College sport: Hurdler in new bid for a gold

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

Jordan Panaho's hopes of winning a North Island secondary school athletics gold medal were dashed last year when she fell in the 70m hurdles final.

However, she had set a new record in her heat.

A year on and Panaho, from Whangarei's Pompallier College, is back to exorcise the demons. This year she will compete in the intermediate girls 80m hurdles and is again tipped to be one of the stand-outs if everything goes to plan.

Panaho is one of 61 students to have qualified from the Northland region.

Once more, the team from Waikato is expected to dominate at the Mt Smart Stadium meeting this weekend, after 196 athletes qualified for the North Island championships.

Among the region's best hopes are Sefo Savea from Western Heights High School, Rotorua, who was on form with a record-breaking throw in the senior boys shot put at the Waikato secondary schools championships; and Monique Williams (Forest View High School, Tokoroa), who ran a personal best in the senior girls 200m in a time of 24.8s at the same meeting.

ROWING

Rowing staff at St Kentigern College say they were bewildered and insulted by accusations of poaching at the North Island secondary schools regatta.

Just after winning the under-17 double skulls at lake Karapiro, Piopio College twins Sam and James Bryan were allegedly approached by a person saying they were from the college.

St Kentigern principal Warren Peat said after meeting his rowing staff he was satisfied that they had not broken the New Zealand secondary school sports council code of conduct by approaching the students and offering them financial incentives to change schools.

"It must have been an overzealous parent," he said.

Peat telephoned Pio Pio College principal Tim Davis-Coley to set the record straight.

Davis-Coley said he would not take the matter further.

"There is no evidence to suggest that anyone acting on St Kentigern's authority approached the boys," he said.

The boys' parents told the school's rowing manager, Bill Burnell, that they had been offered a scholarship by someone from St Kentigern College, but did not know if the person was a parent or someone directly from the school.

The twins are competing at the national secondary school championships at Lake Ruataniwha, Twizel, which finish on Saturday.

TRIATHLON

Gisborne Boys High School's Blake Dear and Gisborne Girls High School's Amy-Kelly Horsfall were the big improvers at the Eastland secondary school championships at Gisborne's Beacon Park Reserve.

Dear was three minutes faster than last year's winner in a time of 47m 51s. Amy-Kelly won the senior girls race two minutes faster than she did in 2001.

Younger sister Hosanna was a clear winner in the junior girls section and Shaun Pahina (Gisborne Boys ) won the junior boys title.

Otamatea High School's Kelly Bruce sounded a warning to her senior girls rivals, posting a winning time at the Auckland secondary school championships at Manly Beach, Whangaparaoa. Bruce completed the event in 53m 59s, 46s faster than Epsom Girls Grammar's Jade Gilbertson. Bruce, however was ineligible for a placing because she was from outside the Auckland region.

WATER POLO

Epsom Girls Grammar have burst back on to the scene after winning a tight final against Westlake Girls High School to win the North Island senior girls title.

Epsom were national champions from 1998-2000. Defending champions Sacred Heart, Lower Hutt, finished third beating Rangitoto College.

Wellington's Rongotai College wrenched the boy's title off Westlake Boys High School in a closely-fought final. Rongotai won 9-8.

Hamilton rivals Church College and Sacred Heart both won their respective third division finals.

THIS WEEK

* Today:

New Zealand secondary school softball championships, Hastings.

Northland: south zone cricket.

Waikato: touch rugby finals.

Bay of Plenty: one-day eventing championships.

* Tomorrow:

Waikato: Waikato secondary school swimming and diving championships.

Bay of Plenty: teams yachting championships.

* Friday:

New Zealand secondary school canoe polo championships, Hastings.

Waikato: Thames Valley secondary school bowls pairs and singles championships.

* Saturday:

North Island secondary schools athletics championships, Auckland.

North Island secondary schools swimming and diving championships, Palmerston Nth.

Northland: fencing.

* Sunday:

Northland: Northland secondary school waka-am championships.

Waikato: zone three touch rugby play-offs.

Bay of Plenty: zonal touch rugby.

* Monday:

Waikato: Thames Valley secondary school tennis championships.

* Tuesday:

Northland: Northland secondary school one day eventing, North Power Cup, zone one touch rugby play-offs.