College sport: Rangitoto's twin triumphs

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

Rangitoto College have completed a rare double by winning the New Zealand secondary schools premier boys' soccer title in Christchurch on the same day as the girls triumphed over Wairarapa College at the national secondary schools premier hockey tournament in Palmerston North.

The soccer team were still fighting for the title when news of the hockey girls' success came through.

Rangitoto downed defending champions Mt Albert Grammar twice, once in pool play, the other in the premier soccer final.

In both instances it was a must-win game.

Rangitoto beat Mt Albert 3-1 the first time round to qualify for the quarter-finals.

In the final, the teams were locked 0-0 at fulltime and failed to score in extra time, forcing a penalty shootout which Rangitoto eventually won 4-2.

The Nick Hyde-coached soccer team have steadily worked their way up through the lower grades of the Auckland competition to qualify for the national premier championships for just their second time.

When Hyde, a University-Mt Wellington club player, took on the coaching position four years ago, the First XI were in the lowly B4 grade. Since then, the team have worked their way up the ranks, winning the grade every year and earning promotion each time.

Next year they will be kicking around in the Auckland premier grade, where Mt Albert, Auckland Grammar and fellow North Harbour team Westlake Boys' High School reign supreme.

Mt Albert's strength as a soccer heavyweight has not been weakened, according to Hyde.

"Mt Albert have set a standard," he said. "Schools are taking soccer more seriously and with quality coaching it has evened the teams up."

The girls' hockey team also won their first national title to complete the school's double, beating Christchurch's Rangi Ruru College 2-0 in the final.

The Federation Cup filled the vacant spot in the hockey team's trophy cabinet that was meant to be occupied by the Auckland intercity prize, but St Cuthbert's College, who finished third in the national tournament, upset Rangitoto two weeks ago.

Rangitoto coach Suzette Eastmond said the shock loss at the intercity final worked to the advantage of the team.

"We didn't expect it [the loss], but it worked as a bonus for us," Eastmond said. "It made us reassess our game."

Eastmond was pleased with her team's performance at the tough competition.

The intercity title disappointment a distant memory.

She said: "We got the one that counts."

Weightlifting

Pakuranga College's Mark Spooner was named the under-16 lifter of the tournament at the recent New Zealand secondary schools championships.

Spooner won the under-16 69kg class convincingly. He lifted 10kg more than his body weight in the snatch and 100kg in the jerk, far exceeding his opponents' efforts.

Richard Patterson (Auckland Grammar) was another notable performer at Te Kauwhata on Saturday.

Patterson was the best of his class, lifting a combined total of 191kg.

Soccer

Epsom Girls' Grammar triumphed after two years of being the bridesmaid, winning their first national tournament at Tauranga.

Epsom beat Avondale College 2-0 in the final, reversing the previous week's result in the Auckland final.

Westlake Girls' High School completed an Auckland treble, beating New Plymouth Girls' High School 1-0 for third.

Bowls

Eighteen-year-old Jason Myers from Onehunga High School was crowned the new national junior indoor bowls champion on Saturday.

Myers won the Auckland championships to qualify for the national tournament and bowled through unbeaten.

This week:

Today: Inter-region under-16 basketball playoffs. Auckland: West Auckland cross-country championships.

Tomorrow: Inter-region under-14 basketball playoffs.

Counties Manukau: cross-country. North Harbour: cross-country.

Friday: Auckland: squash finals, basketball finals.

Saturday: North Harbour: netball.

Sunday: Auckland: trampolining championships, mountain-biking teams relay.