College Sport: McBride is top prospect at world champs

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

Avondale College's Andrea McBride has hurled herself on to the world stage.

The multi-talented seventh-former is a member of a 19-strong New Zealand team in Santiago, Chile, for the world junior athletics championships, where she will contest the javelin event against internationally experienced throwers.

Getting to the event did not come cheap. The experience will cost McBride $4500.

She received some money from the Don Oliver Trust, but was left to find the rest of the funds herself.

McBride's mentor and manager, Roy Williams, is confident the level-headed teenager will be competitive against the highly favoured Russians, Cubans and Japanese.

McBride, whose goal is to make the final 12, will line up for the first qualifying round tomorrow.

"She is a brilliant allrounder and has the potential to do great things," Williams said.

McBride has also proved herself on the volleyball and basketball courts.

She was named in the New Zealand basketball tournament team and is a member of the triumphant New Zealand under-19 volleyball side who upset the Australian under-21 side this year.

McBride, coached by former New Zealand javelin champion and recordholder Malcolm Hahn, is fast becoming the next Kirsten Hellyar.

Hellyar, the 1994 Commonwealth games silver medallist in the event, still dominates the New Zealand record books in the event, although with alterations to the javelin, McBride may have her name among the recordholders for her near-50m distances.

McBride's future sporting endeavours appear to be split between athletics and volleyball, both of which she intends to continue when she finishes school.

New Zealand could be celebrating a double international in a few years.

Other New Zealand prospects at the championships are Napier's Jason Stewart in the 800m and Stuart Farquhar, from Cambridge, in the javelin. Stewart holds the national secondary school record for the distance and has a personal best of 1m 48.73s.

Farquhar and McBride started their throwing career together as third-formers at St Peter's College in Cambridge.

They were introduced to the sport by Robin Ball, and both have never looked back.

The world junior athletics championships run until October 22.

TENNIS

Auckland Grammar lead the Auckland senior championship points table with two rounds to play.

They are 16 points clear of nearest rivals King's College.

While Auckland appear to have the title in the bag, the race for second place is wide open.

St Kentigern College pipped King's College 5-4 to move to within three points of second spot.

Westlake Boys' High School are lagging behind on 18 points.

Fourth-placed King's College upset frontrunners St Cuthbert's College in the senior girls' competition.

Rangitoto College convincingly downed Epsom Girls' Grammar to sit neatly in second spot.

This week. -

Today: Auckland: premier and senior B girls cricket. Southern and central zone boys and girls junior softball. North Harbour boys and girls junior volleyball.

Tomorrow: Auckland: intermediate and junior girls cricket. Southern and central zone boys and girls junior volleyball. Counties Manukau: junior boys and girls volleyball. Western zone boys junior volleyball. North Harbour: junior girls softball.

Friday: Auckland: premier boys junior volleyball.

Tuesday: Junior touch rugby. Eastern zone junior boys and girls volleyball. Western zone junior girls volleyball.

Results. -

Auckland tennis, boys. -

Senior A1: AGS 9 Westlake BHS 0, St Kentigern 5 King's 4. Points: AGS 63, King's 47, St Kentigern 44, Westlake 18.

Intermediate A1: Rangitoto 6 King's 3, St Kentigern 5 AGS 4. Points: King's 47, Rangitoto 40, St Kentigern 39, AGS 37.

Junior A1: AGS I 9 AGS II 0, St Kentigern 9 King's 0. Points: AGS I 63, St Kentigern 51, King's 36, AGS II 18.

Girls. -

Senior A1: King's College 5 St Cuthbert's College 4, Rangitoto 8 Epsom 1. Points: St Cuthbert's 50, Rangitoto 43, Epsom 33, King's 31. Intermediate A1: Westlake 9 Epsom 0, St Cuthbert's 5 Macleans 4. Points: Westlake 54, St Cuthbert's 42, Macleans 31, Epsom 26.

Junior A1: Baradene 9 Macleans 0, Diocesan 7 St Cuthbert's 2. Points: Baradene 58, Diocesan 54, St Cuthbert's 36, Macleans 17.

Auckland volleyball, junior girls: Diocesan 0 Hillary 2, Kelston 0 Aorere 2, Kelston 0 Mangere 2, Kelston 0 Avondale 2, Mangere 2 Diocesan 0, Avondale 2 Aorere 0, Avondale 2 Mangere 0.

Junior boys: Westlake 3 Avondalde 0, Aorere 2 Avondale 1, Westlake 3 Aorere 0, Glenfield 2 Mangere 1, Kelston 3 Glenfield 0, Kelston 3 Mangere 0, Hillary 2 AGS 0, Hillary 2 Mt Albert 1, AGS II 2 Mt Albert 0.