College Sport: Cho and Gill take top sporting awards

Cecilia Cho, 15, from Pakuranga College, is ASB Young Sportswoman of the Year. Photo / Richard Robinson

No strangers to international success, outstanding youngsters Jacko Gill and Cecilia Cho join an impressive list of former winners in being acclaimed as the ASB Young Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year.

It capped an amazing year for the 15-year-olds who both beat older finalists to capture the supreme awards.

Korean-born Cho, who has lived in New Zealand for the past seven years and is a pupil at Pakuranga College, stunned the golfing world when she followed her victory in the Australian strokeplay championship with a fifth-place finish in the Junior British Open in a mixed field of boys and girls.

The New Zealand women's golfer of the year, Cho was a member of the national team who finished second in the Queen Sirikit Cup and is the world's second-ranked woman in the amateur game.

The current under-17 and under-19 NZSS champion and the national under-15 champion, Cho led her school team. She was runner-up in the national under-23 championship, the New Zealand strokeplay and the Australian match play championship and won the New Zealand amateur crown.

The other finalists for the sportswoman award were category winners Siositina Hakeai (AGGS, athletics), Toesulu Tone-Fitzpatrick (St Cuthbert's, netball), Nadia Pearl (Avondale, soccer), Henrietta Mitchell (Baradene, cycling), Madeline Green (EGGS, cricket) and Danielle Lewis (Diocesan, water polo).

Cho won the golf award for the second successive year, as did Green in taking honours for cricket. Tone-Fitzpatrick was the top netballer two years ago.

Cho is the first Pakuranga College pupil - male or female - to win the overall award.

She follows some of New Zealand's leading sportswomen including Beatrice Faumuina, Emily Drumm, Sarah Ulmer, Sarah Macky, Valerie Adams, Melissa Ingram, Rebecca Spence and Sam Harrison in winning the major award.

Again, there were many outstanding candidates for the sportsman award but Takapuna Grammar's Gill was always the one to beat.

While not quite in the white, skinny kid category, Gill is by no means one of the monsters who strut the shot put circle.

Gill wasted no time in showing he meant business in 2010.

He won the North Harbour secondary schools discus and shot put titles and followed that with the same double at the North Island SS, breaking records in both.

After more domestic success, including the record-breaking double in the under-16 national championships and the under-19 shot put (with another record), he stepped on to the international stage with mind-boggling success as he claimed world records and international acclaim.

The outstanding effort came with his surprise victory in the World Junior Championships, where he beat his older rivals in becoming the youngest to win a title at that age group, eclipsing the great Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

Despite suffering from a virus and competing at the end of a long and testing season, Gill claimed shot put silver at the Youth Olympics in Singapore, again competing against much older rivals.

Gill now holds five age group world records and has the ninth best all-time mark at under-20 level.

The other male finalists were James Oram (WBHS, cycling), Campbell Enoka (Massey High, softball), Michael Fatialofa (MAGS, rugby) and Ryan De Vries (Glenfield College, soccer).

None had previously won their respective categories although Fatialofa, captain of the all-conquering MAGS 1st XV, followed another MAGS player, Steven Luatua, in taking rugby honours.

Gill joins other outstanding New Zealand sportsmen including Jonah Lomu, Dan Slater, Ryan Archibald, Scott Talbot-Cameron, Michael Bullot, Terenzo Bozzone, Corney Swanepoel, Simon Child and Daniel Bell in claiming the overall award.

He joins swimmer Monique Robins as the only other Takapuna Grammar pupil to be so honoured. His success continues a great run for North Harbour schools, who have now won nine of the past 13 awards.

CRICKET

AUCKLAND

King's hold the advantage after the first day of the key final-round clash with WBHS.

In a match which was always likely to be decided on the first innings, given the normally batting-friendly conditions at King's College, the home team were asked to bat first by a WBHS team hoping to cash in on conditions made a trifle tricky by rain during the week.

Aided by some slick catching in the slip cordon, Ashley Martinus picked up two early wickets. Westlake's early high standard of catching then fell away and they squandered a number of chances as Simon Hickey and Nathan Williamson combined in a decisive 114-run partnership.

At this point the match started to turn in favour of the visitors. Martinus returned to induce Hickey to touch one to the wicketkeeper. Then followed four leg-before decisions before the home team added a much-needed 66 runs for the ninth wicket.

Martinus then returned to end the innings and a useful return of 6/48.

WBHS then had to get through 15 overs. It was not a happy time as Fa'asiu Fuata'i broke through twice in his six overs, conceding only five runs as the visitors limped to 21/2 at the close.

AGS remain in the title race after dismissing neighbours St Peter's College for just 135 before posting 119/4 in reply.

St Peter's struggled with 99 runs of their paltry tally scored by brothers George and Harry Hanham. George (53) top-scored with his brother falling four short of what would have been a deserved half-century.

Leading the AGS bowling attack were Swapnil Karnik (5-20) and Jacob Reilly (4-19).

Led by another fine knock 63 from Shawn Hicks and with support from Kyle Jamieson (31), co-leaders St Kentigern are in a dominant position going into the last day of the season.

Fully aware they must beat Rangitoto outright to have any chance of challenging for the title, St Kentigern did it all right on the first day.

Batting first, they piled on 243/8 declared led by 72 from top-order batsman Richard Sillars, 49 from Devon Jones and an unbeaten 62 from Reve Anstis.

The home team then reduced Rangitoto to 86/5 thanks to a blistering spell of 3-14 from pace bowler Warren Barnes.

WAIKATO

The final round of the 1A term four championship is a matchmaker's dream.

St Peter's School will host Matamata College in the finale of the 50-over competition with both schools going into Saturday's match equal in top spot on 13 points.

There will be added pressure on the home team as they seek to defend the coveted Dave Hoskin Trophy they claimed back from St John's College with a four-wicket win on Saturday. After holding the trophy earlier in the year, they lost it to neighbours Cambridge High in round two.

Electing to bat first on their home pitch, St John's were in early trouble, losing both openers cheaply before the Cooper brothers Jude and Sam took the hosts to 63/2 before the younger brother fell for 20. Jude went on to score 38 before being stumped.

Three of their next four batsmen reached double figures but none went on with it as the St Peter's bowlers, led by left-arm spinner Jono Whitley (4-29 from his 10 overs), took control.

The innings ended at 136 in the 45th over.

The top of the St Peter's order was tested by some good new ball bowling from Sam Pritchard, who claimed both openers, and Sam Cooper.

The opening bowlers lacked the support they needed but spinner Brendan O'Neil, who claimed top-scoring Jarrod Mongston (30) and Tom Smith (27), got St John's back into the game.

At 89/5 there was some anxiety in the St Peter's camp. An amazing direct hit from Keagan Farrier for a run out added to their woes before normal transmission resumed and Alex Lunn (20) steered the visitors home with four wickets in hand in the 34th over.

Matamata warmed up for the final showdown with a win, also by four wickets, at home to Cambridge HS.

After a promising start, reaching 59/1 after 22 overs at the drinks break, Cambridge struggled with only Jono Feast (36) reaching 30 as off-spinner Brad McKenzie bagged 3-28 and Nick Perring came back to end the innings at 149 in the 49th over.

In reply the home team began cautiously against tight bowling from Ross Laidlaw and Shaun Wilkie. At 22/2 after nine overs there was plenty of work to be done.

Mitchell Green and McKenzie led the fightback as they reached 80/3 off 20 overs. They later lost two quick wickets at 122 before wicketkeeper Ciaran O'Malley hit a quickfire 19 in joining Green in what proved to be a match-winning partnership.

Green (55) was the last to fall as Matamata went on to win comfortably.

In what promises to be another tight last round affair, St Paul's Collegiate will host St John's with both teams locked in third equal place with 10 points.

St Paul's warmed up for this showdown with a seven-wicket win over Hamilton BHS Development XI.

Batting first after winning the toss, HBHS cashed in on some wayward fielding to reach 52 without loss as Mitchell East (17) and Adam Buist (23) made the most of their good fortune in the face of some good pace bowling from Thomas Te Whare and Malcolm Luman.

But that was the end of it for the visitors as the innings fell apart and ended at a paltry 109 which included a top score of 31 from extras. Part-time off-spinner Josh Fawcett (4-12) was the most successful of the St Paul's attack.

St Paul's started their chase poorly before Fawcett (40) and James Chenery (33) built a match-winning 72-run second wicket partnership. Both were then out to poor shots, leaving Lachlan Cooper (18 not out) to their seven-wicket victory in only the 25th over.

VOLLEYBALL

Honours seem certain to be well spread when the top 24 girls' and boys' teams step on court for this week's Auckland SS junior championships.

Mangere College, McAuley HS and Otahuhu College head the seedings for the girls' tournament, which will have pool play at the ASB Stadium tomorrow and on Friday.

The boys' seedings are headed by One Tree Hill College, Rangitoto and Orewa College for the tournament which will be played at the Tamaki and Otara Recreation Centres.

Both finals will be played on Saturday at Otara.

WAKA AMA

Encouraged by a 1000-strong crowd and relishing the perfect water and overhead conditions, 96 teams from 20 schools contested the 13th annual Auckland SS junior regatta on Saturday.

All races were over a 300m course at the Orakei Basin.

For the first time the regatta started with a mixed double hull race in which 12 paddlers race in unison. James Cook beat Avondale and the EGGS/De La Salle crew claimed early honours.

The more traditional six-person waka racing followed.

KGHS were impressive in winning the division two championship and plate finals. De La Salle won the division two plate final while Papakura High claimed the division two boys championship for the first time with a time of 1m 30.49s.

EGGS and De La Salle joined forces to win the division one mixed championships with Papatoetoe HS claiming the division two mixedtitle.

Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Mangere performed well throughout the day and were rewarded with the division two plate mixed title.

The day's racing ended with the division one finals. De La Salle claimed the boys championship, finishing 5s ahead of James Cook with Kaipara third.

AGGS beat Hoani Waititi and James Cook to claim the division one girls championship.

The next Auckland SS regatta is scheduled for March 5, again at the Basin.

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