College sport: Champ leaves most males gasping

Rebecca Spence continues to dominate Auckland multisport.

The Rangitoto College seventh former upstaged all but two male competitors in the aquathon at Long Bay.

In the combined senior race (a 750m swim followed by a 5km run), Spence was beaten to the finish by only Matt Burgess (St Kentigern) and Ryan Sissons of Macleans College who was less than a minute ahead of Spence at the finish.

For much of the race Spence, the world under-20 duathlon champion, was in second place, wilting only in the final stages of the run.

Spence was more than seven minutes clear of Rebecca Clark (St Kentigern) who took silver in the senior girls' race with Katherine Reardon (St Cuthberts) three minutes back.

Brothers Blake and Kurt Bassett flew the Auckland Grammar flag strongly with their victories in the junior and intermediate championships.

Both boast a strong swimming background. Kurt was recently crowned the school's overall intermediate swimming champion having collected a number of titles and the six-year-old 50m backstroke record. His younger brother was runner-up in the overall junior competition.

They will be back in the pool next week as the four-zone swimming championships are held. North Harbour schools will be first in the water with the zone one competition at the Millennium pool on Monday. The Central West zone follows on Tuesday at the Waitakere Aquatic Centre with the remaining zones a week today at the Epsom GGS pool and the Franklin Aquatic Centre.

The multisport brigade will be back in action on Friday at the schools team tag triathlon championships at Maraetai Beach.

Cricket

Allrounder Toby Hawes was the toast of his Matamata College teammates after he steered them to a four-wicket win over St Johns College in the second round of the Waikato 1st XI division one championship.

Batting first after winning the toss, Aiden Stevenson and Chris Steffert gave the visitors a solid start but once that partnership was broken Hawes took over, bagging 6 for 12 from six overs.

Chasing a modest 116, the home team struggled early, slumping to 22/3 before Hawes steadied the ship and went on to an unbeaten 58. Despite some good bowling from Sean Patterson, who took 5 for 30 from his 10 overs, Matamata reached 118/6 to win by four wickets.

Another good opening partnership - between Sam Kilgour and Thomas Wansbone - laid the foundation for St Peters' handy 217 in a repeat of last year's final in which they beat Hillcrest High.

In reply Hillcrest struggled and only a 57-run, eighth-wicket partnership between Oliver Leydon-Davis and William Kokaua saved them from embarrassment as they reached 139 to lose by 78 runs, allowing St Peters to retain the Dave Hoskin Trophy.

In another close, low-scoring affair which have marked the early weeks of the new season, Hamilton Boys got up to beat Morrinsville College by one wicket.

Winning the toss, Morrinsville were quickly in trouble as Steven Cullingworth struck. Only Glenn McIntyre offered much resistance as the innings ended in the 26th over.

A second-wicket, 39-run partnership between Ben Nowland and Vaughan Stock gave Hamilton some hope and eventually victory after Cullingworth and Ryan Herbert, who had earlier taken four wickets, added 45 runs. With just one wicket to fall, the home side still needed seven runs. They got home when Scott Laurence bowled a wide.

Cambridge High, playing away, made no race of their clash with Te Awamutu College. With Jake Bezzant scoring the round high 88, the visitors posted 204 to which Te Awamutu replied with 72 as Andrew George and Richard Singleton picked up three wickets each.

Rowing

King's College ended a seven-year drought in winning the keenly-contested premier boys under-18 eights at the Head of the Harbour regatta on Lake Pupuke.

In an all-Auckland finish over 1000m, Kings got home ahead of St Kentigern College with defending champions Hamilton Boys third.

Rowers from 37 schools relished the perfect conditions during a long, and, at times, hectic day's racing.

Hamilton took the fours title from St Kentigern and Auckland Grammar.

Westlake Girls High, who last won the girls premier eights title in 2000, returned to winning form to hold off a strong Waikato challenge. St Peters (Cambridge) edged Waikato Diocesan for second. Earlier the Waikato Diocesan crews scored a clean sweep in the fours.

In sculling events, Takapuna Grammar, St Kentigern and Westlake Girls picked up wins. Westlake Boys took overall honours from Takapuna Grammar.

Water polo

Rangitoto College scored a resounding 22-0 fourth round win over newcomers St Kentigern in premier girls action.

A week earlier St Kentigern had shocked previous national champions Avondale College in holding them to a 3-3 draw.

In a tight contest, Rangitoto, Diocesan and Westlake Girls 1 now share the lead.

After a tentative start, Diocesan finished strongly to beat Mt Albert Grammar 7-3. Westlake continued on their winning way with a convincing 13-1 romp over Mt Roskill Grammar.

In the closest match of the round, at the West Wave Aquatic Centre, Epsom Girls just got up 6-5 over Massey High.

After four rounds, the premier boys championship seems set to be a four-way affair with Westlake, Rangitoto, Auckland Grammar and Sacred Heart early favourites to win through to the six-team championship round. In the match of the round, Rangitoto just edged traditional rivals Westlake 7-6.

Coming up

TODAY: Cricket, all 25-over matches (4pm start, home team first), Auckland premier girls, Avondale v Baradene, WGHS v Diocesan, Mt Roskill Grammar v EGGS, Macleans v St Cuthberts. North Harbour open girls, Takapuna GS v Rangitoto, Long Bay v Kaipara, Kristin v Carmel.

Equestrian, Auckland SS regional trials, Wainui Pony Club grounds, from 8.30am.

Softball, premier girls (all 4pm, home team first), Avondale v James Cook HS, Howick v Penrose, KGHS v AGGS. Senior, east zone, Meadowlands Park, Penrose v St Kentigern 4pm, Penrose v Tamaki 5pm. Senior west zone, Starling Park, Massey v Lynfield, Rutherford v Henderson both 4pm; Henderson v Lynnfield, Massey v Rutherford both 5pm.

FRIDAY: Multisport, Auckland SS teams tag triathlon championships, Maraetai Beach, from 10.30am.

Volleyball, premier boys, (at Rangitoto College), Rangitoto v WBHS 4pm, Rangitoto v KBHS 4.45pm, WBHS v KBHS 5.30pm. At Penrose, HS, Penrose v Avondale 4pm, Penrose v Otahuhu 4.45pm, Avondale v Otahuhu 5.30pm. At Sir Edmund Hillary, Tangaroa v AGS 4pm, Tangaroa v Sir Edmund Hillary 4.45pm, AGS v Sir Edmund Hillary 5.30pm.

SATURDAY: Cricket, Auckland (all 12.30pm start) 1A (second day, two-day games), AGS 151 v Kings 78/4 at AGS, MAGS 301/8 dec v Avondale 19/3 at MAGS, WBHS 240/9 dec v St Kentigern 11/0 at WBHS. 1B, Rangitoto 182 v Howick 133/1 at Howick, Papatoetoe 178 v St Peters 180/4 at Papatoetoe, St Kentigern 2 v AGS 2 at St Kentigern. Waikato division one (home team first, start 10.30am), Hamilton BHS v Fraser, Morrinsville v Te Awamutu, Cambridge v St Peters, St Johns v Hillcrest, Matamata bye.

MONDAY: Golf, Premier div 1 9-hole (all 4pm).

Softball, premier boys (all 4pm, home team first), Selwyn v Avondale, MAGS v KBHS, Penrose HS v Sacred Heart, Dilworth v St Peters.

Volleyball, premier girls (at McAuley High, Otahuhu College), from 4pm.

Swimming, zone one championships (North Harbour), Millennium pool, from 9.30am.