KEY POINTS:
As most of their school-mates enjoyed their holiday break, four Rangitoto College pupils headed south to Christchurch for the inaugural World Schools Golf Challenge and returned as winners of the mixed title by 59 strokes.
The event, the brainchild of former Rotorua Boys HS golf coach Ian Woon, attracted 50 teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
Hit by harsh early-winter weather, the 200 competitors battled 50km/h winds and a wind-chill factor of -5C on the final day at the Templeton Golf Club.
Led by year 11 pupil Sean Hawkins who shot 320 for his four rounds, and Nicola Cresswell (year 12) who fired 351 to finish equal sixth in the girl's gross, Rangitoto beat Queenstown's Wakatipu HS. The other members of the Rangitoto team were Jonathon Lopes Da Silva and Nick Leydon.
The boys championship was won by Shirley BHS. Led by Dean Harvey, who shot 297 to finish one stroke behind Andrew Namkoong (St Bedes College) in the individual race, Shirley BHS beat Otago BHS with St Kentigern taking third to dash any thoughts of a South Island sweep.
BASKETBALL
The highly competitive Auckland premier championships tip off on Friday with Westlake BHS and Northcote College defending their titles.
WBHS are at home to promoted Northcote in one of four boys' matches while AGS, who lost last season's final, are at home to MAGS who have held their place in the top grade after beating Massey HS in a recent promotion-relegation battle.
Massey, third in the open grade in 2006, were given the chance to chase a place in the top division after Mt Roskill Grammar's call not to chase a place in the higher grade.
Northcote College begin their defence of the girls' premiership with their game against Manurewa High School at WBHS.
Rangitoto, beaten by Northcote in an all-North Harbour final last year, are at home to Massey HS while Epsom GGS, promoted and taking WGHS' place, meet Rosehill College at AGS.
The semifinals are scheduled for September 7 and the finals a week later - all at the North Shore Events Centre.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Nick Jordan has returned from five years in various overseas sporting administrative roles to replace Mike Thompson as chief executive at ASB College Sport.
Jordan, 36, worked with Wellington rugby in the late 1990s and was the first tournament director for the successful Wellington sevens.
He went on to set up the Singapore sevens before spending time with the RFU in London and the Australian Rugby Union at the time of the 2003 World Cup.
More recently, he has been in Melbourne and Qatar in organisational roles for the world lifesaving championships and Asian Games.
WATER POLO
After surviving some big scares along the way - scoring one-goal wins over Church College (in pool play) and Rangitoto College in the semifinals - Rongotai College claimed a record seventh National Secondary Schools Senior Boys' title with their 8-4 win over Westlake BHS in the final in Lower Hutt.
Led by the tournament's most valuable player, Tim Chambers, Rongotai were always in control in the final as they went on to take the honours for the first time since 1996.
The strong showing by Auckland schools continued as Rangitoto beat AGS 3-2 in the bronze-medal match.
Waikato schools too had a good tournament with Church College beating St Johns College in the play-off for seventh. It was the first time in nearly 20 years that Waikato had two teams in the top eight.
Wellington College beat Sacred Heart in the play-off for fifth.
Thomas Kearns (Rangitoto), Mark Baker (AGS) and Anthony Cuccurullo (Rongotai) were named the most promising players.
Westlake GHS ended a 13-year drought with their 3-1 win over Rangitoto in yesterday's premier girls final in the Hutt Valley.
Defending champions Diocesan beat Queen Margaret College 6-4 in overtime to claim bronze.
Making the most of home-pool advantage, Sacred Heart beat Tauranga GC in the final of the national girls' B grade tournament at Te Rapa.
In the bronze match, Marist College pipped St Kentigern.
Laura Mason (Sacred Heart) was named the tournament's MVP.
Tauranga BC beat John Paul College 4-1 in an all-Bay of Plenty boys' final with Glendowie College claiming bronze with their 5-4 win over Kelston BHS.
YACHTING
After a first-up loss to Nelson College for Girls and, despite trailing hosts New Plymouth GHS by three wins after round-robin racing in the silver fleet, Westlake GHS stormed home to win the NZ Secondary Schools Team Championship.
Sailed in the two-person 420s, the WGHS team of Kelly Barnes (captain), German exchange student and Laser sailor Christina Moller, Julia Hamilton, Danielle Blackburn, Laura Davie and Lauren Zwi beat top qualifiers NPGHS in the final to win the trophy for the first time.
COMING UP
Tomorrow
Swimming, Auckland SS champ of champs, West Wave Aquatic Centre, Henderson, 9.30am.
Friday
Basketball, premier, boys (all 7.30pm, home team first), AGS v MAGS, Dilworth v Avondale, Rangitoto v KBHS, WBHS v Northcote. Girls (all 6pm), EGGS v Rosehill, AGS, AGGS v Avondale, Dilworth, Rangitoto v Massey HS, Rangitoto, Manurewa HS v Northcote, WBHS.
Squash (all 4pm), premier girls, WGHS v St Cuthberts, Unitec, EGGS v Diocesan, Unitec, St Cuthberts B v Howick, St Cuthberts. Premier boys, AGS v Manurewa HS, Manurewa SC, Kings v Massey, Kings, WBHS v TGS, North Shore SC, St Kentigern v AGS 2, St Kentigern.
