 53/6 in the 17th over. Only a gritty 75 from Mitchell Green (including five boundaries) and good support from Scott Semmens (17 not out) and a healthy 44 extras restored some respectability in reaching a total of 171.

St Pauls began poorly against the accurate bowling of Mitchell Green (4/41) and Nigel Hatfield (4/37) and were reeling at 12/3 until Rhys McCarthy (72) and Patrick Wilkins (46) put on 113 for the fourth wicket.

Another collapse when four wickets fell for eight runs left the championship leaders reeling at 139 for 8 before captain McCarthy and tail-ender Angus Harris (11 not out) finished the game in style by hitting a six to win the game by two wickets.

St Peters scored a comfortable victory over HBHS Development after HBHS surprisingly put St Peters in on an artificial pitch.

They had an early success when Matthew Kilgour hit a catch to mid-off in the first over. From that point the St Peters' batsmen played positively and scored freely but without any batsman posting a really big score. At 154-6 in the 30th over, HBHS might have thought that they could limit St Peters to a score under 200 but a seventh wicket partnership between Tim Seifert (51) and Ben Kittlety (50) ended such hopes.

The HBHS innings started poorly as they were reduced to 27/4 in the ninth over as Northern Districts under-17 quick Ross Fitz-John struck. Alex Waterman offered the most resistance with 30 runs, but wickets continued to fall steadily until HBHS were bowled out for 123 in the 30th over.

Fitz-John signalled his return to bowling action with figures of 4-15. He was well supported by player of the day Ben Kittlety with 3-39.

Cambridge HS chose to bat against Hillcrest and were immediately under pressure with tight bowling from openers William Kokaua (nine overs, 2/17) and Brenden Flegg (10 overs, 2/53).

However, Patrick Tomsett (60) built a slow but steady innings firstly with Mark O'Shaughnessy (28) and then the game-setting partnership of 157 for the fourth wicket with Nick Boyle.

Boyle dominated Hillcrest's middle order bowlers who struggled with line and length, plundering 17 boundaries and a six to reach 103 in 75 balls. A quick-fire 28 from Shaun Bax off 18 balls had Cambridge ending the innings just short of the 300 mark.

Hillcrest's innings started a bit faster but they were soon two down before Andrew Fowke (26) and Kokaua (74) pushed past the 50 partnership to have Hillcrest in a solid position and ahead of the demanding run rate.

However, the Boyle show continued when he ripped apart Hillcrest's middle order, with support of Feast who choked Hillcrest's run rate with an impressive spell of 8 overs for 3-9.

A fiery 10th wicket partnership of 65 thanks to a hard hitting 61 not out off 39 balls by Joel Farnworth prolonged the Cambridge innings, but the inevitable end came with Hillcrest all out for 228 in the 40th over.

Boyle missed out on his five wicket bag but with nine overs - 4/49 - on top of his century he masterminded a comfortable win for Cambridge.

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